What do you suppose happens to bugs you suck up in a vacuum hose? I have a central vac so they don't go through a fan like in a convertible upright such as a Hoover or a Eureka. Do they just go through the hose and the tubes until they hit the can? Do they explode because of the low air pressure or go so fast that they crash into the can or into the tubes at the bends? Could they survive? I put a hand over the open end of the hose to increase the suction. I always put one end of the hose in the other when I disconnect the hose from the outlet after such an operation just in case the bug is left in the hose. I don't want a wasp crawling back out looking for revenge.
What Happens to Bugs You Suck Up In the Vacuum?
- Thread starter tomturbomatic
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They die... the air pressure and the high cfm render then DOA within seconds...I even hunt flies with the hose and win 99% of the time!
Yes,I pick up bugs with my vacuums-Central units or Kirby,NSS M1,Royal metal and so on.Roaches,ants,and centipede like things.Newest "bug catcher" is my just acquired Silver King vacuum I bought from a VCC member.When I look inside any of the machine-the bugs are torn up by the fan or the air currents in the vacuum container or bag.The air going thru an insects "Spiracles"-breathing holes-dehydrates them quickly.Insects don't have lungs-the air goes right to the bloodstream and organs directly.This works against them when they have to deal with the powerful air currents from a vacuum cleaner.The waterworks going on in my area now have really stirred up the bugs.
Thank you, this is great to know. I try to always approach them from the front and they don't even try to fly away; they just get whisked away. Approached from the rear, they will fly away. I hope that they don't explode inside the hoses or pipes. That could leave sticky and rough places that would trap dirt.
twintubdexter
Well-known member
hate them indoor bugs
A few years ago I had one of those made-for-bugs hand-held vacuums which did a good job. It had a long extendable wand with a capture cup at the suction end, but the best part was where the bug ended up. He was sucked into a see-through chamber and onto a wire grid where he was electrocuted. You not only got to see him die, but often there would be sparks and a nice sizzle sound...payback time for that bug coming into your house without an invite.
A few years ago I had one of those made-for-bugs hand-held vacuums which did a good job. It had a long extendable wand with a capture cup at the suction end, but the best part was where the bug ended up. He was sucked into a see-through chamber and onto a wire grid where he was electrocuted. You not only got to see him die, but often there would be sparks and a nice sizzle sound...payback time for that bug coming into your house without an invite.
I would seriously doubt that the small pressure drop in a vacuum would do anything to a insect. My hunch is that they end up in the bag to die slowly unless they were injured as they were being slammed around in the piping. In any case they are sequestered so you won 
There was some famous exterminator on a cable TV channel shown using a vacuum cleaner to suck up roaches in a *VERY* infested home.
Cannot recall name of program but the guy went to a house somewhere in the south that looked like something out of a horror film. Roaches were *Everywhere*; behind pictures, in and on furniture, behind appliances, cabinets, etc... Guy used a shoulder strapped on vac to Hoover them up. Am assuming afterwards there would be fumigating and other methods to get at those he couldn't reach with vacuum.
After watching promptly went and took a long hot shower where nearly scrubbed most of my skin off. *LOL*
Cannot recall name of program but the guy went to a house somewhere in the south that looked like something out of a horror film. Roaches were *Everywhere*; behind pictures, in and on furniture, behind appliances, cabinets, etc... Guy used a shoulder strapped on vac to Hoover them up. Am assuming afterwards there would be fumigating and other methods to get at those he couldn't reach with vacuum.
After watching promptly went and took a long hot shower where nearly scrubbed most of my skin off. *LOL*
Maybe
Think it may have been "Billy The Exterminator" series on A&E
Say this because the guy's house didn't seem that cluttered. Just a typical one story sort of house you find all over the South, but man did he have a bad roach infestation!
Think it may have been "Billy The Exterminator" series on A&E
Say this because the guy's house didn't seem that cluttered. Just a typical one story sort of house you find all over the South, but man did he have a bad roach infestation!
