What is going on with all these flying squirrels?

I have a question:
What is going on with all these flying squirrels that I am hearing about, my neighbor had one in her attic and I have one in my basement?
Answer:
I believe it's the mild weather of recent winters that's allowing a population explosion. A normal, very cold winter often causes food shortages and kills the offspring by starvation and same species predation. Yes, thats right! These oh so cute creatures will eat anything, they will especially kill and eat each other to survive.
So, if there's plenty of food around outside they do not need to eat their young and we then end up with a serious over-population proble.
They are the most difficult of all pests to get rid of. They are nocturnal and gain access to homes through multiple smal holes. They can chew cables and cause fires, they defecate and cause stains and smells and health hazards. They really are a nuisance. They can glide 150 feet or more. So cutting trees down makes little difference. They really have to be trapped and eliminated. There are often groups of 6-8 living together.
Get an inspection to make sure it's not mice causing the problem. Don't ignore them. Most people have never seen one, believe me they are all around us.

How many more mice in my house?

I have a question:
We are having a mouse problem we have already caught six how many more are in my house?
Answer:
There very well could be. Rodents reproduce very rapidly and usually. They can have litters from 1-24 although 9-10 is more usual.
Those numbers make my skin go cold. You either live with mice and their nasty side effectas or you eliminate them.
There's no compromise. An external bait system makes sure they stay outside. When they get in they can do all sorts of damage and their feces and urine can cause many illnesses and horrible smells. If you have already caught 6 there are probably a lot more.
Sets lots of snap traps 10-20 should be enough to knock the population down.
Be vigilant keep the traps in place alongside walls for as long as possible. Get an external baiting programme. Please do not use glue boards they are so cruel. A mouse will try to pull him self off and can take the skin off his feet or nose. Humane traps where you take the little mouse to the woods will be killed by other mice as they are territorial.

Small Tubes running down my basement wall

I have a question:
We have small tubes running down the basement wall what is it?
Answer:
They could possibly be termite tubes, if you have them get them check out. They look like light brown tubes made from sandy material. The termites use them to travel around looking for wood to eat.
This is actually a good sign it at least tells you that you have them. Sometimes termites can go undetected for many years causing lots of damage. Prevention is much better than the repai options. We even have devices that can detect them before they get into your house.
I think it's always safest to have your home pretreated to ensure that you never get termites. Borates are the safest, most effective long lasting treatment you can have withou poisoning our environment.

Spiders in the basement

I have a question:
There are lots of spiders in my basement, will they come upstairs or will they just stay where they are? I don't use the basement often so I don't care if they stay there.

Answer:
This is a difficult one, spiders will attempt to live wherever they can according to their species. They are almost always beneficial and most horror stories about hem are just that, stories.
The kindest and most effective way to stop them living in your house is to prevent them making webs or burrows. Take away their habitat and they will go somewhere else. Isn't that great?

No nasty chemicals and you've got rid of the pest. If you can live with them, then do so. If you can't, spray the areas where they make cobwebs with a citrus based cleaning solution. This is thought to prevent thyem attaching their webs so they just go away.

Termite Contract:

Question:
I have recently bought a house which had termites, the original owners said that I need to get an Annual inspection every year even though they had it treated 3 years ago. Do I need to have this?
Answer:
I strongly disagree with those contracts. They should stand by the treatment.
We don't charge for our guarantee. You will have to read the original contract. It usually makes you buy a guarantee.
It's a part of the revenue source for that type of company.

My dogs pee on my lawn

I have a question:
My dogs pee on the lawn and I am getting brown patches in several places. I let them go out on their own in the yard so I have no control of where he goes. I have one male and one female.
Answer:
The quickest answer to give is to train your dog to go somewhere else. That's easier to say than to do.
The cheapest and often most effective way to reduce and stop the stains is to apply a heavy watering to the area. This dilutes the nitrogen that's contained in the dogt urine. If this doesn't work one of the local hardware stroes should be able to supply you with a neutralizing product. It's best to try water and retraining first.
Female dogs usually get the blame, but it's more to do with the way they urinate (squatting) than their sex. The stain causing nitrogen is the same in both sexes.

