White worms! Crawling across the ceiling, coming down on web strands

[TorturedSoul]

So I'm trying to set up this small grow. It's in the top of an old building. No heat to speak of in the Winter, roasting hot now, and woefully inadequate (120v) amperage. IOW, I have enough to deal with, lol.

I had time to go up there today. It was, as expected, miserably hot. What I didn't expect was to see white worms(?). They kind of look like maggots - if maggots were 3/4" to 1" long, crawled up the walls, across the ceiling, and then rappelled down on these single strand web(?) things that they must be able to create. WtF? Seriously, WtF? There was a jug of insect killer there, so I grabbed it and sprayed one of the SoBs - and it completely ignored the stuff!(!!!) Out of morbid curiosity - and undoubtedly a streak of meanness, along with a feeling of being invaded by unwelcome "guests" - I poured an inch or so of the bug poison into a plastic cup, then got one of the little b@stards on an index card that was handy and slapped it into the cup. That appeared to kill it - but I think only because the thing drowned (FFS!). I can't flood the area, lol.

Any ideas? Burning the place down is NOT an option :rolleyes3 . And I worry that they are the kind of critters who might hitch a ride home with me - and I don't want that!

There were also some flying critters. Not "buzz buzz buzz" like houseflies, these were silent (err... I think). More like some ugly little mutant moths, although that's just for comparison purposes, I'm no bug scientist. They do make a nasty dark gray or black mess when you smash one whilst trying to grab them, so not hard-shelled at all. I get the feeling their method of survival is produce as many as possible, rather than to be physically robust. IDFK, I'm really disgusted, out of money, and looking at a self-imposed deadline. I squashed (popped?) as many of the little worms as I could see - IDK, maybe 100? But there are all kinds of nooks and crannies there and part of the ceiling is too high to reach. And I wasn't high at all, so... I finally had to get out of there. Between the fact that my shirt was soaked clear through with sweat within three or four minutes of arriving and the mutant ninja fookin' worms, I had to get out of there before I went nuts.

If I could afford to buy about 18 of those aerosol flea bombs (there are several rooms, and I suppose I would be able to even though I am only supposed to be using one little closet), I'd fog the place.

HELP!!!

 

[Twox]

Sounds like pantry moth larvae or Indianmeal moth larvae. They are eating and breeding in something dry and edible to animals in your grow room. I would definetly search through your grow materials like soil additives and dry soils. Maybe even check your powdered nutrients and piles of dry leaves if you have them. You really need to find where ther coming from. They usually infest kitchens and feed and breed in dry products like cereal, oats, dog food, dry noodles, things of that nature. I'm not to sure if the moths will hurt your ladies but the sight of worms on the walls is enough psychological damage to warrant there destruction. I had a hard time reading your post. I actually left about a third of the way through but came back to help. Kinda made me feel sick. Lol..

Ideas to kill them? I would first try to find where ther coming from because if you find where ther eating that will be the end of them but as for poisons I would personally use sticky traps for the moths and something to treat the walls and floors. Either something strong in the poison department or something the a soft larva wouldn't like. Maybe a mild bleach or some hot sauce wiped on the walls? Lol, I'm sure those larva would hate anything spicy, not sure if those would effect your grow though.. All this talk about hot sauce is making me hungry. Hope this helps a bit or at least leads to you into the right direction.

 

[TorturedSoul]

Sounds like pantry moth larvae or Indianmeal moth larvae. They are eating and breeding in something dry and edible to animals in your grow room.

It's not so much the grow room as the building in general. Only part of it is currently in use. Much of it is full of 70+ years' worth of junk. I was looking for something or other a year or so ago and saw these huge porcelin(?) open-top containers (weighed enough full that I used the "tilt and roll" technique instead of trying to pick one of them up when I wanted to see what was behind it) full of... some kind of meal(?), decades-old seeds, you name it. I think some things are literally from the 1920s.

You really need to find where ther coming from.

EVERYWHERE!!! (Err... lol?)

They usually infest kitchens and feed and breed in dry products like cereal, oats, dog food, dry noodles, things of that nature.

Oh, good. That means if any stow away on my clothing and I don't notice before I get home, they'll start a new #%^&ing colony... Much of my food is dry stuff, since my refrigerator seems to work when it feels like it.

the sight of worms on the walls is enough psychological damage to warrant there destruction.

Walls, schmalls, lol - try looking up at the ceiling and then realizing you have to walk across the (large) room...

I had a hard time reading your post.

Imagine the time I had whilst visiting the area. I had a hard time writing it and it's not even my building.

