October 22-28 is Rodent Awareness Week. For the fourth straight year, the Professional Pest Management Alliance (PPMA) is urging pest control companies and others working in pest management to use this designation to help educate consumers about the diseases and dangers of rodents. So, I’m going to try to do my part with a little
VIEW MORE
If Japanese barberry is one of your favorite landscaping plants, you should think about finding a new favorite, especially if you worry about Lyme disease. Does that seem like convoluted thinking? What does a garden shrub have to do with a serious disease spread by the bite of a tick? Tick researchers at the Connecticut
VIEW MORE
Did you ever hear the term “urban wildlife?” No, it doesn’t mean rockin’ inner-city nightclubs. Urban wildlife refers to animals other than domestic pets and livestock that occasionally find their way into your yard, and sometimes stay. Animals like raccoons, opossums, skunks, woodchucks, and of course the wildlife that seem to be in residence all
VIEW MORE
This is the week to learn all about those cute little mice that you might be doing battle with at this very moment. The Professional Pest Management Alliance has designated Oct. 23-29 as Rodent Awareness Week. In that vein, here are some little known facts about your wee friend, the house mouse. The Secret Life
VIEW MORE
Rodent-proofing, or rodent exclusion, is the process of sealing up all of the small openings that mice or rats use to enter a building. Typical rodent-proofing steps are screening vents, caulking around openings where conduits enter, patching cracks around the foundation, repairing roof soffits, adding door sweeps or thresholds, caulking around foundation vents, and reinforcing
VIEW MORE
The snow under our bird feeder gets pretty much beaten down by birds and squirrels. Lately we’ve been noticing really fat mice darting around under the feeder. Are mice active in the winter in snow? B. H., Pepperell, MA Mice do remain somewhat active in winter, but I wonder if you aren’t seeing voles instead
VIEW MORE
We usually discuss this topic in early spring when our customers are first noticing damage to their lawns. When the snow finally melts and all is revealed, mounds and ridges and grooves and bumps are present where your lawn used to be. This year with a little forewarning, you may be able to head off
VIEW MOREFall is a good time to check your home for potential rodent entry points. When the weather turns colder, mice especially, start looking for warmer places to spend the winter. The typical home has no shortage of tiny gaps and openings that can let mice inside. But your home can be rodent-proofed to keep mice
VIEW MORENow that the weather is turning colder, I was thinking recently about all the different kinds of pests that can occupy attics in people’s homes. Some of these pests come in just to spend the winter while others can live in an attic year round. Animals That Make Noise in Your Attic Strange noises are
VIEW MORE