I'm About To Declare War...

[shadowicewolf]

So, I live in a student on campus apartment complex (my own single with kitchen no less). My apartment is quite nice and has a big vault in an area of the cieling where it reaches about 15 or so ft.

Here's the problem. I keep finding beatles in my apartment. Yes, beatles.

I live on the fifth floor, I keep my room tidy, etc. I still keep getting them. And get this, I cannot reach them to catch and release them outside (normally what i do).

Currently, I have counted five of the buggers today. THey like to accumulate around the skylight like window (cannot reach it at all), or in the crack at the very top of the vault.

i would use chemicals, but i cannot be around them or else i get very bad headaches, sinus and throat irritation, etc.

I do spray an all natural bed bug away spray every so often in the door way.

Could this just be because its starting to get cold out? I remember something similar happening when i lived in MT.

Advice?

[kareng]

Do you mind saying approximately where you live? You now like "Texas" or "the Northeast" . It might be a regional thing and someone could help you that way. Do you know any of your neighbors to ask if they are having them, too?

[shadowicewolf]

Do you mind saying approximately where you live? You now like "Texas" or "the Northeast" . It might be a regional thing and someone could help you that way. Do you know any of your neighbors to ask if they are having them, too?

Colorado and right up against a foresty area that might not help. I never had them in the dorms.

[ravenwoodglass]

I don't know if this is doable for you but do you have a vacuum with a hose and extension wand? If you do you can take any kind of tube or tubes (maybe taped together empty paper towel rolls?) you can find to make it even longer. Then drag a table or a sturdy chair or two over to the area below them. Place the vacuum on the table and climb up or put each of you on a chair. Just make sure your footing is secure. Then turn the vacuum on and suck them in. I have a very high ceiling in my studio and that is the only way I can get the wasps that fly in a gather on the skylights.

[Darn210]

I do think it may be a weather thing . . . we were getting swarmed with ladybugs (or one of those ladybug look-a-likes) this weekend.

[kareng]

Colorado and right up against a foresty area that might not help. I never had them in the dorms.

My son is at CSU. I'll ask him and see if they have it. Maybe you could knock them down with a broom? Attach a broom to another pole with duct tape to make it longer?

[shadowicewolf]

I don't have a vacuum with a hose like that

But these are ladybug like (the one i just killed). They had the shape of one, of course there is one of the massive ones up there too (red and black probbaly, i've already caught and released one of those so far this term).

I have a small carpet/floor vac.

I'm at UCCS We have lots of widlelife right behind the school (bears and mountain lions are common sightings, along with deer).

[kareng]

Is it these?

Open Original Shared Link

[shadowicewolf]

The little ones are black and tan and have that shape.

I just went and relooked at the one that i killed. More of a yellowy tan where the red should be.

Another thought hit me, When the waldo cannon fire went through there was a lot of damage. You can easily see it from my campus. Might this have contributed any?

[kareng]

I bet the fire did scare some of them down. My son said he was up by the fire this weekend (the one by Ft Collins) and they didn't see the animals they usually see.

[shadowicewolf]

I don't doubt it.

I'm going to talk with the RA's that maintain the desk in a couple of hours about this.

[1desperateladysaved]

Leave a light, which you can reach, on at night. Hopefully, they will die in there and you can be rid of them. I am vaccuming my Asian Beetles. I use to let them go, but I got stung doing that once. I also got a bite that turned into a sebaceous cyst once. After that I gave up on letting them live. Turn off the light, which is up high and leave it off as much as possible. They are attracted to heat and light it seems to me. The south side of my house is covered, but on the north side they are few.

I am in MN and they are plague like just now.

[shadowicewolf]

I'm pretty sure the smaller ones are those things, even though the yellow is where the red should be (after i killed the second one)).

I'll try that.

[pricklypear1971]

I wonder if diatomaceous earth would help get rid of them...if you could dust the area up there??? Hard when its up high, I know - you'll probably get a face full if it.

We get crickets. I hate crickets. Noisy freaking crickets through every crevice.

[shadowicewolf]

I'm going to send a report to housing maintainence. I talked with the RA. He said that they were here last year as well during this time of year and he's been dealing with them as well. yet, my friend on the floor below me, has not.

Oh, and the idea he came up with? Make the room really cold.

Sorry, but i don't shell out all this money just to be bugged by bugs.

[lovegrov]

"I keep finding beatles in my apartment. Yes, beatles."

Turn off your iPod or stereo.

Sorry, couldn't resist.

[shadowicewolf]

lol i know

UGH! Alright, how the heck did a huge wasp get into my room? Right now its got its butt sat inbetween the fire alarm and the wall in my valt. I chased it around for a while but was unable to squish it.

What makes matters worse is i'm really allergic to them

I've got all my windows open, a fan pointed at the ceiling, and a shoe handy.

The beetles are still here if you want to know. I think that huge "beetle" i saw was the wasp. NOT COOL! I want winter NOW.

[ravenwoodglass]

lol i know

UGH! Alright, how the heck did a huge wasp get into my room? Right now its got its butt sat inbetween the fire alarm and the wall in my valt. I chased it around for a while but was unable to squish it.

What makes matters worse is i'm really allergic to them

I've got all my windows open, a fan pointed at the ceiling, and a shoe handy.

The beetles are still here if you want to know. I think that huge "beetle" i saw was the wasp. NOT COOL! I want winter NOW.

And as you have those windows open hoping the wasp will leave 3 bees fly in....

Seriously though I do feel for you as I hate those things with a passion myself.

If you have a store handy that has it there is a wasp spray that will spray like 10 ft. Of course then you have to deal with the smell of the spray.

[shadowicewolf]

Screens are lovely for keeping things out. I'm at a loss how this thing got in (unless it crawled under the gap in my door, somehow went five floors from where ever it came in, etc.). I've scoured all three of the screens, all are in properly and no holes.

Right now i have the hallway door open maybe i'tll go out there? If it does, i'ma shove a towel under the door .

[JNBunnie1]

If you can get close enough, turn a can of canned air upside down and spray it, it will freeze the wasp and no stinky smell!

[shadowicewolf]

I'll try that... if i can ever get it to come down from the smoke detector.

[JNBunnie1]

Got anything you can throw at it? Nerf ball? Neighbor kids have nerf balls?

[JNBunnie1]

What does nerf even stand for?.....

[shadowicewolf]

I can't throw very well at all.

At any raate, it wouldn't even hit. The smoke detector is somewhat big and really close to the wall, so i can just barely see it.

Also, i'm somewhat of a coward...

[GFinDC]

Lady bugs have been very numerous in the East the last few years also. And stink bugs.

Many bugs are attracted to lights at night, just like moths. So leaving a light on isa good idea if it draws them into a trap. They make sticky glue fly strips you can hang from a ceiling also. Maybe a light and a few of the glue strips would do the trick. For fleas they say to put out a pan of water with some beer and a little dish soap in it and a light above. They jump in the water and drown. The soap keeps the water surface tension low so they sink.