Homeowners Battling Pests
Numerous homeowners are struggling with persistent pest infestations, including silverfish, mice/rats, roaches, ants, earwigs, spiders, and bed bugs. They're seeking advice on identification, removal methods (traps, sprays, diatomaceous earth), and preventative measures.
SOURCES (60)
“im very paranoid of having roaches, but ive never seen any in my apartment. i have however been seeing large amounts of bug droppings around my trash can, my stove, and my kitchen sink that looks like them and this has been the case for…”
“I found one of these about 5 months ago and immediately laid down some sticky paper/ glue traps both in the area I found the roach and in the kitchen dining area. I watched for any more on high alert. I didn’t see anything, but now tonight, this: submitted by /u/Pulpfictionfan123 [link] [comments]”
“For context: my partner and I rent in Chicago, right next to the lake. We’re on the 3rd floor of our building (it only has 3). This past month our back door has been swarmed by these little flies. I’m not sure what kind they are but I see a bunch of them by the lake. Does anyone have any tips on how to get rid of them or what to even tell maintenance? Is it a door sealing issue? They literally only come in through this back door (maybe SOMETIMES through closed windows). They are driving us NUTS.”
“I've had flies that come out of nowhere in my house, they're usually dead and by my windows. They were small a week ago but now they're big (but less numerous). I have no idea where they come from and how to get rid of them. Next time I see one I'll try taking a picture so you can see what they look like. They're black, quite fuzzy and slow. Thank you for your help submitted by /u/Accurate-Ticket-753 [link] [comments]”
“Maintenance and I’m building has come twice I think they put Advion but I’m still seeing them in the traps submitted by /u/Lower_Signature_3895 [link] [comments]”
“We hired a pest control company to help us out with some typical household pests. We had seen the occasional centipede, literally 2 oriental roaches, but the main issues is mice. The pest control guy came and sprayed the interior and exterior of the house, sprinkled granular pesticides, stuffed some steel wool in a few places inside and outside, and set snap traps. They advised us to have our garage door weather stripping replaced, which we did. They did warn us that we would see some increased”
“Just bought this home and moved in about 2 weeks ago. Constantly monitoring for droppings and haven't seen anything yet. Today, we saw a mouse going in and out of this hole, in broad daylight. This is our front porch and is attached to the entrance of our house. Basement has a drop ceiling. I have a phobia of mice and this terrifies me. I have contacted pest control already and will be getting an complete inspection. I'm worried this is a big problem, considering the noise was actively f”
“i have no idea where they’re coming from but moved everything in my living room (where most seem to be) and there’s nothing; no food source, etc. they just sorta appear out of nowhere, i checked outside and saw one on the outside of my window so maybe they’re coming in somehow but please help what do i dooo!!! submitted by /u/FewWeird9411 [link] [comments]”
“I live in the philippines and one of my fears are bugs, my room doesn't have a door only a curtain, yesterday i saw a cockroach in my blinds, i tried to get it out of my room but it hid under my desk, you probably already experienced these type of scenerios, so i need your advices. Thank you for reading my post i hope you have a beautiful day or sleep. submitted by /u/Maplesyrup_needshelp [link] [comments]”
“Hi yall, im currently living with a family member, and they have a massive house (like 4 bedrooms or something) and there are TONS of earwigs. Like i just walked out of my room to go to the toilet and i saw minimum 15, and then 2 in my bed when i got back. I cant deal with it anymore. Does anyone have a fix that can be applied to a very large house? We have no pets. Does anyone know any products to get at bunnings or a home fix i can duplicate like a bajillion times to get it all around the hous”
“Last night when I got home from work I noticed there was a green fly in my upstairs office so I caught it and let it free outside. well it had a friend so I caught that one too. This morning I found 2 more flies in my bedroom window and 2 more in the kitchen and living room. I have been looking everywhere to see where they could be coming from and I can’t find anything. What should I do? My trash is covered so I know it’s not coming from there. I’ve lived here for nearly 4 years and never had a”
“I posted here just over a week ago or so that I had found a roach in the kitchen. Thankfully haven’t found anymore of that size. Landlord sent pest control out yesterday to spray and lay sticky traps and stuff. They confirmed the infestation, thankfully not under sink or in cabinets and the bathroom is also clear. My question is, I have had super bad anxiety with all of this. I left a light on in my living room on dim last night for my own sanity. I did not see any visible dead bugs on the kitch”
“Hi all, Please could somebody identify if this a rat(s) or a mouse(mice) based on these chewed up bits of cardboard we used as a temporary solution to block the entryway (we knew this wouldn't last) and droppings found on the back of our toilet? I've tried to look at droppings examples online and I can't tell for sure. Thank you! submitted by /u/Equal_Tadpole2716 [link] [comments]”
“So I saw a little mouse running around my house, I'm afraid that they will make damages so I need a good way of getting rid of it and making sure they don't come back. I'll check every nook and cranny to see where they might be getting in from, then? How do I make sure he's not in the house anymore? Do ultrasounds work? submitted by /u/SyraxMireme [link] [comments]”
“I had a huge box of kids shoes stored in my parent’s basement. Brought the box home to find that the mice had stashed all the poison in the box. I’m assuming these shoes are trash now? I wanted to check before I throw away hundreds of dollars of shoes 😭 I believe the poison is Ramik Green if that matters. submitted by /u/FoxMulderInASpeedo [link] [comments]”
“Hi all, I recently purchased my first home in western NY and it sat vacant for a couple months before I could move in. I just got the keys today and when I walked in, I noticed there were little house spiders in almost every corner. Not a huge problem, except that I have a HUGE spider phobia and ran out of the house immediately lol. I called pest control services in my area and they were pretty dismissive with me asking for same day services because "it's just a couple of spiders".”
