2 things this morning, that I'm looking for some advice on:
1. We don't use a bug spray service. I really don't like the idea of pesticides floating about the air particles in my house....where my babies can breathe them into their systems. Weird? Maybe - but I just don't like the idea. Poison. IN MY HOUSE.
ANYWAY.....bugs are a thing here in the south. I've gotten used to them (even the spiders, for the most part) - they are everywhere, and most of them are BIG. Well, big to a northerner like me, who's used to the description of "big bug" applying to a wasp, or a horsefly. We see spiders inside when the weather changes, and they totally freak me out, but at least I'm not obsessing over them being brown recluse anymore. :)
And then there's the thing with roaches. Now, unless you live in the south you're probably totally freaking out about roaches. IN OUR HOUSE.
I did too - when we first moved down here, I had never even SEEN a roach. I thought they only existed in nasty apartments in NYC (you know, like in the movies). But unfortunately, they're just part of the package when you live in the south. We haven't had a problem with roaches really - I would see an occasional one (dead usually) but that was about it. Until recently....when now I'm noticing little ones....which is scary because apparently they are BREEDING. *shiver*
So now I'm left with a dilemma.....Should I (1) live with the excess of bugs (don't think I can do that, since they seem to be multiplying), or (2)hire a bug service to come spray the house, or (3) come up with a "natural" alternative to pesticide. Anyone have any ideas? Recommendations? Is there an organic way to get rid of bugs??
*****UPDATE*******
Clint scared me so Sims Pest Control is coming to the house on Friday morning.
#2: Toilet issues.
No, I'm not talking about a certain toddler who enjoys flushing toys down the commode that we have to pay plumbers to come and fish out. I'm talking about MOLD. On the inside of the toilet. I clean our bathrooms once a week - which I think is pretty standard, pretty reasonable - but by the end of the 7 or 8 days, there's an accumulation of black mold on the inside upper part of the toilet.
Is this a southern thing due to humidity in the air? 'Cuz I've never had a problem with it before moving to Georgia. Not even in Florida - which was probably more humid than here. Is it our water? Does anyone else get this?
I clean with bleach, but I don't like to put those cleaner tabs in the water because Cooper occasionally drinks from the toilet bowl when the lid is left up and I don't want him to drink bleachy toilet water (because regular, "clean" toilet water is so much better).
Enlighten me? Got an tips for a cleaner tab thingy that's safe for dogs?? Or how to keep away the mold? Or if I'm the only person in Albany that has trouble with moldy toilets?
That's all I've got today.
What's up with everybody else? Things are slow in bloggerland and I'm feeling disconnected from everybody.
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8 comments:
When we lived in south TX, we had fire ants and scorpians that would get in the house...along with a VERY LARGE spider or two. We called an exterminator once a year. I'm not sure if it was organic, but once it dried, it was non-toxic for kids/pets. (He didn't really use much in the house, just baseboards, corners, etc.) He also did the perimeter of the house and some of the yard. It would keep us clear for the full year...As for the toilet, if it's really black mold, good luck. Bleach is one of the few things that are supposed to kill that stuff. We are actually tearing out our bathroom, down to the studs, because of black mold. NASTY STUFF. Could it possibly be in your pipes?
BUGS:
Do something! They will not go away on their own. The "little" roaches could be german (I think it is)roaches... from what I understand, they are very difficult to control if they get out of control. Plus some types fly!! *double shiver*
I don't know of any organic methods, but before YOU hire an exterminator, maybe you should talk to the landlord and see if they will handle it. I would think that it's in their best interest to keep it from becoming a problem.
Or go buy the stuff at Lowes and let Steve do it... what am I thinking... and do it yourself.
Toilets:
It's normal. You should be on city water, so it already has some chlorine in it. I don't think the tabs will help much. We are on well water and it only takes about 3hrs to start... not just under the top, but around the whole bowl!
P.S. You know that excess water that ALWAYS drips from the toilet brush... IT FREAKS ME OUT!!!! ICK!!!
1) I say to just break down and have someone spray for them. I have a FABULOUS bug buy who works with Adams Exterminators. I can give you his number... we havent seen a single bug since he has been spraying our house once a month. He also avoids spraying in the room where Z keeps most of his toys. So that is nice.
2) Yeah... I have that. And at first I thought it was because I dont clean the toilets. But cleaning them hasn't seemed to help. ugh. If you figure out a way to cure it, please let me know. I hate my toilets looking dirty.
Tammi--we don't use a bug service either for the same reason. When we were in Albany roaches were a problem for us at one point. I finally bought some roach motels. I found lots of places our little man couldn't get to (behind fridge, washer/dryer, etc) and put them there. That did the trick. Once we saw a roach we knew it was time to replace the motels.
About the toilets, I'm not sure. We had that problem too.
Clint - thanks for freaking me out. I'm imagining roaches crawling the interior structure of the house. Exterminators coming on Friday. They said monthly service was necessary...I'm just hoping we could get by with once or twice a year.
Jamie-roach motels? Do they have maid service? Egyptian cotton sheets? Is it a place for them to live and hang.....or DIE? :) Might need to pick me up some of those for next time....
Your welcome. We've done the monthly thing in the past, but now I do it myself 3 or 4x/yr. It seems to work just as good.
I'm with Clint -- I would think that would be the landlord's responsibility. In Dacula, the landlord came out and sprayed - like Clint, he did it himself. He would spray the baseboards, corners - inside & outside. once or twice a year was good. And you are right, the bug thing is definitely a South thing. No respectible bug wants to be up North!
Tams
When we lived in that neighborhood. I started seeing little roaches around our house one week,so I killed them with some spray, and the next week all of the sudden there were a bunch more. We decided to call in pest control and the guy told me that they are "grocery store roaches" Apparently they frequently come home as eggs in plastic grocery bags or in kids backpacks from school and once you get one they multiply by the thousands. He said had we gone another week or two and they would have covered the entire house, inside the cabinets and everything! I am glad you broke down and got it sprayed!
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