# WHat do you do about bugs in the shop?



## ToddTurner (Apr 20, 2009)

I have a terrbile problem with stinkbugs in my shop. 2 years ago Maryland got infested with stinkbugs from some foreign ship. We had them but you would only see a few each year. Now, we have them by the thousands. I vacuum handfuls at a time out of the shop. 
My question is this-what do you do for pest control in your shop? ANything with pyrethrins are good, but do you know of anything that wont damage lumber? 
THank you!

Todd


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## FatherHooligan (Mar 27, 2008)

4 months of an average -10°C kills most of the imports around here


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## seve (Feb 15, 2008)

Hi Todd. I cannot speak about bug control for stink bugs. I have always had a fair amount of spiders and ants in my house and it drove me and my girls crazy. In the spring of 2011 I paid and had the house treated by a professional exterminator. Last summer we hardly saw a spider or ant in the house. It was worth every penny. Good Luck


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## ajosephg (Aug 25, 2008)

I don't think any of the usual pesticides will harm lumber.

We have a pest control company spray around the outside of the house every 4 months and hardly ever see any bugs (dead or alive) in the house. When we first started this program they sprayed inside several times, including the shop and some over-spray got on my stock and I never experienced any issues.


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## Viking (Aug 26, 2009)

Once or twice a year I set off 2-3 of the "bug bombs" in the shop at the end of the day and keep shop closed up for at least 8-10 hours. Seems to work.

Good Luck!


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## Grandpa (Jan 28, 2011)

I had elm beetles by the thousands and they were migrating into my house. I called an exterminator and they told me I could take care of it myself by making a 4' wide barrier of Sevin Dust (80%) all around the house. I think you could do the same in the shop. Sprinkle outside and in your case put it inside for a few days. It is a white powder that is often used on vegetables. Vacuum up after a few days and go to work. Also might look into Roach Pruf. It is borac acid (Borax washing powder). The commercial product has an additive that make the Borax stick to the insect so they carry it back to their nest. I don't know if that would work in your case but Borax is cheap and it does work especially after you get the bugs under control.


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## juniorjock (Feb 3, 2008)

What cr1 said.


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## casual1carpenter (Aug 16, 2011)

Going to sound crazy I think but I had read somewhere that stink bugs do not like nicotine. Never had to see if it works, but one guy suggested soaking some cigarettes in a bit of water and spraying the small openings.


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## Dark_Lightning (Nov 20, 2009)

Nicotine is a known insecticide. I think that is what was in the old Black Flag insecticide we used in our "flit" gun in the '50s and '60s.

I don't have many bugs in my "shop", part of the garage. Probably because the black widow spiders get big enough to help me move wood around here. I kill 'em when I see 'em, leaving the territory open for the long-bodied cellar spiders (most people incorrectly call them "daddy long-legs"). Too much competition for the widows, and they have the added benefit that their fangs aren't long enough to penetrate human skin like the widows do.


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## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

I set those Raid bombs off in each room of my shop and then leave everything closed up overnight. I tend to get lots of brown recluse spiders otherwise. This also worked when I brought some reclaimed wood into the shop that was infested with tiny little beetle like bugs that swarmed out as soon as the wood warmed up. Never had a problem with the 'bombs discoloring anything.


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## casual1carpenter (Aug 16, 2011)

Might want to watch the real insecticides, I think I read that well they kill bugs. cr1 pointed out that
"there's a food source in your house somewhere.
They eat pretty much anything feces, dead rats, insects, plant matter - anything at all ." 
Dead bugs = food source
Additionally dead stink bugs stink, attracts other stink bugs. I think they are pack critters, follow each others scent.

just my thoughts from what I read up when my brother had some.


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## jusfine (May 22, 2010)

Wow, I feel really fortunate all of a sudden, have never seen one bug of any kind in my shop (only the odd fly in the summer months).

I think Mark meant to say -30 C, it is as cold here as it is in Manitoba in the winter, that helps for sure.


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## timbit2006 (Jan 6, 2012)

I had major spider and flying bug problems in my garage shop.
I found out that if you get rid of the flying bugs, you get rid of the spiders. When I repainted the walls I had to move everything. I found and killed about 30 spiders. Now there's not a single one. No flying bugs, no spiders.
Remove the food source and the problem will be gone.


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## skeemer (Dec 5, 2011)

We just moved from Baltimore City to Carroll County, and had heard about how bad the stinkbug problem was the last few years. Living in the city, we never had any stinkbugs (I guess they must not be resistant to gun crimes and smog). So we were expecting to have a major stinkbug issue this past summer and fall in our new house, but we barely saw any fortunately.

I did see a mouse run into my shed yesterday while I was doing some plane sanding.

So really, I have no suggestions..


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## Howie (May 25, 2010)

I spray a bug eliminator around the edges of my shop and use the bug bombs a couple of times a year. Seems to work ok. I live in Florida and we got lots of bugs. One product I've found very effective is called Talstar.


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## paulw2 (Jan 6, 2012)

Stink Bugs have become more and more popular in the past few years. Extreme weather would get rid of them, but I think the easiest way for you, being located in Maryland, to get rid of them is to get a terminator come in or use some pesticides to get rid of them, it will get rid of those you already have and if you keep up with it, it will keep more from entering. Stink bugs aren't the most pleasant thing, but it could be worse so consider yourself lucky.


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