Korean Job Discussion Forums

[lorenchristopher]

I keep my apartment clean. I don't have any old rotting stuff in my fridge or in the sink drainage disposal. Bathroom is clean, floor is always clean....no mold or mildew. I keep the air conditioner on a lot these days so there is not much moisture.

I have TRIED to find the source of this infestation of these bugs.....they look like tiny pill bugs, but I have no idea where they are coming from. I have the mosquito killing scent plug-ins but that doesn't kill them either. They are popping up everywhere!!

Has anyone else had this problem? I want to spray bomb my entire apt, but I have a dog and that wouldn't be good for him. Any advice? I would call the pest control company, but they wouldn't come until next week....I will be out of town for the next two weeks and would really like to handle this on my own before I leave.

Thanks!!

[marsavalanche]

roly poly lol i havent heard that in 10 years

is that really what theyre called?

[lorenchristopher]

[Swampfox10mm]

Be very wary. They can enter your ear, wrap themselves around your cochlea, and you will be a walking zombie under the mind control of the superior intellect, Kahn, from Star-Trek 2.

Seriously, though...

They like moisture. If you get a dehumidifier, or run the aircon enough to dry out the house, that can help.

You probably live near trees, eh?

[Bruce W Sims]

Is this the pest you are talking about?

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

"..........................................
Control

Minimize Moisture, Remove Debris
The most effective, long-term measure for reducing indoor entry of these pests is to minimize moisture and hiding places near the foundation. Leaves, grass clippings, heavy accumulations of mulch, boards, stones, boxes, and similar items laying on the ground beside the foundation should be removed, since these often attract and harbor sowbugs and pillbugs. Items that cannot be removed should be elevated off the ground.

Don�t allow water to accumulate near the foundation or in the crawl space. Water should be diverted away from the foundation wall with properly functioning gutters, down spouts and splash blocks. Leaking faucets, water pipes and air conditioning units should be repaired, and lawn sprinklers should be adjusted to minimize puddling near the foundation. Homes with poor drainage may need to have tiles or drains installed, or the ground sloped to so that surface water drains away from the building. Humidity in crawl spaces and basements should be reduced by providing adequate ventilation, sump pumps, polyethylene soil covers, etc.

Seal Pest Entry Points
Seal cracks and openings in the outside foundation wall, and around the bottoms of doors and basement windows. Install tight-fitting door sweeps or thresholds at the base of all exterior entry doors, and apply caulk along the bottom outside edge and sides of door thresholds. Seal expansion joints where outdoor patios, sunrooms and sidewalks abut the foundation. Expansion joints and gaps should also be sealed along the bottom of basement walls on the interior, to reduce entry of pests and moisture from outdoors.

Insecticides
Application of insecticides along baseboards and other interior living areas of the home are of little use in controlling these pests. Sowbugs and pillbugs which end up in kitchens, living rooms, etc. soon die from a lack of moisture. Removal with a broom or vacuum is all that is needed. For large infestations, insecticides may help reduce inward migration of these and other pests when applied outdoors, along the bottom of exterior doors, around crawl space entrances, foundation vents and utility openings, and up underneath siding. It may also be useful to treat along the ground beside the foundation in mulch beds, ornamental plantings, etc., and a few feet up the base of the foundation wall. (Heavy accumulations of mulch and leaf litter should first be raked back to expose pests for treatment.) Insecticide treatment may also be warranted along foundation walls in damp crawl spaces and unfinished basements.

Various insecticides sold in hardware/lawn and garden shops are effective, including Sevin, Dursban, diazinon, and permethrin (Spectracide Bug Stop). Treatment can be accomplished with a compressed air (pump up) or hose end sprayer.

................................................"

Best Wishes,

Bruce

[isitts]

[Mix1]

This one:
Seal Pest Entry Points
Seal cracks and openings in the outside foundation wall, and around the bottoms of doors and basement windows. Install tight-fitting door sweeps or thresholds at the base of all exterior entry doors, and apply caulk along the bottom outside edge and sides of door thresholds. Seal expansion joints where outdoor patios, sunrooms and sidewalks abut the foundation. Expansion joints and gaps should also be sealed along the bottom of basement walls on the interior, to reduce entry of pests and moisture from outdoors.

[lorenchristopher]

Thanks guys for you suggestions!

I am really not sure what these things are. I don't think they are pill bugs or sow bugs.....they curl up when touched, but they can also fly and they are much smaller than pill bugs. I'd never seen them before. Also, nope I don't live near trees at all.

Anyway it's not a moisture issue cause my air conditioner is always on and my laundry dries in less than a day it's so dry in my apt. I'm going to search again for any cracks and seal them up with caulk if I can find them. Hope my apartment is not over-run with them when I get back in two weeks!

[sshemma]

They could be weevils. They live off dried food like pasta, rice, flour, tea or anything similar that has been open for a while. They also like light and you'll often see them on the ceiling. They look like tiny little beetles.

We had them recently so we just cleaned out our cupboard and threw away all old stuff, put the rest of our foodstuffs in plastic containers and cleaned our kitchen with bleach. If theres anything your not sure is infested you can put it in the freezer for a couple of days and it will kill any that are in there.

Anyway I havent seen any for a few days so I presume theyre gone. It a win for the good guys!

[PatrickGHBusan]

Empty your pantry and clean it with a bleach mix (warm water and bleach) or a vinegar mix.

Buy some sealed tupperware containers and keep your pasta, flour and other such things in there with the lid sealed.

Keep controlling the moisture in your appartment as well.

We always kept our food in sealed bags or containers and we rarely had any bugs in our place while living in Korea.

We do the same here to avoid ants coming into the house.

Works for us.

At the same time, bugs will show up on and off. That can hardly be avoided.

[lorenchristopher]

Thanks for the tips guys. Was really frustrating to deal with this while I was out of town. Anyway the guy said they were little bugs that came from the grains of uncooked rice I had in a bag. I folded the bag up and pinned it, but I guess it should be totally sealed tight in one of those special rice jars.

SO, yeah I think shemma was right....they were "weevils" that live off dried foods. Thankfully they're all gone now!

[young_clinton]