“My partner and I moved into this house 2 years ago. We haven’t had any bug/rodent problem that we are aware of. Today I woke up and found a few crisps packets chewed into. I’ve previously never experienced this so I am not sure what to do in this situation. The food and plastic bits were not there previously. Any advice appreciated. submitted by /u/sour_mango13 [link] [comments]”
“I sprayed the home defense stuff and that didn’t work. I have a dehumidifier. I was looking at trying that diatemous earth stuff? I do have 3 cats so I don’t want anything toxic to them. I found 2 on my bed so I’ve really been in a panic about this please help submitted by /u/60minsisalotofmins [link] [comments]”
“please help me figure out how to get rid of these bugs, i am on the verge of a nervous breakdown and i don’t even have a bug phobia, but there’s thousands and they are EVERYWHERE. historically, we’ve gotten a small amount of these during the summer, but they are completely out of control. i live in vermont and dont have ac so i have to keep the screened windows open. we’ve tried zevo (pictured), we’ve tried spraying our window screens, we’ve tried bowls of water with soap and vinegar, we’ve trie”
“Are we screwed? This one was very small in a cabinet next to the fridge. We’ve seen four now n about a week. About 3 days ago we put out Combat bait. Hadn’t seen one until tonight. submitted by /u/Melodic-Account-7233 [link] [comments]”
“Been finding these droppings all of my new rental… submitted by /u/StonerSloth125 [link] [comments]”
“I’m fighting flies in my garage. I have no clue where they’re coming from or what they’re coming in here for I mainly just have guitar stuff, boxes from moving and an empty attic. However they’re here in hundreds and now I’m seeing baby flies. Should I just fog my garage or what do I do? submitted by /u/-Zeke-The-Geek- [link] [comments]”
“Hey all! Found these droppings in our basement the other day. Pest control guy came out and couldn't immediately identify them, but indicated that he was fairly confident they aren't mouse or rat droppings. His suspicion was snake, bat, or something else. Curious if anyone can help me identify what would have left these? Located in Northeast Ohio. Thanks! submitted by /u/Swimming_Gap_5143 [link] [comments]”
“I just lifted my bedroom shades and found that! Second floor. Had issues with a mouse in the kitchen weeks ago and now I’m terrified!!! Could this be mice nest??? Am I dealing with something else? submitted by /u/Historical-Owl6694 [link] [comments]”
“Outside my door. Small. Very long tail. submitted by /u/CostlyDugout [link] [comments]”
“Find these in the bathtub every morning. Found a full size American cockroach in the same area the other day. Arizona submitted by /u/Retracartering [link] [comments]”
“I hate these things. For the past month or so, I’ve killed about 30 every morning and every evening. Idk how there are so many. It’s slowed way down now — have I just killed them all or do they just not live very long each summer?? — but I’m finding this stuff on the leaves of my calla lily. Maybe I’ve just never noticed it before, but there seems to be a lot! Is it beetle poo or is it some sort of new pest I need to worry about? submitted by /u/hopekyra [link] [comments]”
“What kind of insect is this. I found in the bathroom and captured it submitted by /u/Real-Time_Systems [link] [comments]”
“You are right -with ground squirrels those thing deter only very briefly or not at all.”
