Insecticides around t's and scorps? Help please!

[Rakshasi]

If this has already been posted (i can't seem to find a post specifically about this brand), please do direct me to it. And I highly apologize, but I am sincerely concerned.

Summer is here and we are having a lot of bug problems. We found a product that seems like it will work fairly well...any bug spray, I don't depend on, but it should help at least a little bit. It is called "Home Defense Max."

My concerns are my tarantula and scorpion. Now, the spray will be used in the kitchen. They are in the living room, and NEVER enter the kitchen for any reason, what-so-ever. In fact, they rarely are out at all. They are much more content in their homes.

Should I not use this product with them in the house? (It says it kills scorpions!) Should I wait for a day that isn't too unbearably hot and remove them to the outdoors until the spray dries? Should I simply not use this product, at all? All these bugs in the kitchen are a real downer...they're getting into food and just generally driving me up a wall.

I'm sorry I don't have any photos to make this post interesting. I just don't want to harm my T and scorp...they've been with me for over 2 years and I would feel terrible if I caused them any harm, especially death. They're so fun to watch move around, in and out of hides and such. They're like little entertainer friends. I couldn't imagine losing them to my mistake, just because the other bugs that shouldn't be here are stressing me out.

Thanks!

[lord jackel]

Yes it will kill them. I recommend you don't use any aerosol spray in or around them. They make powder based bug killers (seven dust, etc.) that would be a better option.


My concern would be that even the slightest leftover airborn particles could have a devistating affect on them.

Just my

[Rakshasi]

Thank you, Sean!

I was definitely paranoid about that, that's why I turned here to seek advice. We won't be using it inside of the house. We'll use it for the garage, instead. The only ones that go out there are us humans. No animals are allowed out there...way too many chemicals, vehicle junk, etc.

This stuff must be pretty potent. It even says to not use around reptiles, fish...and keep children and other pets away from the area until completely dry.

Where could I find Seven Dust? Is that what they use at plant nurseries? Or am I thinking of something else?

Thanks, again!

[lord jackel]

Where could I find Seven Dust? Is that what they use at plant nurseries? Or am I thinking of something else?

Thanks, again!

You can find it at Wal-Mart usually in the outdoor department...and yes I think it is the same stuff they use in nurseries.

[Shadowspider]

Any powder based insectocide would be better than a spray. Seven dust is pretty easy to find, most stores sell it.

Seeing as how it's getting on flea season here and I've got a house full of critters, I take my inverts and reptiles into the bathroom, cover them, close the door and dust my carpets at night before I go to bed, then vacuum the next morning but leave all the "kids" in the bathroom for an additional day...and another vacuum. They've never had any problems.

The main thing you want to do is just make sure your inverts are as far away from the stuff as possible and that, if it is not being vacuumed up, that when a breeze comes by, the dust can't get at them.

[Rakshasi]

Thank you, Shadow!

One more question, though! Is SevenDust (or any powder, for that matter) flammable? I have a gas stove that I need to pull out and treat back there...that's where a ton of the bugs like to hang out. I guess because it's nice and warm, dark and nobody actually moves the stove around, so they know (or THINK) they are safe back there. I'd really rather not blow up my house, though.

Could you believe it? I have a tarantula and a scorpion, yet these roaches, crickets and silverfish freak me out! It's the same thing, every summer. I'm still pretty young, but my heart feels like it's about 90 on the verge of an attack. Every time I go into the kitchen, I wear shoes and get ready to "do battle," haha! The kitchen is known as the "battle grounds," living room is the "outskirts," and any other room are considered the "safe zones," with occassional wanderers. All visitors are informed of that upon entering. Outside, too, is a total war ground. Ugh!!

[frankykeno]

Have you tried diatomaceous earth along baseboards, inside cupboard edges, basically any route they have into those rooms in your home. It's not a chemical, it's natural and it works to mechanically kills bugs. Might be worth looking into. I used to get it from a natural foods store but I think it's more widely sold these days.

[Rakshasi]

Have you tried diatomaceous earth along baseboards, inside cupboard edges, basically any route they have into those rooms in your home.

I've never heard of that before, thank you for the suggestion! I'll keep a look out for it.

[Shadowspider]

Since it's around gas, seening as how I haven't ever tried to set the stuff on fire :eek: I don't know how flamable it is. What you might want to consider as an alternitive is Borax or Comet powder cleanser.
Of course, what you want to do is try and find the enterence point and, if you have ants, their trail so you can follow it straight to the source.
If it's roaches, use Borax and make balls out of it.
Basically, all you do is make a dough out of the Borax with flour and water, oh, and a bit of sugar, roll it up into little balls, stick it behind the stove, in the back of the cupboards, anywhere where the bugs would hide and where any children and pets can NOT get to it.
If you want to try Comet (or any powder cleanser that has bleach in it, Ajax works well also) just sprinkle a line around the base boards of whatever room(s) you want to treat as well as around the foundation of your house. Don't vacuum it up until either the bugs are gone, the powder is gone or until you are ready to apply a fresh line. Bugs don't like the stuff and they won't cross it; the bleach burns their litlle bug feet.
Cedar oil (or chips, as long as they are *real* cedar) works awesome at killing and keeping unwanted critters outside where they belong. Just don't get cedar near your inverts or reptiles.

[Rakshasi]

Wow, Shadow! Thanks a bunch for the suggestions!

For now, I think I'll go with the Borax balls in the cupboards, and the Comet behind the microwave stand, under the sink and behind the refrigerator/stove where my licky-lappy dogs can't get it. We'll see how this goes. It's mostly roaches, crickets, silverfish and occassionally ants...the ants were so bad at one point that I feel banned from using the cupboard above the microwave. I had a TON of stuff up there, and the ants were everywhere !! I think they thought it was a feast! So, I ended up having to throw away alot of pasta, chips, sister's cookies amongst other things, wiped the whole cupboard down with bleach and it now just holds some baking pans and pots. I can't believe those tiny pests banned me from my own cupboard!

Thanks once again...I'm hoping these two things do the trick for me. It's bad enough temperatures reach over 100 degrees F here, I don't need these bugs to make our summer even more uncomfortable. I guess they like the air, haha! Free loaders!