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: