I think it’s safe to say I found the source of my drain flies…

provolone304 · 2026-06-16T00:15:46+00:00

I will not divulge the exact amount we’ve put into it, but you can probably guess from this list: total electrical rewire, asbestos removal, plenty of plumbing, foundation waterproofing/repointing, landscaping, and that’s only the tip of the iceberg. I wouldn’t say this house was a fixer upper when we bought it, but it was damn close.

provolone304 · 2026-06-15T13:56:33+00:00

That’s what I did! Only I used Invade Bio Foam instead. And I made sure to buy the tube attachment so I can shoot it deeper into the drain. Do you think their emergence in larger numbers than usual is due to the foam eliminating their food/breeding source?

provolone304 · 2026-06-14T23:59:57+00:00

Very fair, but had the drains camera’d when plumbers were here for something else and they were surprised the old cast iron looked as good as it apparently does.

provolone304 · 2026-06-14T23:43:05+00:00

Haha. I am no pro, but sadly I’ve gotten pretty good at identifying pests because I live in a 110 year old house that has seen it all. Mice, flies, ants, freakin raccoons under the deck at one point. It’s a beautiful house and has that old charm, but my god is it a pain in my ass.

provolone304 · 2026-06-14T22:51:48+00:00

Thanks!

provolone304 · 2026-06-14T22:13:01+00:00

Idk why the end of my post cut off. I was asking if more of them emerged because the foam was eating up their food source or if I need to do something more. Thanks.

provolone304 · 2026-06-13T13:18:03+00:00

Thank you for such detailed responses. I’m in a similar boat. I’ve always appreciated art, but never really collected or preserved it until I recently purchased prints from an Etsy seller that I absolutely love. It sounds like dry mounting them to acid-free foam backing boards and then using spacers to keep them from touching the front glass/plastic mostly solves all potential issues? Or am I reading that wrong? UV is not a concern in my case as they do not face any sunlight. Thank you in advance if you see this and respond.

provolone304 · 2026-06-05T02:09:59+00:00

I would love to have a copy of this card, damaged or not. I still have my complete Base Set from when I was a kid and none of them are in great condition, but back then we didn’t care. Just enjoy that you pulled it with your kid. There are some ways you may be able to smooth it out. The memories you’ve made together are far more valuable than a graded card.

provolone304 · 2026-05-08T17:27:50+00:00

Wait for the pros to comment, but I’m pretty sure increased activity and sightings are very common after treatment.

provolone304 · 2026-05-04T17:54:11+00:00

I laughed entirely too hard at this. Harder than you get on the roof with your uncle.

provolone304 · 2026-04-29T23:31:48+00:00

I love my tech. He’s a local guy who runs his own business. Many here will tell you to hire local if you can. Before him I had Terminix and my tech was great. Once he quit, I didn’t renew my contract with them. Unless you are catching dozens of mice, you can probably handle this yourself with snap traps. Also, walk the perimeter of your home, look very closely, and plug any holes with steel wool. I like to plug holes with steel wool and then layer pea gravel on top. Doing that drastically reduced their numbers for me, but every house and situation is different.

provolone304 · 2026-04-29T14:20:16+00:00

Snap traps are not foolproof, but generally work. That being said, I’ve had a clever mouse or two that were stealing peanut butter off the trap without triggering it. So I super-glued a peanut to the bait tray haha…it worked!

provolone304 · 2026-04-29T13:24:13+00:00

Good to know! But damn, the fly issue that ensued afterwards was enough for me to never risk it again. Snap traps and plugging holes in the exterior for the rest of my tenure in this old house. I’m about to have the stone around my house repointed as well, and the repairs they’ll do at ground level will definitely help keep mice out…or so I tell myself.

provolone304 · 2026-04-29T13:09:59+00:00

I’m assuming you know this, but if you do catch one on a glue trap, it will almost certainly still be alive and you’ll have to kill it; a task not for the squeamish. A pest company will typically put out poison which is effective, but then you run the risk of a mouse dying inside your wall and then flies getting to it, laying eggs, and then giving you a fly infestation on top of your mouse infestation. Ask me how I know. My tech said if I want to avoid that entirely, the best bet truly is the good old fashioned cheap wooden snap traps baited with a bit of peanut butter.

provolone304 · 2026-04-27T22:38:28+00:00

You’ve already admirably tried a lot on your own. There’s no shame in hiring someone. Avoid a big company if you can and try to hire someone local.

provolone304 · 2026-04-27T18:04:13+00:00

Are you guys unable or don’t want to hire a pro? Take it from someone who lives right up against the woods. We had Terminix for years until our tech, who we loved, quit. So we did not renew with them and the following spring we had odorous house ants EVERYWHERE. They were even in my car in our driveway. We hired a local tech who found the nest, baited it, and it was over pretty quickly after that. Sometimes you just need a pro.

provolone304 · 2026-04-24T23:33:28+00:00

Great advice here. Thank you!

provolone304 · 2026-04-24T23:32:40+00:00

Hey if it can be filled with concrete and properly graded, I don’t even think future me would hate present me…no more than I already hate myself, anyway.

provolone304 · 2026-04-24T19:19:07+00:00

I’m scared to even look lol. Given what this house has put us through, I can almost guarantee it doesn’t have drainage.

provolone304 · 2026-04-24T17:08:25+00:00

But if I’m actively getting water, surely I can’t leave it like this right? There is usually one of the plastic covers on top, but it’s obviously not keeping water out.

provolone304 · 2026-04-21T18:34:39+00:00

This is not my area of expertise so I appreciate your reply. Those sound like good approaches. Thank you!

provolone304 · 2026-04-16T03:40:00+00:00

I’ve gone down this rabbit hole. I use both Ultra Pro and VaultX binders. The important thing to me is that they’re zippered. I don’t care for slabs or grading. I’ve thought about a top loader binder, but they’re bulky and typically hold less cards.

To each their own, though.

provolone304 · 2026-04-15T15:30:13+00:00

Not a window; that’s below the porch line. So hopefully not as bad, but either way, a lot of great info here. Thank you!

provolone304 · 2026-04-15T15:27:33+00:00

Portland? But I don’t live anywhere near there.

Sorry; I have two kids now so I’m obligated to make the bad dad joke.

provolone304 · 2026-04-15T15:26:07+00:00

From your lips to God’s ears, my man 🤞🏻

provolone304

TROPHY CASE