Pests
Beneficial Nematodes for Grubs: Timing, Species & Results
Beneficial nematodes for grubs: which species work, the August window in New England, how to apply them, and how results compare with chemical control.
Milky Spore: Does It Work on Grubs in the Northeast?
Milky spore only infects Japanese beetle grubs and is inconsistent in cold Northeast soils. What research says, how to apply it, and when it's worth it.
Imidacloprid Grub Control: Timing, Rates & State Rules
Imidacloprid grub control only works if it's in the soil mid-June to early August and watered in. Timing, label rates, bee safety and New England rules.
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 ...
Mice in the Walls: Why Traps in the Kitchen Don’t Fix It
Mice in the walls are a gap problem, not a trapping problem. How to find the entry points, why poison is the wrong tool indoors, and where the line sits.
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.
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.