# Fruit Flies and a carpet beetle today?



## yamar2001 (Aug 13, 2017)

it won't let me attach photos


----------



## yamar2001 (Aug 13, 2017)

http://imgur.com/a/Fm9Vl


----------



## yamar2001 (Aug 13, 2017)

photos are above in the imgur. it let me do it.

looking to positively ID these guys and then take it from there.


----------



## Bud9051 (Nov 11, 2015)

The last photo looks to definitely be a fruit fly. Other pictures I don't know. When I had an explosion of fruit flies, I'm surrounded by wild cherry trees, I set up a couple of jars with small funnels on top. Inside I added some apple cider vinegar with a tiny touch of dish soap to eliminate the surface tension so they would drown, and they did, several hundred.

Bud


----------



## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

When I see fruit flies in the house, it's usually a couple on my lit computer screen at night. They have usually been in the trash or from old fruit. It's amazing how quickly they can hatch in the heat. I just get rid of the source.

Fruit flies aren't shiny, to my knowledge. That looks like a sow bug. Does it fly?

The dog is probably stressed, trying to get used to the new home and protect you.

Edit - sorry, I only saw the one photo. Yes, that looks like a fruit fly.

Sow bugs cans crawl in from the ground under doors or windows. Pretty harmless.

Neither Bud nor I are Pest experts, but I think you can see for yourself.


----------



## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)




----------



## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

Drosophilia. Fruit fly.


----------



## yamar2001 (Aug 13, 2017)

No problem thanks for the response. Yeah the ground creature does look like a sow bug. Nope, it does not fly.

These fruit flies aren't taking to my traps the way they have in the past. I did the kind with the plastic wrap on top and you poke holes the wrap so they can climb inside to find apple cider vinegar/dish soap.

I have two traps set and only a few caught. Does the funnel work better than my type of trap? I'll give it a shot.

As for the dog... yeah there's maybe something else flying around in here, unless its fruit fly babies? She's getting all frantic when things land on her and I'm usually unable to see a bug with the naked eye.


----------



## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

Try plain old fly tape. Some would probably land on it. The ones that are caught attract the others.


----------



## yamar2001 (Aug 13, 2017)

stopped by Target twice in the last week trying to get ribbon fly catchers...no dice either time, out of stock.

I ordered them off the internet and they should arrive tomorrow.

I am still getting bit by something, not creating big marks but noticeable... it gets irritated and the skin gets shiny and sometimes a bit red... within a day or two though its barely noticeable...nothing serious.

Have that creepy sort of feeling that things are crawling on me pretty frequently... at this point its probably partially psychosomatic.

I did find a new creature today....imgur is below. Believe this is the first of its kind that I've found in this basement. 

http://imgur.com/a/o90O7

first pick is his bottom side, the second one (blurry) is his top side.

Errr, seems like there's all sorts of different kinds of bugs around here.

On a bright note, the fruit flies are pretty well under control, at least it seems that way.


----------



## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

That looks like an Oriental cockroach. They like moist areas, like under leaves and near trees. It may have wandered in under a door from the compost pile.









This is an informative article. they may be trying to scare you about the germs, for business, otherwise, it sounds right. I'll try to see what I can find out about the germs. It says they don't really bite. In my experience, cockroach bites are pretty big, like slits with red surrounding it.

https://www.catseyepest.com/pest-library/cockroaches/oriental-cockroach

I try to avoid pesticides unless overwhelmed but roach motels work. It would be best to block any openings under a door or around windows. You can use foam that is sold in strips with an adhesive, or fine steel wool.

I'm sure there is someone in the chatroom that can tell you what to use to blast them if you want.:wink2:

Could you have fleas or mosquitoes?


----------



## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

Better article. Where are you in general, btw?

http://ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/oriental-cockroaches


----------



## yamar2001 (Aug 13, 2017)

Thanks for the replies! Yes pretty much all the pests I've found, the first thing I read about them is that removing all rotting organic matter off the property is step #1. 

I'm pushing for my new roomie to abandon the compost pile out back... she seems to want to sign up for compost collection by the city. In any case, it should help to not have it in the backyard (unconfined) Do you think this may be what is attracting all these pests!?

I'm located here in Denver, which is usually a pretty dry climate but another thing I'm reading is that a dehumidifier down here in the basement is probably a good idea.

I found a new critter today in the bathroom, some sort of spider. Imgur below:

http://imgur.com/a/qVUyO

I'm hopeful the d/h will help...most everything I'm reading about these pests (I believe I've found 4 different types now) is that they seek moist/dark areas.

Thanks for the idea about the stripping under the door... I'm going to get this done.


----------



## yamar2001 (Aug 13, 2017)

not exactly sure where the chat room is or what exactly you mean. You mean someone in the chatroom will provide information as to what type of chemicals etc I can use to get rid of the oriental cockroaches? 

I'd like to avoid chemicals for the time being but I'm really losing my patience here. A pest or two is one thing, but I've only been living here 2 weeks and I've already identified a hand full of different kinds of pests/spiders.


----------



## yamar2001 (Aug 13, 2017)

sorry I forgot to respond about the flea/mosquitos. Both are unlikely. 

The bites aren't too bad really, and there's not many of them but its that creepy crawly feeling that is really starting to **** with me.

Thanks so much for the help!


----------



## Bud9051 (Nov 11, 2015)

If there are no pet or children concerns some relatively safe bug spray out and around the house might help to slow them showing up.

Related story, friend and co-worker mentioned his 8 month pregnant wife was in for a doctor visit and mentioned some unexplained red spots on her stomach. Dr identified them as flee bites. Needless to say that put a fire under my friend.

