Can I offer you some unsolicited advice, since you are in an excellent place to take advantage of it?
Insect proof your apartment by caulking the baseboards, it'll significantly reduce/fix any roach problem that may be there, and meaningfully protect against, and if --god forbid -- you get them it'll make bed bugs much easier to handle.
I would recommend getting a power duster, filling it with boric acid, and shooting it into under the baseboards any any other major gaps that connect your apartment to the outside world. Then caulk over the baseboards and those gaps. Having done that in my previous apartment, I managed to get rid of them. I have had ZERO in my present apartment (knock on wood), which prior to my arrival had a roach issue.
Again, this is unsolicited advice, but I really think it is helpful and since you're moving in and don't have furniture down yet, and are seemingly willing to pay someone to do labor, you can remove a lot of future insect related stress.
I use this one (there are probably others but this one’s inexpensive and thats what i wanted). It works decently though it will spread out some clumps before you can get used to how you have to do it. It also works better if it’s full. I’ll usually only let it get down about 1/3 and then add a little more. But it definitely makes things a ton easier. Good luck
Insect proof your apartment by caulking the baseboards, it'll significantly reduce/fix any roach problem that may be there, and meaningfully protect against, and if --god forbid -- you get them it'll make bed bugs much easier to handle.
I would recommend getting a power duster, filling it with boric acid, and shooting it into under the baseboards any any other major gaps that connect your apartment to the outside world. Then caulk over the baseboards and those gaps. Having done that in my previous apartment, I managed to get rid of them. I have had ZERO in my present apartment (knock on wood), which prior to my arrival had a roach issue.
I second Boric Acid powder. Get a hand held duster like this:
Harris Diatomaceous Earth Powder Duster with 6 Inch Extension Nozzle https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LRMN9ZM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_2M2YPYY6GAQCPZT99XJ3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Place Boric Acid 1/4 full into the duster and then puff it into every single crack or hole you find in your apartment. Remove every light switch plate and outlet plate and blow the dust into the crevices between the outlet boxes and the walls (that’s where roaches can crawl into your home).
The bugs get this dust on their feet, drag it back to their dens and then they all die.
I do this treatment every 2 years and I have ZERO bugs in my house (and we DID have a roach/“water bug” issue shortly after we first moved in).
Good luck and sorry this is happening, I know how gross it feels and what a bummer it is every time you see them.
I highly recommend one of these Harris Diatomaceous Earth Powder Duster with 6 Inch Extension Nozzle https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LRMN9ZM/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_i_QH05B30EVTYPQQZDZ86C?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 to apply the diatomaceous earth powder as a fine dust. It takes a little practice to get it to make a fine "poof" cloud instead of blobs of powder. But, this is what I use after seeing a recommendation in this sub from another user. Can't remember who exactly but, I think their name was u/Notwhoyouthink or something like that.🤨🤷🤦 Good luck tho!😉🙏🤞
I highly recommend getting diatomaceous earth and an applicator like this one: HARRIS Diatomaceous Earth Powder Duster with 6 Inch Extension Nozzle https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LRMN9ZM/
It is safe for humans and pets once the dust settles. And it needs to be applied as a thin layer. "Spray" under sinks, doorways, window frames, etc. It takes time but it is a game changer.
i’ve only used the powder. a fair covering of the soil (should still be able to see a little bit of dirt, maybe 75% coverage) and gently applying the dust to the underside of the leaves should do the trick.
they have little pump applicators that i use to spread it over the garden (real bad stink bug problems here in the summertime), i would recommend this to hit the leaves as you don’t have to touch / disturb the plant. Applicator thing
You can "pest-proof" you apartment when you move in. It's worked wonders in my present and previous apartment.
I would recommend getting a powder duster, filling it with boric acid, and shooting it into under the baseboards any any other major gaps that connect your apartment to the outside world. Then caulk over the baseboards and those gaps. Having done that in my previous apartment, I managed to get rid of them. I have had ZERO in my present apartment (knock on wood), which prior to my arrival had a roach issue. This will also help with other pests.
Hello! I actually designed the part myself (off another design. It isn't perfect but I was able to design it around this part:
HARRIS Diatomaceous Earth Powder Duster with 6 Inch Extension Nozzle https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LRMN9ZM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_G6GZKX0WX62PPFTQYQ2Z?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
I cut off the threading and it fit into my design. Please let me know if you want the stl and I can put it up on thingiverse
Makeup brushes do work great for the most part (sometimes even better than the duster), but you'll want a duster for getting into cracks and crevices.
Go ahead and add this duster to an amazon wish list and send it to me, I'm happy to buy it for you :)
I had a tenant who "told" me that her boyfriend brought beg bugs in from his apartment. I had to pay to remove the bugs in hers and all adjoining units. She was on odsp so I was unable to get any cash. I now only rent to odsp if they have a guarantor that owns a house in the area. I check with the city roll number of the guarantors house to confirm they are an owner.
