Scott McCombe
Pest Control Specialist
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Forum Comments (3)
To keep earwigs from coming in from outside, remove leaf litter or organic debris from around your home, remove as many moisture sources as possible, and seal holes around the exterior of your home. Applying insecticides around the perimeter of your home's foundation can also be very effective.
This species of wood-destroying insect is very active at night but will be quite inactive in daylight hours. Like termites, ants have a queen, workers, and soldiers. Carpenter ants have dimorphic workers, meaning there are two types: the large (½-inch) soldiers, which will travel up to 100 yards from the colony, and smaller (¼-inch) workers which stay much closer to the main nest and aren't particularly distinctive from other house ants.
If you do want to give it a shot yourself, treatment can be done a number of ways. I’d use a conventional pesticide that’s designed for wasps and follow the label instructions. Wear personal protective equipment, including a bee suit and bee veil. Approach the nest quietly and slowly to avoid startling the wasps and just observe them. After observing and identifying all entry/exit points, treat these areas directly with the pesticide by injecting it into the cavity or nest itself. After sufficient time has elapsed and you don’t see any more wasps, remove and destroy the nest by hand.
Co-authored Articles (42)
Wasp Problem? How to Identify, Get Rid of, and Prevent Wasp Nests
DIY-friendly advice for safe wasp nest removalDealing with a wasp nest on or around your home is no picnic, and your best bet may be to call an exterminator. That said, you can often take care of the problem yourself—a...
How to Find and Capture a Loose Lizard in Your Home
Quickly locate and trap a hiding lizard with this thorough guide You hear a rustling and whip around to see a blur of green running across your floor. A lizard is loose and hiding somewhere in your home, so how can you c...
How to Remove Bats from Your Home
Reclaiming your attic for good If bats have taken up residence in your home, you may have a bigger problem on your hands than noise. Invading bats leave behind droppings that pose health risks and slowly corrode wood and...
How to Make & Use a Homemade Flea Trap
Pro tips to catch fleas from a pest control expertFleas can be a real pain, especially when they start infesting an area of your home. Thankfully, there are many ways to get rid of fleas. We spoke to pest control special...
How to
Kill Fleas in a Home
Fleas are small, agile insects that live by feeding on the blood of animals. Once fleas are in your home, they can survive in the carpet and on your pets. To kill off the fleas, use an insecticide and vacuum the carpet a...
How to
Get Rid of Earwigs
Earwigs, or pincher bugs, can be a nuisance but it is possible to get rid of them. These bugs are relatively harmless, but they will feast on plant leaves and decaying wood, causing damage. Earwigs thrive in damp condit...
Get Rid of Mud Daubers for Good: Identification, Treatment, & Prevention
Mud daubers aren’t dangerous, but they can be irritating and unsightly. You might not want them buzzing around your property, especially if you’re allergic to wasps. We’ll tell you everything you need to know about...
How to Safely Get Wasps Out of Your House
Natural ways to shoo wasps out the door (& keep them out) During the spring and summer, the occasional wasp might find its way inside your house. Luckily, there are several easy ways to get rid of wasps in your home. We�...
How to
Identify Carpenter Ants
Carpenter ants play key ecosystem roles, particularly by aiding in the decomposition of decaying trees. They also can infiltrate homes and other buildings, nesting in moist, rotting wood and causing significant structura...
How to Kill Ant Hills Quickly & Prevent Infestations
Locate, identify, and remove ant hills from your yard Ant hills can be a real eyesore on your lawn or in your garden, and if you’re not careful, they can lead to an ant infestation in your house. Luckily, there are sev...
The Best Ways to Get Rid of Carpenter Ants in Your Home
Learn the signs of infestation and how to remove these big black ants with our expert guide Ick! Have you noticed a few big black ants crawling through your kitchen? Then you may be dealing with carpenter ants invading...
How to
Get Rid of Hornets
If you've noticed hornets buzzing around your yard and want to get rid of them, track them back to their nest. Spray the nest at night with an aerosol insecticide labeled for wasps and hornets. Be sure to wear thick prot...
How to
Kill a Hornet Nest
Hornets are types of wasps that can sting multiple times when they're provoked. When hornets build a nest near your home, they can be a nuisance and danger to you or your family. Luckily, hornet nests are easy to get rid...
How to
Chase Lizards out of Your House
Do lizards like to hang out inside your house? These little reptiles keep the insect population down, so it's best to chase them out instead of trying to poison or kill them. See Step 1 and beyond to learn how to chase l...
How to
Kill a Stink Bug
Learn how to get rid of stink bugs once and for allKilling a stink bug can be a messy, unpleasant matter, since many methods will cause the bug to release an extremely pungent odor. Soapy water is one of the least messy ...
How to
Catch a Bat in Your House
It can be annoying or even scary when a bat finds its way into your house, and it's tough to get rid of when it's panicked and flying around. No matter how scared you are, staying calm and focusing on catching the bat, n...
How to
Get Rid of Mites
Similar to lice, mites are skin parasites that feast on dry and infected skin, causing intense itching, pain, embarrassment and being socially ostracized from friends and family. Scabies, the infamous painful skin condit...
How to
Get Rid of Dust Mites
Dust mites are microscopic arachnids that live all over your house], including on pillows, toys, linens, furniture, blankets, and elsewhere. Despite how small they are, dust mites leave lots of droppings, and these dropp...
How to
Keep Owls Away
Owls can be a concern for homeowners with pets or small livestock such as chickens or rabbits, because occasionally they hunt small animals at night. Fortunately, you can keep owls away with certain frightening technique...
How to
Remove a Bat from a Home
Bats are not usually aggressive, so finding a flying bat in your home is often the result of a bat growing confused or lost. Bats are likely just as frightened of you as you are of them, so remain calm. It can be easy ...
