I’ve got a bug problem. I was cleaning up and organizing in my basement and found some small (1/8" black on the ends and tan in the middle) bugs in some old turkey tails and wings I had been saving.
Fortunately, I can find no other evidence of these critters in any other part of the basement. I’ve since segregated these tails and wings in a plastic garbage bag inside a large sealed plastic storage container with mothballs hoping to salvage some usable stuff. The feathers don’t look bad but some of the quills have nibbles. All the other stuff, particularly the box they were in is out of the house and in the trash. The good news is none of this stuff was in close proximity to any fly tying materials.
What else can or should be done? Do I need to bug bomb the basement? Call in an exterminator? What’s the best method for eliminating this apparent pest problem?
Joe B
SW Ohio
“I grew up in PA, I work in Ohio. My heart still belongs to PA.”
Al Campbell had told us he liked to use Hot Shot no pest strips. I have 2 in my materials closet and have had no problems. The are about $8 each at a major hardware store. They don’t smell too strong and are very effective, more convenient than most crystals.
Bob Scheidt
Danged hard to eliminate bugs after infestation occours…but possible.
We now periodically micro-wave our stuff that is succeptable. (sp) Some stuff is better stored in the freezer.
Keep all road-kill (fresh stuff) stuff way separate.
Eggs can be present in the cracks of the drawers and elsewhere for quite some time and re-infest.
Sometimes our thinking is that it is much easier to just stick with commercially done materials.
…lee s.
Ok, I’ll assume the area is spotless clean everywhere and behind or under things too. You can be assured that even though you have trashed some of the stuff, there are more bugs and eggs where you can’t see them. ANYTHING that was even close to the infestation should go into a plastic bag and have moth crystals (they kill and balls repel) and insect spray put in and sealed tight for at least a week. Open drawers and cabinets and set off at least one bug bomb. You must fumigate the room. I set of the bombs with two fans circulating the air all night.
The microwave WILL NOT KILL TINY BUGS!!! The ONLY way it will is if there is enough moisture in the material that will get hot enough to steam and cook the bugs. If it has the moisture, it is probably already rotten and in any case, bringing a skin to the temp to steam, will ruin it. Chemicals kill bugs!
Bomb your room now and then and keep a very careful watch for bugs.
I’m glad to see someone else spreading the word that microwave don’t kill bugs. It is one of those ideas that sound good but just don’t work. Here are some words from my files on some experiments that I ran a coupleof years ago - interesting results!
I have often seen the microwaving recommended as a means of killing bugs,their eggs and larva in fur and feather fly tying materials. I recently heard the tail end of a technical discussion on a radio program about microwave ovens. The point was that the wave length of a microwave was about 10 cm and that a microwave was ineffective at heating objects
less than a quarter of a wave length, ie, 2.5 cm or about 1 inch. If this is true then microwaving materials might not accomplish the de-infestation we thought. And maybe those that have relied upon it have just been lucky.
I tried an experiment by placing a live fly in a cup covered with a paper towel in the microwave oven. The cup itself got quite hot, the fly died, did not explode or turn to a crisp - so this experiment was inconclusive. Next I tried another series of experiments.
On a paper towel in the microwave oven I placed a single kernel of popcorn. I also placed in the oven a cup of water. I ran the oven on high power for 4 minutes and I repeated the test 4 times with a fresh kernel and a fresh cup of water. Here are the results. None of the kernels popped. (Normally this popcorn has a 95%+ pop rate.) I judged the temperature of each kernel by touching it to my lips. On a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being barely above room temperature, to 5 being quite warm, the kernels were judged to be: 1, 1, 3, and 4.
For the next experiment I used a match head size piece of firm tying wax. After 4 minutes on high the wax did not melt and remained at near room temp.
As a last test, I captured a small insect in the garden (I?m not up on my garden insects) that might be what is called a lace wing …? Anyway, it was a small tent wing insect about the size of a very small moth. I placed it in a plastic cup covered with a piece of paper in the oven. I gave it 2 minutes on high. The insect flew away at the end of the test.
Some one may question these tests by saying the cup of water sapped all the microwave energy - maybe so, I don?t know. I just found the results interesting and will not rely on this method to protect my materials. As we we engineers quite often say, ?It?s a wonderful theory, but it doesn?t work?.
I would suggest taking “ALL” of your materials out in the garage and putting them in large plastic trash bags and spraying them well with “RAID”. Leave them in there for a week. Then take them out side and let them air out on a nice day. You can leave them in longer as it will not hurt them at all. Then wash them in hot soapy water. Let them dry and they are ready to go back inside.
Take all of the boxes and containers that you use to store your materials in out there and spray them well to. You have to do it all or you may just get them right back.