I actually left about a third of the way through but came back to help. Kinda made me feel sick. Lol..

You'd have had a hard time working at some of the jobs I have had in the past, lol. But I understand.

Ideas to kill them? I would first try to find where ther coming from because if you find where ther eating that will be the end of them but as for poisons I would personally use sticky traps for the moths

Err... In case I used modifiers such as "a couple," "few," "some," or the like... I should state that I could probably use three or four sticky walls :rolleyes3 . I... think I might have one small yellow sticky card thing.

and something to treat the walls and floors. Either something strong in the poison department or something the a soft larva wouldn't like. Maybe a mild bleach or some hot sauce wiped on the walls? Lol, I'm sure those larva would hate anything spicy, not sure if those would effect your grow though.

IDK. I used a strong bleach-water solution to clean the closet area initially. I didn't really see any nasties at that time. But I've been in and out several times since. At one point, I yanked on the door to the uppermost floor (it was warped and sticking badly) and the whole thing fell one me, lol. The owner just said, "Yeah, don't worry about it, but try to walk where the floor joists are so you don't fall through (several floors) to the basement - there's probably enough junk down there already." So, you know... lots of open access points.

All this talk about hot sauce is making me hungry. Hope this helps a bit or at least leads to you into the right direction.

A couple days ago I walked over to the Taco Bell, went in, announced loudly that, "She forgot fire sauce again!" and grabbed two LARGE handfuls of packets of it so I could flavor the ol' bread sandwiches. (<SHRUGS> I ate huge meals there at least once a week and often three or more each week from the '80s to about the time I got too poor to eat at any restaurant, so I figure I've got a hefty balance of "condiments I've already paid for" to draw from, LMAO.)

I'll figure something out. Smashing the f*ckers definitely takes care of them on a one-at-a-time basis, but I was hoping that someone would mention a strong, commercially available, CHEAP insecticidal/etc. poison that I could douche pretty much the entire building with. It'd be easier than cleaning the whole place out - which I estimate would require 20+ average sized dumpsters. It's really a mess. I guess I'm lucky that I have not seen one cockroach there <~TS~ KNOCKS ON WOOD UNTIL HIS KNUCKLES BLEED>. IDK... I'd like to do this grow at home, but MY electrical capacity makes that building seem like it has its own substation, lol. Plus... Even though the likelihood of getting pinched is (hopefully) vanishingly small, I'd still feel the need to get rid of my (few) firearms.

Thanks for replying.

 

[Twox]

Sorry I couldn't help more, I figured I would chime in and at least try to help or at least bumb your thread. You sure have a situation on your hands and i wish you the best of luck. I would definetly buy a Umbrella and a rain coat and maybe some rubber boots but that's just me. A room raining worms sounds horrifying.

 

[TorturedSoul]

A room raining worms sounds horrifying.

Oh it is. But even I can see the humor in it.

I will go back Sunday evening and see how involved a project it would be to try to enclose my grow area a little better. And I will strongly consider running the grow in my own home after all. There is a gun cabinet at Mom's house that I can lock my rifle and shotgun up in. And my pistol... Mom generally keeps her .38 locked up in her closet because she is in her upper-mid 70s and rarely carries any more. I suppose I can have her lock mine up beside it... The weekly range practice has become monthly - and not always even that - because ammo costs money. This isn't a "bad" neighborhood (or city), so I do not expect to need it on a moment's notice. But one does not expect to require the use of their automobile and homeowner's insurance either, yet most folks would still pay for them even if the one wasn't required by law and the other by their lender. (Which reminds me: I heard on NPR the other day that after the recent flooding in Louisiana, it was found that only 80% of the people had flood insurance! Much of that area is near sea level (FFS!)... I think the elevation of Baton Rouge is only 56' - and the average elevation of New Orleans is below sea level. Not carrying flood insurance in that area seems comparable to eating nothing for two days except several jars of pickles and a couple boxes of ex-lax and then NOT planning to spend a great deal of time in the bathroom on the third day, lol ("It doesn't really matter what you plan...").)

 

[Jimmycricket]

pyrethirins would kill them.

 

[TorturedSoul]

pyrethirins would kill them.

The flying critters AND the crawlies (worms)? I cannot swear that these are two different stages of the same life form, but it seems like it might be the case.

A friend's wife has a citronella plant. I am going to going to try talking her into letting me have a cutting from it. It's not very large/bushy, but I am hoping.

 

[Jimmycricket]

pyrethirin would kill them both. I would do a pyrethirin bomb in the building it will kill all bugs inside and not hurt your plants.