Where are the worms in my garden?

I have a question:
When I was growing up and my father dug his spade into the soil we always use to have worms, I have dug several areas of my yard amd no worms.
Where have they gone?
Answer:
Chemicals! Fertilizers and nasty pesticides are responsible for destroying the habitat of worms amd micro organisms that produce healthy natural soil.
Nature designed a wonderful system but mankind decided to do 'better'. If you want to see worms, and bees STOP using chemicals. We have an abundance of natural materials that will not only keep the soil as nature intended but will also make your lawn look better, your veggies will taste better and your garden will be safe for you to enjoy.

Insects in my food cupboard

I have a question:
I found some insects in my rice which I bought about 3 weeks ago. I clean my cupboards out on a regular basis, I try to store grains in containers how can I prevent this from happening again?
Answer:
These are probably Indian Meal Moths. They almost always get brought into your home by coming in food packages such as cereals and dry pet food.
A quick cheap fix is to store grains, flour, cereal, rice and dog food etc in sealed plastic food containers.
We keep our parrot's food in the freezer to ensure any bugs are killed by the cold temperatures.

If you have moths flying around swat them and wipe our your cupboards with soapy cloth to remove any eggs that may have been laid.

Organic Lawn Care

I have a question:
My neighbor recommended you for Organic Lawn care. What is the difference in what you use to what I bought last year at the hardware store?

Answer:
Most fertilizers that are bought in stores are manufactured using chemicals and all sorts of added synthetic fillers. It is well proven that the use of such materials have damaging actions when they are washed into streams, lakes, ponds or any other are that they are not supposed to go.
They usually contain high amounts of nitrogen which cannot be used by your plants. So you are also wasting money.
Natural organic fertilizers are what nature intended, they cannot be formulated with artificially high amounts of Nitrogen.

Plastic Shower Curtains

I have a question, I know that you specialize on insects. I hate using those plastic shower curtains in my bathroom as they give off a very strong odor, I have opened it outside and left it there for a few hours and it still smells. Is there an alternative one?
Answer:
We use a cotton shower curtain with No Chemical Odors. They cost more but can be washed over and over so are probably cheaper in the long run and they don't smell. There are also organic shower curtains check them out online.
If you are getting alot of mold growing on your curtain or bathroom walls you should think about getting it checked out.
You could have other issues, which should be attended to.

Any treatments use Environmentally Friendly that are safe for you, your family and the environment. Be Safe

Woodpeckers

Question:
I have woodpeckers making holes in my garage, we had it shingled back in the springtime why are they doing this?

Answer:

Try my old remedy of installing shaving mirrors with the magnifying side pointed towards the woodpecker hole. It doesn't scare them every time but usually works very well.

Lyme Disease

Question:
My wife had lyme disease a few years ago, is it a good idea to get our yard sprayer for flea/tick treatment?

Answer:
I'm sure your wife would not want to take the risk of being bitten again. Prevention is much better than cure. With most pests it's important to reduce the adult breeding population as drastically and quickly as possible.
It's usual to repeat the process every six months to kill of invaders from surrounding areas.

Use a company that does Environmentally Friendly Treatments that are safe for you, your family and the environment.

Snakes in my wall

Question:
I have a place at a local lake. It has a 40 foot loose rock seawall. Some water snakes have taken up living in the rocks. It is disconcerting, if not dangerous, to swimming children.
Is there an environmentally friendly method, such as moth balls or other products, which might convince the snakes to leave?

Answer:
Thankfully yes. There are some great, safe products available now that will make almost all critters go away without harming them or causing any nasty side effects. We use small containers that allow the repellents to work over a long period of time with no environmental converns.

When is the best time to do my final fertilizing?

