User Posts: Nicholas Martin
Hello! As an entomologist and pest control consultant, Iâve been dealing with all types of pests that infest household and commercial buildings around the US ...
Nicholas Martin 
If you're desperate to tackle pesky squirrels that have wreaked havoc on your home, you're in luck. Today, I'm going to provide you with the best solutions to ...
Letâs face it - getting rid of ground squirrels is nothing short of a Herculean task. Their cute, fluffy appearance and Disneyesque appeal are the first ...
I often hear the question âHow come that I have a termite infestation?â That is why I want to give you detailed information about these insects by answering ...
Although we all admire the beauty of various bird species, and many people cannot even imagine the need to make these amazing creatures disappear from your ...
While bed bugs donât have the ability to fly or jump that many parasites possess, they remain a greatly annoying pest. These tiny creatures will crawl out ...
Though people tend to like birds and sometimes keep them as home pets. On the other hand, birds can become a real problem, especially if one has a garden. ...
Few people know what harm these insects can do and even fewer do know how to choose the best pesticide for bees or how to kill a bee in the most humane way. ...
Hi, Iâm Nicholas Martin, an entomologist and pest control consultant. In this article, I share my experience-based electric fly swatter reviews that will help ...
Drain Flies are small insects that most often live in "wet" sewage areas in the bathroom and kitchen. Not recognized in time, these insects can become a real ...
What do ants eat and drink? The super-simple answer is everything. Drop an ice-cream cone in the middle of the park or leave a slice of pastrami on your porch ...
Crows. Theyâre one of the most intelligent species amongst all the birds. They can easily adapt to changes and learn how to survive within one location no ...
Ants with white bottoms AKA ghost ants may not seem like that big of a deal at first glance. In fact, you probably wonât even notice them with an unarmed eye⌠...
Garden pest control is the constant work of a gardener. Ants are not only the most common but also one of the most harmful insects. Their families grow ...
Birds individually can be considered pretty cute creatures, but when their number grows and exceeds units, this can pose a serious threat to your property. ...
For most people, the perfect holiday by the sea does not include beach bugs that bite you until all you want to do is go home. Sand fleas are one species that ...
Perhaps, feeding pigeons with bread in the park is a fun thing to do on the weekend. However, the pigeons which are persistently trying to become your ...
Fleas tend to go unnoticed unless your cat is scratching more than usual or youâre getting some itchy bites too. Tiny as they are, the jumping specks can cause ...
Flea infestation is a much bigger problem than it might seem at first sight. While ticks are more active in spring and fall seasons, fleas create a dangerous ...
Flea infestation in dogs is a problem that always takes you by surprise. Regular bathing of your pet and cleaning the house is not enough for the effective ...
Browsing All Comments By: Nicholas Martin
Unfortunately, yes. The colony has secondary reproductives that will take its place.
Yes, painted wood definitely doesn’t attract carpenter bees (not bumblebees) as much bare or even stained wood.
Hi Chris. I haven’t tested neither foot nor baby powder against carpenter bees. If I were you, I’d test your theory for some time (think 2 weeks) to see if it really works. Who knows, maybe you discovered a new bee insecticide đ But for real, I’d spray the screen from outside with an insecticide to repel the bees.
Yes, you can also use bait stations so chickens can’t reach the poison. Chickens shouldn’t eat rats in any scenario since rats do carry several diseases.
Well, we probably regularly consume products that do have some insect waste products (you just have to live with this) so if you accidentally consumed something with roach feces on it and you realise you can’t deal with it, I’d induce vomiting to get it back. Make sure to contact a doctor if you have any unusual symptoms.
If ants keep coming back to your house, then there’s something that attracts them (moist, food leftovers, etc). If you see flying ants then there’s probably a queen around that wants to start a new colony or expand an existing one. Inspect what may attract ants to your home, use baits, and find where ants come from to locate the colony. Also, make sure you are not confusing these flying ants with termites.
Yeah, having neighbors with roach issues can easily result in getting your apartment infested if you provide roaches with attractive living conditions (food leftovers in the first place). I’d recommend Advion Gel Bait (you can’t go wrong with this one), just make sure your cats can’t reach it.
Yes, the wax and honey produced in a beehive can cause some structural damage to the walls. Though, I’d be more concerned about them attracting more bees and other pests to your roof.
Yes, it will keep working as long as there’s active ingredient inside
Hi David! What size are these flies (I assume more like gnats)? Are there any trash cans or flowers nearby besides your dogs?
Thanks for your story Sue! Yeah, Terro is kind of deadly bourbon for ants đ
It’s not hard if you use correct methods. Though, keeping your kitchen clean surely is a must.
Check out my recent article on how to get rid of german roaches.
Thank you for your addition to this article. I have reviews on pet-friendly ways to get rid of pests too! I will think of expanding this article with your take!
Take care, Martin.
Yeah, you can use it too.
Thanks, PeaceGirl!
Thank you for your story, Crystal :)!
It’s nice to read that somebody can have fun with centipedes đ
Dawn, I’m so sorry that you have to deal with all of it.
Pests are something that comes with big houses, I guess. If this gives you so much stress, maybe you should consult your local pest control services.
