Me and my hubby just recently bought a house. It is 50 years old. The basement has wood paneling in it. Just a few minutes ago I saw my cat attacking the paneling (where the two meet), and it was a bug. Oh GOSH! I ran.

When my hubby gets home he is going to take off all the wood paneling and that will leave us with insulation/OR the basement cement walls. Once we take the paneling off what should we do to kill the bug and his friends (there is never just ONE)?

Need any and all advice about new residence, 50 year old home, and making sure all bugs are not living with us.-Oh so gross.

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~ An anonymous mommysaver

you will need to catch one the bugs and identify it. Some bugs respond to certain things and some won't.

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When they find the center of the universe, how many people will be upset they are not it.

I live in the country in a hundred + farm house. Bugs are a fact of life. Only the newest houses keep them out, and it only last so long even then.

However if the bug is something wood eating or otherwise destructive, you probably need to ask a professional to look. They can really hurt the value of your house!!!

If they aren't destructive but really annoy you, you can bug bomb the house. It's pretty toxic though!!

Good luck!

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Sarah

How much freaking out is called for, as well as what course of action is needed all depends on what kind of bug it is.
Some are loners who just wander in and would really rather be outdoors - others see various parts of your house as either a tasty snack or a great place to settle down and raise a family of their own.

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When life hands you lemons, ask for tequila and salt and call me over!
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Handle every stressful situation like a dog. If you can't eat it or play with it, pee on it and walk away.
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Don't point. You'll poke holes in the air and all the faeries will escape.

If it's just one bug you saw and you haven't seen any others, try not to panic. It could be a little guy that just took a wrong turn on his way home from work.

Does your state require termite inspections before you purchase a home? I believe it's a requirement in our state. While the bug people are checking for termites, they'll usually let you know if there are any other critters about.

If you do happen to see evidence of other bugs, the best thing to do is call a pest control company and have them get rid of the bugs. However, since your dh will be removing the paneling tonight and you won't have time to get a bug company out there on such short notice, the best thing to do is to arm you and your dh with a couple of cans of Raid.

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