Question:
When is the best time to do my final fertilizing? We have many trees should I wait for the leaves to fall off before I do anything?

Answer:
Now is a good time, but remember most trees do not benefit from added nitrogen.

If your trees are weak nitrogen in fertilizers can often do more damage than good.
Email me for specific tree feeding.

Composting

Question:
We are cleaning up our yard pulling out the old veggie plants and I would like to compost them. My friend told me that we will get rodents eating the stalks she has a compost bin which is sealed off and still get rats please advise.

Answer:
Yours best defense against all rodents is a clean yard, but that's often easier to say than do. This weekend I cleaned up a lot and left a lot as soon as my back started to ache. You can only do your best. It's proven impossible to kill all rodents. Billions of dollars are spent annually to try and control them. I like to dig a deep trench to put my veggie waste into and I cover the layers with soil.
This will compost and it gives your garden a good start for next season. Most rats and mice are not going to spend too much time digging for veggie waste. They will move on to find easier pickings.

Ticks in my yard

Question:
Every year we get ticks in our yard, big ones little ones, all sorts. We want to use some kind of pesticide but I am afraid it might contaminate our well or hurt my dog.
Do you have any suggestions?

Answer:

At this time of the year we start our tick and flea program.
These horrible little creatures have already started to move around after their winter layover.
We use a plant based oil that kills them all without risk to you, your pets or your well. The treatment is in two parts one in the springtime to kill last year's adults and another in the fall to kill any juvenile that may have come in from other areas. The products we use are the same as those used by organic farmers so you know they are safe.
You will need to check your area for someone who does Environmentally Friendly Treatments that are safe for you, your family and pets.

Skunks in my yard

Question:
My neighbor tends to leave trash outside and now we are having a problem with skunks.
I have mentioned this to her but it has made no difference.
Is there anything I can do to stop them coming over into my yard?
I am also worried about attracting rats.

Answer:
Skunks are omnivorous; they will eat just about anything including garbage, carrion, mice and moles.
They actually do more good than harm. But it really is a matter of good house keeping to remove or securely cover possible food sources such as garbage, pet food, dead animals (birds etc.) and piles of leaves and yard debris which can harbor the things they like to eat.
If you can come into contact with them just keep quiet and they will probably go on their way.
Skunks will spray as a last resort.
Try again with your neighbor to get her to clean up.
Be Safe.

Trees right up against the house

Question:
We have trees right up against the house, last year we had black ants in the bedrooms, if I feed the trees will this stop the black ants?
Answer:
When ants start appearing in your house it usually means they are looking food, have set up a new colony or are going to start a new colony.
No matter what their reason is most people don't want them. The little black ants can be a real nuisance but don't really do much damage.
The big black ones could be Carpenter Ants and they can do a lot of damage by chewing to make tunnels in the wood of your home to make a gallery to nest in.
Look out for 'sawdust' with bits of black ants parts in it.
If you see this you need to get a full inspection.
Only use Environmentally Friendly Treatments that are safe for you, your family and the environment.

Rats running around my yard

Question:
I have just bought a house and have rats running around my yard, I never leave garbages or anything around to entice them, I am afraid that they will come into my house. What can I do?

Answer:
They are there to eat something. They are crossing your yard to get to a food supply.
Rats and mice do not normally venture into open spaces, they prefer the security of running up against the side of walls or hedges. A food source will tempt them to take risks.
As a precaution you may consider setting rat traps in an appriate place in your basement, away from easy pet access.
Remember that a rat trap will easily crush and break a finger of kill a cat or dog.
Take lots of care they can be dagerous.
If the rats are abundant you really should call a professional. Particularly someone who won't use poisons that put everyone at risk.

