Interview with Richard ("Bugman" ) Fagerlund on Ask the Bugman

If you have small anthills, a couple of inches in diameter, formed with fine, loose sand, then they are pyramid ants. You can simply pour some hot, soapy water into the mounds using a funnel. If the mounds are large and covered with gravel, then they are probably harvester ants. If so, they can be controlled with a product called Amdro, which is available at most Wal-Marts or Home Depots. Keep pets away from this product until the ants have cleared it away.

There are no good rattlesnake repellants. All you can do is make your property less hospitable to the snakes. Don’t have any debris or shrubbery on your property where rodents (rattlesnake food) can hide or where the snakes themselves can hide. There is a product on the market called Snake Away, but I have found it to be worthless in repelling snakes.

There are no effective ant repellants. All you can do is to control them when they show up. A mixture of 2 tablespoons each of peanut butter and jelly with a teaspoon of boric acid will control most species of ants that enter homes (but not all). Ants in the yard can be controlled using bait products such as MaxForce Granular Ant Bait, Niban Bait or Amdro, depending on the species of ant that needs to be controlled. All of the products I mentioned are available online. One supplier is www.pestcontrolsupplies.com, a local company.

Make sure you pick a company that guarantees its work. If the termites come back then they will have to take care of them. Although Termidor is the most effective termiticide on the market, its effectiveness is only as good as the company that uses it. If you used Preventive Pest Control, ABC Pest Management, Alliance Pest Control or Absolute Pest Control, then I would say that the job was done properly. There are other companies, whom I won’t mention online, that I would not trust with a can of Raid, much less Termidor.

No, it won’t get rid of them but it will kill a few. It is best to use a bait that they will eat. It is much more effective. Niban Bait is made from boric acid and works well for roaches. Niban is available online from ljdistributors.org

Mix two tablespoons each of peanut butter and jelly with a teaspoon of boric acid and place it where the ants forage. Keep out of the reach of kids and pets. Preventive Pest Control (792-8380) and ABC Pest Management (294-6601) are both good companies.

All you can do is make your property less hospitable to the snakes. Don’t have any debris or shrubbery on your property where rodents (snake food) can hide or where the snakes themselves can hide. I have found SnakeAway, to be worthless in repelling snakes.

They are either boxelder bugs or red-shouldered bugs, depending on what kind of trees you have. Boxelder bugs feed on the seeds of boxelder or maple trees, while the other species feeds on golden raintrees and a few others. Both bugs are impervious to pesticides but can be killed if you spray them directly with a mixture of soap and water. Both bugs are harmless.

You didn't say what products you are referring to. I always recommend keeping any foreign material, including boric acid and diatomaceous earth, out of the reach of children and pets.

When dealing with stinging insects, I always recommend calling a professional as they have the necessary safety equipement to deal with them. Hornets, yellowjackets and some wasps are potentially dangerous, particularly if you are allergic to the venom. ABC Pest Management is very good at wasp / hornet control.

Bees, wasps, ants and most social insects communicate with chemicals called pheromones. When they are threatened they emit certain chemicals and when they find food, they emit other chemicals. There are chemicals for mating, for reporting danger to the colony, etc. If they are threatened by you, they will emit chemicals whenever you are seen and go into a defensive mode.

I have fed a nest of yellowjackets on my porch for years. They recognized me (by emitting chemicals) and never bothered me. They would threaten strangers on my porch.

No, I wouldn't let kids do it. I wouldn't let anyone do it as some people are allergic to the stings.

I gave them wet cat food, which they liked.

They are probably coming in looking for moisture. This is particularly so if you find them around kitchen and bathroom sinks.

Mix two tablespoons each of peanut butter and jelly with a teaspoon of boric acid and place it where the ants can find it. It may take awhile to get control depending on the size of the colony, but most ants will take that bait.

I suspect not. The drought we are in will stress the trees out and stressed trees are more susceptible to beetle attacks. Trees give off chemicals as do insects. When they are healthy, they give off certain chemicals and when they are stressed, they give off different chemicals. The bark beetles can read these chemical signs and will attack trees under stress as they are weaker. The bark beetles should do very well this year.

You can probably keep the rolypolys (pillbugs) out by installing door sweeps on your outside doors. Flying ants will die off by themselves as they are the reproductive stage in a colony. What bait to use for the workers will depend on what kind of ants they are. The spider is a wolf spider because they carry their young on their back. You will have to find out how the spiders and pillbugs are getting in if door sweeps don't stop them.

I would have to see them to be sure. But, if they jump, they are springtails and are harmless. They can be killed with a mixture of soap and water. They may be coming from the bathtub trap or from a window.

If they jump, they are springtails. If so, they are harmless and can be killed by wiping them up or spraying them with a mixture of soap and water. If they don't jump, then I would need to see them in order to make a recommendation.

I can't guess without more information. If they are in closets or rooms with natural fibers, then they are probably cloths moths of some kind (webbing or casemaking). If they are in the kitchen, then they are some kind of pantry moth. All these moths can be controlled with pheromone traps.

If they are neither pantry or cloths moths, then they are probably just some outside species that wandered in through an opening somewhere.

Pillbugs are crustaceans and are not susceptible to most pesticides. Diatomaceous earth will probably help as it is a dessicant, but it will be a bit messy. You can get DE at many garden shops. Don't use swimming pool grade as it is hazardous to breathe. vacuuming them up is about the only other option.

Most moths are attracted to light. If you can rig up a light over a pail of water you may catch many of them. An ultraviolet light will work even better.

If you can't see them, then you should see a dermatologist to help determine what they are. There are a lot of non-bug things that feel like bugs that can bother folks. Carpet fibres, static electricity, new detergents are all possibilities. Don't use any pesticides on your arms or you may exacerbate the problem.