Bugs, spiders & other insects

interesting idea...

has anyone modeled an fumigation-in-progress on their layout?

Remember spiders are good they keep the rest of the bug population in check, Now I have to just figure out how to convince the spiders that the Ferris wheel and roller coaster in my amusement park weren't erected for then for easy web building between the two!

I never really thought about it till now.

I live in Florida and Florida can be very, very buggy.

My layout is in a large garage in my backyard. Other than the occasional large beetle or palmetto bug, bugs and spiders are not a problem.

But I do get quite a few lizards and little green tree frogs living in there. So, my layout ecosystem must be pretty well balanced.

That must be the answer then. Balance out your ecosystem by introducing insect eating reptiles and amphibians. A few venus fly traps and pitcher plants couldn't hurt either.

I am just winding down on a flea infestation in my basement. No carpets and even people in my area with indoor pets got hit. I have used flea bombs that kill other bugs but the fleas are most prolific. Very discouraging. 

Well...this man on my layout chose poorly...

Mark

I've never had a problem on the layout. As far as the rest of the basement, I let the arachnoids handle the insects. My spiders are friendly and helpful. If they get someplace I don't want them, I relocate them.

We used to have a lot of spiders when we first set up in the building. The smoke from the trains seemed to keep the bugs away.

Don:

You might try dumping a bag of diatomaceous earth on the basement floor and sweeping it across the floor and into the corners. Word is that's what Fleabusters uses. You can get it in four-pound bags at Here. Another article at http://www.richsoil.com/flea-control.jsp has a pretty good discussion on getting rid of them. I think your basement has two problems -- porous concrete and humidity, but you may still be able to beat 'em.

I just did the diatomaceous earth thing. While it seems to work pretty well on larger bugs - it didn't seem to phase the fleas or the ants. That said - if you put the stuff down and even think about walking across the room or having a sneeze - get ready for a mushroom dust cloud. It is finer than flour and will settle on anything and everything!!  And, once airborne, if this junk gets in your lungs, good luck on getting it out. I've been coughing for three weeks now and still can't get it all out.

NOTE!!!  If you do use DE make absolutely certain it is food grade. ALL of the other grades are poisonous to humans!!!!!

Diatomaceous Earth

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatomaceous_earth

It is fantastic.   Can be used in a spray bottle or just spread by hand.   Great stuff and 100% safe.

I recognize the still photo of the giant spider and the drunk with a liquor bottle in a paper bag. It's from a movie titled (appropriately enough) The Giant Spider.  I'm in the credits of the film as Associate Producer--in name only.  The film was made by Christopher R. Mihm, a low budget film maker who specializes in spoofs of sci-fi and horror films of the 1950s and 1960s.  Mihm ran out of money when he was working on The Giant Spider and made a plea  to his fans to donate enough money to the production so he could finish the film.  If you sent him $50 or more he gave you an Associate Producer credit in the film and five copies of it when it came out on DVD.

It's a very funny movie by the way, if you get a chance to see it.

When I had a dog, outside I used to use a diluted flea shampoo solution, mixed in a garden hose sprayer. Used it on my lawn when I finished watering, to help keep fleas away. It seemed to work well, and just like the guy on T.V. said, the lawn liked the soap, as it contains "food"(phosphates, I think it was).

I've only had one ant infestation. A couple of bait boxes cleared it up quickly. If I see any spider webs, I bust them up and spray the area around them with a pyrethrin-based spray. Pyrethrins are a natural product made from a flower that grows in East Africa; they are non-toxic to people. I don't tolerate spiders because we have black widows here in Arizona and you do NOT want to get bitten by a black widow! I've never had them in my workshop/train building but I just found one the other day under my gas BBQ, right where I reach under it to turn on the gas valve. 

Considering that this is Arizona, which has every kind of venomous creature on the continent, I've had remarkably little trouble with bugs. The only "nasty" I've found inside the shop building was a bark scorpion, which was hiding in a tray of parts. Bark scorpions are small, hard to see, and pack an extremely toxic venom. I dispatched it with bug spray. 

I did have my house and shop "trenched" with termite repellent. This is important in termite country, especially since the most effective termite chemicals have been banned by the Feds as too toxic. 

I put a long wand on the vacuum and clean the ceiling  and then the layout of webs and dust every so often.  I do have spots and black dots on the backdrop from the bugs.  I would rather not spray my house with insecticides so I put up with them.

Bats and Barn Swallows.  Both will eat their weight per day in bugs.