air-conditioningpest-control
I live in an older house, a duplex. I constantly see a few mosquitoes or gnats sneaking in and biting me at night. It's really annoying. It is mainly on the bottom floor, where the A/C vents go to the basement where I imagine they are getting in from.
Is there any special remedy or something to maybe block them off or find the source of how they are getting in?
Any ideas?
They're normal in gardens, but it's understandable that you'd want to be rid of them. Here are some chemical solutions, and other ways to control them.
There are plenty of recommendations out there on the web, but I can't say how well they work. I think the lifespan of a gnat is something along the lines of 15 days, so you basically just have to remove their food source, and they'll be gone in 2 weeks.
Clean dishes quickly, keep everything clean, get rid of potted plants (they feed on the manure found in many types of soil that you might get for potted plants) or cover the top layer of soil with an inch of sand to prevent them from getting to the manure, look for any dead animal bodies (rats, lizards, birds, etc.)
I've also seen ideas for traps, which supposedly work pretty well, but just because you catch some, that doesn't necessarily mean that you'll get rid of their breeding grounds. The basic idea is that you take a cup and put 1" of vinegar and one drop of dish soap in it, then cover it with something that resembles a funnel (curl up a piece of paper into a cone shape and cut the tip off.) They'll be able to fly in because the funnel will guide them downward, but they won't be able to get out so long as you seal between the lip of the glass and the funnel (maybe fold it back down on the outside of the glass and secure it with rubber bands. Like this:
Best Answer
Beyond visual inspection to find obvious holes, you can do a blower door test to find the source of leaks. I had one done as part of an energy audit (rebate program the government was running). You should be able to find an inspector in your area that offers this service, rent the equipment, or even just rig up something yourself (since you're not really concerned with measuring the actual loss, or comparing before/after numbers, just finding the leaks).
Basically, you shut all the doors/windows in your house, and then seal up one door with a big fan blowing out, and then turn it on. You'll be able to clearly feel any drafts where there are openings in your house.
Once you identify leakage, you can determine the best way to seal it up. Caulk and expanding foam are two very good options, and weather stripping for windows and doors can work well.
Some common sources of leaks:
Another benefit, aside from sealing out bugs, this will also increase the energy efficiency of your home and reduce your heating/cooling costs.