Kill bugs without harming animals?
June 17, 2010 5:42 PM Subscribe
Kill bugs without harming animals?
I live in a woodsy exurb of Metro DC (i.e., Northern Virginia), and while it's generally pretty pleasant, at this time of year the bugs are out in force. The bugs do not respect the social boundaries. The bugs -- including some kind of crazy outdoor cockroach that you will sometimes find crawling around on the outside of parked cars -- have been known to invite themselves inside. Other than spiders, I generally don't see bugs in here at any other time of year, and I practically never have seen more than a few during a single summer, but a few? Is too damned many. Were it just me living in here, I would set down insect traps and be done with it. But I have a cat (who may be the reason I don't see more bugs than I do, come to think of it), and my cat also respects no boundaries. There's basically nowhere in the apartment I can place an insect trap without her getting at it. Is there a safe, veterinarian-approved, effective insect trap? Thanks!
I live in a woodsy exurb of Metro DC (i.e., Northern Virginia), and while it's generally pretty pleasant, at this time of year the bugs are out in force. The bugs do not respect the social boundaries. The bugs -- including some kind of crazy outdoor cockroach that you will sometimes find crawling around on the outside of parked cars -- have been known to invite themselves inside. Other than spiders, I generally don't see bugs in here at any other time of year, and I practically never have seen more than a few during a single summer, but a few? Is too damned many. Were it just me living in here, I would set down insect traps and be done with it. But I have a cat (who may be the reason I don't see more bugs than I do, come to think of it), and my cat also respects no boundaries. There's basically nowhere in the apartment I can place an insect trap without her getting at it. Is there a safe, veterinarian-approved, effective insect trap? Thanks!
Response by poster: Thanks, ish__! Okay...I have it in my Amazon cart but will await more answers, because (as will not surprise you) the reviews there are freaking out over how incredibly awful this stuff smells.
posted by kittens for breakfast at 6:16 PM on June 17, 2010
posted by kittens for breakfast at 6:16 PM on June 17, 2010
You could try boric acid. Kills bugs by either dehydrating them or by "shredding" their exoskeletons, though I haven't a clue whether that's the truth or just some myths. Either way, boric acid is harmless to humans and animals. Once upon a time, I used 20 Mule Team Borax to cut back on a flea infestation (spread it over the carpet and along the baseboards then let it sit).
posted by LOLAttorney2009 at 6:19 PM on June 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by LOLAttorney2009 at 6:19 PM on June 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
Diatomaceous earth, or so I'm told will kill bugs but not harm pets
posted by Midnight Rambler at 6:19 PM on June 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Midnight Rambler at 6:19 PM on June 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
kittens: The best part is the back of the can says "Fresh Natural Scent Signals It's Working." It took a fair day for the smell to dissipate in our well ventilated kitchen. My wife claims she can still smell it in the poorly ventilated bathroom. But it works I tell you!
posted by ish__ at 6:27 PM on June 17, 2010
posted by ish__ at 6:27 PM on June 17, 2010
Yes, boric acid. We're using it right now for a cockroach problem that we inherited from a previous owner, and it's killing 'em dead. Very inexpensive too, and a little bit goes a long way.
posted by SpacemanStix at 6:42 PM on June 17, 2010
posted by SpacemanStix at 6:42 PM on June 17, 2010
yeah thirding boric acid. and diatomaceous earth, for all the scary name, is just a fancy way of saying "tiny sharp fossilized skeletons of microscopic algae, the uptake of which into their exoskeletons will shred your cockroaches' guts." it is pretty much harmless to anything larger than a bug, although it is probably not as great on cereal as, say, granola fried in palm oil.
posted by toodleydoodley at 7:37 PM on June 17, 2010
posted by toodleydoodley at 7:37 PM on June 17, 2010
some kind of crazy outdoor cockroach that you will sometimes find crawling around on the outside of parked cars
It's likely that the beastie you've seen crawling on cars was some sort aquatic insect. They'll confuse the light reflecting off shiny cars for a body of water (Thanks, John Acorn!). Some, such as the giant water bug, resemble cockroaches. They're unlikely to infest your house if they do get in as they're not particularly suited for scuttling and scavenging, although take caution as they can give a very painful (but not venomous) bite and may play dead; I'm not sure how a cat would handle this but it likely wouldn't result in any major harm beyond a pissed-off kitty.
Some true cockroaches are called waterbugs (such as the American Cockroach, also known as a "palmetto bug") as they inhabit damp areas, but if you're finding the critters primarily on car hoods instead of around the dumpster for example, it's likely a lost aquatic bug of some kind.
posted by luftmensch at 9:46 AM on October 6, 2010
It's likely that the beastie you've seen crawling on cars was some sort aquatic insect. They'll confuse the light reflecting off shiny cars for a body of water (Thanks, John Acorn!). Some, such as the giant water bug, resemble cockroaches. They're unlikely to infest your house if they do get in as they're not particularly suited for scuttling and scavenging, although take caution as they can give a very painful (but not venomous) bite and may play dead; I'm not sure how a cat would handle this but it likely wouldn't result in any major harm beyond a pissed-off kitty.
Some true cockroaches are called waterbugs (such as the American Cockroach, also known as a "palmetto bug") as they inhabit damp areas, but if you're finding the critters primarily on car hoods instead of around the dumpster for example, it's likely a lost aquatic bug of some kind.
posted by luftmensch at 9:46 AM on October 6, 2010
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posted by ish__ at 6:07 PM on June 17, 2010