Remember one horror movie I have where the exterminator sucked roaches in a hip type vacuum-he called it the "RSU"Roach Sucking Unit!He was shown vacuuming roaches from under a kitchen sink in the movie-trying to remember the title.
norgeway
Well-known member
A Rainbow
Works great on wasps and hornets. Drowns the devils instantly! Back in the 80s when I sold them I was told by a woman, If you can get rid of a wasp nest I will buy it. I pulled the brush out of the dusting brush and sucked them up. nest and all. she paid cash!!!LOL
Works great on wasps and hornets. Drowns the devils instantly! Back in the 80s when I sold them I was told by a woman, If you can get rid of a wasp nest I will buy it. I pulled the brush out of the dusting brush and sucked them up. nest and all. she paid cash!!!LOL
I'll have to relate my "bad Santa" episode with the central vacuum. In our first home in Palm Desert, Ca, we had lots of sliding doors and tall ceilings. Well, one day a hummingbird flew in through an open door and flew around and flew around. And flew around for 2 days! I kept all the doors opened at long as I could and used a broom, a lawn racket, even my tennis racket on a pole hoping to get the bird towards a door. No Luck. So on the 4th day, I'd had enough. I went to the garage, rummaged in my parts boxes for 15 feet of wands, plugged in the hose and in under 5 minutes, yes, you know the answer! What was I supposed to do? Wait until it died of natural causes? I went out to the garage to the tank, gently removed the bird and gave it a little burial in my garden next to the trickling fountain. I hope death was instantaneous...it had to travel through almost 175 feet of pipe. There!
Interesting what happens between biology and "stuff kids tell other kids, just to gross each other out!"...
-- Dave
-- Dave
Was doing a maintenance job at an AM transmitter plant that haden't been visited for YEARS-a wasp nest was near the transmitter.Got NSS M1 vacuum from the car and sucked the nest up-wasps and all.My NSS had the dump-shake out bag on it.Shook out the wasps remains and shredded nest!Then continued on with the maintenance.Vacuumed out a half bushel of dust adn ebris from the Tx adn phasor-then replaced some weak tubes.Station playing "clean" and loud again-a place near Baltimore.Like how the Rainbow Drowns what it picks up-will have to revive some of my Rainbows in my vac collection.My NSS shreds it.-Goes thru the big suction fan.
Bugs In Vacuum Cleaners
I would agree with my Brother Phil, The CV would not kill most insects so they just stay in the container and die, there is almost no danger that they would remain in th long hose as it only takes a few seconds at most for them get all the way to the CV container.
I would agree with my Brother Phil, The CV would not kill most insects so they just stay in the container and die, there is almost no danger that they would remain in th long hose as it only takes a few seconds at most for them get all the way to the CV container.
My Beam Elctrolux unit picked up a large roach from under the sink-after the vacuuming session looked in the bin-he was torn apart!Another central vacuum in my collection a bagged MD Silentmaster was using Kirby with it as a powernozzle-checked the giant open top bag after the vacuuming session-a large roach greeted me!So put the lid back on-and started the unit-checked again--roach torn apart.How he survived the Kirby rollerbrush and fan intact is a mystery.There has been a large number of insects around lately-figure the digging and waterpipe work must be stirring them up.My yard adn most of the neighbors are dug up becuase the water company here is replacing the old water mains.Be glad when its over.Much less lawn to mow!The pipefitters used a large horizontal boring machine to lay the pipe under my driveway.Work is interesting to watch.
I read some years back that ordinary vacuum cleaning makes short work of fleas.
Now, fleas are very durable critters, which you may know if you've ever tried to crush one between your fingers. But apparently the combination of vacuum and physical trauma of getting sucked into the hose etc. tears them up enough to cause them to die sooner than later.
I don't know if a dust buster type of vac would have the same lethal effect.
Now, fleas are very durable critters, which you may know if you've ever tried to crush one between your fingers. But apparently the combination of vacuum and physical trauma of getting sucked into the hose etc. tears them up enough to cause them to die sooner than later.
I don't know if a dust buster type of vac would have the same lethal effect.
Ticks are the "critters" that are tough.Did some walking thru some woods to do more radio work--and you feel them slowly crawling up your legs and back.Was with a freind.We picked the ticks off each other and used a hammer to DRIVE them into the top of a plywood table!No guts came out!!What are those things made of???The table was at a transmitter site.There are now sevrl "Spread eagled" ticks driven into that table--battle scars!!!