I paid before but next time, I will rent a 100000 btu portable heater and heat the unit to 180 degrees for 8 hours. From what I understand, that should do it at a cost of $100-200. Spray diatomaceous earth around all baseboards. You can buy a small duster on amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/Harris-Diatomaceous-Powder-Duster-Extension/dp/B01LRMN9ZM
> Can I ask how you apply it?
Buy a duster We inherited dogs who came with fleas. Used this stuff around the house...granted, I went a little nuts (every surface ended up with a fine layer of dust, including the carpet), but it eliminated all of the fleas without having to treat the dogs with anything other than a bath with regular dog shampoo.
We bought the DE from amazon as well and have animist the full bag leftover in the basement.
Diatamaceous earth. It looks like and has the consistency of regular all purpose flour. You will get frustrated if you but the product without a proper “spreader”. Linked here HARRIS Diatomaceous Earth Powder Duster with 6 Inch Extension Nozzle https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LRMN9ZM/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_api_i_mW9sFb2H500A0
DE should help with any Arthropods. Spray a fine dust on your plants. I just got thisthis off amazon to apply DE on my garden. DE will get into their joints and dry them out, eventually killing them.
Well I hate all bugs so I put it in places where bed bugs might hide but also where spiders and silver fish might hide.
For the bed bug prevention I used one of these to spread it around the house, mattress, and couch.
Specifically... I stuck the straw down in between the cushions of the couch and sprayed making sure to cover all the seems where everything connects.
I pulled my mattress and box springs off the bed frame, put a liberal amount of DE on the edge of the frame where the box springs sit. Also sprayed it all over the carpet under the bed and along the bottom edge of all my walls.
I put the box springs back on the frame and covered those with a light coating of DE.
Next I put on gloves and hand placed the DE all along the seams of my mattress... I didnt spray the top because you dont want to inhale that stuff while you sleep, but I did make sure all the seams of the mattress were covered with the stuff (bed bugs love to hide in seams).
Then I put the dogs in a different room and applied it to the carpet in my living room since that is where all my guests spend their time. .
those are the major places I put the stuff to prevent bed bugs. I also place it all along the edge of my walls, behind my couches/furniture, along the window seals, and anywhere else creepy crawlies might be hiding.
I havent seen as much as a spider in over 5 months, and my apartment is a sub-floor that backs up to the woods. Before I put that stuff down I was killing 2-3 spiders a day, now I dont see them at all.
Diatomaceous earth around your entire patio. You're welcome. I use it everywhere I hang out in my yard, creating a nice barrier beyond that too. It's cheap and if you get food grade, it's ultra safe (except for breathing it, don't do that). You can even eat it (our bag has a gleeful woman making a smoothie with it on the side).
http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/degen.html
edit: I highly recommend this for application: https://www.amazon.com/Harris-Diatomaceous-Powder-Duster-Extension/dp/B01LRMN9ZM/
Oh, and boric acid isn't bad for your health. It may be, if you ate copious amounts of it, but not in how I suggested you use it.
Here is an amazon page for it, but it is much cheaper at your local walmart. But the first one listed (the suppository) should give you an idea of how safe it is:
Also, when I was young, I used to be on a swim team, and would get an occasional stye. They made a boric acid eye wash.
This is the kind of duster you would want to use to dust inside your cabinets and stuff.
Whenever I change beans, I use a small hand pump to blast out the ground coffee from the nooks and crannies.
I've never used it inside, but I understand the right way to do it is use an applicator to spray it behind trim moulding and baseboards and stuff
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LRMN9ZM/ref=cm_sw_r_u_apa_fabt1_eOEQFbDMC5DEA?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Nope. As long as you get Food Grade diatomaceous earth, you could put it on your own food and suffer no ill effects. In fact, farmers put it on their livestocks' feed to help kill intestinal parasites; doesn't harm the animals at all.
The only thing that I've found with diatomaceous earth is that it's best to wear eye protection when you're using the puffer to apply it: https://www.amazon.com/Harris-Diatomaceous-Powder-Duster-Extension/dp/B01LRMN9ZM/ref=pd_lpo_86_t_2/144-7095227-0753800
It won't harm your eyes, but it will really dry them out. Just rinse with water and you're good.
If you don't mind my asking, where did you get the lamp? If it's an OEM from Optoma then I have no concerns about it, but if its from amazon or from a reseller, it might be the issue. I ran in circles for a week with a BenQ 2150 that had dust spots. The lamp was allegedly new(going by the hours) and yet it had lots of spots. I finally called hte customer and they informed me that the lamp was giving them a warning so they reset the timer. Once I put a new lamp in, the issue went away. A good lamp will shine past the dust.