Roaches in my yard

Question:
My husband found roaches in the yard when we were cleaning up and mulching the old wood pile.
The cockroaches were mulched with the sticks will this be the end of them?
Answer:
The kinds of roaches that live in wood piles are the kind that stick their eggs to wood, stones or anything that will keep them hidden.
If you want to spread roaches use mulch that has been made from roach infested tree stumps and waste. The eggs have probably not been treated and you will soon have big juicy roaches hanging out in your home as soon as we get a frost.
Grinding up stumps and sticks will not be sufficient to kill all of the eggs.

Noises in my attic

Question:
Late at night I sometimes hear noises in my attic almost like marbles being rolled around.
Sometimes it's so loud that it keeps me awake. Any ideas?

Answer:
It could well be mice playing with acorns or seeds. The noise is usually disproportionate to their size.
There are many ways to safely get rid of them. An inspection comes first and then a recommended course of action, but always you should have an external safe baiting system set up to eliminate them before they come into the house.
Of course it may be squirrels.
Look for obvious entry holes which may have been chewed by the squirrels. These pests can actually cause much more damage than mice. It is quite important to get rid of squirrels quickly.

Can I pour Bleach directly on to Mold?

Question:
Can I pour Bleach directly on the mold in the basement to kill it?
My friend does this all the time to keep the mold down.

Answer:
If you pour bleach directly on to most growing organisms it will kill them. The main consideration should be what else am I killing or poisoning, how can you control spills, what happens if the bleach mixes with other household cleaners such as ammonia?
There are so many permutations you would need to be a pharmacist to make sure that it's safe. I doubt that any pharmacist would use bleach.
This really sound like a situation where you should get a free inspection. Don't put yourself and family at risk.
If your friend is repeatedly using bleach then it appears it's not working very good.

I highly recommend she finds out what's causing the problem before she does anything she should contact a company that does Environmentally Friendly Treatments that are safe for you, your family and the environment.

I Found a Cockroach in my suitcase

Question:
We recently stayed at a hotel in a large city. When we got home I found a cockroach in my suitcase. Any advice?
My house is spotless amd I don't leave food around.

Answer:
The most common cockroaches are German Cockroaches. They really don't care too much about the condition of your house although they thrive in warm, moist, dark places were plenty of greasy food remains. These cockroaches need very little food to survive and multiply rapidly.
Adults can be 1/2 in 5/8 inch long, medium brown and 2 dark stripes behind the head. Nymphs (adolescents) are wingless, smaller and much darker in color, with a light stripe on their backs.

They molt or shed their exoskeleton to advance to adults. Sometimes if you see them shortly after a molt they will be white. They turn brown very quickly.
It is not your fault that roaches have arrived. They are always introduced from somewhere else on clothing or in luggage. SO PLEASE, don't feel embarrassed. It's not yuour fault. The best way to get rid of them is with borate-based baits. A D.I.Y. remedy is; one-teaspoon borax, one-teaspoon sugar mixed with 1/3 cup of water and placed on a saucer near the place you last saw them.

The mixture needs to be renewed frequently and should not be left where children and pets can touch it.
If you don't want to deal with it yourself or the problem has become too big, call a company that does Environmentally Friendly Treatments which are safe for you, your family and the environment.

Safe Trap for Mice

Question:
My son bought a safe trap from the hardware store to catch mice, we did catch one and put it into the wooded area at the top of our yard.

The same evening I don't know whether it was the same mouse coming back in or another one and the same thing happend, except this time we took it up the street, please advise as I am scared of mice.

Answer:

I get this question often; it really is best to snap trap them which is humane.

Mice are territorial and each one has his own territory.
Other mice will kill them soon after you release them anyway..

Cobwebs in my Basement

Question:

My basement is full of cobwebs I have never seen any spiders around but as soon as I vacuum them up within a couple of days the webs are back. What should I do?

Answer:
There are now citrus based products that can be sprayed in areas that spiders like and makes it impossible for their webs to stick so they go elsewhere.

This is good because you don't have to kill them and they will find somewher else to live.

If you do not want to do this yourself, always a company that uses Environmentally Friendly Treatments which are safe for you, your family and the environment.

