Indoor Pest Control - What are these bugs and how to get rid of them?

We replaced an outside vent hooked to a fan in a batroom and I noticed after hammering the vent in lot of these bugs probably had dropped on a toilet from the fan above. What are these bugs?

http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/8223/1000805h.jpg

They are extremely small compared to the penny in the picture. I sprayed the bathroom and toilet with clorox but I don't seem to get rid of them and there are more and more of them. How to kill them? We are near Atlanta, GA.

Tks!!

Hi Pics20,

Please use an image site that is family friendly so we can look at your pics.

Thanks,
Newt

Hi Pics20,

Please use an image site that is family friendly so we can look at your pics.

Thanks,
Newt

Hi Newt, I did not know it was not family friendly...will try again on some other host. Please stand by.

Is imageshack OK? Here the same photo on that host. Sorry again.

http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/8223/1000805h.jpg

PS: I think have been scratching myself more now, hopefully it is only my imagination...

That's a much better site. Thanks! They are so small it's impossible to tell what they are. Do they fly or just crawl? Maybe some type of wood beetle?

Newt

That's a much better site. Thanks! They are so small it's impossible to tell what they are. Do they fly or just crawl? Maybe some type of wood beetle?

Newt

Newt, no problem ;o)

They crawl only and don't fly. I think I won't be able to get any larger image from them but I'll try again and let you know......adding: no success using digital zoom will lose details so the photo below really is the best I can do.

Thanks!

Do a google image search for wood beetles and see if any of those look like what you see.

Newt

Do a google image search for wood beetles and see if any of those look like what you see.

Newt

OK, will do. So you don't think these are fleas, ticks or some kind of (dust?) mites?

Personally, I can't tell what they look like from the pics, but do a google image search for each of those. Seems odd to me that ticks would be inside a vent, but one never knows. Fleas jump, but again, do an image search to see what they look like. I'd love to know what you find out.

Newt

Personally, I can't tell what they look like from the pics, but do a google image search for each of those. Seems odd to me that ticks would be inside a vent, but one never knows. Fleas jump, but again, do an image search to see what they look like. I'd love to know what you find out.

Newt

OK, I'll work on it. These things are really small to see any details even with my magnifying glass. Now that I remember I should add that we found TWO bird nests at our attic, one of them about 10 feet from the fan in the bathroom ceiling. I'll remove the nests and block the entrance with expanding foam tomorrow.

Thanks again.

Ah, bird nests! Here's a google image search for bird lice!
http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=bird+lice&btnG=Search+Images&gbv=2&aq=f&oq=

Is that what you see?
Newt

Ah, bird nests! Here's a google image search for bird lice!
bird lice - Google Image Search (http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=bird+lice&btnG=Search+Images&gbv=2&aq=f&oq=)

Is that what you see?
Newt

They are so small here that I cannot really tell the details compared to the images on the internet. I now read about the bird mites/lices some, their size is "invisible" (or perhaps 1 mm) may be about right even though the ones in my bathroom are much smaller but they may be younger too.

They don't jump so they are not fleas. If they indeed are bird mites or bird lice what would be the best way to kill them?

Newt: I found this on the internet (the nests have been "quiet" so perhaps the mites/lice are looking for food!!):

# Bird Mites, BIRD LICE---These creatures are so small as to be invisible to many people.
# This is by far the most common invisible biter. After the baby birds leave the nest the mites and lice migrate from the nest looking for food. This may be you.
# Remove and spray all vacant nests in the attic, eaves and within 20 feet of your house with Viper. Use a good total release fogger in your house, twice, 2 weeks apart, to remove the mites already inside your living area. Precor 2000 is a hand held fogger that also works well.

Adding: I think we are on the right track, see to be hard to get rid of, damn! Bird Mite Infestation (http://www.birdmites.org/)

A suggestion if you wanted a positive identification would be to scrape a number of these into a pill bottle and kill them by placing in a freezer overnight.
If you take them to a larger pest control company they should be able to look at them under a microscope to ID them.

I was just going to give you the same site! Sorry to say, I think that might be what you have. :mad:

Newt

Thank you guys!

Too late to take a sample, I dusted the bathroom with Sevin-5 that I happened to have, hopefully it helps. I'll also read more about these bugs to see if there is something else I should think about doing.