Otherwise you need to get inside the optic module. I have a video in my editing program at the moment where I clean a 143 optical module. I should have it live this weekend. this is an older video from an HD20 but the process is similar. https://youtu.be/K_bCP74xsPo
You want to use a soft bristle photo lens brush or get some chamois swabs. No chemicals unless its that bad. I also use a 'puffer' https://smile.amazon.com/Harris-Diatomaceous-Powder-Duster-Extension/dp/B01LRMN9ZM/ref=sr_1_5
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Less is more in cleaning. You can push it cause more problems. That is mainly why I ask about the lamp because the chances of it being that dusty seems low to me.
I bought this and it works great.
so I bought this cheaply and removed the yellow part and use the bellow part to force the fines out of my coffee grinder. works great.
I just use the bellow from this and it works great. this
I use this one. works great.this
I bought this and it works great. And deff cheap enough to get it a try.
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https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LRMN9ZM?psc=1&ref=ppx\_yo2\_dt\_b\_product\_details
Get a Mazzer Mini. Can probably be had for $700 at Chris’ Coffee. Pull the doser off and sell it on eBay, and install the doserless conversion kit for $150. Then pull the hopper off and stick a $9 bellows you can get off Amazon (keep the bellows and toss the rest), and you have a zero retention tank that’ll last you 20 years. I know, because I’ve had mine 19 years, and these are all the changes I’ve done to it.
I’ll have to time it but it is faster than my Preciso modded Encore.
I actually purchased a generic bellow (HARRIS Diatomaceous Earth Powder Duster with 6 Inch Extension Nozzle https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LRMN9ZM/) and have used that after removing the hopper. That reduces the retention to effectively zero.
There is a purpose build one that I will probably end up ordering (https://lesbrew.coffee/product/single-dose-blow-out-hopper-for-urbanic-080/)
People who think they don't have roaches probably don't exterminate and don't see them, but they're definitely there.
I'd recommend buying a duster + boric acid from Amazon, then go to the website of the water utility and request them to put 1lb. of boric acid into the nearby sewers. You can pay hundreds to a local exterminator for a "pest control plan," but for long term results just go with boric acid. It will take about a month to start working. I'd leave the dead roaches out as bait, so other roaches consume them (they are cannibalistic) and ingest the boric acid.
Item | Current | Lowest | Reviews |
---|---|---|---|
HARRIS Diatomaceous Earth Powder Duster with 6 In… | $8.98 | $8.98 | 4.5/5.0 |
^Item Info | Bot Info | Trigger
HARRIS Diatomaceous Earth Powder Duster with 6 Inch Extension Nozzle https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LRMN9ZM/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_YN8HT73TTH39S0EXKFB8?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
I used to use this with my ceado e5p
Get this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LRMN9ZM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Wait until evening as yellow jackets go back to their nest as it cools and darkens. Pump a good 2 or 3 pumps of Tempo Dust into the nest and you're done.
Source? Me, I had the same problem this solution worked like a charm. I didn't have any angry yellow jackets after me, but I still felt compelled to walk/run quickly after pumping it.
Here's the one I got https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LRMN9ZM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_qEM-FbN5FH8CJ
3D print spout and faceplate for front
2 inch to 1.5 inch pvc coupling for throat (measure entrance to check it will fit
Bellows from a dust buster that fits coupling
Foam tape to cover up gaps
You 'can' use compressed air but gentle compressed air. DLP optic modules are sealed but not hermetically. I run a compressor with the pressure very low. The goal is to loosen the dust and then have a vacuum running near the vents to pull the dust out. On average I run 5-10 psi. I never blow it directly into the optics. Its always on an angle because like I said, the goal is get the dust loose. a dry paint brush, or a puffer (this) work well if you dont use compressed air.
https://youtu.be/GR3-u_GLGns here is a video on the HD20 that is similar. You can get the idea on how far you want to go from there.
Less is more for cleaning. You don't need them spotless. You only need the built up dust removed. Projectors are built to handle a level of dust.
The lamp blower fan is the main culprit with dust. If it gets built up in there, the fan will run but not move enough air and hte lamp will wear out faster. The color wheel sensor is another important spot.
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With LCD's its another story. A gentle fart hitting them the wrong way can put them out of commission. your HD33 is much more forgiving in the maintenance department. If you have any other questions or get stuck, hit me up. My info is in the youtube channel.
Did you get one of these with it? They work really well.
HARRIS Diatomaceous Earth Powder Duster with 6 Inch Extension Nozzle https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LRMN9ZM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_o1Z6DbZ0C1PVQ
Heres how I got rid of fleas once. It was quite a challenge, but thankfully not super expensive.
