Expert posts by:
Jaylan Jones
No-See-Ums: Identifying the Bites and Stopping Them
THE SHORT ANSWER A no-see-um is a biting midge — a fly in the genus Culicoides, often smaller than a millimetre. They breed in damp soil and rotting organic matter rather than standing water, and ...
Cicada Killer Wasp: Huge, Alarming, Mostly Harmless
THE SHORT ANSWER No. The cicada killer hovering in your face and diving at you is a male, and males have no stinger — the behaviour is entirely bluff. Only females can sting, and they ...
Homemade Weed Killer: What Actually Works
THE SHORT ANSWER Household vinegar at 5% acetic acid kills seedlings with one or two leaves and very little else. It is a contact herbicide — it burns what it touches and never reaches the ...
Signs of a Raccoon in the Attic (and Why Spring Changes Everything)
A raccoon in the attic sounds different from a rodent. The signs, why a spring raccoon means kits, and what that changes about removal.
A Tree Fell on a House: Who Pays, and What to Do First
When a tree fell on a house, whose tree it was usually doesn't decide who pays. The rule most US states apply, and the documentation that decides your claim.
Why Gutters Overflow — and What It’s Damaging While You Wait
Gutters overflow for six different reasons and cleaning only fixes one. How to tell which you have, and what the water is doing while you wait.
Squirrels in the Attic: Why Sealing the Hole Makes It Worse
Squirrels in the attic chew wiring and nest in spring. Why the order of removal and sealing matters more than the method, and what real exclusion includes.
Bats in the Attic: Why You Can’t Just Remove Them
Bats in the attic are protected in most US states and exclusion is banned during maternity season. What that means for timing, method and a legitimate job.
Scratching in the Walls: What It Is, by Sound and Time of Day
Scratching in the walls has a different signature for mice, rats, squirrels and raccoons. When you hear it and what it sounds like narrows it to one.
A Wasp Nest Inside a Wall: The One Thing You Must Not Do
A wasp nest inside a wall can't be sprayed from outside and must not be sealed. The correct order of operations, and what happens when it's done backwards.