Wasps in the ground

Question:
Every time we start the mower up we get all these horrible wasps coming out of the ground, my children are not allowed to play on the grass incase they get stung. Please help.
Answer:
You have to kill the nest; this is best left to an expert. You could get badly stung if you attempt this yourself.
Keep your children and pets away and use a plant oil spray.

Make sure you use a company in your area that uses Environmentally Friendly Treatments that are safe for you, your family and the environment.

Snakes in the house

Question:
I have found 3 snakes in my house during the past two weeks, I have never had a problem before and I had to get my neighbor to put them outside they were in the basement but now I cannot sleep at night for fear of them coming into my bedroom or living area.

Answer:
It's actually quite common for snakes to come inside. They are not going to do you any harm and will most likely wriggle away as soon as they notice you. Small comfort. So what can you do?

Answer:
We use a combination of strobe lights and repellants to drive them out and stop them coming back.
Snakes rely on their strong sense of smell so anything with a pungent aroma will help stop them from coming near you.
Mothballs, cinnamon, garlic etc.
Remember they like mice as a food source so it's a good idea to check you don't have mice also.

If all this freaks you out call a company that does Environmentally Friendly Pest Controls in your area.

Tumors on my Dog

Question:
My dog has developed tumors on his belly, one of the questions my vet asked was:

Do I use chemicals on my grass? Is there a difference between Organic and Synthetic Lawn treatments.

Answer:
Absolutely, there is a big difference, Organic and plant based treatments work just as efficiently as the 'nasties.'
Most of the products we use are labelled "No re-entry time" "No harvest down time" meaning you can walk on grass or even harvest fruit and vegetables without risk.

Go online and do a search for complaints about the chemical lawn care services.

Buying your First Home

Question:
We have just bought our first home, the previous owners had termites in the basement. The owner said that the house is now termite free.
They used a service that placed small green cups around the house, can I take the cups away and not have to worry anymore?
Answer:
Sorry No
The 'cups' can be a combination of monitoring device and a method to deliver pesticide to termites that enter them.
If you continue to have concerns about termites then you would need to renew the contract and effectively pay the pest control company for ever to ensure termites don't attack.
The much better alternative is to treat the wooden sill and any wood connected to concrete, dirt or stone foundations with several coats of Borate solution.
This will impregnate the wood and make it impossible for termites, carpenter ants, powder post beetles and decay fungus to attack the wood.
This is a one time treatment which cost about the same as an initial chemical treatment using monitoring cups.
This technique gives you real peace of mind. You don't have to worry whether the cups were properly inspected or not.
Borate treatment is a one time treatment. You have more important things to do than worry about termite monitors.
This treatment does not ask you to pay an annual service charge to make sure it works.
It is fully guaranteed.

Mice chewed my wiring inside car

I have just spent $600.00 to fix my car where the mice have chewed through the wiring.
The only place I can park my car is in the garage how can I stop the mice from getting in my car?
Please let me know as soon as you can as I cannot afford to do this repair again.
Answer:
You will need to set up some snap traps to quickly reduce their population at one time.
Seal up the garage as much as possible. Do all the usual things; take away bedding materials, hideaways, cardboard boxes etc.
The best way though is to get a monthly Environmentally Friendly Service to ensure they are kept at bay.
Environmentally Friendly Treatments are non toxic, safe for your family and the environment.

Yellow Jackets

Question:
I still have a problem with yellow jackets around my roof, are they trying to come in for the wintertime? We are also having a problem with Woodpeckers in the same area.

Answer:
I've received questions similar to this from all around New England. There seems to be an abundance of wasps surviving late into the fall this year. This is not an an uncommon occurrence. They will all soon be gone when we get a frost.
They will die off and leave only a fertilized Queen to start the process all over again next Spring. She will hide out somewhere and won't be a problem. It's unnecessary to knock down the nests (it can be risky and quite dangerous)
The nests will decay and will not be used again anyway. However, I have seen different types of wasps build nest inside old nests. So don't assume there is nothing in there next year. It might be occupied by a different wasp species.
The Woodpeckers you are having a problem with are possibly looking for Carpenter Bees or other woodborers. Now is the time to get it checked out. There is a non-lethal treatment available to get rid of wood-peckers.

