To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

What to do about cobwebs, dead bugs, etc in the garage?

jgira12

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 25, 2008
Messages
188
Just wondering if anyone has some tips on preventing the annual attack of bugs/webs. Last summer I repainted all the garage interior window trim; it looked fantastic for about 2-3 months, then I noticed all sorts of dead bugs and webs piling up on the sills and trim pieces. I know if I kept my garage door closed it would not be a problem, but in the warm weather I have it open all the time. I have vacuumed up most of the crud, but it just comes back again and again. Any tricks you can offer?
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

DarthMuffin

Member
Joined
Nov 28, 2008
Messages
12
Short of keeping chickens in your garage, or rigging up some sort of mosquito net over the door, just keep up with the vacuuming. At the peak of the season I'll sometimes bug-bomb the garage, mostly because spiders freak out the wife :) If it weren't for the webs everywhere I'd be happy to have the little predators in there eating the other bugs.
 

benjacobs

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 15, 2006
Messages
92
Seems like cobwebs form the most near my garage door opener photo eyes. Maybe it's the heat or something, I don't know. I came across a product I was thinking about trying although I haven't yet. Maybe somebody here has some experience with it. Some of the reviews I have seen are favorable.

http://www.biconet.com/crawlers/cobweb.html
 

n1gzd

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 12, 2009
Messages
74
I just use the shop vac for that. I like to keep the dust out of my work/vehicles anyway.
(not to mention sand blaster media that escapes).
Rebecca
 

Titus

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 1, 2008
Messages
393
Location
Nevada, TX
I keep a couple of THESE out in my shop and my garage, swapping them out for new ones about once a month. They are always FULL of spiders, crickets, nats, and mosquitoes. Their original purpose was to catch a mouse that was living in my garage. I got the mouse, and then was impressed with how well they did to get the rest of the unwelcome critters.
 
OP
J

jgira12

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 25, 2008
Messages
188
I keep a couple of THESE out in my shop and my garage, swapping them out for new ones about once a month. They are always FULL of spiders, crickets, nats, and mosquitoes. Their original purpose was to catch a mouse that was living in my garage. I got the mouse, and then was impressed with how well they did to get the rest of the unwelcome critters.

That is a great idea! I'll put one at each window this summer.:bowdown:
 

jay50

Banned
Joined
Oct 28, 2007
Messages
3,894
Pop a couple of bug bombs; make it look like a foggy mountain road inside the shop.
Then close all the doors; go inside your house and spend the evening (and night if lucky) with your wife or gf.
 

kartracer23

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 7, 2008
Messages
1,455
Location
New Castle, IN
Yep, I set off two bug bombs a couple of times a year. Shut the doors real quick & run. I made the mistake of sticking around too long once & my tongue went numb. :)
 

GarageDreamer

Active member
Joined
Jan 12, 2009
Messages
31
I'm lucky... my little dog loves to eat bugs.. I gave up worrying she'd eat a bad one.. so with her help, sweeping and vacuuming.. I'm bug free. I like the bug bomb idea:bowdown:
 

Torque1st

MEMBER EMERITUS
Joined
Sep 14, 2008
Messages
5,668
Location
KC Metro, Kansas
Damn, it seems some of you are like old ladies with their feather dusters and furniture doilies and coasters to protect the furniture. Some of you must have plants in the corner, ******* rugs, scented candles, carpet, Glade smelly devices around, and pictures of flowers on the walls. It is a MAN CAVE! Grow some B----, deal with the bugs, they keep the women out of the cave...:lol_hitti
 

veratyr

Member
Joined
Jan 24, 2009
Messages
9
Location
Minnesota
I have a solution for you.

My father is an entomologist of 30+ years, he's highly decorated and his name is known by most in the field. His house has been the guinea pig for all kinds of experiments over the years, and there was one product that really stuck out. It's called Termidor. http://www.termidorhome.com

It is a spray that is put down once a year around the outside of the house. You wouldn't think this would be effective, but believe me it is. There is no bug that will cross that line without dieing. So summer comes, all the bugs overwintering in your walls (theres thousands of them you dont know about) go outside, die in the process. then fall comes, and they start to come inside, but never make it when they hit that spray. You'll never see spiders again (that is what he tested on. he had a BAD yellow sac spider problem, gone with one application before fall)

Long story short, your garage will remain bug free if you treat the outside of your hosue with this stuff. the only way they will get past it is if you leave your garage door open (like all of us do) with lights on and the bugs fly in. then this method is useless. but if you keep the door shut, they will not make it into your garage. This stuff works wonders.

