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Bug Bomb


Summary: When all else fails, set off a bug bomb to cure what's ailing you. At least, that appears to me what desperate people do when they have pest problems. But, bug bombs often make the problem worse.

Unless you've been hiding under a rock for the last fifty years, you could not help but hear or see advertisements extolling the effectiveness of pesticide fogs. Cartoon-like cans of one pesticide or another, were shown spewing gaseous clouds that found its way into every nook and cranny, on a seek and destroy mission to kill insects inside a wall. “Raid!!!” the insects yelled in chorus, as the cartoon spray can killed the animated bugs. The Raid can even had a sinister smile on its face conveying the message, “The party's over!”

raid90.png

So, consumers can be forgiven for thinking they can buy a bug bomb and all their pests will be gone. But, the reality is that bug bombs, or total release aerosols, often cause more harm than good. For example, let's just say you saw a cockroach crawling across a countertop. By the time you realized what it was it had escaped between the counter and stove. Once that happens you can never totally rest easy until you see the dead body of that roach. All sorts of thoughts of roach population explosions fill our minds.

You rush to the hardware store where the manager recommends a bug bomb. “This will fill the room with stuff that will flush him out and kill him”, promises the store clerk. You bring your weapon into your kitchen, determine where you want to concentrate the toxic gas and you set off the bomb, leaving the house to escape personal harm. The little bug bomb does its thing, releasing seven to eight minutes of fine aerosol mist into the air.

What you don't know is that several things are happening during your absence. One, the mist is going up in the air in somewhat of a pattern that resembles an upside down pyramid. After the little mist particles reach their ultimate height of about six feet, or so, gravity brings the droplets back down to the floor leaving a slick, oily residue. (You forgot to put newspaper down under the bug bomb, didn't you?) Two, no one said anything about directing the spray into cracks and crevices, so only a few of the micro-particles find their way between the counter and stove. Just enough of the stuff to irritate the sensitive receptors of the cockroach and send him scampering to find better hiding places.

raidbomb.jpg
Bug Bomb

Before the bomb you had a pretty good idea where your enemy was hiding. Now, the roach has moved ten feet in any direction and greatly expanded the total search area. It is not a catastrophe, but the little bug bomb certainly has made your task more difficult. The lesson here is, wrong tool, wrong insect, wrong timing.

Bug bombs have their place, to be certain, but they are best used for flying insects. The materials in the bombs are nearly always some type of pyrethrin or synthetic pyrethroid product used to knock down insects. They usually contain nothing that provide any residual effect. The bomb goes off, knocks down any insect it comes in contact with, but leaves no killing agent behind. Great for killing a roomful of flies, but not so great for insects that hide.

Next time you have a pest don't reach for the bug bomb until you know the habits of the pest. Understanding where a pest is likely to live will tell you whether the bomb's contents are likely to contact your target. Better still, if you know the habits of the pest you can probably avoid using any pesticides, at all. Just eliminate the insect's hiding place by removing it, sealing it up or otherwise making it unavailable to the pest. No bug bombs. No worries!





Comments

nathan
12 Jan 2010, 01:13
Borax and salt for the fleas. Mix together and lay a dust of the mixture over your carpets and rugs. The mixture will dehydrate and kill the little buggers and their eggs.
Greg Russell
06 May 2010, 16:00
I have Bees badly living under my deck. What is the best way to rid the bees of my underside?

Thanks
Ask the Exterminator
06 May 2010, 16:07
There are any number of pesticides that can be sprayed. However, if you cannot easily reach under the deck you might think about Nuvan pest strips. Check it out at http://shop.asktheexterminator.com/index.php/household-pests/stink-bug-cont rol/nuvan-prostrips.html.
Ed
25 May 2010, 14:27
I have wood eating beetles in a piece of furniture. Is it possible to bag the furniture and use a bomb to kill them?
Ashley
17 Jun 2010, 20:36
We seem to have earwings and ants and spiders and crickets in the basement! I am just so over them crawling everywhere and they are getting worse. I do not know what to do but desperately need something done!
Ask the Exterminator
17 Jun 2010, 21:40
It's all a matter of correcting the amount of moisture that collects along the exterior foundation walls. The moisture attacts all the insects you have listed. Rake leaves. Cut grass and weeds short. Remove clutter resting along the foundation walls. You may have to alter the slope of the land so that water is carried away from foundation walls, rather than flowing towards it. In addition, you can put down a granular insecticide, but the insecticide alone will not fully correct the problem, so don't look for shortcuts.
Joseph
19 Jun 2010, 10:05
We have a problem with wood roaches or what appears to be. They are just in the kitchen area and not in any other place of the house. None of the sprays seems to work in making a barrier. What would be the best way to deal with them?
Ask the Exterminator
19 Jun 2010, 11:53
Go to my page on Wood roaches for the answers. Click on "cockroaches" in the category list on the left side of the page and you'll find an article on wood roaches.
ray
29 Jun 2010, 15:21
PLEASE I NEED HELP!!I have this irritating Nat infestation going on. I went into my bathroom and my mirror was full of Nats. I have Nats now in my bedroom and in kitchen. Basicly all over. what do you think is causing this. I have went to the attic and i do not see anything dead there or smell anything. Do you recommend a bomb for this or just stick to the house spray..PLEASE I NEED HELP!!!!
Ask the Exterminator
29 Jun 2010, 15:55
I don't recommend any pesticide until you know that your gnat is. Knowing the species will tell you where it is breeding. Collect a few and take them to a local pest control company for a free ID. Then you can think about what and where to spray.
greg pease
04 Jul 2010, 21:29
we also have a bad problem with spiders in our basement. also other bugs such as ear wigs and centipedes. what should we do?? the problem is getting really bad
Andrea
06 Jul 2010, 00:08
We are having a problem with brown recluse spiders. These pesty little things seem to be sneak up more and more in our house. Any advice?
Ask the Exterminator
06 Jul 2010, 12:40
Greg:

The problem lies along the outside perimeter foundation wall. Moisture collects there and attracts earwigs and centipedes. Redirect water away from your foundation walls and treat the soil along the foundation with Talstar granules. You can find Talstar at http://shop.asktheexterminator.com/talstar-pl-granules.html.
Ask the Exterminator
06 Jul 2010, 12:42
Andrea:

Brown recluse spiders reproduce at a very fast rate. Please read about these spiders at http://www.asktheexterminator.com/spiders/Brown_Recluse_Spider_Control.shtm l.
dan
13 Jul 2010, 07:31
A dog in my house moved out about 2 weeks ago and I'm just now discovering fleas in the couches. What should I do, without throwing away the couches?
Ask the Exterminator
13 Jul 2010, 08:56
Click on the "flea" category button at the left of each page and you'll find lots of good articles about treating fleas.
greg pease
13 Jul 2010, 12:34
ok i will do that but one more question? how do those bugs get into the basement? is it threw cracks in the foundation or windows? im not an expert obviously but some of the centipedes are really big how do they get in the basement?? i do live in an OLDER house
Ask the Exterminator
13 Jul 2010, 13:15
If you wish to have an ongoing conversation please post your questions via the "Ask a Question" button at the top of the page.
latoya bogan
13 Jul 2010, 21:57
I just moved in a new townhome, I'm really starting to see roaches down stairs. The manger have a pest control company to put down roach gel does that work or what steps should I take
Ask the Exterminator
13 Jul 2010, 22:22
I've got lots of articles about controlling roaches under the "cockroach" category.
Brandon K.
16 Jul 2010, 15:17
I have a two story wooden deck. last year I found what looked like saw dust accumulating under one of the wooden benches. I tried to find where it was coming from to no avail. This year it has started about 3 feet from last years dust pile but now I see holes. they are 3 perfectly round "bullet-holes" on the front and underside of the bench. What kind of bug is that, and if it is termites how much of my deck could be infected by now?
Ask the Exterminator
16 Jul 2010, 16:04
Sounds like carpenter bees. Read about them on this website. Go to the "Bee" category and click on "carpenter bees".
Brittany
04 Aug 2010, 01:52
Hello, my husband and I are having a horrible time with two kinds of bugs. One is I think a bed bug. (We recently bought a used futon) The other is a mixture between a ant, a wasp and some thing with small pinchers in the front. Eww anyhow by any chance would you know what kind of bug it is and what we can do? Thank you.
Ask the Exterminator
04 Aug 2010, 07:03
Use the "Ask a Question" button at the top of the page and email me a photo of your bug.
cheryl
04 Aug 2010, 21:48
I am about to purchase a home that has been empty for several years. It has lots of spider webs and I am not going to be able to sleep in it unless I do something about them. I will vacuum but what else do I need to do?
Ask the Exterminator
05 Aug 2010, 11:17
You are doing the right thing. Vacuuming the spider webs will discourage spider activity. Keep an eye out for new webs and remove them immediately.
Mark
05 Aug 2010, 19:48
I have ants everywhere in my town home. They've made it through my upstairs. Today I've found that they started a colony in my kids hermit crab tank which is now gone. My house has been sprayed and I used ortho on my outer windows and doors. Is there anything else you can say, these will not go away.
Ask the Exterminator
05 Aug 2010, 23:13
You're on my "Bug Bomb" page and those will not work. They are mostly for flying insect control. You need to find out what species of ants you have before you can learn how to control them. Collect a few and get them identified by a local pest control company. Take the ants to them and they won't charge you.
lyssi bowlin
20 Aug 2010, 15:46
we live in an apartment and recently got new neighbors & with the new neighbors came roaches!!! the apartment is supposedly on a budget & havent done much but sprayed the aparment but it hasnt helped. what can i do to keep these nasty little things out of my apartment?! ive tryed numerous sprays they only seem to work directly on contact with the bug though?
Ask the Exterminator
20 Aug 2010, 16:09
Liquid cockroach sprays are generally considered old-time pest control. Take a look at Maxforce FC Roach Bait Stations on this website. Click on "Pest Control Products" at the top of any page.
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