Need to do some laundry now, bedsheets etc...wow I cannot believe what harm birds can do inside a house....

I'll let you know what happens.

Thanks again and I love this site!!!!!!!!!!

Pics, you are so very welcome! I'd love to know how it goes for you.

Newt

Newt, I went and bought some other remedies mentioned on that site...means some cleaning in my plan for tomorrow :thumbdn:

I'll keep you updated. BTW is it a good idea to use that Home Depot's "great stuff" expanding foam to block the bird entries to my attic under the lowest shingles just above my gutters? In some parts the builder obviously left the gap too large so that birds can enter at least in those spots where I have bird nests.

Pics

I don't see why you couldn't use the foam, but you might want to cover it with some hardware cloth when you're done with the foam.

Happy cleaning!

Newt

Heh, thanks Newt! I'll apply the foam from the attic side so I guess I need to be careful no to spray it too much so that I will clog the gutter. What do you mean by hardware cloth?

Here photo of my infested bathroom with Sevin dust -- I promised to keep you informed even though the images may not be that tasty ;o)

http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/1983/1000808m.jpg

Pics, not much can make me queesy when it comes to homes. I used to clean houses for a living when I was in college! :eek: You do have another bathroom to use, right?

Have you read the container that the Sevin was in? Do you realize you SHOULD NOT BREATHE THAT DUST IN??? :alarm:
http://www.safe2use.com/poisons-pesticides/pesticides/misc/sevin-carbaryl-old.htm
http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/profiles/extoxnet/carbaryl-dicrotophos/carbaryl-ext.html

PLEASE be very careful when you clean that up.

Hardware cloth:
http://www.unexco.com/hwrcloth.jpg

Newt

Hi Newt, thanks for the advice, I promise to be careful. When I clean the bathroom I'll soak the dust with water and mop the slush away. Yes, I have 2 other bathrooms we can use :)

I bought Raid "deep reach" fogger cans and activated one just in front of bathroom door, hopefully it will kill the rest of the hidden mites. More treatment & cleaning will follow.

HW cloth - got it, I'll check if I need that when I am up at my attic.

tks
pics

Hi Newt, thanks for the advice, I promise to be careful. When I clean the bathroom I'll soak the dust with water and mop the slush away.

You can't just put it down the drain. It's toxic to fish. PLEASE call these folks and explain what you did, how much of it you used and ask how to safely clean it up and properly dispose of it. They manufacture it.

Rhone-Poulenc Ag. Co.
P.O. Box 12014
TW Alexander Dr.
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
Telephone: 919-549-2000
Emergency: 800-334-7577

I'd love to know what they tell you.
Newt

Newt, OK, I promise to do so. OR I'll just spray the diluted stuff from cleaning on my trees and shrubs.

I removed the first bird nest and will work on the second tomorrow. Harder than I thought due to the low ceiling on the attic edges, my body hurts! Fortunately it is not sunny now.

Instead of the expandable foam I'll probably get metal strip installed to block the entry points just below the lowest shingles (vertically nailed to the fascia). I am planning to do the whole width of the house on the front and back. Do you happen to know if Home Depot or Lowes sells that kind of material? I guess it is just perhaps 2" wide galvanized steel...and I think I will need stainless steel nails.

Thanks, as always ;O
Pics

Gosh Pics, just spraying your trees and shrubs when there isn't a pest problem can actually cause one by killing the beneficial insects along with any problem ones. SEVIN IS TOXIC TO BEES!!! Then you have an imbalance and can cause problems you didn't have before. Please call that number to see how to properly dispose of and handle it.

If you will be blocking all air flow by vertically nailing the metal strip your attic won't be able to have air circulation. Do the soffits have vents in them? Maybe just using something like the hardware cloth will suffice.

Newt

OK, I understand what you are saying so I'll call that number.

The soffits have vent strips in them and a few years ago I saw a neighbor's pest control contractor installing metal strips between his gutters and shingles. I think they had squirrels entering. I understand hardware cloth is harder to install as it does not have a nailing surface/edge. Having metal strips would probably prevent bees entering the attic too, I saw a few hives in the attic ceiling especially where I saw more light coming from the areas where that kind of strip might be beneficial.