“I got desperate and asked Google Gemini if this is a cockroach and it said it’s a click beetle. I never fully believe any ai tool so I want to get a final verdict here. I should add that it’s dead after I threw dish soap and water at it. For background: I’ve seen one in my room the past two nights (so two insects found total) and it was kinda slowly crawling on my wall at night while I had the lights on inside. It would fly in short bursts to get somewhere nearby. I never saw it running, just cr”
“Just found this on my wall but I looked at it it fell off and then squirmed around on my counter. I killed it and picked it up with the tissue and it looks like it's some sort of baby cockroach but I really don't know what bugs are honestly. submitted by /u/IReallyDontKnow746 [link] [comments]”
“Gemini told me this was a brown banded roach? Anyone can confirm? just saw it hanging around in the bathroom. submitted by /u/Immediate_Week5856 [link] [comments]”
“We have had issues with mice but it has been pretty much exclusively in our attic. We used to hear them occasionally in the winter in the attic then we got professionals. Critter control comes out every other month to replace bait in outdoor traps. They said the bait stations seem to be working. The house was sealed and they’ve been eating the bait outside. We’ve never seen one on the main level of the house at all nor has our cat caught one nor any dropping in the kitchen or most living spaces.”
“Keep finding these in my house about 5 a day. have moved everything out but can’t find them under anything just on ceiling and mainly at night. they look like different roaches submitted by /u/Substantial_Chair507 [link] [comments]”
“I live in Virginia! Went through my shed and found rat droppings on top of a container. I didn’t touch any of the container but there is a pair of socks that is stained but I’m currently washing the rest of the clothes. I used my phone as I went through the box. Should I disinfect that? submitted by /u/HowYouDoinz [link] [comments]”
“Just gonna be straight forward. Does this hole look like it was the cause of a pest. Maybe a mouse or something? It stinks really bad under our sink. I cleaned our P trap and our plumber said he didn’t think it was a plumbing issue. So if that hole is from a rodent, is it pretty likely I have a nest OR just a dead rat right there? It would be under / behind our dishwasher. I think I can take it out but am kind of scared too. submitted by /u/RiSz-Turtle [link] [comments]”
“We have tiny ants and a few mice we are battling, now I’m seeing these jumbo ants around. Carpenter ants?? If they are, I can’t find where they are entering. I put out terro baits. 🙏🍀 submitted by /u/runawaystrawberry [link] [comments]”
“They're everywhere in my house. I've vacuumed so many of them and they keep coming back. submitted by /u/nlax32 [link] [comments]”
“Swung a fly trap on a wall to try and catch a fly and it got stuck and now the glue is so sticky and won't come off. Tried scraping scrubbing and using my bare hands but this stuff is stubborn. What should i do?? submitted by /u/Mediocre_Fig1 [link] [comments]”
“Hello, Does anyone know what to do about snap trap shy mice. I am being tortured. I got professional exterminator in for a bad infestation. They laid poison and made some proofing recommendations. Most of them are gone (over the course of 6 weeks). But there is still some mice that seem to now be wise to the poision. These mice from day one never went near the snap traps or shock traps I had. I wore gloves, prebated before arming. I set up a camera and the mice litereally jump over the trap. But”
“i’m moving to new place soon and i want to clean/bug bomb the place before i settle in. only thing i’m worried about is my cat, i’m concerned about the fumes that might be left and if it’ll affect him. he already has some kidney issues and i’m very protective over him and possible toxins so i’m starting to wonder if bugbombing is even worth it or if i should just use pet-safe odoban and diatomaceous earth as pesticide. any advice would be appreciated! submitted by /u/Potential-Ad5679”
“TLDR; I mixed up too much bifenthrin and have 1/2 gallon left in the sprayer - what do I do with it? Context: I rent a small house and there’s been a ton of roaches on the patio outside lately. My landlord (who is out of the country right now) didn’t want to pay a professional, so she sent me an amazon package with 7.9% Bifenthrin concentrate and a pump sprayer. I read the instructions and some YouTube videos which said to dilute into 1 gallon of water. I sprayed the entire perimeter of the hous”
“Good Day Guys, I have hope you don't have this problem but im seeing alot of mice or mini mouse in my home lately and it looks like coming below my baseboard im not aure why there are so many of these stuff in front of it but i cant find a hole below the heater any ideas or ways I can fix this problem? thank you so much! I hope this post is allowed submitted by /u/Mrcheapoh [link] [comments]”