Anyway, thank you for sharing your experience. I hope I was able to help you with my blog.
Take care!
Martin
You’re welcome
Hi, Hakeem, thank you for your question.
Insects in bed are no good. Not sure from your comment which ones you have, so it’d be better for you to consult your local pest control services. Take care.
Best comment ever đ
Hi, Linda. Thank you for sharing your experience.
I’d advise you to call the closest Pest Control company to your house and let them examine your house. It’s not easy to give good advice remotely, because in some cases you can get rid of pests just by sealing cracks or crevices in the house with foam sealant, and other ones demand to work with special equipment. Hire an Exterminator, there are a lot of good offers on this market nowadays.
Any bug that doesnât have piercing mouthpart can be killed with Borax. Dust mites are exactly these bugs which do not have piercing mouthparts, that is why Borax is lethal to them. You can use 20 Mule Team Borax to eliminate dust mites efficiently. This mean has a higher concentration of Borax than other products and reduces dust mites population many times more.
You canât see dust mites with a naked eye that is why it is rather difficult to identify them. There are a few methods to identify dust mites. The first is purchasing a microscope and exploring the surfaces and the skin with its help. The 10X magnification and higher helps detect these creatures on any surface.
The second method is to collect the dust sample from a warm and dump area of your house. If you think dust mites inhabit your skin, you can obtain a sample from it with the help of a tape. With both of these samples, you should use a microscope or bring it to a laboratory for examination.
The third method is to test yourself for a dust mite allergy. If you are infested, the test will show it. This is how you can find out, whether you deal with dust mites regularly.
Some of the symptoms such as nasal congestion, frequent sneezing, nasal discharge, eye redness and irritation, conjunctivitis, lacrimation, dry cough, wheezing, shortness of breath, skin redness and irritation, rashes, hives, bronchial asthma, and so on are usually caused by dust mites.
Hello, dear reader of PestControlHacks. The answer is yes, which means that house centipedes help getting rid of various pests including ants.
Hello, M.J. If you have tried many methods of killing centipedes, but they still return, maybe you do something wrong? As you know, centipedes appear in the places with high humidity, so the process of getting rid of centipedes starts with checking whether you have such places at your home.
Try to follow simple recommendations, first. Check all pipes in your house, clean ventilation shafts, repair cracks, vent rooms with high humidity, install moisture absorbers, heated floors and a towel rail in your bathroom, and so on. You can also install mosquito nets to stop centipedes from entering your house. After this stage, you can proceed to use chemicals. There are lots of different means to choose from: sprays, aerosols, and dusts. Check the following titles in the web: LambdaStar UltraCap, Cyper WSP, Invader HPX aerosol, D-Fense Dust. They all proved themselves to be efficient in fighting centipedes. Hope, you will solve the issue soon.
Hello, Sarah. If you have free 15 minutes, you could read an article in my blog where you will find out that killing centipedes is not necessary at all. Whether you still prefer to kill centipedes, you can really use a spray. There are loads of sufficient means to get rid of house centipedes, and sprays are among them. You can pick one from well-known brands as Raid, Ortho, Tempo, Wondercide, and so on. It can also be a foam spray like Pur Black NF Foam or any other corresponding insecticide put in a hand pump sprayer.
Dear Mary, I think you took this story too personally. This is the only known incident of death from giant centipede bite. However, good for you that you live far from places of Scolopendra Gigantea habitat.
Scolopendra Gigantea, or simply saying, a giant centipede lives about ten years. The species can be found in tropical and subtropical rainforest or tropical dry forest. So avoid these climate zones, and you will never meet these long-livers.
Hello, Louis! Itâs so pleasant to find out that 8-years old boys and girls are interested in nature and entomology especially. Itâs a nice question to start a discussion about the respiratory specialties of arthropods.
Both millipedes and centipedes breathe through little holes on the sides of their bodies. These holes called spiracles open in an internal pouch leading to a tracheal system. Through this system, the exchange between oxygen and carbon dioxide happens. Spiracles are the only external respiratory organs of centipedes and millipedes, but you wonât see them with the naked eye. They can be detected with a magnifying glass solely, so ask your biology teacher to show you the enlarged pictures of myriapods to see how do spiracles look like.
Biologists also suggest that millipedes were the first animals to breathe air. This idea came from the fossil evidence. Their respiratory system is genuinely incredible, so thereâs so much interesting to discover further, dear Louis.
Hey, Mark! Glad youâve written to us to find out the correct answer. The first thing I need to say, donât worry if you were a centipede killer before, because killing insects doesnât mean that you urged the wreath of the gods, as your granny may think. But in the case of centipedes, this wise old woman is right: these insects are harmless and useful.
House centipedes eat ants, bed bugs, cockroaches, and moths that can eat clothes. That is why centipede itself can save your house from pests. It doesnât cause any harm to a human or his belongings. Centipedes appear in places of high humidity that is why they can inform you about pipe leaks in a bathroom or kitchen. In the article âHOW TO GET RID OF HOUSE CENTIPEDES AND DO YOU REALLY NEED TO DO IT?â, Iâve tried to tell as much about centipedes as household owners need. Saying briefly, listen to your grandmaâs advice and do not kill centipedes.