Anyone have any tips on insect/pest control?

[Kingshakabobo]

I'm looking for low toxicity bug-spray I can use in our building. I'm not crazy about using anything at all because we have pets but the rest of the owners want something done.

Here's the story:

I live in a six unit condominium building. Some of the residents are complaining about these centipede looking bugs. They are pretty gross but they don't bother me that much, especially since I live on the third floor. I'll defer to the requests of the women that live in the basement units. I guess the logic is, that we should spray the whole bldg. to be effective.

Anywho, we called a couple pest services and they seen like such a racket. They want to charge us: $500 dollars for a one-time visit with a 30 day guarantee or $80 dollars a moth for a service contract.

The thing that bothers me the most is that we were quoted one thing by the service tech and another thing by the office..... Now the service tech. is hinting that we can go "directly through him and save money." In other words, pay him to spray the building with their supplies.

I guess I'm being cheap and don't want to spend a thousand bucks for $30 dollars worth of supplies and a bullshit(see below) guarantee. Also, we were just quoted $30k for a new porch so I have a little sticker-shock.

I should mention we had a bad experience with Orkin. We had rats in the storage room. Orkin put us on a service contract for, I think, $125/month for a year and all they did was throw bags of poison behind the walls. All well and good but the rats weren't eating it. When I complained after 2, 3 and 4 months they told me to be patient. I finally got fed-up and bought some over the counter pellets that turned out to be the same stuff in a different format. The rats ate it like candy(poor rats). Thirty bucks and the rats were gone in a week or two. I honestly think they were stringing us along and had no real desire to rid us of out problem. Needless to say, we canceled the contract over strong objection and threatened law-suits.

Any ideas?

[Warpy]

1. Pest control services are licensed to use poisons you can't get

but I think you can rent the spray rig at a tool renting place and buy the pesticide in bulk at a home store and do the job yourself. Just make sure it'll kill centipedes/millipedes. Also make sure you follow all the precautions including mask and gloves and throw your clothing into the washer the second you're done. Also notify the tenants that they might want to board their pets the day you come in to spray and overnight that night. All spray is toxic to pets. Some pet owners my tell you they'll live with the bugs and just put out bait traps for them instead. Been there, done that, same reason.

You might also question why the buiding is damp enough to attract and support them. You might have a leak somewhere.

In any case, you got lucky with the rodents. Sometimes they die in the walls. Peeeyewwww.

[Kingshakabobo]

2. I have refused to let them in my unit in the past because of my dog.

They say it's only toxic for two hours but I don't believe it. Also, we a have a woman in the building that's pregnant but she is one of the people complaining about bugs. I think I would rather live with the bugs????

[Warpy]

3. Me too.

That's why I suggested the do it yourself mode and alerting the pet owners and allowing them to opt out if they can't board their animals. Suggest the bait, too.

[LiberalEsto]

4. I wonder if boric acid would work

It's used for ants and roaches and is relatively safe.For roaches you take bottle caps and fill them with half sugar and half boric acid, and stick them in places like under the refrigerator. I wouldn't leave them where kids or pets could find them. It can also be sprinkled in places where you see the critters walking a lot, but again, not near pets or kids.

[Dora]

5. An organic alternative to chemicals.

Diatomaceous earth (DE). http://www.ghorganics.com/DiatomaceousEarth.html

I've never used it, but it's highly recommended in my gardening books. I would think that it could do the job on your centipedes.

[Kingshakabobo]

6. Thank you!!!!!!

That looks like it might work.

One of my neighbors is pregnant and I don't thing it's a good idea to spray insecticide around the building; regardless of what the pest control people say. Also, I don't trust that stuff around my dog- or me.

[Dora]

7. You're welcome!

I've read that it will seriously dry out the skin on your hands, so wear gloves. And wear a face mask too, so as not to breathe in any dust.

I hope to make a trip to the nursery soon and buy some myself - I don't want to lose my zukes to squash borers again.