Use this on both:
Posted on 07/26/2023 8:48:44 PM PDT by Jamestown1630
Sorry for the vanity; (and also sorry for the length of this). But I’ve gotten good advice from people here about household problems in the past; and now I have a couple more.
1. For the first time that I can remember, I have had an infestation of fruit flies. We think it may have come from a bag of potatoes, which is something we’ve never bought before – we usually just buy the few single potatoes that we are going to use immediately. We got rid of that bag, and every fresh thing – onions, tomatoes, whatever - that was sitting out. But it didn’t solve the problem.
We spent many dollars on various solutions over the past 10 days or so (we can’t use exterminators for this, as we have cats and birds, and I have a lot of allergies.)
We tried the bowls and glasses of apple cider vinegar with drops of dish detergent squirted in, and also with red wine. These were somewhat helpful, but the kitchen still had scores of them flying around.
Then, I saw a video suggesting ‘Raid Fly Strips’. We bought them, and baited them with beer (Guiness Extra Stout!), according to another YouTuber. (I am not associated with ‘Raid’, and am not promoting them; it’s just the only thing that has worked in our particular situation.)
After 1-1/2 hours, this thing had gotten scores of these little jerks stuck to it. And for the rest of the night, I only saw two of them flying around. We’ll see what happens tomorrow.(I need to give a hat tip to YouTuber 'Ethnic Mama' who suggested this product. She doesn't seem to be around much these days, but I will be eternally grateful):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXHHLqUd22c
But if there are any exterminators here, I have a question:
Many years ago, we lived in an apartment that suddenly got infected with those little tan roaches. We had never seen them there before, and assumed that someone had moved in and brought them, or had bombed and dispersed them.
The management company sent this wonderful young man around, who just had a tiny pen-like thing; and all he did was squirt a little spot of something into corners of drawers, cabinets, etc. We didn’t have to clear out all of our cabinets or lock our cats up, it was completely non-invasive to the household.
Within a week or so, all those roaches were gone! We never had that problem again. But does anyone know what that stuff was??? I'd really like to know, in case we ever encounter those roaches again.
2. TracFone issue
Is there anyone here who uses TracFone?
We’ve used it for many years. We don’t use cellphones much at all; They’ve been very useful sometimes, and worth the small price; but I normally use mine just to listen to the radio :-)
We got a message tonight indicating that TracFone had somehow collaborated with Verizon to provide information sharing (?) and if we wanted to opt-out of having our ‘information’ shared, we needed to opt out by texting something or going to a website.
This is the second time this year that a service provider that we use has signed us up for something that we didn’t want or ask for, and required that WE opt out. Shouldn’t they be asking us if we want what they’re offering in the first place? The only recent thing I’ve found about this was on Reddit:
https://www.reddit.com/r/TracFone/comments/15akaha/just_received_a_message_that_tracfone_is_now/
Thanks, and apologies again for the length of this.
1. Zevo is non-toxic to pets and works great. Walmart.
2. I click the ‘continue’ button when the Verizon screen pops up and it just moves onto the next sequential screen.
Just say no and opt out , Trac fone can do whatever they want....you can choose not to be a customers of theirs...its that simple. The bug juice is a compound that real exterminators use and the general public has no access/ potent stuff to all. God bless!
Did you put cellophane over your glass of apple cider vinegar and poke tiny holes in it? Surprised it didn’t work. Worked great for me.
Use this on both:
Take an empty food can with a banana peel in it, and place some cling wrap on top with a small hole. Wait a few hours, put your hand over it, take outside and release the flies. Repeat as necessary.
LOL! Thanks for the hint :-)
Thanks; we didn’t have that one, but we had another one with a blue light; it’s been in the kitchen for four days and hasn’t caught a single bug. I think the Raid stuff solved the problem; but if it hasn’t, I’ll look for your suggestion.
Yes, we did. It caught some bugs, and so did the red wine; but nothing like the scores that the beer and Raid did.
Thanks very much for your response.
Whew! I thought it was just me! I'll be going to war with some of these ideas tomorrow!
Thanks. I just don’t want to respond. I’m thinking of subscribing to one of those ‘old lady’ ones with the big buttons :-)
(The stuff he used seemed like a kind of white paste. It looked like a little white dot of toothpaste in the corners of the cabinets. I thought I had saved the name of the business, but I can’t find it now...)
2) German Roaches
3) Track Phone
.
.
No Open Food left out anywhere. Get a Bio Foam drain cleaner Home Deport for All sinks. With sensitive birds & fish, vacc all the flying critters and dump outside the home.
German Roaches…you brought them in. From used boxes (usually fruit flavored or hot bulk eggs) or used furniture/picture frames. Will take a Pro to get rid of them.
Track Phone…no idea. Damn it Jim, I'm just a exterminator.
How are you doing with your Bedbugs?
The bug spray I use in the kitchen is Great Value Cleaner with Bleach, 32 fl oz $1.48
If you see some fruit flies in your trash spray them and the peels or whatever with this, whatever brand you choose, if you are using a lot of vegetables then put the peelings and bits in sandwich bags.
Good luck.
It took us a while to discover whether we had fruit flies or drain flies - we also have a drain problem, and spent a lot of money on gel stuff that you put down the drain. But it looks now like they were definitely fruit flies.
They haven’t bothered me much, but they drive my husband nuts. I think we’ve finally solved it.
Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
Somebody suggested pouring boiling water down the drain and later (not immediately) pouring vinegar. I don’t know how well that works, but I haven’t had much trouble lately. Make sure you wipe the drain clean every day or so to clear out food particles.
We’ve never had bedbugs, and haven’t had any roaches, German or otherwise, in over 25 years. This is the first time we’ve ever had fruit flies.
But if I ever need an exterminator I’ll call you, Dr. McCoy.
1. Roach Gel Bait...several active ingredients:
More “Pro”: https://www.domyown.com/advion-cockroach-gel-bait-p-304.html
More “consumer”: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Combat-2-1-oz-Roach-Killer/50073141
2. TracFone is a “MVNO” (mobile virtual network operator)...in other words they don’t operate/own any cellular network infrastructure. They “buy time/data” from “the big 3”. They must be using the Verizon network in your area and then you are subject to Verizon “disclosures”/data privacy policies, etc. (And technically TracFone is owned by Verizon, but “rides” on all 3 cellular carrier networks depending on location):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TracFone_Wireless
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_virtual_network_operator
Thanks, I’ll remember it. We haven’t seen anything in the trash cans; just flying around the kitchen.
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