“I believe these are carpenter ants I have in my house, I put out some liquid bait today and they seem to be loving it - which I believe is good. I was noticing 1-2 a day walking around and was thinking they were just passing on by. Today I saw a stream of them by this one shelf maybe 15-20. you can see the crack in the picture with the bait. They seem to be coming out of there. Will this kill those bastards ? submitted by /u/WarmMilk95 [link] [comments]”
“I saw this on our dinning room table, is it a single mouse dropping? I live in an apt and I already put down glue traps with peanut butter because I have been already been through this at another place. I am not sure if it makes a difference, but the texture is hard. submitted by /u/Fluffy_Researcher142 [link] [comments]”
“i’ve already posted about all the bugs i’ve seen in my new place and i am literally praying this isn’t a roach. I can’t handle anymore bugs. I’ve seen about 5 (dead) ones in my bedroom. so far nowhere else in the house. i’ve had an exterminator come and spray. i’m in michigan. submitted by /u/bellcmrose [link] [comments]”
“I was gone for a couple days and a mouse got in my house. It explored all through my house, bedrooms and closets. It’s all carpet and it’s hard to get out. I’m in middle Georgia. Can I spray the poop with disinfectant and vacuum it up? I know you’re not supposed to but it’s everywhere. I can open windows and fans. submitted by /u/No-Combination-5818 [link] [comments]”
“I’ve been dealing with a rodent issue. Not sure if it’s mouse or rat? We’ve had mice before and caught them pretty quickly, but now I can’t seem to trap them. submitted by /u/missbbythang [link] [comments]”
“I’ve been noticing some flies around my house the last few days and I’ve been vacuuming them up with my vacuum and releasing them outside. Yesterday night I was in my room and I had the big light on in the hallway and in my kitchen. I walked into the kitchen and started doing dishes, and I saw multiple flies in front of my face. I looked up and I was literally horrified when I found that there was hundreds of flies on my kitchen window and around my kitchen light. Then, I was walking back to my”
“Found in washing machine after a cycle at bottom of clothes. What kind of roach is this one? submitted by /u/YerBoiHabeeb [link] [comments]”
“I’ve found several of these little guys in my bathroom over the course of a few days. And one randomly in my daughter’s room. Is this a powder post? Wondering how freaked out I need to be. Thanks. submitted by /u/Common-Conference746 [link] [comments]”
“I have never had cockroaches before and saw one in my bathroom at night after a shower. I am in the Bay area silicon valley. please help me, what do i do? 😿 submitted by /u/HungryCaterpillar100 [link] [comments]”
“I saw a rodent run under my bed about 6 weeks ago. It was small to be a rat, but darker than mice I’ve seen in previous apartments. So I’m not sure if it was a mouse or young rat, but I’ve seen it (or its companions) 4 times since and my mother saw one once. My uncle put out snap traps baited with peanut butter. He expected to find a body the next day. Nope. I’m in a small 2 bedroom apartment that I share with my mother and have been sleeping on the couch. Pest control came and put a few poison”
“Hi everyone, I need advice. We don’t have any pets, but I found many tiny fleas jumping around in my bathroom. They seem to be coming from a hole/opening where animals may be entering under the house (heard someone there - we already closed the hole) I sprayed Raid Roach spray in the house , but I’m not sure it will solve the problem. The strange thing is that within few hours they spread from the bathroom to my bedroom . I’m trying to figure out the best way to stop them before it gets worse. Q”
“Indoor. We have a dog, too. This trap is upstairs/second floor. We have lots of traps and this one's pretty new. They fill up. Thanks! :( Mid-Missouri submitted by /u/Fabulous-Elk-8297 [link] [comments]”
“I've seen a couple cockroaches at night, and I set up Combat Roach Baits, but I woke up to find this on the floor. Is there anything else I should be doing to solve the issue? What is this - and is there a best way to safely, cleanly remove? Please help - very new to all this and just want the cockroaches gone! submitted by /u/Holiday-Mixture-2096 [link] [comments]”
“I have been battling an intense mouse infestation in my townhome for several years now, and I honestly feel like I am losing hope of ever getting it resolved. Currently, the mice are only appearing in two locations: the back corner of the kitchen cabinets and the attic. What I’ve already done with the help of my pest company: I sealed all gaps (front and back) on my property using copper mesh and rodent spray foam. I had professional help seal gaps on my adjoining neighbor's property with co”