BUGS!

anonymous

This is the third year in a row that little black bugs have invaded my house in the spring/summer.

They are very small (think sesame seed or smaller), and very black. They have a hard shell andit's often hard to even tell that they are a bug until you see them moving.

Does anybody know what they are? Also does anybody know a good way to get rid of them? I'm not a big fan of pesticides. I tried Orange Guard spray, which seemed to help in the past, but isn't doing much this time around.

Oh, and I think they bite.

I want to KILL THEM! KILL KILL KILL! :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:

armchair_warrior

get bug screens for windows and doors . other than that i have no idea on how to kill bugs. hmm try getting pet spiders?

escap

Those sound like bedbugs. There was an article several months ago in the Times that they've spread across the city, and unfortunately, are very difficult to get rid of.

whyfi

For your sake, I hope that the bugs that you're talking about don't look like this -



An acquaintance of mine had to move after her building became bed bug-ridden, and she had to throw out all of her furniture in the process... A former co-worker also related horror stories witnessed by his father, an exterminator...

anonymous

Nope, they don't look like that (how do you post a pic in a message anyway? If I manage to photo one of the fuckers, I'll show you).

They are much darker - really black and they don't have a visible head or antanae (however you spell it).

I've heard all about the bedbugs and thankfully I'm sure these are not them

elana

Ack! I know what you're talking about.

They have a hard shell that crunches when you squash 'em

Those things suck! I'm not sure what they're called and I've only seen a few of them this year.

My perosnal theory is it has something to do with cats or catnip. I bought a bag of catnip and there were these things that looked just like them inside. I think they must be able to survive forever without much air or food.

I asked 2 other people I know about them and they both had catnip in their homes (well, one was a pet store, and they definitely had a lot of catnip there)

laura

Flexichick wrote: They have a hard shell that crunches when you squash 'em

Melt in your mouth, not in your hands!

I used to get some of those every year in my old garden apartment, but they never bothered me, they didn't seem to bite or have any interest in me at all, and since they seemed harmless I never even really wondered what they were. Now I'm curious, though.

Flexichick wrote: My perosnal theory is it has something to do with cats or catnip. I bought a bag of catnip and there were these things that looked just like them inside. I think they must be able to survive forever without much air or food.

I asked 2 other people I know about them and they both had catnip in their homes (well, one was a pet store, and they definitely had a lot of catnip there)

I've never found them in catnip (and this is a three-cat household). I always thought they were just, you know, normal outside bugs that come inside.

Meanwhile, I bought a miniature rose plant at a grocery store and put it on my windowsill, and there are itsy bitsy teensy things flying around it. I don't want to use anything toxic because of my cats. Maybe a soapy-water spray?

ziggy s

They bit me! I must be sweeter than you

Soapy water spray sounds good. I think Orange Guard is safe for plants, but try the soap first and save the $$$

armchair_warrior

Flexichick wrote: They bit me! I must be sweeter than you

Soapy water spray sounds good. I think Orange Guard is safe for plants, but try the soap first and save the $$$

bugs bite me all the time. that makes me the sweetest person on here .

laura

armchair_warrior wrote: bugs bite me all the time. that makes me the sweetest person on here .

Well, mosquitoes certainly luurrrvv me. I can douse myself in repellant and they just think it's Hollandaise.

rpiatt

Skin So Soft by Avon. If they haev figured out why it's a repellent, they aren't saying, but it definitely keeps the bugs away.

armchair_warrior

laura wrote: [quote=armchair_warrior]bugs bite me all the time. that makes me the sweetest person on here .

Well, mosquitoes certainly luurrrvv me. I can douse myself in repellant and they just think it's Hollandaise.my bugs are those pesky mosquitos . they love to suck the life out of me and give me hug bumps all over the place. blah. need to find something to really ward them off well. my blood must be like sweet vintage wine to them.

laura

Flexichick wrote: Skin So Soft by Avon. If they haev figured out why it's a repellent, they aren't saying, but it definitely keeps the bugs away.

Been there. And tried their actual bug repellents based on Skin So Soft (went through several cans last summer), and they did nothing. I'm just irresistable to the blasted blighters. :x

armchair_warrior

laura wrote: [quote=Flexichick]Skin So Soft by Avon. If they haev figured out why it's a repellent, they aren't saying, but it definitely keeps the bugs away.

Been there. And tried their actual bug repellents based on Skin So Soft (went through several cans last summer), and they did nothing. I'm just irresistable to the blasted blighters. :xmaybe i smell to nice. thats my theory . wanna be part of my experiment laura . stop showering for like a week or so see if the stink doesnt attract them lol.

zault

laura wrote: [quote=Flexichick]Skin So Soft by Avon. If they haev figured out why it's a repellent, they aren't saying, but it definitely keeps the bugs away.

Been there. And tried their actual bug repellents based on Skin So Soft (went through several cans last summer), and they did nothing. I'm just irresistable to the blasted blighters. :x



<----putting on best poker playing voice "too sweet for my blood, I'm out"

laura

Flexichick wrote: <----putting on best poker playing voice "too sweet for my blood, I'm out"

Maybe it's the evil in me they like. :twisted:

whyfi

laura wrote: Well, mosquitoes certainly luurrrvv me. I can douse myself in repellant and they just think it's Hollandaise.