This is a photo of my neighbor's metal strip:

http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/7786/1000811.jpg

How I should proceed? Also do I just rake the bee hives from the ceiling? I did not see any activity on them in the morning.

pics

As long as you have venting in your soffits, you will be fine with using the solid metal strips.

OK, I understand what you are saying so I'll call that number.
I just realized that I edited my post after you had already posted again. I added the info about Sevin being toxic to bees. I'm glad you will call them. Both the environment and I 'thank you'. :)

You mention bee hives hanging from the ceiling. Generally with bees and hornets you will only see one in an area. Paper wasps will have several as they abandon them each year.

Bee hives most likely would still be active.
bee nest - Google Image Search (http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&um=1&sa=1&q=bee+nest&btnG=Search+Images&aq=f&oq=)

Paper wasps only use their nests for one season, so cleaning those away would be no problem if they have been abandoned.
paper wasp nest - Google Image Search (http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=paper%20wasp%20nest&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi)

Hornets are a whole 'nuther story and can be very dangerous. Their nests are more rounded and the cells aren't exposed as with the paper wasps. They are very dangerous.
hornet nest - Google Image Search (http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&um=1&sa=1&q=hornet+nest&btnG=Search+Images&aq=f&oq=)

Newt

Newt, I REALLY appreciate for your help :beers::beers::beers::beers::beers:

Let me climb up to the attic to take some photos of the "bee" hives and the 2nd bird nest that will be harder to remove due to its location.

If you can, please stand by!

Thanks for the beers! Any leftovers I'll use for my slugs and in cooking. ;) I'll be sitting by waiting for your pics.

Newt

Cheers, my friend!!

The photos are really bad quality, I should have zoomed more.

Here is the 2nd bid nest, look it in full size to get the idea. The yellow arrows show the entry point and the way from the entry to the nest. The red arrow shows where the nest is. It is in a really difficult place, what would you do first to get an access to that nest and then to remove it? So far I have not seem bird mites from that nest indoors, the nest is empty. The nest is just behind the front facade where the house extends some for the main front door (what bad design grrrr). As it is in such a hard place should I just leave it there after spraying it with Sevin? This is complicated.

Here photo: http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/5782/2ndnest.jpg

Here is (again a bad quality photo, sorry) of the "bee" or whatever two hives marked with a yellow circle and arrows. There are two gray kinda flat hives hanging from the ceiling. See again a wider opening from out where they have an easy access to the attic. Those are the spots that I want to seal with that metal strip. BTW, where you can buy them?

http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/7931/hive.jpg

Cheers, a few more beers!! ;)

pics....That is really some odd construction. Never saw leaving a gap like that, it's either tight down, like my house, or open with soffit venting under the rafter tails. You probably really need to seal that up.

What kind of ventilation does the attic area have?

We have a couple of GA folks..maybe newt could invite chandler to take a look and give some advise on whats up?

Hi Gun guy,

Thanks for chiming in. I am questioning the built quality of my house too now, it was the last they built before moving to a new phase in the same subdivision. My house is about 8 years old, we bought it new back then. My locks are bad, driveway is cracking, the basement concrete is cracking and getting some moisture in, the garage floor is cracking, we had termites in the basement, the front steps are separating from the entry platform, at one corner they did not wall the steep slope I have so the dirt is coming down, the microwave broke, the exterior painting was peeling from trim, the master bedroom wall is cracking probably due to temp changes. Some windows don't move right as their construction in so weak.

And these bird nests on the attic & a few hives + the gaps you saw in the photos. Really crappy job I think. Most of teh warranties are over now, is there anything we can do?

AND to answer to your question here is a photo of the went strips in my soffit (see the gap between the gutter and the fascia, is that normal?) Looks like gutters overflow when raining but perhaps it is caused by that gap:

http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/5199/soffitventstrips.jpg

And here what I have venting on top of the roof:

http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/3664/topofroofvents.jpg

If you have friends willing to help that would be super! Just let me know, I life in South Forsyth Co. near GA400.

Thanks again & talk soon.

pics

The soffit venting looks like its pretty standard..but you didn't show any roof vents to let the air out, at least not that I saw. Oh wait..I see the ridge vent now..thats really the best method. The gaps are inexcusable though.

