Way OT: pest control
 

Lately I've been finding these millipede things in my basement, My two or three every couple of days. Once in a while one will make it upstairs. These things really creep me out.. I'm assuming they come out of my sump pump. They have a ton of legs and are very fast. The largest one I've seen has been close to 2 inches long. These things bother me worse than spiders !
I'm just wondering if anyone else has seen these and what they do about them ?

Chuck, I got them too. I haven't seen one for awhile, but my best guess is that they are behind the drywall in my basement. I pulled down the old paneling that was there, and one would come running out every now and then. I know what you mean about them being fast. Are yours gray or light brown.

Try putting some ant poison around your baseboards, and in the basement up around the floor joists and floor too if you have a finished basement. I don't know what they eat but maybe if they track through this stuff if might kill them.

Your right about the freak out factor. I'll be laying on the couch watching the boob tube and one of those things will come trucking across the carpet, see me move and he splits back for the wall. He has about 2 steps to live before he gets smashed.

I've seen both colors.
I know what you mean by just chilling and seeing one cruising by !:D :D

I hate those effers !

Im not sure if we have the same thing here in FL.. But I believe they are called silverfish... ugly lil things... Not sure what kills em either...

In my house, we call 'em the "big fuzzy bugs". Long, hairy and fast. I seem to get a couple hanging out on the walls here and there, mostly in the springtime. I had a minor ant problem so I layed down a nice bead of boric acid around the preimeter of my house. You can use boric acid inside too, but it will kill your pets as well as the pests. Anyway, since I used the boric acid, the ants are gone and I haven't seen any of the big fuzzy bugs either. Good luck and post anything you come up with as a solution.

none at my place but the girlfriends house has them in her basement. every once and a while youll see one run by,her cats chase them around, pretty funny.

By your description it sounds like the "House Centipede". They are a grayish/light brown, lots of legs, very fuzzy looking and they are extemely FAST! Usually, they will be found in basements or in areas where there is a certain amount of moisture content and dark areas, cracks/crevices.

Actually, Boric Acid is a low toxicity product and has a very low repellency, almost odorless, high residual and slow kill rate which is good and very effective. The reason for this is because those little gooners go tracking through it without realizing what they just did. Also, Boric acid doesn't break down from moisture----it will usually last for several months. Problems is most people put down way too much for what is actually needed. Light applications is are only what in needed---a "light dusting" if you will.

Or if you get a can of Raid be sure to READ THE LABEL and it will usually list what pests it is effective against. Also, you'll want something with some RESIDUAL benefits that will probably work well. Raid is usually a petroleum based pesticide and therefore can be very repellent to some insects, has some odor to it, and depending on where it is applied will last for maybe a couple of weeks or so. Sometimes though, a pesticide that is repellent to insects can have a benefit as well. Read the directions and apply it to areas where you have seen activity and reapply maybe a week or two later. Thing is there may be a condition that is causing these insects to thrive/survive, therefore additional treatments may be required.

Like I tell my customers: "There's always going to be bugs and they don't wait for either one of us---they just help themselves" ;)

I will try the boric acid thing, where do I get it?

Mark,
If they like moisture I'm sure they are coming from the sump pump.

If they are silverfish they are common in the Kansas/Missouri areas. Do you happen to have shake shingles or siding? That attracts them a coworker gets them in the spring and just goes to the hardware stores and buys fogging bombs and sets them off in the attic. Says they are gone in no time.

Well I just did some searching on the web and Kaama is right they are called "house centipedes" and they are different than the "silverfish" which is another ugly looking bug.

I just did the same thing. The site said ant and roach killer, or boric acid.

This guy look familiar? Mine aren't that furry but thats them.

WOW!!!! I was just checking out those bugs on the internet and ran across this interesting fact: silverfish can go up to one year without food!!!!! :eek: :D :eek: That's no way to live. :D

Yep! That's the one! :)

Yep that's them. The "big fuzzy bugs".

Scarab, You can buy Boric Acid at any hardware store like Aco, Ace, Home Depot, etc.. It's not expensive (maybe $4 a bottle). It comes as a white powder in a squeeze bottle with a nipple you have to cut off. If you use it inside the house, I would agree with KAAMA, use sparingly at first. The stupid squeeze bottles dont work well, so maybe I'd put some in a bowl or whatever and sprinkle with a spoon or something. Anyway, the stuff seems to work well. Again, I'm assuming you have no inside pets. If not, you can use the acid inside around the sump and baseboards. If you have indoor animals, another solution may be necessary as the stuff will get to them too.

off the the hardware store I go !!!
no inside animals so no worrys there.

Just seeing that picture creeps me out...I hate those things !!

This is way too funny! I know exactly what you are talking about. One thing to add is that women (my girlfriend) can have radar for them. She can spot one 20' away in the dark underneath something!:eek: :eek:


They are nasty little guys and quick as well!:p

Thanks a lot, JR! I'm STILL doing the heebie-jeebie dance. Ugh! What about us people with inside pets? Is there anything effective we can use that won't croak the cats?

Freckles, i have two cats also. I poured a healthy line of Boric Acid around the perimeter of my house (on the outside around the foundation). This took a couple of bottles of the powder and I essentially had a white ring around my foundation for a few weeks until it rained a few times. When it rains it soakes the ground with the acid which will remain there for years. I did this to cure a mild ant problem (which it did almost instantly). Consequent;y I have not seen any new fuzzy bugs since either. I'm not exactly sure if the acid did it or not, but for 12 bucks, it can't hurt and you'll at least be ant free.

Sorry Christine. :D My worst run in with one of those thing was last August. I was laying on the floor watching TV with the lights out. It was hot so I wasn't wearing a shirt. One of those little boogers came running out, up my arm and across my chest before I knew what it was. Bugs don't freak me out but that little suprise got the blood pumping alittle.

Sleep tight.:D

Jeff

After you chase them out of the basement they are going to live under your bed.....or in it.

Sleep tight...don't let the.........................

Thanks Ron !!
I'm sure I will sleep better knowing that:D

And that is the very reason you do NOT want to use a pesticide that has a repellent in it such as pyrethrins or pyrethroids---those are flushing agents and that's what gets them moving.

Boric Acid is NOT a pyrethroid and like I said, it is a LOW TOXICITY pesticide---very safe to use.

This is what I do for a living gang. :)

Okay I'm sure I'm going to catch a ration, but years ago I worked for Orkin Pest Control, so I have a bit of experience. KAAMA is right, the boric acid is a good way to go due to the longevity and it's ability to work when wet. The best way to describe the application is to have a light dusting, one that looks like you haven't dusted the furniture in your house for a couple weeks. More than this and they will usually avoid it. If you have a do-it-yourself pest control store near you, they have little hand dusters that are made specifically for applying the product. You wont be able to purchase chemicals there, but you can buy some of the equipment. The boric acid you can get just about anywhere as stated in this thread. Another product you might try is Diatomacious earth (spelling?), which is esentially ground up seashell. It's a dessicant which destroys the exterior of insects and causes them to dry out. The raid thing works for a very short period of time and has a repellant which causes it to be counter-productive since they will avoid it like the plague, Anyhow good luck, insects in your house can be a pain in the you-know-what.

Les