What is your organic bugs control experience?
jctsai8b
8 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (14)
kimmq
8 years agoRelated Discussions
how do you control your brug bugs?
Comments (4)A mite resistant brug, never knew there was such a thing. Thats what I'll be looking for in my next brug. Thanks all tim...See MoreDiatomaceous Earth & Organic Bug Control...Some precautions...
Comments (21)Ada, Thanks for the vet info. I found my Natural Remedies for Dogs book and wante to list a few options. They also tlk about garlic as a supplement, but I would be careful with the garlic, because I have read many times that garlic as well as onions are not good for dogs. Anyone who reads this PLEASE do not ever give your dogs raisins or grapes, thats the worst thing for them, far more poisonous for them than chocolate. I found that out the hard way, gave my little Boston Terrier some grapes, I almost lost her. This vet also recommends the beneifical nematodes outside, and DE. Here are some of the products and phone numbers, I searched and found that you can order them on the net. Cloud Nine herbal dip by Halo (800)-426-4256, this one I found on bizrate.com and a few other sites, it was more affordable. Quantum Herbal Products by Earth Animal, they have a website, (800)-348-0398. Flee Free, a liquid flower essence remedy byGreen Hope Farms (603)469-3662. www.greenhopeessences.com cost $9. One of those had the cedar oil it, don't remember which one. I'll have to check out that other health food store if I ever go to Norman again. My DH and kids hate when I go into the Health Food Center, they usually end up just following me in for some reason. lol. It's like a health food mall compared to any other store. Dawn, I am addicted to the laptop too. Both of our laptops are fairly new, I don't know what I did to mine, DH blames me everytime one of them stops working. By the way what does D stand for in DH? I just started typing it, and assume it could be a good word or a bad word, depending on the issue? hehe. Do you know of a natural remedy for keeping flies and mosquitos off of horses. I found a citronella spray but it also had pyrethrins in it, and I think I remember you saying that the pyrethrins and permrethrins were both toxic?...See MoreCan anyone share your experiences with pest control?
Comments (8)Yeah. Use the precor stuff and stick with it. I forgot how sleazy pet control places can be. We are lucky to have an independent one here. We used them for the mouse in the house problem last spring. We paid just for the service we needed. Past big-name pest control places were scams. A big up-front fee and $75 every other month or so for a year. All I needed was treatment for in-wall carpenter ants. Nothing else. I refused to let them spray anything in the home or outside in the fenced yard area (half of the perimeter of the house) because of the three dogs. All I wanted was boric acid puffed into the walls. Okay, so I paid for that and I would have to pay for them to come redo it every couple of months. That was the ony way to get it done, and I could not physically do the work myself at the time. One month I got a bill. They had not been out. I called. They said that they had "done the outside" when I was not home. I explained that there was no "outside" to do, since they cannot spray in the back yard. And I knew there were no footprints in the snow in the front yard, so just what was it that they did?! Not to mention that there IS nothing to spray on the outside of a house in Michigan in January. If I remember right, this bill also came after the expiration of the year's contract. It took me six months to get them to stop charging me for services that I was no longer getting. I think I had to complain to the authorities. I lived in Louisianna for four years and learned about fleas there. Back then, we spread Dursban in the yard every month or so and used the new sprays with Precor in them inside. One company had the precor chemical in a formulation that dried onto the carpet or fabric fibers on the furniture. The dried chemical was actually micro-encapsulated precor that would pop if a flea walked on the dired bubble and it would poison the flea. This was before the spot-on treatments like Frontline. It did work for us. Just vacuum a lot, throw out the bag (or vacuum up some chemical and hope it stays in the bag?) after each day. We were told to wash everything washable in HOT water and that it would kill the eggs. We never had it so bad that you could see the fleas jumping onto your white socks, but my friend did. She had a cat, too. I had a dog. I wonder if the infestations are worse with cats? I do wonder about the flea waste that you see everywhere in the basement. It just makes me wonder what the heck is feeding them all. Are you sure no critters can get in the basement?...See MoreWhat are your bugs control experience?