Yeah, those last few houses get thrown up sometimes.


Hello...chandler...are you out there?

Pics, unfortunately I can't clearly see the birds nest or the 'bee' nest. Do take a look at the sites I gave you to see what you have. Either way, it's probably paper wasps as bees would be larger and probably not abandoned and it looks too small to be hornets and inactive. I wonder if it could be a mud dauber. Their nests are moe flat to a surface.
http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=mud%20dauber%20nest&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi

To remove the nest I would put down some plywood to crawl on. Please be careful with that Sevin and use a protective mask, something rated for pesticide, not just dust.

As to the space you have, I'm wondering if you seal it will it effect the air flow to your soffit vents? Looks to me there should have been rafter vents aka eave vents put there so air can circulate into the attic. After all, you are in Arizona.
http://www.doityourself.com/stry/atticinsulationrafve
http://www.hometips.com/diy-how-to/attic-rafter-insulation.html

Here's an interesting conversation with some pics.
http://forum.doityourself.com/insulation-radiant-vapor-barriers/380863-attic-insulation-rafter-vents-frames-blocking-ventilation.html

I don't know where to get the metal strips, but before you do that you need to make sure you have proper ventilation.

Newt

Come on Newt...I'M in AZ..he's in GA (I think)...pay attention now..or I'll quit praising you...lol

Come on Newt...I'M in AZ..he's in GA (I think)...pay attention now..or I'll quit praising you...lol

Well, if Pics would stop giving me those beers I would even know where I live! My dad always said I would be a 'cheap date' cause I can't hold my booze. Beer 4U2 Right about now I wish I had my construction contractor looking over my shoulder.

Newt

LOL...cheap dates..my favorite....lol

Course thats me too...

OK, I'm awake, now. From the pictures I see, there doesn't seem to be any constant soffit venting. I don't understand the holes in the soffit area. Are these the only source of fresh air? You should have baffles in every bay to allow soffit air to move up and over the insulation and up and through the ridge vent.
What are the purpose of the "metal strips"? You should have drip edging along the edge of your decking, under your shingles to prevent capillary movement of water and to direct it into the gutters, as well as supporting the ends of the shingles.
If you have adequate soffit venting, as you apparently do, and this air can move freely up into the attic space, then there is no need for those awful holes cut in the decking, or wherever it is cut.
Where are the birds getting in? Where are the bees getting in? There are obviously holes in the infrastructure that you haven't discovered, yet. Find those, and ensure there is metal screening placed over them. This will prevent animals from setting up housekeeping.
I live just north of you, about 2200 feet closer to heaven. From what I have seen in your pictures, your house seemed to be a "Friday" house, if you know what I mean. The roofing was installed in a hurry to get home. The ridge vent is poorly applied, and could be where the birds and bees are entering. You have one shingle in the pix that is pushed up. This isn't repeated, is it? I don't see any drip edge at all.
If you have any more specific questions, post them. I will, along with others, be checking in to see what is happening with this project.

Larry

Good morning gents,

I seems that the hives are paper wasps'. I'll just use a rake to take them down.

The soffits have vent strips (shown on the photo in my earlier post below). In the attick in each bay there is a piece of cardboard that prevents the insulation from blocking the vents.

Birds (and wasps) enter through gaps between roofing and top of the fascia.

In the photos below you can see light coming from large gaps. These largest gaps are what the birds & insects. I tried to take a better photo of the hives with no much success: http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/1447/1000837.jpg

The idea of the metal strips would be to seal off those gaps. In the photo where I showed the soffit vent strips you can see a gap between the gutter and the eave, what also indicates that there is no drip edges of any kind. I assume drip edge would seal the entry points the same way.

I am sure those holes were left unintentionally, just poor workmanship.

HERE better photo of the 2nd bird nest area. The nest is behind the hole marked with yellow circle. I think my hand is too large to get there, can we just block the hole and leave the nest in there. It IS populated, I saw movement there when I checking with flashlight!! That is the reason we have no mites from that nest inside the house yet. The entry point from outside is that gap marked with an arrow, I cannot see any drip edge there.
http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/2586/nest2.jpg

Never been to Young Harris, must be beautiful up there!!

