Pests
Plants That Repel Mosquitoes: What the Evidence Shows
THE SHORT ANSWER Sitting in a pot, almost nothing. The repellent compounds in citronella, lavender and scented geraniums are locked in the leaf and only released when it is crushed. A meta-analysis of 62 studies ...
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 ...
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.
What To Do When You Find A Spotted Lanternfly? Management for Residents
The spotted lanternfly (or SLF) is an invasive insect slowly moving into yards around the East Coast. Easily identified by the black spots on their wings, these pests are a spreader of sooty mold and ...
How to Get Rid of Spotted Lanternflies (Kill Lanternflies in 2026)
Have you spotted an unusually bright-colored moth near your home? You’re likely seeing a new invasive species: the spotted lanternfly (SLF). Native to China, India, and Vietnam, this unwelcome pest was discovered in the US ...
Why are there so many dragonflies in my yard?
Dragonflies are some of the most fascinating insects in the United States. Despite their ferocious name and brightly colored exoskeletons, these flying insects are far less dangerous than you may first believe. But what happens ...
How to get rid of chiggers in your yard
Chiggers are unsavory skin-eating pests that can ruin any outdoor activity. Apart from their itchy bites and unsavory appearances, these arachnids are also known to transmit disease. Thankfully, chiggers aren’t impossible pests to remove from ...
Why Are There So Many Ant Hills in My Yard?
You’ve spent the fall and winter seasons totally free from pest activity. But as the weather starts to warm up and the growing season reappears, you’ve spotted dozens of new ant mounds all over the ...
How to Get Rid of Chipmunks
When we think about destructive or frustrating lawn pests, visions of cute, furry rodents aren’t the first things on our minds. However, they definitely should be — tiny animals like chipmunks can wreak havoc on ...