Home Improvement Stack Exchange
Home Improvement Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [pest]

119 questions
33
votes
15 answers

What is a humane, safe and clean way to dispose of a live mouse caught in a glue trap?

A glue trap in my garage caught a mouse. I consider it inhumane to let the mouse die in the glue trap. I am looking for a method to euthanize the mouse that meets the following requirements: Humane - Must be quick and effective. Safe - I got bit…
Codism
  • 441
  • 1
  • 5
  • 7
19
votes
7 answers

Where could all these flies be coming from?

Now is the transition from spring to summer. The house I am now living has some strange things happening. In the daytime of one day last week, I found many flies gather on the inside face of the window in the front living room. I then opened the…
Tim
  • 801
  • 5
  • 13
  • 21
5
votes
5 answers

How can I locate the entrance of a wasp nest, and prevent wasps from entering?

While I was out gardening, I saw a wasp fly through a small hole beside my basement window and into my basement. Then later, I saw five more enter through two other holes (two in part of my AC, three in my fireplace exhaust area.) The exhaust area…
ashes999
  • 392
  • 3
  • 6
  • 17
3
votes
1 answer

What are some good ways to identify cracks that bedroom insects come from?

I know that there are some thermal sensors to detect where heat fluxes are highest (which could identify cracks). But are there other solutions too?
InquilineKea
  • 437
  • 5
  • 9
  • 15
1
vote
1 answer

What type of snake is this?

Not 100% this is the right place to ask, but... since I was working on my shed and found this little guy, figured it would fit best in Home Improvement... Anyways... I'm taking my shed apart (since it's already falling apart and I want to re-build…
WernerCD
  • 139
  • 1
  • 8
1
vote
1 answer

What are these insects in my flat and how should I get rid of them?

I recently moved to a new flat, and I have spotted these types of worms come out at night roaming in the corners and sometimes on the bathroom floor. I have captured a video for a good look. This one I spotted when I was taking out this box for…
Chang Zhao
  • 113
  • 2
1
vote
1 answer

How do I tell this bird to nest elsewhere?

I seem to be dealing with a tenacious and stupid bird—tenacious for twice rebuilding its nest, and stupid because that location is inherently unstable for a nest, or so I think. From the movement of a suspected bird hovering on a nearby tree, I…
Sam7919
  • 713
  • 1
  • 8
  • 18
1
vote
1 answer

Removing random ticks at home

This might not be the right forum for this kind of question, but I figured I'd ask anyway. We're finding random ticks at home, maybe one a day, sometimes one every other day. They look like the picture above (pen for scale). Our house has 3…
David
  • 547
  • 2
  • 10
  • 19
1
vote
2 answers

How do I get bats in the house to leave?

Do they tend to stay on the top floor? Do they prefer warmer or cooler air? Also, do they always avoid lights? (will they prefer to go into a room with no lighting, as opposed to one with lighting)?
InquilineKea
  • 437
  • 5
  • 9
  • 15
0
votes
2 answers

What's the best way to eliminate spiders?

I recently noticed an uptick in observations of this kind of creature in my basement, especially near paper boxes. I have really no clues of what it is. Spiders? But it looks smaller. What are these creatures? How can I get rid of them? Is it best…
taintmount2
  • 1
  • 1
0
votes
0 answers

Is this material found on my kitchen floor from some rodent?

I woke up and found some strange looking material on my kitchen floor. One each on two different days. Please see image attached. Any thoughts on what this might be?
BluedogVIP
  • 51
  • 2
  • 6
0
votes
0 answers

What pest is producing this "grit"

Something is leaving grit beside our skirtingboard (baseboard?). There is a 1/4 inch gap between the baseboard and the floor. What is producing the grit? Would sealing the gap help? FYI: House is in Ireland, built early 2000s
Ken
  • 191
  • 1
  • 1
  • 8
0
votes
2 answers

How can I discourage mud dauber from nesting at my entrance?

I just learned that the wasp nest pictured is a mud dauber. This is the second such nest I have on two edges of the same outside wall on adjacent years. I'm either inattentive, or they are particularly fast: the nest is built before I notice. One…
Sam7919
  • 713
  • 1
  • 8
  • 18
0
votes
2 answers

Are the wasps gone yet?

As I posted in another question, I had wasps entering my fireplace exhaust in my backyard. When I turned the fireplace on, I got a distinct burning smell; and then it went away. Then I saw them crawling into a small space between two bricks in my…
ashes999
  • 392
  • 3
  • 6
  • 17
0
votes
2 answers

infared camera for mice?

Our home has many mice, a few rats and possibly a squirrel. Concerned about them chewing on wires in our two-story with brick fireplace. Should I invest in an infared camera- or is this overkill?
Adam's son
  • 1
  • 1
1
2