Comments (15)Over the few years I have been into gardening/landscaping, I have gone from "Grab the pesticide" to "Grab the insecticidal soap" to "Grab the Neem Oil and dish soap" to "Eh, I'll kill it if it actually becomes a nuisance." This summer, I have had to kill some insects, mostly by mechanical means (shoe, loppers, stick, thumb, etc), but I have also target-sprayed a few plants with the Neem Oil and soap mixture. I have also pruned off heavily populated bits and dunked the prunings in a bucket of soapy water. But by and large I have left things well enough alone. So many of the insects in our gardens aren't really a problem, they might give us a startle or even give us the willies, but when it comes right down to it, most are either harmless or are actually doing something good for the garden. I have a niece who recently moved down from Michigan and she thinks every bug needs to be sprayed and stepped on, regardless of what it actually does and I am having a hard time getting her to understand that not everything needs to die. As a result of my not bothering, the birds that have visited my yard for the bird bath have noticed the insects. Now in the mornings and evenings I get visitors who not only play in the water, but hop from plant to plant or rummage around in the mulch searching for a meal. The wrens are by far my favorites as they sing happy little songs as they work. And yes, they even eat stink bug nymphs (not sure about the adults). I have also had a slight increase in my spider population. The most obvious ones are the orb weavers like the golden garden spider. For the most part, they build their webs inside the beds, which I don't mind. If one decides to spin a web over a path, I simply grab a stick and swirl it in the webbing until I have the spider on the stick and then I move it somewhere I would rather it live. Even my wife, who used to have an insane fear of spiders, has learned to appreciate and 'enjoy' watching the spiders, even if from a long, very safe distance. Spiders don't just mean fewer insects, they mean fewer mosquitoes. And I need not worry about these spiders becoming too common, because the above mentioned birds are happy to dine on the younger spiders they find. I imagine that by now I sound like an eco-hippy, but really I am not. Nor do I have a fascination or fondness for insects. I just came to the realization over the years that trying to control the insects in my Florida yard is an exercise in futility and have moved to trying the 'Balance' method of pest control. And it works for the most part. There are a few exotic insects that nothing seems to feed on or there will be an overnight infestation of something and these are the times when I take measures myself. But otherwise... I have better things to do....See MoreUser
8 years agomaxjohnson
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoPumpkin (zone 10A)
8 years agokimmq
8 years agojctsai8b
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agowayne_5 zone 6a Central Indiana
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agopeter_6
8 years agojctsai8b
8 years agobriergardener_gw
8 years agokimmq
8 years agobriergardener_gw
8 years agopeter_6
8 years ago
Related Stories
GARDENING AND LANDSCAPINGPorch Life: Banish the Bugs
Don't let insects be the bane of your sweet tea and swing time. These screening and product ideas will help keep bugs at bay on the porch
Full StoryMOST POPULARExperience the Holidays at Frank Lloyd Wright's Home and Studio
Handmade decorations, greenery and gifts show how the famed architect and his family celebrated Christmas in their Oak Park home
Full StoryARCHITECTUREWorld of Design: A Tokyo Exhibit Experiments With the Future of ‘Home’
Japan’s architects and housing industry explore new ideas for dwellings that respond to changes in society, tech and the natural world
Full StoryHEALTHY HOMEWhat to Know About Controlling Dust During Remodeling
You can't eliminate dust during construction, but there are ways to contain and remove as much of it as possible
Full StoryGARDENING AND LANDSCAPINGBid Bad Garden Bugs Goodbye and Usher In the Good
Give ants their marching orders and send mosquitoes moseying, while creating a garden that draws pollinators and helpful eaters
Full StoryGARDENING AND LANDSCAPINGBreezy and Bug-Free Modern Porches
Screening keeps pests out of these diverse porches across the U.S., while thoughtful designs keep them visually appealing
Full StoryDIY PROJECTS12 Signs You've Caught the DIY Bug
Been making inventive things from scratch? Repurposing salvaged pieces creatively? It may be more serious than you think
Full StoryHOME TECHNew TV Remote Controls Promise to Do More — Without the Struggle
Dim your lights, set up user profiles and discover a remote you can't lose. Welcome to the latest and greatest way to change the channel
Full StoryLANDSCAPE DESIGNClimate Control: Work With Nature's Elements for the Best Outdoor Space
Consider sun, wind and water where you live for a deck or patio that's as comfortable as possible all year long
Full StoryKITCHEN DESIGN8 Kitchen Organizing Ideas for Messy Cooks
Not the clean-as-you-go type? Not to worry. These strategies will help keep your kitchen looking tidy no matter what your cooking style is
Full Story
grubby_AZ Tucson Z9