Bat's In My Siding

Question:
I have seen a bat come out of my siding. What should I do?
Are they dangerous and can they bite?

Answer:
Put up a bat box somewhere in your yard with the front facing south. The bat will need to become familiar with it.
If the bat is not actually inside your house, there is little to fear. They do not make a nest in people's hair, in fact, they don't make nests anywhere, they roost by clinging upside down to a roughened surface such as wooden siding etc.
They are beneficial and can consume around one thousand mosquitoes per hour. They are not dangerous, I would rather have 50 bats in my yard than 50 wasps.

Yes they can bite, so if they come into your house and you hav e to catch it to take it out you should wear leather gloves.

Please be gentle with them. I am sure they are more frightened than you are.
After your bat box has been in place for a week or so get the bat's existing home blocked with an exclusion device that stops it getting back in once it has left the opening.
Hope that it then sets up home in the bat box.
You are not allowed to kill it.

Trees

Question:
I have a white bug growing on my white pines, it looks like fluffy cotton and is all over the trunk and some big branches. I've been told it could be Adelgids, but I've also been told they don't attack pines they only attack hemlocks.
Answer:
Adelgids do attack hemlocks, they also attack pines, in fact if you see a hemlock that looks as if it's in trouble or dying, the chances are that it's an adelgid attack.
Many people feed the tree to try and save it.
This just feeds the adelgids and hastens the death of the tree. It may be possible to prevent any damage.
If you need more information please answer my blog.

Termites

Question:
The previous owners of our house already had a termite treatment which was sold with the house. The company that they used said they have to come back every 3 years to spray again. Why do they have to do this when they have already done it once? They also want more money for doing this and that this is going to happen every so many years for the lifetime of the house.
Answer:
Be wary of such treatment plans. They are a great way to make pest control companies rich.
If they need to retreat ask them where has the chemical gone? The answer usually is that it has evaporated. Now you should ask yourself, should I be breathing in a chemical that kills termites? It makes no sense, economic or environmental to keep retreating your bome with noxious materials.
A Borate based termite treatment not only treats the house permanently in one go but also protects against Powder Post Beetles, Carpenter Ants and Wood Decay fungus.
When the chemical guys tell you that their products are safe because they are registered with the E.P.A. remember this, so are nicotine, arsenic and cyanide. You really have an opportunity to make your home safer for you, your family and pets. Choose a company that takes your safety seriously. Need more information please answer my blog:

Flies

Question: Flies are very bad at my house this year: I have tried organic stuff and different sprays and still have flies. I don't know what to do. I live in Central Florida, in the middle of 20 acres. I have horses and dogs. People next door raise cattle. I need help but I have spent a fortune all ready. Do you have any suggestions?
Answer: The problem appears to be at your neighbor's doorstep. If you could persuade them to use better control methods such as limiting the amount of manure and other normal farmyard debris it would help to keep the population under control. Remember, though it is very difficult to control these flies no matter how clean the area is kept.
I would recommend spraying your area with a plant based insecticide that won't contaminate the environment. Find a responsible pest control company in your area that doesn't use nasty checmicals.

Feeding Birds

Question: I love to feed the birds and have several feeders in my yard. I looked out of my window last week and there was a rat underneath the bird feeder. What can I do? I do not want to take away the feeders.

Answer: Clean up the seed that birds drop, perhaps you could place a receptacle to catch falling seeds to make it easier to manage.
Bird feeders give many people alot of pleasure and if the occasional cleanup helps keep the rats or mice away then it's worth the effort.
If you have any questions please respond to this blog.