What techniques can I employ to help deal with crippling anxiety and bug-phobic behaviors until I can afford regular therapy appointments? Ugly details inside - apologies for the length.
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posted by woolly
on Apr 10, 2013 -
16 answers
I have a serious mosquito problem in my house, there are literally 10 or so in every room almost all the time. Every night before I go to bed I have to lay there and spray each one as it flies by me, it takes about 5 minutes and the spray smell lingers for ages. In the morning they are in the bathroom where the door has been shut and no windows are open, I have no idea where they are getting in. I leave my back door open a crack for my dog at night and I have a mozzie zapper in the laundry where the door is. It doesn't seem to be helping. I also have those plug in mozzie repellers but also not helping and very expensive. I don't have a pool or pond and don't know of any neighbours that do. Please help, this is really getting me down, not only the killing of them but the 30 or so bites I have right now. I am in southern Australia where it's hot now, but not humid.
posted by Youremyworld
on Feb 16, 2013 -
21 answers
I'm looking for instances of animal or insect migration that occur annually within a limited geographical area in Africa. The more concentrated the accumulation of one species in a relatively small area, the better. Thanks!
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posted by np312
on Jan 22, 2013 -
8 answers
Do you have any recommendations for the tough job of removing spider poop from vinyl siding?
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posted by Toekneesan
on Oct 13, 2012 -
7 answers
Are these termites? I just noticed these on my house and im having trouble identifying them.
posted by flipmiester99
on Oct 12, 2012 -
13 answers
Calling all Mefi Entomologists! On a trip in the Peruvian Amazon (Manu National Park), I broke a small log that was suspended over a shallow creek. Apparently, it held an insect nest, because ten seconds later everyone in our group was jumping around and batting at these tiny flying insects which buzzed straight into our hair and got tangled up. They didn't sting, but our guide described them as "haircutter bees" and said they would bite through strands of hair. They were smaller than honeybees and all black, I believe. Anyone have any idea what this insect was or a Latin name?
posted by dahliachewswell
on Aug 24, 2012 -
4 answers
We are doing a construction/cleanout job on a townhome and found a bag of potting soil on the back patio. When we went to move it, it turned out to be full of bees! I can actually see honeycomb inside the bag. How can I relocate the bees without hurting them?
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posted by Melsky
on Jul 19, 2012 -
16 answers
Bug Identification:
What kind of bugs are these? Mystery Bug A (
1,
2,
3) is about an inch long from end to antennae, made a hissy/clicky noise, and bit me.
Mystery Bug B are small skittery bugs that prefer cool, dark, and damp spots. I live in a southeastern Manitoba, Canada, which is classified as a humid continental climate, if that helps.
posted by Alvy Ampersand
on Jul 2, 2012 -
4 answers
Why am I wrong to think that the wood on this house won't rot away or become a treat for insects? [Photo links inside]
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posted by roue
on Jun 11, 2012 -
15 answers
I'm not sure what's happening here but I have a steady stream of flies into my house (I'd say 4-5 every five days) and none of my Interwebs explanations seem to apply. What the $@%@ is going in here?
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posted by skybolt
on Apr 2, 2012 -
16 answers
Entomology Filter. What kind of insect left
this behind?
posted by stuboo
on Jan 10, 2012 -
6 answers
I found a large, fast, and strange looking bug in our living room (
one,
two), and I'm unsure as to what type it is. It has a large "stinger" on it's bottom, with very long legs. Do you know what type it is?
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posted by jwmollman
on Dec 15, 2011 -
9 answers
The exterminator says it's a mild case of bedbugs. Is he almost certainly right? I don't have any bites and I don't want to go through an unnecessary fumigation. Could it be lice or something instead?
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posted by toomuchkatherine
on Aug 17, 2011 -
14 answers
I'm looking to rent a studio or one bedroom apartment in Arlington, Virginia within walking distance of the Courthouse or Clarendon Metro stations. After a week or so of pretty intense searching (dozens of calls, two days spent wandering around) I finally found and visited a place in my price range (under $1250) a 10 minute walk from Courthouse. Unfortunately online reviews (20 or so) are largely (80%) negative and frequently mention roaches and bedbugs. How do I decide whether I can look past this or not? How do I broach the topic with the management?
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posted by elektrotechnicus
on Aug 2, 2011 -
13 answers
We caught
this bug on my bed and I have a few questions...1) So this is a bed bug right?
Google images pretty much answered this question but I'm still hoping somebody's gonna say "no dude, it's something else, totally harmless!" But FYI, we
were bitten a few times several weeks ago and just assumed it was unusually persistent mosquitoes.
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posted by exhilaration
on Jul 30, 2011 -
13 answers
Last year, tiny (moth?) larvae ate all my giant sunflowers. What can I do to prevent this from happening again this year?
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posted by Bardolph
on Jul 13, 2011 -
3 answers
It seems we have fleas. We've started the treatment and process recommended by our vet, but is our problem getting worse or better? What should we expect next?
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posted by dayintoday
on Jul 6, 2011 -
11 answers
Something is eating the plants in my garden. I don't know what it is or how to stop it. Photos inside.
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posted by celerity
on May 28, 2011 -
13 answers
What's this bug (picture included)? It looks like a boll weevil, but i thought they are only found where cotton is farmed?
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posted by maniabug
on May 4, 2011 -
8 answers
Another lost movie question, but this time I know the title ... or thought I did. I'm looking for "They Swarm", a film about a swarm of huge beetles approaching a northern US island under the watch of an inexperienced young sheriff. Nothing comes up on IMDB or the internet for that title. It's not "The Swarm", the 1978 film about killer bees.
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posted by daisyk
on Mar 21, 2011 -
2 answers
OK, this is sort of weird but... what major well known games should a insectphobe and arachnophobe
avoid?
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posted by kmz
on Jan 18, 2011 -
32 answers
What exactly is happening in my brain that creates the very real feeling that I am covered in spiders when I am not, in fact, covered in spiders?
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posted by doublehappy
on Dec 29, 2010 -
9 answers
What's that bug? In mid- through late-August I heard a bug I hadn't heard before here in Sacramento, CA down by the river. Starting about sundown and going for several hours, insects in sections of tree canopy overhead would let out a single, high-pitched "zhick!"
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posted by Ogre Lawless
on Sep 14, 2010 -
11 answers
A rock band and their crew stay at my home whenever they have a show in our area. I look forward to it every time and would never refuse to have them. How do I prevent them from bringing in bed bugs? How can they prevent contamination during their long tour? Is there a prevention protocol for one night standers?
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posted by Pennyblack
on Sep 13, 2010 -
11 answers
While tubing down the Green River in western NC, I came across
this curious caterpillar floating in the water. This is the
largest caterpillar I've ever seen, and I'm baffled by it. Mind helping to identify
it?
posted by moonbird
on Aug 30, 2010 -
4 answers
Is there anyway to trace the source of massive amounts of houseflies infiltrating my kitchen? It is a disgusting mystery.
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posted by Pennyblack
on Aug 25, 2010 -
22 answers