I'm from MN, where the state bird is the mosquito... they certainly are attracted to some people more than others - my brother is a constant target. It's always nice to go camping with him, because you're guaranteed fewer bites than if he wasn't along. It has something to do with the carbon dioxide and other... chemicals that we release...

anonymous

Subject: fleas

I think you might have fleas. Vaccum your carpets and furniture, and throw away the contents of the vaccum: Empty the vaccum into a plastic bag, seal it and get it out of the house. Mop the non-carpeted surfaces with strong and nasty detergent.

Do all that a couple of times. If you have pets give them a flea bath. If you don't, your building probably has fleas from someone else's pets. If you have painted floors, it's a good time to paint them.

laura

WhyFi wrote: I'm from MN, where the state bird is the mosquito...

I'm from MI ... I've sort of given up on the prevention aspect, but Benadryl is very helpful after the fact.

laura

Subject: Re: fleas

chubs wrote: I think you might have fleas.

I know fleas ... god do I know fleas after my brother's dog gave them to my cats. And me. I could sit there and watch them jump ... ping! ping! ping!. And I know these little black hard-shelled guys, they're not fleas.

subinai

So, what do fleas actually look like? I have 2 cats, but they are indoor cats.

What about lice? I don't know what they look like either.

I Googled fleas and lice but I don't think I've actually seen either up close (thankfully).

sje

I believe the original poster has a type of house mite, harmless but hard to get rid of. I sometimes have seen one or two in my bathroom, for some reason, but they never bit me, and went down the drain pretty easily. They're black, roundish and hard, really tiny. Definitely not fleas..

laura

Flexichick wrote: So, what do fleas actually look like? I have 2 cats, but they are indoor cats.

What about lice? I don't know what they look like either.

I Googled fleas and lice but I don't think I've actually seen either up close (thankfully).

All my cats have been indoor cats ... this flea incident was actually back in Michigan after the cats I had at the time shared a car with my brother's dog. Fleas are really small, and they jump, like I said (ping!). I'd never seen them before I had them, but I knew right away what they were. I felt like Pig Pen. It was disgusting.

I've never seen a louse. I wasn't even aware of lice until I was an adult and saw lice treatments and combs in a drugstore and thought, now that's a really depressing problem to have. Ew.

cheflaura

I'm glad that my cats track down any big bugs in my house. They don't kill them (still working on the training issue ), but at least I know where they are!

laura

sje wrote: I believe the original poster has a type of house mite, harmless but hard to get rid of. I sometimes have seen one or two in my bathroom, for some reason, but they never bit me, and went down the drain pretty easily. They're black, roundish and hard, really tiny. Definitely not fleas..

Right. I never had any problem with them, I thought they were almost cute. I'm still wondering, though, what their real name is, now that they've become a hot topic.

coolelle

I think people who have kids have more experience with lice. Once one kid gets them in class, they spread really quickly (one more reason for me not to breed ).

I went to Tea Lounge on 7th once and swore that there were bugs in one of the couches. I was itchy for days.

carnivore

laura wrote: [quote=Flexichick]Skin So Soft by Avon. If they haev figured out why it's a repellent, they aren't saying, but it definitely keeps the bugs away.

Been there. And tried their actual bug repellents based on Skin So Soft (went through several cans last summer), and they did nothing. I'm just irresistable to the blasted blighters. :x
DEET.
Here's the definitive study:
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/347/1/13?hits=20&where=fulltext&andorexactfulltext=and&searchterm=mosquito&search_tab=articles&sortspec=Score%2Bdesc%2BPUBDATE_SORTDATE%2Bdesc&sendit=GO&excludeflag=TWEEK_element&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&resourcetype=HWCIT

anonymous

Subject: maybe not fleas

Fleas are black and oval, but from a side view. Looking down on them they look skinny. They would jump right away the minute you touched them. I've had round hard-bodied mite looking things around the home, but they were red. They moved so slow, I don't know if they bite.

Speaking of bugs, there were swarming bees on seventh avenue today outside a corner restaurant. I think it was fourth street. It was funny. The police showed up and tried to arrest them. I never saw so many bees flying around.

laura

Flexichick wrote: I think people who have kids have more experience with lice. Once one kid gets them in class, they spread really quickly (one more reason for me not to breed ).

Yeah, I almost wrote "I associate them with schoolchildren" and then decided not to. But what's up with that? When I was a kid in Detroit nobody had lice.

laura

Carnivore wrote: DEET.

I'd rather be bitten, thanks.

laura

Subject: Re: maybe not fleas

chub wrote: Speaking of bugs, there were swarming bees on seventh avenue today outside a corner restaurant. I think it was fourth street. It was funny. The police showed up and tried to arrest them. I never saw so many bees flying around.

Earlier this evening the biggest fattest bee was hovering outside of my window in a menacing fashion. Mind you, this is four floors up, and the window faces a small concrete courtyard with nothing in it to interest any normal law-abiding bee.