how to rid garage of bugs

[Maximus96]

after moving in the new house we come to find a lot of spiders in the garage. the garage is not dirty but is clustered with a bunch of moving boxes still around. I see mostly daddy-longlegs hiding in corners. i suck them up with a shopvac when i see them. whats the best way to keep them out. is it possible to seal the garage somehow? there are big vent holes or some kind of opening by the bottom of one wall cover with wiremesh and i wonder if they crawl in from there. maybe i can seal them some how. any ideas?

 

[Mackie2k]

Many times these guys just float in when you go into the garage......

You can empty the garage and do a bug bomb, which will kill everything in there easily.....but may not prevent new stuff from coming in.

 

[BillGates]

Call the police and report the insects as trespassers.

 

[Maximus96]

my goal is mainly to prevent new spiders and the occassional ear-wick from coming in. after we unpack and empty the garage i plan to keep it clean so i can have my own space. i'd hate to run into spiderwebs while working on the cars. i don't want to do these bug bombs because i worry it might somehow affect our 7 month old daughter. i use the trusty shop vac for bug elimination but need some idea to keep them out.

do they make spider sprays like they do for ants? i don't recall seeing any in home depot. if they do maybe i can spray along the openings into the garage...

 

[Nab]

Originally posted by: Mackie2k
Many times these guys just float in when you go into the garage......

You can empty the garage and do a bug bomb, which will kill everything in there easily.....but may not prevent new stuff from coming in.

yeah those bug bombs will work wonders for killing everything that is currently in there. As far as sealing off holes from the outside, you can try caulking or using that foamy stuff that expands after you use it. There is also that home defense spray you can put around the perimeter of your house, it is suppose to keep insects away.


edit: you're saying that they don't have home defense spray for spiders at home depot? hmm.... i thought i remembered buying some for spiders/ants/roaches...maybe i'm thinking of something else

 

[DannyLove]

Originally posted by: BillGates
Call the police and report the insects as trespassers.

lol

 

[Soccerman06]

A stick of dynamite will sure fix your bug problem, but you might need a new garage to.

 

[DaShen]

poison and toxic waste, otherwise bugs will basically infest anything

 

[49erinnc]

As Nab mentioned, the only sure-fire way to keep them out is to take care of any little crack/opening. With it being a garage, this is often pretty difficult to do. But if you have the time, you can take care of most. Just start with the ones closest to ground level and do what you can.

The perimeter spray works okay but it's not gonna really deter any from coming in and the effectiveness of that stuff doesn't last long.

My best advice is to just keep your garage as clean and clutter free as possible. The more crap you have, the more places for spiders/bugs to find appealing. Other than that, seal obvious cracks and do a perimeter spray once or twice a month.

 

[Maximus96]

anybody know what the side opening are for? they're about 6"x12" and i think there are 2 of them at the bottom of one wall. i want to seal them but dunno whats they're for.

 

[49erinnc]

Originally posted by: Maximus96
anybody know what the side opening are for? they're about 6"x12" and i think there are 2 of them at the bottom of one wall. i want to seal them but dunno whats they're for.

Likely for ventilation/moisture control. My garage has a vent on each side but they're up in the loft. I wouldn't completely make those air tight if I were you because your garage needs to breathe. Just seal the edges up good, repairs holes and if the mesh holes are too wide, you can recover with some that will allow air to pass but not bugs.

 

[creedog]

I spray my home for bugs inside and out several times a year. You should get into the habit. Do not use the ready mix stuff, get yourself a 2 gallon sprayer and mix your own

As far as your current issues is concerned, spray the gargage every week or so untill the issue is resolved.

I am not a fan of bug bombs. Don't like that crap getting everywhere.

 

[Maximus96]

i do have a garden sprayer at home i used for weedkiller. what do you recommend i spray for bugs and spider? any specific brands?

 

[creedog]

Sevin makes a good liquid, not sure if its just for outside though..

 

[misle]

I had a bunch of spiders in my garage. I used Ortho-Max Home Defense (like $7 for a gallon at Wal-Mart or Home Depot) and I've been insect free for about 3 weeks now. You're supposed to respray seasonally.

http://www.homedefensemax.com/

As for the vents, maybe you should buy something like a furance filter and cut it to fit in the vents.

 

[Mrvile]

If it's that much of a problem for you, bomb it, and regularly Raid (like every month or so) any parts where bugs can potentially come in. But cmon...it's a garage. And they're just bugs!

 

[BoomerD]

You can spray for spiders till the cows come home, but the only ones you're going to kill, is the ones you actually get the spray on. There are no residual sprays that will continue to kill spiders after you are done spraying. Same with controlling yellow jackets, hornets, wasps, etc. You have to spray the ones you want to kill, and respray when they return...

 

[JS80]

Chemicals, Orkin Man.

 

[Mani]

I used to have a major cricket and ant problem until I got an exterminator to come by to spray for the ants. Neither are a problem any more - the only crickets I find any more are dead ones and ants don't venture anywhere near my place. Doesn't do anything about spiders though - like someone said, I don't think there's any residual deterrant that works on spiders - possibly because they just walk over it.

Best suggestions are to seal your garage and spray for ants. Spiders won't last too long if other insects aren't around to eat.

 

[Tifababy]

We had crickets and spiders in our garage. I bought some stickey traps and caught a dozen or so right away. Only cost a couple bucks at walmart and haven't had a problem since (that was over a year ago) although the Minnesota winter probably helped kill a few as well.

 

[squirrel dog]

I get a bottle of "Davis Rid a Bug" from the local hardware store . Its a concentrate , one bottle will last a while . Any way mix it up per instructions on bottle,put in a sprayer and spray the baseboard area , and anywhere/all over . Then I would do the house.

 

[Maximus96]

Originally posted by: Mani
I used to have a major cricket and ant problem until I got an exterminator to come by to spray for the ants. Neither are a problem any more - the only crickets I find any more are dead ones and ants don't venture anywhere near my place. Doesn't do anything about spiders though - like someone said, I don't think there's any residual deterrant that works on spiders - possibly because they just walk over it.

Best suggestions are to seal your garage and spray for ants. Spiders won't last too long if other insects aren't around to eat.

how much does it normally cost for an exterminator to come out?

 

[Maximus96]

Originally posted by: squirrel dog
I get a bottle of "Davis Rid a Bug" from the local hardware store . Its a concentrate , one bottle will last a while . Any way mix it up per instructions on bottle,put in a sprayer and spray the baseboard area , and anywhere/all over . Then I would do the house.

i'm hesitant to spray anything inside the house because of the baby. i'm all for spraying outside. thanks for the info.

 

[Mrvile]

Originally posted by: Maximus96

Originally posted by: Mani
I used to have a major cricket and ant problem until I got an exterminator to come by to spray for the ants. Neither are a problem any more - the only crickets I find any more are dead ones and ants don't venture anywhere near my place. Doesn't do anything about spiders though - like someone said, I don't think there's any residual deterrant that works on spiders - possibly because they just walk over it.

Best suggestions are to seal your garage and spray for ants. Spiders won't last too long if other insects aren't around to eat.

how much does it normally cost for an exterminator to come out?

Too much for something you can easily do yourself. Exterminator really isn't necessary unless you have a major bug problem like BRS or termites.

 

[Conky]

I don't mind spiders... they eat other, more annoying, bugs.