Home Improvement Stack Exchange
Home Improvement Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [insect]

99 questions
20
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3 answers

What is this bug and should I be concerned?

I see these guys crawling around. What are they and are they here to destroy my house and cost me money and waste my time?
Rollo R
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Is this an insect nest?

I have found this little formation of ca. 5 cm (2 inches) near my bedroom window. I have seen no insects crawling or flying around it. I'm in southern Europe (Italy / coastal Tuscany), and it is late Spring. Is this an insect nest? Maybe wasps? Is…
Federico Poloni
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Do I need water traps on my sinks with dry-well greywater collection?

My house has been fitted with water traps in toilet and bathrooms drains which is quite good, but I can see that my kitchen sink, washing machine outlet pipe and regular wash basin don't have water traps. Shouldn't we have water traps to avoid gas…
Amogam
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5
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1 answer

How to get rid of this certain kind of insect/fly

I have rented a place. It usually gets overwhelmed by this kind of insect/fly: Tried So far I have tried, but none worked: Anti-fly sprays Keeping the doors closed incense sticks Trying to figure out where they come from. But I cannot figure out…
Megidd
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3
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3 answers

insect eating holes in concrete

My sister has an infestation of winged insects eating through the cinderblocks of her basement. Needless to say, this is terrifying. What are they and how do you control them? These insects bored about 20 holes though cinder block and about 5 holes…
Ben Welborn
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3
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2 answers

How to remove insecticide overspray from objects

I was spraying Kingtox spray (active ingredients: meperfluthrin, esbiothrin, permethrin, cypermethrin) and mistakenly sprayed on wall clock as well. Question is it harmful later on if somebody touches the clock? If yes then how to clean the clock so…
coure2011
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What is the name of the retracting part of a dog lead?

I want to build a retracting insect screen having two of the retracting “bearings” holding a rod between, and having the mesh on the rod. I’ve spent hours of research to get the name of the part responsible for retraction, but no success. Bought a…
Gergő Horváth
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3
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3 answers

Eliminating moth flies (and larvea) of unknown origin found mostly in kitchen

I've been battling some relatively slow-moving flying pests and their larvae. Based on my Internet research I'm 90% certain that these are "moth flies". They are found mostly on the ceiling or on the walls near the ceiling. When they are in a…
Hack-R
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3
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2 answers

What is this grey fungus/insect, and is it damaging the woodwork?

Yesterday my parents discovered these 'things' attached to the varnished wooden fascia board outside the downstairs bathroom. They are attached to the outside of the house, in a sheltered spot. They live in Somerset, UK. They are approximately 6…
Tempest16
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1 answer

What critter (insect?) removes sand from between paving bricks?

Something is excavating sand/mortar from between paving bricks, as seen here. I thought it was ants, but I've placed ant traps and bait and there seems to be no effect. Also, when the mounds are disturbed, no insects are visible. Here's a close-up…
Jim Garrison
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Is this a wood destroying insect?

I live in Austin, TX, USA. Just looked under a wooden table in my dining room (shares wall with outside of house) and saw this little tubes hanging underneath. A few still had live worm-like guys protruding. I'm guessing some kind of larvae. There…
d512
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What screen to use to keep flies and gnats out at night?

Every Summer, I like having the windows open in my house. The problem is that if there is a light on, small flies and gnats always come in through the window screen as they are drawn to the light. I think that the flies are smaller than the holes in…
Hypnos Stratagem
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How do I deter drain flies?

I have a small garden and beside it there is a small toilet. There are always many drain flies stuck on the door and inside the toilet walls. Somebody gave me a suggestion to make soap water and spray it on them, but it did not work. How can I make…
atek
2
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1 answer

Is this Termite or Carpenter Ant Damage?

I'm renovating a bathroom in my home in Maryland. I found this insect activity when I removed the drywall. Was it made by termites or carpenter ants, or hopefully, some benign insect? It doesn't look like there is damage to the wood, although I…
Laxmidi
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Dealing with woodworms

I am dealing with woodworms at home and I am looking for an effective method to contain their spreading and eliminate them from my furniture. I would just like that they chose another place to build up their home, that should not be my flat!!! The…
Marco
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