I had them once in amost 45 years I learned the hard way. “Never put any materials that are not checked out first into your stored materials”. And that means materials that you just bought from a store. That is how I got my bug’s.
I had a friend give me a bunch of Pheasant tails this past year. I took them to a shead I have and looked them over. They were full of bugs so they went right to the garbbage can. Didn’t tell my friend because he was just trying to be nice. No big deal.
If I could impess one thing into people that are tiers it is to “Check Materials Out Before Ever Taking Them into Your Tying Room” If unsure just spray them with “RAID” in a plastic bag tie it up and leave them for a few dsys.When you get ready to take them out Air them out for a few days then wash them well in hot soapy water and let them dry. You are ready to go. You do this a time or two and you will really watch what goes into your tying room LOL Ron
[This message has been edited by RonMT (edited 28 January 2006).]
I’m certain I read it on FAOL, I don’t read anywhere else this often… But I didn’t find it using search.
The best thing to store materials with is pieces of urinal cakes (not used, of course). Apparently the chemical used in them is for killing germs and works as well for insects. (Better than moth/crystals/balls. Maybe…?)
There’s almost nothin’ wrong with the first lie, it’s the weight of all the others holdin’ it up that gets ya’! - Tim
[This message has been edited by MOturkE (edited 28 January 2006).]
To clean up an infestation, throw out the contaminated material unless it’s just too good like a jungle cock neck. Raid all the saved material like heck and put it in a plastic bag. Spray the drawer or container itself HEAVILY. Take the drawer out and spray the back cabinet and the runners heavily.
To avoid problems. Separate all new material in a glass jar for at least two weeks with a chunk of flea collar. Put a one to two inch chunk in the bag itself. Keep flea collar pieces loose in your draw or storage bin.
Get your stuff out of the garage or basement into a nice clean, above ground closet. I had over six hundred flies eaten because I stored my fly vest in my unfinished basement for the off season. Good luck.
PS rememeber that most of these bugs can chew through plastic bags to get into material or out of contaminated bags.
You had better learn to be a happy camper. You only get one try at this campground and it’s a real short camping season.
I buy the Dog “Tick & Flea” Collars, at the “Dollor Store. I activate them by stretching the collar, then cutting it into 1”/2.5cm sections. These I place inside “Freezer Bags” that I store my materials in (Freezer Bags are thicker than normal plastic bags).
I remove as much air from the bags as possible when sealing. I have had no trouble in the 8 years I have been fly tying, and have tons of perishable capes,furs, and other perishable material.
Ronn has it. Nuke those suckers. . . with a bug bomb. Terminate with extreme prejudice. They’re trying to eat your hard earned materials, they might as well be trying to eat you!
How about using a regular, convection oven set at about 160-175 F? Don’t most cells die at about 140 F? This way, you wouldn’t to worry about as much about microbes. I admit that I haven’t done it, but I’ve never had a bad infestation. The freezer has usually worked for me. Would 175 F damage most biological materials?
Beetle larvae and other critters will do a job on feathers. I keep a few cloves in each container to keep things out. Always keep material from road kills or hunts separate and sealed in plastic bags until you can wash and dry them. Once you’ve got bugs it is best to toss it.,
Funny with the popcorn 4 minute thing. The other night my wife put a bag of popcorn in the microwave and set it for 4 minutes like the package says. Unlike the package says she did not stay there and listen to when there would be a full second between pops. The whole bag of popcorn burnt. ( I always pop for about a minute and 50 seconds). The whole house smelled like barbecue, kitchen filled with smoke and the oven was yellow from the butter. A box of baking soda has been in there for the last 3 days.
I’ve been very lucky and never had a problem with critters.
I was taught by old timers that you should always put PDB, ParaDichlorobenzene on your materials with questionable origin, like road kill or gifts from hunters; and use moth balls or Naphthalene in your containers with all the rest. Never store materials in drawers but use Ziploc bags or Tupperware type containers.
I also put all new stuff in a separate container loaded with PDB for at least week before putting it into the container with the rest of like materials.
It works for me and neither me or the fish mind the smell.
BTW urinal cakes are PDB and closet cakes are usually Naphthalene.
Thanks to all. I’ve implemented a variety of the suggestions. Everything?s in it’s own bag or sealed plastic container with a variety of bug killing and repelling stuff. Basements been cleaned and fogged. All infested materials have been treated and are either isolated out in the unheated garage or have been tossed. I’ve seen no additional sign of the bugs but I remain vigilant. Thanks all for the help and suggestions.
Joe B
SW Ohio
“I grew up in PA, I work in Ohio. My heart still belongs to PA.”
Ron