Grasshopper larvae in awning track

Damdifino wrote:
At least I think it's grasshopper... Anyway, there's a channel in my Carefree awning roller that gets filled up with bug larvae whenever the awning is rolled up for storage for a few weeks. When I unroll it, there's a gooey, stinky mess consisting of bugs in various stages of development. Anyone have a trick to keep these critters out?

Happens here all the time. They are wasps, not grasshoppers. The larvae look like small green grasshoppers. If you watch you will see the wasps carrying in bits of dried grass to build the nest. They will also get into the window channels as the rubber shrinks with age.

I have learned to live with the fact that they are there. I usually open the awning every week or so and us a screwdriver to clean out the channel. Do the same in the window channels. I tried spraying the awning channel with Raid, but they still come back.

There are a variety of pesticides that are systemic and can be used to eliminate insects. Bayer makes such an insecticide and can be purchased at your local Home Depot. The ingredient you want is Imidacloprid. Carefully follow the label directions about dilution, more is not better.

To those using cut up flea collars, especially exposed in living spaces, do some due diligence and see if you want that type of chemical in your living space. There can be some very strong neurotoxins in these products and cutting the collar allows greater doses to be released. I wouldn't want them around me and I never used them on my pets.

Use flea collars

Duct tape