1: treat the carpet and furniture. I sprinkled diatomaceous earth in all the carpet and furniture, and then vacuumed it up. Then I distributed it all along the baseboards and in the couch backs/arms under the cushions.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatomaceous_earth#Pest_control
2: physically removed the fleas from the dog. You have to get a flea comb and remove the fleas from the animals. It takes FOREVER. You have to comb through all their fur. I made a bowl/cup with 1/2 cup water and then put 1/4 dish detergent in it. When you get a flea, put it in the solution and it will drown.
https://www.google.com/search?q=flea+comb
I then rubbed/sprinkled the DE on to the dogs.
DE is not poisonous if ingested, but DO NOT breathe in clouds of it. Either you or the dogs.
I have 40lb short hair dogs and it was 2 hours for each dog.
And then.... get this... I had to repeat this process two more times!
So... yeah. But its all you can do.
Frontline and shampoo are good for preventative care, and can stop an infestation if you catch it super early.
But once you have an infestation, the only option is to physically remove the fleas from the animal. The treatments just do not get them all.
I used this to distribute the DE:
https://www.amazon.com/Harris-Diatomaceous-Powder-Duster-Extension/dp/B01LRMN9ZM
TL;DR Try insect growth regulators, and find ways to dehumidify the house (and keep the dehumidifier drain pan emptied). Boric acid or diatomaceous earth with a puff hand duster in wall voids, under sinks, behind electrical outlets.
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Ask the pest control company if they applied any insect growth regulator. If they didn't (and maybe just to be sure) get some Gentrol Point Source discs. Put them on every wall of every room you have cockroaches in, and the other side of the wall on rooms next to the rooms where you've seen cockroaches. And under every sink.
Get a hand powder duster like this one https://www.amazon.com/Harris-Diatomaceous-Powder-Duster-Extension/dp/B01LRMN9ZM/ . Fill with diatomaceous earth or boric acid or both depending on your comfort with toxicity and whether you have kids or pets or anyone with asthma in the house. Do some reading on this, I'm not an expert. Unscrew and remove your electrical outlet plates, and send a couple puffs in each outlet. Then replace the outlet plates. Also use the hand duster to puff in the cracks that you have mentioned.
I tried putting dabs of gel bait in back of the outlet plates as well. (edited to say that someone else on another thread said I shouldn't do that because the bait is wet and there's an electrical hazard)
Did pest control treat every room in the house, or just the kitchen? If they were focusing on the kitchen, that's probably where they applied most of the pesticides. Have pest control come back and treat any room where you've seen roaches. Or ask which pesticide they've been using, and see if they can switch to another in case the smokybrown roaches are resistant. Most of the over the counter products I've seen seem to have Fipronil, so it's possible that if the previous residents were only using roach motels instead of calling an exterminator, that they have become resistant to that specific pesticide. Someone on another thread said Fipronil is generally a good pesticide.
Have you been plugging the drains at night? That's one potential way that roaches could be getting in the house. As a random idea, try putting glue boards down at night in the sinks of the rooms where you see the most roaches.
Are there any dripping faucets or sources of humidity beyond that of a Texas summer? Can you install a dehumidifier and frequently empty out the drain pan? Apparently water and plant material are the main things smoky brown roaches are attracted to.
It's also possible that since smoky brown roaches aren't attracted to food like peanut butter, that the roaches aren't eating the bait the exterminator is putting out. Is there stuff in the attic they might be eating? I know that most Texas houses don't have basements.
You need to get a mattress cover that is made for the thickness of your mattress. Measure how tall it is with everything on it and get one that is that size, I don't think going up to a king size would work. Also, mattress covers don't really do a whole hell of a lot IME. They stop bugs already in the mattress from getting out, but they can still hide along the zipper line. Also, get a box spring cover if you have a box spring.
I would order some CimeXa off of Amazon, you'll also need a duster. You can apply it to the floor around the edges of your room.Also, take your bed frame apart and look for them in the crevices. You can apply cimeXa there too.
I recommend getting double-sided tape for around the floorboards, and around the base of furniture. They can't crawl up and bite you if they get stuck.
Get your bed and other furniture away from the walls, they can and will crawl up them and get onto furniture that way.
Make sure none of your bedding is hitting the floor, they can crawl up that.
Call a pest control company, they do free inspections.
In the future, throw all purchases from a thrift store in the dryer if you can.
I wouldn't worry too much about the papers, I've never seen them hiding in them. Now I know they like cardboard boxes.
I wouldn't spray with the mixture you've made. 1. It's flammable 2. It's not likely to do much, essential oils don't kill bed bugs.
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For fungus gnats, use a duster like this and thoroughly dust the top of the soil when the surface of the soil is dry. It doesn't work if it's moist.