Said It Here

How to permanently stop bugs coming out of a wall crack

Insects and larvae keep emerging from specific wall slits even after cleaning, which leads people to seek heavy-duty chemical treatments to completely kill the infestation before resorting to professional exterminators. The difficulty is stopping the pests at the source inside the wall cavity rather than just killing the ones visible on the surface.

What people tried

Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.

  1. 1
    Vacuuming the pantry and the slit thoroughly
  2. 2
    Checking food for contamination
  3. 3
    Calling pest control
  4. 4
    Using natural pest control methods
  5. 5
    Buying copper mesh to fill gaps
  6. 6
    Searching online pictures to identify the insect species
  7. 7
    Using aerosol wasp and hornet sprays
  8. 8
    Sealing entry gaps with expanding foam
  9. 9
    Flooding nests with dish detergent and water
  10. 10
    Waiting until winter for them to die off naturally
  11. 11
    Hiring an exterminator
  12. 12
    Using corn cellulose baits
  13. 13
    Structural exclusion
  14. 14
    Using Terro ant bait traps
  15. 15
    Mixing Advion with water in a sprayer
  16. 16
    Wiping down spots with a 50/50 mix of water and white vinegar to eliminate scent trails
  17. 17
    Sealing food and snacks
  18. 18
    Applying caulking to cracks around windows and doors
  19. 19
    Taping a plastic bag over the electrical socket
  20. 20
    Spraying wasp spray into the gaps
  21. 21
    Spraying poison powder into the crack
  22. 22
    Using aerosol carpenter bee foam cans at awkward angles
  23. 23
    Switching to insecticide dust with a bulb applicator
  24. 24
    Sealing the entry point with spray foam insulation
  25. 25
    Spot treating entryways with Alpine WSG
  26. 26
    Searching landscaped areas around the structure for nests
  27. 27
    Using gel bait treatments like Advion in indoor cracks and crevices

In their words

Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.

I started seeing yellowjackets inside my finished basement. Just one or two a day, but I’m certain temperatures we’d be getting 5+.source ↗

Yesterday I found the issue- they are coming and going all day long out of the penetration where my air conditioner gets its electricity.source ↗

I emptied a can of Raid Yellowjacket/wasp spray into the penetration yesterday and today found a good 20 or so of them dead, but still a ton coming and going. What do y’all like to use?source ↗

Easterncoaster · r/HomeImprovement · 3 upvotes

I rent and we get rats coming inside the walls in the cold weather, and it's that time of year again.source ↗

In past had exterminator leave bait for them that he said would kill them and then the corpse would dehydrate and wouldn't smell in the walls.source ↗

I tried looking online and found some corn cellulose baits like Wilson and Ratrid (in Canada) that are supposed to do that, but there's no poison, just corn fibre. I can't tell how well it works because the reviews are all over the place.source ↗

Free_Traffic_3847 · r/Pestcontrol · 3 upvotes

Carpenter Bees have found this to be a nice spot to drill the sh*t out of my house.source ↗

This is a pain in the ass application situation because of the narrow gap of the overhang and the fact that I can't clearly see all the holessource ↗

GoodsVT · r/Pestcontrol · 3 upvotes

recently i started noticing thooosee aagain coming out of this particular slit, i poured the vodka and they all came out along with maggots, but i cant figure what the hell are these and what to do in order to get rid of them from that slit!!!source ↗

weltschmerzo · r/Pestcontrol · 2 upvotes

Recently I discovered wasps were entering my kitchen from behind an electrical outlet.source ↗

They're going in about ten feet off the ground, so it's not somewhere I can get to easily — especially in a way where I can retreat quickly if needed.source ↗

I've sprayed with Raid wasp spray, but I don't think it's getting *in there* enough to really kill them off.source ↗

I can't get up to the crack(s) without climbing a ladder, and I don't really want to try that in the middle of a swarm of wasps.source ↗

Steerider · r/HomeMaintenance · 1 upvotes

Guys I need the most lethal, potent poison to get rid of them!!! I need tips before I call pest control. I don’t want the natural stuff either! I want the real deal killer! I want them gone!!!source ↗

Evergreen004 · r/Pestcontrol · 1 upvotes

I was mostly wondering what I should do?source ↗

I bought copper mesh to fill the gaps eventually but I wasn’t sure what to do before that.source ↗

I don’t want to kill a bee or even a wasp if it’s a good pollinator that won’t destroy my home.source ↗

tayloralysweet · r/Pestcontrol · 1 upvotes

Seeking advice on how to combat Yellowjacket infestation. I learned late not to seal opening. The entry point, from what I can tell, is sealed with spray foam insulation. That has resulted in a ton of bees coming out on the inside (I’ve identified one spot where they seem to be coming out from).source ↗

forgivemepleaseee · r/Pestcontrol · 1 upvotes

I sprayed Alpine Wsg by spot treating as close as possible as I could to their entryways points, but some of the exact ones are hard to find. They’ll leave for a day then pop up in full force at other places I haven’t sprayed.source ↗

Melodic-Thought-932 · r/Pestcontrol · 1 upvotes

these little suckers are all around my room coming in through my window ac unit, any advice on how to get rid of them without having to spend so much money on and exterminator?source ↗

Complete-Musician908 · r/CleaningTips

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