It's the "proper" way to treat for insects before they become a problem. It is marketed for termites, but works for all insects. you'll have to have a professional come out and do it, as this isnt something you can pick up at home depot. but believe me, this **** rocks.
 

Junkman

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 18, 2006
Messages
6,626
Location
Northeastern CT
Ask your dad what to do to get rid of white faced hornets and wasps. I live in the woods, and the bitting insects are the biggest problem. A few years ago, a yellow jacket nest fell from the tree in front, and it was the size of a football. Even though it fell from the tree, that didn't keep them from continuing to use it. I waited till night time, and unloaded two spray cans of wasp killer on it from a distance. Even that didn't eliminate all of them.
 

brad d

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 2, 2007
Messages
361
Location
Winnipeg
Ask your dad what to do to get rid of white faced hornets and wasps. I live in the woods, and the bitting insects are the biggest problem. A few years ago, a yellow jacket nest fell from the tree in front, and it was the size of a football. Even though it fell from the tree, that didn't keep them from continuing to use it. I waited till night time, and unloaded two spray cans of wasp killer on it from a distance. Even that didn't eliminate all of them.

My old old man once stuck the straw of a wd-40 can up a wasp nest and fogged the bastards with oil... they could not fly and just dropped out... i thought he was nuts:wtf:
 

goodfellow

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 17, 2006
Messages
2,288
Location
NoVA
Even with the fog and the bug spray, you still need to vacuum regularly. I do a house cleaning once a year. All the moveable equipment gets dragged outside blown off, lubed and serviced. Then the place gets thoroughly vacuumed and all the floor edges and corners get sprayed with insecticide.

It works, because I vac a ton of insect carcases along the floor edges every year. I also open up the welders and vac them out -- it's amazing what kind of critters can work their way through the screen on the bottom of old transformer welders:shocking:
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

BigChevy80

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 23, 2008
Messages
212
Location
Illinois
A few years ago, a yellow jacket nest fell from the tree in front, and it was the size of a football. Even though it fell from the tree, that didn't keep them from continuing to use it. I waited till night time, and unloaded two spray cans of wasp killer on it from a distance. Even that didn't eliminate all of them.

All you need is a 20 lb propane tank and a match. Best way to get rid of a nest. Make sure to have the hose out there as well, just to make sure the flaming nest doesn't catch the tree on fire! :shocking:
 

n1gzd

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 12, 2009
Messages
74
Damn, it seems some of you are like old ladies with their feather dusters and furniture doilies and coasters to protect the furniture. Some of you must have plants in the corner, ******* rugs, scented candles, carpet, Glade smelly devices around, and pictures of flowers on the walls. It is a MAN CAVE! Grow some B----, deal with the bugs, they keep the women out of the cave...:lol_hitti

Well, in my case it is the woman cave (husband has to ask permission before entering). However, I don't think that I am being a sissy in not wanting sand blast stand, dead bugs, stuff that blows in from the trees outside, mice etc, from getting everywhere because:

1) sometimes I try and paint in here and I don't want this stuff getting in the paint.
2) I don't want to attract mice (they can eat dead bugs) and other animals because they will start eating my car wiring and getting into the seat stuffing.
3) When I drop something (washer etc) I want to be able to find it.
4) When I am lying on the ground I don't want to get up all covered with **** (and then when I sit in the cars it gets in the cars).
5) I don't want a stray spark from welding to ignite the dust and bugs and start a fire.

A few reasons for starters.

Rebecca
(don't mind dead/live bugs and cobwebs in my house by the way, they don't do any harm)
 

Kevin54

MEMBER EMERITUS
Joined
Jan 12, 2005
Messages
29,341
Location
Urbana, Ohio
I have an air nozzle with a long extension on it. I keep the window sills, corners of the walls and ceilings blowed off. If the cobwebs won't come down with that, I have one of the plastic balls with an extension handle that is made for cobwebs and dust webs and use that. A couple of times a month, I fire the leafblower up and sweep out the garage using it. I'm in the country and if I have the doors open (which I always do in the summer) the bugs will get in. What I dislike more than the spiders is the flies that come out when the garage furnace warms the garage up. I cannot find where they are coming from. And fly **** does not come off of the sills or glass very easy.
 

Zoobee

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 14, 2006
Messages
55
I'm lucky... my little dog loves to eat bugs.. I gave up worrying she'd eat a bad one.. so with her help, sweeping and vacuuming.. I'm bug free. I like the bug bomb idea:bowdown:

You may not want her eating the bugs that have been bombed, however.
 

n1gzd

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 12, 2009
Messages
74
I also have a problem with leaves and plant matter (like the fuzzy things that float around in the spring) coming in and making huge piles in the corners. It seems that when the door is open there is a kind of wind tunnel that ***** this stuff in.
Rebecca
 

ghlkal

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 21, 2009
Messages
251
Location
Fredonia, WI
Interesting thread ...

My problem is flies - live ones, not dead. I hate it when I get fly specks on my cars :mad:

I've tried "fly bait," but it doesn't seem to work too well (maybe I don't use enough, or there's a better brand). I wonder if the "bug bomb" would work better.

Any suggestions?
 

RPH

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 17, 2006
Messages
4,190
Location
Michigan Thumb
Try using fly paper. It comes in rolls that you unfurl and hang. Sticky **** that lets nothing leave once it hits it. Including yourself. Get mine at TSC.
 

Stargeezer

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 12, 2009
Messages
347
Location
Central Nevada, USA
I keep a couple of THESE out in my shop and my garage, swapping them out for new ones about once a month. They are always FULL of spiders, crickets, nats, and mosquitoes.


ha Me too. But I get other nasty creatures besides the normal bugs:
spiderscorpion.jpg


Late last summer I was opening the rollup door. You know-stand there and pull it up to eye level on the first pull. There was this scene right at face level to really open my sleepy eyes. A nasty black (but brown?) widow type spider in the process of cacooning a sizable scorpoin. Bad-assed spider I'd say. Maybe a desert recluse spider. I had that door open the evening before after dark and guessing that when I closed it I happen to trap the scorpion with the rubber door seal and then this spider nabbed him. Just a guess though.

So I regularly put down the sticky strips in both the garage and house and have so far trapped more than a few things like this. We have Solphigids (vinegaroons) too; and they are sort of revolting when they become 5 inches across!
 
Joined
Nov 22, 2008
Messages
24
Location
Mount Pisgah, Massachusetts
I bought some of those sticky papers (sometimes called glue boards) from Lowes last fall.
Caught a ton o' critters with them so far.
The heat and light inside the garage seem to attract them.
I put the stickys under my tool cabinets, under the work bench, and inside the door openings at the edges away from walking feet.
 
Last edited:
OP
J

jgira12

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 25, 2008
Messages
188
I never thought my thread would get so much action! Here's another story: last summer I thought I could smell engine coolant from the car. I kept checking for leaks day after day but found nothing on the garage floor. It always seemed to be on the passenger side when I opened the hood. That is the water pump side so I kept checking it but never found a drop of antifreeze. Then one day I moved a pile of polishing towels I had piled in the corner near the car. Inside was a decomposing chipmunk stinking the area up. Yup, that was the smell I had associated with antifreeze...amazing how similar the odors are, especially when the chipmunk was half eaten by 1000s of maggots.....gruesome site to say the least. I'm sure you don't want to see a pic:shocking:
 

Kevin54

MEMBER EMERITUS
Joined
Jan 12, 2005
Messages
29,341
Location
Urbana, Ohio
Umm, Stargeezer, where do you live? ... I don't want to move there :scared:

No kidding :wtf: But I'd have to say that if I came out to the garage and seen a scorpion in the web like that, THAT spider would be a good friend and treated like Royalty. :)

I also have a problem with leaves and plant matter (like the fuzzy things that float around in the spring) coming in and making huge piles in the corners. It seems that when the door is open there is a kind of wind tunnel that ***** this stuff in.

No matter which way the garage door faces, it always creates a vortex that ***** everything in. I have built three garage that faced every direction but North and it is the same in each one. The wind comes around the corner and will take it right in to the garage. I don't know anything about the scientific aspect of it, but debris does not come in a 3' door if it is the only one open, but open a 9' door and the trash blows right in.:mad:
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
Top Bottom