But seriously, if something is biting you it is creepy and needs to be identified. Exposed skin during the day or night time bites while you are covered are clues.

As I do battle with a mosquito who has decided I'm going to be his breakfast. Back door is open for the puppies.

Bud


----------



## yamar2001 (Aug 13, 2017)

Hey Bud,
Both my roomie and I have dogs. :-(

Thanks for the advice though. This forum has been helpful.


----------



## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

That seems to be a harmless spider who wants to eat your bugs. He's your best friend. The ones to worry about are black widows- who will try to hide- and Brown recluse. http://www.outtherecolorado.com/5-venomous-spiders-found-in-colorado/

I'm curious where you lived before that had no bugs. A high rise? Maybe Colorado is like that. No need to answer that. Whatever makes you more comfortable.

If someone else was living in the basement, previously, there is always the chance of fleas or even bedbugs. Or if mattresses or clothes & linen were stored there. Is your mattress one you brought with you? 

Bedbugs bite dogs, too. A bad infestation of bedbugs would mean many red bites, with a breakfast, lunch & dinner type of snacking (3 bite pattern). They would definitely need a pesticide. 

Fleas would mainly be on your dog since he's warmer. I find that Advantage II topical, kills fleas around me, also, as well as on the animal. ( Usually, but a bad infestation would not be killed.) A good way to check for fleas is to don white cotton socks and walk around. They would appear on your socks.

http://www.petmd.com/dog/pets-and-bedbugs-how-safely-get-rid-bedbugs

Your place has to be habitable, it's a requirement to rent out a place.


----------



## yamar2001 (Aug 13, 2017)

Hey Nik,

Thanks for the reply. I'm sort of confused by your post. Are you saying maybe I am over reacting a bit? Its possible, I've done it before 

Like by the the comment of asking where I lived previously that had no bugs. I lived in an apartment complex and seldom if ever saw any bugs. We had mice for a short period of time but that's it. I'm not trying to be stand offish at all just trying to get an idea of where you're at. 

Fleas are uncommon here in Denver but not at all out of the realm of possibilities. I'll try out the socks thing, great tip. I've not noticed any bites on the pup, thoughI have noticed some increased scratching.

As for the place being habitable and also the possibility of bedbugs...no, I really don't think that's going on here. I've had zero bites that look anything like bed bugs and I've not found a single mark on my bed. The place is habitable, but there's work to be done...I think the dehumidifier and removal of compost is a good place to start, don't you?

As for the basement...yes she's rented this place out for many years now. There was a two week gap between myself and the previous tenant. She replaced the carpets for the first time in years right prior to me moving in.

My mattress and other stuff was at a storage unit for a short period of time, its possible that I've carried some of this along with me but I didn't notice anything in the unit. 

With the pile of rotting organic material (its not currently covered) its sort of an open invitation for pests to make this house/yard their home. I think getting rid of that should help.

Thanks sooooo much for your help. 

my plans: get a dehumidifier, remove the fruit/veggies from the back yard, put some stripping along the bottom of the back door to make it more difficult for pests to get in the home, and try to relax a bit on this


----------



## yamar2001 (Aug 13, 2017)

for the sake of clarity I'm not expecting this place to be 100% bug free...I Just want to take the necessary steps towards making it as comfortable as possible. 

At this point I am positive there's a psychological component to the feeling of things crawling on me, but I have identified a few bites... just a few though, and they are less harmful than say a mosquito bite etc


----------



## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

No, I'm not judging you. A lot of people ask the same questions. I've lived near a few jungles so my experience is different. At least you're self-aware :wink2: 

Usually, having totally no bugs means lots of pesticide which I try to avoid. But, as I said, there are lots of people on the DIYchatroom who use them.

Fleas, bedbugs, lice, wouldn't be attracted to the compost pile to my knowledge, but do live in storage places. They prefer warm blood. It can seem like there are no fleas in a new place, but then overtime they hatch. The new fleas are hard to see.


----------



## yamar2001 (Aug 13, 2017)

interesting tid bit of information right there because when I initially moved in I did not notice any bites/crawling feeling on me....it took 4-5 days before I started to notice it.

I'm going to test some stuff out to see if there's fleas here.

As for the compost pile, yeah I get what you mean... 

I prefer to not use pesticide, especially with the pets.

For what its worth... once in a while I see tiny, almost invisible black things flying (much much smaller than a fruit fly).... maybe this is whats crawling on me!? The fly catcher ribbons arrive today.....they should catch some of these dudes!!!


THANKS!


----------



## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

Btw, don't let your dog near the fly tape! It's hard to get off fur.


----------



## yamar2001 (Aug 13, 2017)

Nik333 said:


> Btw, don't let your dog near the fly tape! It's hard to get off fur.




yeah they're apparently toxic for pets too. That true? I got the Raid Brand.

https://www.target.com/p/raid-fly-r...u91aj6vStlJQqCbFeLgaAomyEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds


----------



## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

Not modern ones, although, you never can tell if you bought one in a Bodega.

http://sds.chemtel.net/webclients/texasaquarium/PICCorporation_RaidFlyRibbon_12-16-2011.pdf


----------



## Mitaela Drayne (Aug 31, 2017)

The last pics looks exactly like a fruit fly to me. I don't have idea about the other two. Well, you must look for some of the ways like using a jar with some amount of apple cider vinegar onto it. You can also add up some dish-wash liquid into it such that the flies get trapped onto it faster.

Hope this will help you out.


----------

