House wash experiences and spider infestation best practices

thinger2 said:

Holy crap!
Another reason I moved back to the Pacific Northwest.
We dont have any poisonous spiders or snakes.
We are overrun with tweakers but spraying them in the face with wasp killer chases em off pretty quick.

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LMFAO!

454cid said:

Yeah, that sounds interesting to me too...... mostly thinking of it as a deterrent maybe for stink bugs, ants and mice.

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Temporary mild deterrent at best.
Best for stink bugs is caulking and weather stripping to keep them out. They are called "accidental invaders". There is nothing in our homes to sustain them. They found their way in, and can't find their way out, sealing their fate.

Ants, etc... The cheapest and "safest" pesticide you can buy you probably already have. Glass cleaner that already contains ammonia. Name brand doesn't matter, with or without ammonia does. Kills most insects. Everyone's used that blue spray. Down side is, it's a contact kill, not a preventative.

Mice... they only need a hole or gap about the size of a dime to enter your home. They can chew through that spray foam sealer, make nesting material out of rags you stuff into holes, but cheap coarse steel wool prevents them from using whatever hole you block with it.

1ton-o-fun said:

Temporary mild deterrent at best.
Best for stink bugs is caulking and weather stripping to keep them out. They are called "accidental invaders". There is nothing in our homes to sustain them. They found their way in, and can't find their way out, sealing their fate.

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Thankfully, I have not seen many this year.... after three or so years maybe they've kind of run their course, in my area.

Ants, etc... The cheapest and "safest" pesticide you can buy you probably already have. Glass cleaner that already contains ammonia. Name brand doesn't matter, with or without ammonia does. Kills most insects. Everyone's used that blue spray. Down side is, it's a contact kill, not a preventative.

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I get the darn things in waves in the spring..... big ants and little ants.

Mice... they only need a hole or gap about the size of a dime to enter your home. They can chew through that spray foam sealer, make nesting material out of rags you stuff into holes, but cheap coarse steel wool prevents them from using whatever hole you block with it.

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For mice I was actually thinking about vehicles. They seem to like to sit on my intake manifolds and eat seeds.... in the Buick, which doesn't move much they'll make their way to the interior. The truck moves too much for them to get that comfortable.

454cid said:

Daddy Long Legs aren't spiders..... why would you want to kill them?

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Mainly to eliminate their cobwebs.

1ton-o-fun said:

If you want an answer from a (Still) licensed pest control technician and all around pest "nerd"

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I was on the other side of the spectrum. I was a California licensed "Pest Control Operator" because we managed orchards for other people so, I had to have the license and file Notice of Intent with the AG Commissioner's office as well as use reports. Everything we used was approved and registered for each crop we applied it on.

1ton-o-fun said:

I was simply going to tell you what pesticide actual pest control companies use and the proper way to use it to reduce the chance of harm to you, your family, and the environment. It's a responsibility I take seriously.

As far as the peppermint... every single customer for each of the three companies I've worked for tried at least 3 home remedies before contacting a legit pest control company. If all that stuff worked, there wouldn't be so many pest control companies.

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I've been doing pest control for 12 years now, I'm licensed in both Nevada and California.
I get people all the time thinking we can go out spray all over their property or homes.
They don't realize we have laws and regulations we have to follow and that are severe penalties for not following the lable on the products we use or the state laws on how and where we can put the products.
As for the so called home remedie crap. Like you said, if it worked we'd use it.
I've seen and heard people putting dryer sheets in their vehicles, the peppermint oil, the ultra sonic devices that you plug in that supposedly will repell them not work.
My favorite, I have cats. I don't have a rodent issue.
I've been in numerous homes over the years that have had severe rodent issues that had cats.
Ill take pics down in crawlspace's or attics of their droppings, nesting areas and even chewed up wires or ductwork. They get all offended thinking I planted the evidence.
Obviously your so called mouse catchers ain't doing ****.
Ill walk the customers around pointing out their entry points and how to properly seal up the home with something they won't chew through . I use alot of caulking , concrete in tube, sheet metal to make a permanent fix.
Not some half ass attemp with spray foam or even just steel wool.
I've seen bigger rodents like rats, chipmunks and squirrels pull steel wool out.
As for vehicles and even trailers sitting outside.
Ill use the old fashioned snap traps placed in various areas and even use the big rat trays. Big glue traps placed under the hood or in the storage compartments of trailers or rv's.

As uptight and out of their minds as California legislators are, I can't imagine how over regulated pest control is there.

PlayingWithTBI said:

Mainly to eliminate their cobwebs.

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Webs??? Ok, had to Google this.... apparently what I think of a Daddy longlegs is likely different than what you're thinking of. I'm guessing you're thinking of these: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pholcidae

What I think of as a Daddy longlegs are these: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opiliones

1ton-o-fun said:

As uptight and out of their minds as California legislators are, I can't imagine how over regulated pest control is there.

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California pretty much banned all rodenticides starting in January.
Nevada isn't far behind California with their regulations.
The crazy thing is Nevada's testing for your basic applicator/ operator license for structural pest control is harder than California's.

Bleach mixed about 1:4 in water applied with tank sprayer seemed to do much better than my bogus attempt with the Whip It eucalyptus yesterday. Spray on and let sit for 5-10 minutes in sections and the crud and spider nests come off fairly easy. But I tell you what, if you ever get bleach in your eye you’ll never forget it.

3 good lessons from the project
1) Protect your eyes.
2) the spider sacks are just about the toughest organic matter I’ve encountered other than #3
3) the **** mud dobbers and wasps attach their nests with is damn near a permanent adhesive

BonestockK1500 said:

3 good lessons from the project
1) Protect your eyes.
2) the spider sacks are just about the toughest organic matter I’ve encountered other than #3
3) the **** mud dobbers and wasps attach their nests with is damn near a permanent adhesive

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You should see and try to remove praying mantis egg casings. They love attaching to rough bricks and basically become part of the brick.