I also noticed the ridge venting does not look right. We had a hail storm with heavy wind in Easter, several neighbors will need to get new roofs, mine is damaged according to some contractor, I'll contact my insurance company ask them to take a look at it too.

Talk soon!!

PS: I found several of these insects outside my son's room window but inside the screenhttp://img40.imageshack.us/img40/5762/1000840.jpg, they look wasps but they darker than paper wasps. I am not sure if the hives are from these insects but probably is high:

Pics, I just realized that I never answered this part of your post #25 in this thread.


The soffits have vent strips in them and a few years ago I saw a neighbor's pest control contractor installing metal strips between his gutters and shingles. I think they had squirrels entering. I understand hardware cloth is harder to install as it does not have a nailing surface/edge. Having metal strips would probably prevent bees entering the attic too, I saw a few hives in the attic ceiling especially where I saw more light coming from the areas where that kind of strip might be beneficial.

This is a photo of my neighbor's metal strip:

http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/7786/1000811.jpg


That looks like flashing or drip edging of some sort so the water from the roof runs off the roof shingles into the gutters. This is something that Chandler mentioned to you that appears to be missing from your house.

Newt

Yeah, it is missing. Perhaps a wide front drip edge will cover those gaps well enough, in theory the should. Does HD or Lowes sell it?

What about the existing bird nest in very hard to reach location I mention in my previous post? Can I leave it in?

thanks!

The drip edge will attach under the shingles to the decking and protrude slightly forming a "drip" edge as well as a flash at the bottom to prevent capillary action from water that gets past the drip edge. Your shingles themselves should be longer on bottom to extend slightly into the guttering, thereby eliminating that gap you talk about looking up.
If you have had a hail storm, definitely contact your insurance company. I posted elsewhere, but significant here, too, I found several shingle pieces in my yard after a rather bad storm. Figured it was time to do something with the roof. The contractors I called for estimates suggested I contact my insurance company. I had no idea I had a claim. They both indicated it was hail damage. Well, sure enough when she came out and looked at the roof, insisted on replacing it in entirety, ridge, chimney flash, complete tear off, disposal and re roof. Well, I figured they would pay a few hundred dollars. Mind you I already had two estimates. She came up with the same figure, deducted my $500, and wrote me a check on the spot for the roof repairs. I am still catching my breath. So call them for sure. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. You will gain more than you will lose with a new roof if done properly. Check your inbox for a Private Message after this.

Good morning gents,


Good afternoon. I'm thinking that I should reveal to you that I'm not a gent, but that's ok. Most folks think I am because of the name. :)

I seems that the hives are paper wasps'. I'll just use a rake to take them down.

Ok, just make sure they aren't occupied. I can see the wasp nests more clearly when I enlarge the photo.



HERE better photo of the 2nd bird nest area. The nest is behind the hole marked with yellow circle. I think my hand is too large to get there, can we just block the hole and leave the nest in there. It IS populated, I saw movement there when I checking with flashlight!! That is the reason we have no mites from that nest inside the house yet. The entry point from outside is that gap marked with an arrow, I cannot see any drip edge there.
http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/2586/nest2.jpg

Now the dilemma. Since there are birds in the nest would you be willing to wait until they leave to do this? If you seal up the entry the parents can't get in to feed the babies. Your other option would be to remove the nest and kill the babies. I did some checking, and in Georgia, the only birds that are protected are birds of prey, woodpeckers and bats (not really a bird, but some folks think so). Do you know what species of bird this is?

I found a bird removal company and called them to verify what birds are protected. I really liked what they had to say. Here's the company I contacted in Georgia.
http://www.ridacritter.com/index.php


I also noticed the ridge venting does not look right. We had a hail storm with heavy wind in Easter, several neighbors will need to get new roofs, mine is damaged according to some contractor, I'll contact my insurance company ask them to take a look at it too.

That's a good idea.


PS: I found several of these insects outside my son's room window but inside the screenhttp://img40.imageshack.us/img40/5762/1000840.jpg, they look wasps but they darker than paper wasps. I am not sure if the hives are from these insects but probably is high:

That looks like a mud dauber. They catch spiders and put them in the nest with their larva to eat. They don't sting you unless you mess with them while they are building their nest. I let mine build a nest every year by my front door. She gets the spiders and I just wash the mud off when the babies leave.

