Rodent Control Methods

[unable to retrieve full-text content] CT Pest Solutions    PCT Online

Are mice turning into unwanted tenants? Take care of that infestation by hiring one of the best mouse exterminators. We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Photo: istockphoto.com Whether hunting for a food source or seeking shelter from the elements, mice often find their way into cottages, houses, and apartments. These pests scurry through the ceilings and walls, nesting in warm, dark locations where they can stay safe during the day. When night falls, mice become more active as they attempt to find food. Mice will chew through wood and drywall to make small holes they can slip into and out of whenever convenient. However, they can also enter existing crevices no wider than their heads, so keeping these pests out of a home can be difficult. If a homeowner knows how to get rid of mice in the walls and other places mice hide, they may set up traps or bait and wait for the mice to fall for this deception. But while a homeowne...

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - This week, the Better Business Bureau serving the region including Nebraska and southwest Iowa has tips to pass along about what to look for when hiring a lawn care professional. It may still be relatively cold, but it's time to start thinking about which lawn care pro can elevate your yard. A beautiful lawn can be both appealing and environmentally friendly, but it can take a lot of work and be a tricky project to do yourself. Caring for a yard under the best of circumstances can still be challenging; extended periods of extreme weather, dull lawnmower blades, bugs, pests, and heavy foot traffic can all lead to a lawn that needs extra care. There are many things that your lawn might need depending on the season. This can include pH testing, aerating the soil, fertilization, filling in bald spots, trimming back overgrowth, and planting seasonal flowers and plants. While many consumers choose to make lawn maintenance a do-it-yourself project, there are those tha...

Bioluminescence May Shine Light on Roundworm Secrets Contact: Jan Suszkiw Email: Jan.Suszkiw@usda.gov February 22, 2023 Even though roundworms are nearly too small to be seen, they can pose major problems in corn, soybean, peanut and other crops. Collectively, these roundworms are known as plant-parasitic nematodes, and they cause $173 billion in crop losses worldwide each year. These losses to crop yield and quality can occur even though chemical controls, resistant cultivars and other methods are available to farmers. So, a team of Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and university scientists decided to take a deeper dive into the basic biology of these nematodes and, more specifically, their genes for reproducing. But the furtive nature of these millimeter-long pests and peculiarities of their lifecycle evaded the latest high-tech tools that the scientists had hoped to study them with. Fortunately, they found a "work-around" in the form of e...

Weeds grow anywhere they have access to sunlight and moist soil, including on the lawn, around flower beds as well as on patios and hard surfaces. If not kept on top of, the problem can get out of hand, like it had done in my garden. Over the winter months it can be easy to let the garden rest and forget about all the weeds popping up. To tackle the unsightly weeds in my garden, I decided to use boiling water, lemon juice, salt and baking soda with white vinegar. 1. Boiling water Gena Lorraine, gardening expert at Fantastic Service, told Express.co.uk: "Pouring boiling water on weeds can instantly kill them as well as any seeds that may be dormant in the soil. "It's brilliant for walkways, garden paths and driveways." The transfer of heat energy onto the plant leads to the distortion of plant cells, causing it to die. To try this hack, I simply boiled my kettle and poured it over the weeds, making sure to pour slowly and carefully to avoid splash back from the hot wa...

NEW YORK (AP) — In his battle against rats, New York City Mayor Eric Adams scored a split decision Tuesday when a hearing officer dismissed one summons while upholding another issued by a city inspector citing him for not doing enough to keep rodents at bay from his Brooklyn townhouse. In a city where some residents consider rats Public Enemy No. 1, the mayor's own troubles with rodents has been the source of amusement among those keeping score of the city's mostly losing battle against the vermin. The hearing officer, noting the thousands of dollars Adams has invested in addressing his rat problems, credited the mayor for taking "credible" steps to control the rat population at his rental property. But the hearing officer admonished the mayor for not sufficiently heeding his health department's advice for the proper disposal of trash and recyclables, saying that "the presence of several bags on the ground could provide shelter or protection for rodents, whic...

English ivy can be an aggressive invader when not grown in a pot, causing serious problems to homes and buildings. When grown in the garden, this plant can cover the ground and threaten other species in the garden, becoming an even bigger problem when it reaches trees. The vines can strangle the roots of the tree as well as adding weight to it. A gardening expert has shared how to get rid of ivy for good in a "safe" and "effective" way. This plant is easily identified, but many Britons make the big mistake of leaving it in their garden for too long. It can be identified by its lack of flowers and dull green leaves with light veins running through the middle. It attaches itself to supports by producing roots along the stems. When these stems are pulled away from the support, such as a wall or home, it will often leave behind roots. Gena Lorraine, gardener at Fantastic Services, explained: "The best way to remove ivy from a wall is to cut through the ste...

[unable to retrieve full-text content] TIMOTHY DALY: What to do if you suspect bed bugs    jacksonprogress-argus

[embedded content] Look at these two pals—one's a raccoon, one's a cat—just hanging out, having a chill picnic, sharing some kibble without drama like they're old friends. But what's that poking out in that little space between the boards of the deck? The paws of another raccoon! Well, the cat's having none of that, and goes into swat mode when that extra set of paws gets too close to the feast. The original raccoon couldn't care less, it just keeps chowing down, ignoring its raccoon pal. Adblock test (Why?)

Now is the time to scout pasture and hay fields for Japanese stiltgrass and take note of its locations. This invasive grass is typically seen in wooded areas, but unfortunately has been creeping into fields. Once the seed heads start to form in another month or two, you'll want to have the mower ready. The leaves of Japanese stiltgrass are wider and shorter than most of our common pasture grasses. There is also a distinctive silvery midvein that is slightly off center from the middle of the leaf. Japanese stiltgrass has a shallow root system, so it can be pulled out easily. For more information on how to identify stiltgrass, visit USDA's National Invasive Species Information Center website. The one (and only one) positive thing about this invasive is that it is an annual, so there's no perennial root system to contend with. However, as an annual, stiltgras...

Q: I'm concerned about my backyard. The photo with the tennis ball is St. Augustine ("carpet grass"), while the other photo is of a mix of St. Augustine and Bermuda. Runners on much of the lawn pull up easily. I'm worried that the lawn is dead. I have bluebonnets and other wildflowers in this area, so I'm concerned about bringing sod and topsoil in until we get spring rains. A: Lots of thoughts are running through my head. Turf grass and wildflowers are not compatible. The wildflowers compete for space, to say nothing about water and nutrients, with the lawn grasses. They're especially challenging when new grass is trying to get started. The biggest issue is in leaving the wildflowers unmowed long enough that their seeds can mature in May and June. By then, the turf grass will have grown far too tall and weak. When you finally do mow it, you'll probably kill a good bit of it. Wildflowers need to be grown in dedicated spaces where they wo...

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WARNING: Some details of this story may be disturbing to some readers. Discretion is advised. B.C.'s controversial wolf management program is under fire again with some troubling news from Alberta. Shane Ramstead lives in the city of Spruce Grove, a bedroom community just west of Edmonton, and is a former fish and wildlife officer. He told Global News that last winter he came upon almost-dead wolf near the community of Grande Cache, located northwest of Edmonton in Alberta's foothills. "I had first encountered the animal by some pictures off of our trail cameras," Ramstead said. "We use an extensive number of trail cameras just monitoring different wildlife or whatever. And near my cabin area, three of the cameras had picked up this lone wolf, which in itself is rare. "There are so few wolves around." He said most of the wolves in the area were shot from helicopters or poisoned but this one was also moving over a small geographi...