Newt

I agree with Newt, let the birds hatch out and leave b4 you pull the nest. We have all the raptors up here, hawks, one pair of bald eagles, bats, and a pair of pilated woodpeckers with a wingspan approaching 2 feet. Marvelous in flight. The bat circles our lower acreage constantly at dusk. The hawk just hangs out in the tree line or on my arbor looking for mice. So far she hasn't bothered my chickens.
Keep us informed on the call about the insurance. I'd be interested in knowing what they say.
<a href="http://s76.photobucket.com/albums/j3/larrychandler/?action=view&current=Hawk1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j3/larrychandler/Hawk1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Good morning girls & boys then :)

For the hail damage I indeed will contact my insurance.

The 2nd bird nest:

OK, I'll wait until the birds will be gone. Then I need to decide if I can get the nest out by myself, hire a pro to remove or just to leave it there and seal off the entry point.

Hard decision to hire a pro as I am low in cash, what pro's would do to get the nest out from such a hard to reach spot though that small hole? Is there some kind of tool that could help?

Besides possibly getting bird mites into the house from this nest too are there other risks by just leaving the nest in there?

The birds entering and exiting both nests are very dark or black in color. From the pictures a GA bird guide I spotted these as a possibility, so many options :o :

-American Crow (perhaps not)
-Chimney Swift (looks potential but do they built they nests into a vertical surface only? The nests on my attic are on horizontal surface)
- Common Grackle (perhaps too blue head)
- European Starling ("cavity nester" perhaps on ground only?)
- Purple Martin (looks potential)

Hives/wasps: Yes Newt, the bugs in my photo look like mud daubers and I looked for an image of their hive, they look completely different from the ones on my attic. Thanks for the bird removal co link too.

pics

Hey, I have identified the birrd as European Starling....probably far less important though than the desicion how to proceed with the 2nd nest as I wrote in my previous post....

Hi Pics,

Sorry I didn't get back to you before this, but I''ve been swamped with animal rescue this weekend! I'm trying to catch up now, but I leave on Wednesday and will be away without computer access for a week. Monday and Tuesday are going to be full and busy too, so please don't think I'm ignoring you. I'll do the best I can to help.

OK, I'll wait until the birds will be gone. Then I need to decide if I can get the nest out by myself, hire a pro to remove or just to leave it there and seal off the entry point. Is there some kind of tool that could help?

That is so kind of you. Our chimney cap blew off in a storm this winter and we now have 'tennents' in our chimney. I know they are chimney sweeps. It's funny to hear them chirping when the parents come with food! There are long reach grabbers that physically challenged folks use, but I'm thinking the nest might fall apart when you grab it.
http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=long%20reach%20grabber&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi

Do you have a long handled bbq spatula? That might work.
http://www.themomsbuzz.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/05/20/7_must_grilling_tools.jpg


Besides possibly getting bird mites into the house from this nest too are there other risks by just leaving the nest in there?

Not that I can think of.


I have identified the birrd as European Starling....probably far less important

True, but considering that I do animal rescue, I just let them be. I'm only dangerous to rats and roaches! :thumbdn:

I'd love to know what your insurance adjuster has to say. Don't forget to pick his/her brains about that gap you have.

Newt

Tks Newt, no problem for the delay.

The access hole to the nest is so small that in case I'll try to get the nest out it must come in small pieces. I'll look into the tools you mention and will check soon how long it should be.

Before the birds are out wouldn't it be a good idea to spray the nest with something to start to kill the mites? You probably will say no to Sevin? :) What about rubbing alcohol or ammonia or something else?

pics

PS: I believe the insurance company won't do anything related to the gaps as they were left by the builder and are not a damage from an incident. Money to correct that problem must come from own pocket....

Before the birds are out wouldn't it be a good idea to spray the nest with something to start to kill the mites? You probably will say no to Sevin? :) What about rubbing alcohol or ammonia or something else?


What???? Did I mention earlier that Sevin is toxic??? Did I say to call the company to ask about proper disposal? Now you want to dust the baby birds with it? Or amonia or alchohol? If you are going to do that I'd rather you be more humane and just kill them outright instead of chemically burning, poisioning or giving them hypothermia. Amonia fumes will kill the chicks as they should never be inhaled, Sevin will destroy their nervous system and alcohol will probably cause them to die from the stress of lowering their body temp. Isn't rubbing alcohol used to bring down the temp of a feverish person? These birds only weigh ounces. Either kill the chicks now and be done with it or let them fledge and leave the nest. I can't make those kinds of humane decisions for you, but I think you know where I stand.


PS: I believe the insurance company won't do anything related to the gaps as they were left by the builder and are not a damage from an incident. Money to correct that problem must come from own pocket....

I meant for you to ask their opinion about how to correct the situation since they should know about construction. Just an idea.

Newt

Newt, I am happy to inform that when I climbed to the attic to check in the morning there were no longer baby birds in the nest.

I applied sevin spray to the nest through that small hole and the surroundings too, could not see any mites in that little light. Do you know how quickly they will leave the nest after the birds are gone?

It really looks I have to leave the nest there as it is so hard to reach but I'll try, at least there shouldn't be dead birds there :)

OK, I see what you meant by asking insurance adjuster.

pics

PS: I still have that sevin dust in my small bath room, I'll let it be perhaps a week more so that we know for sure the danger is over. I'll call the company about disposing the dust, as I promised.

Newt, I am happy to inform that when I climbed to the attic to check in the morning there were no longer baby birds in the nest.


One of them was on my shoulder last night and read your post, so they all flew away!! ;) ;) Actually I'm very relieved. I actually put in a call to The Nature Conservancy in Georgia last week. I just now got a response about moving the birds nest, and it's a referral to other organizations! Here's a copy.

Hi Newt

Thank you for your call. I am referring you to two organizations that I believe can help answer your question.


Atlanta Wild Animal Rescue Effort 678 418-1111

http://www.awareone.org/

Georgia Dept of Natural Resources - Wildlife Resource Division

http://georgiawildlife.dnr.state.ga.us/content/displaynavigation.asp?TopCategory=3

I hope this helps!

Please consider the environment before printing this email
Tina Kite
Office Administrator

tkite@tnc.org
(404) 873-6946 (Phone)
(404) 873-6984 (Fax)

nature.org The Nature Conservancy
Georgia
1330 W Peachtree St
Suite 420
Atlanta, GA 30309


I applied sevin spray to the nest through that small hole and the surroundings too, could not see any mites in that little light. Do you know how quickly they will leave the nest after the birds are gone?

I haven't a clue.


PS: I still have that sevin dust in my small bath room, I'll let it be perhaps a week more so that we know for sure the danger is over. I'll call the company about disposing the dust, as I promised.

Great! Thanks for the update on that. I was wondering if you had ever cleaned it up. :)

Newt

Thanks for your hard work Newt, you really do whatever you can to help the forumites :rolleyes: and birds! Since the nest is empty there is no reason to call these organizations but whenever I need to now I have the info.

I have been spraying the nest area couple of more times and will attempt the nest removal tomorrow.

My wife found one mite-size moving object/suspect last night in the spare bedroom that is adjacent to this 2nd nest. Will bomb the room with Raid Deep Reach fogger just in case.

I'll keep the forum informed what is going on.

Pics

PS: My small bathroom is still covered by Sevin dust, just in case... :)

Hi Pics,

I never thanked you for your compliment, so thank you so very much. I do have a passion for the environment and the critters.

I thought about you this weekend as I was visiting my daughter and son in law. They just moved into a 'new' house that is 10 years old. I was sitting on the front porch and watching all the birds when I heard scratching above me. A large grackle flew to the corner of the roof of the porch and proceeded to enter through a hole. Yup, he was carrying a juicy caterpillar in his mouth. I didn't hear any chirping, so he was probably feeding his lady who is sitting on eggs. My son in law thinks like you do and was ready to get his gun and all the chemicals he could muster to get rid of them. I convinced him to allow them to nest this season and then do his clean up and repairs. It took alot of talking as my son in law often has a mind of his own. When he asked me what tree to plant in his front yard at their former home, I mentioned a few. I also mentioned NOT to plant a Bradford pear. So, what do you think he planted? You guessed it, a Bradford pear! :wall: At least the birdies are safe for now.

Did you ever clean up the Sevin in the bathroom?

Newt