Pests

An adult female deer tick.| Photo by Griffin Dill of the UMaine Cooperative Extension In many regions of the country, disease-ridden ticks are a major concern, serious enough to convince some people to douse their lawns with pesticides…
Read more...

“Hairy vine, no friend of mine. Leaves of three, let them be.” Poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) on a Maine island. | Photo by Glen Mittelhauser These rhymes are warnings about poison ivy, a plant that can cause itchy, blistering…
Read more...

A garden slug. | Photo by Jeffrey Hahn Emerging at night to feast on a wide variety of plants, slugs are a slimy pest that can do a lot of damage to a garden. Vegetables, ornamentals, flowers -- nothing is safe from slugs, which chew on…
Read more...

Aphids | Photo by Jeffrey Hahn In the popular children’s book “The Grouchy Ladybug” by Eric Carle, the tale begins with two ladybugs arguing over a plant covered with aphids. They both want to eat the tiny, green insects, but one…
Read more...

An adult mosquito harvesting a blood meal. | Photo by Griffin Dill Irritating biting flies like mosquitoes, black flies and noseeums doesn’t stop outdoors lovers from enjoying time outdoors. We simply put on insect repellent,…
Read more...

When done well, food composting is an excellent way to dispose of waste while creating garden-friendly soil additives. But, when done in a slipshod manner, all that organic waste becomes a convenient and smelly buffet for rats, mice and…
Read more...

Worried about coyotes preying on your poultry and pets? Here's what you should know and how to keep coyotes away from your homestead. Photo by KS42Day on Morguefile Many homesteaders worry about protecting their animals from coyotes.…
Read more...

Oh rodents. As coldness sets in, they seek a place to nest for winter. Here's how to keep mice away from your car and other vehicles. Photo by erdenebayar via Morguefile For a lot of rural dwellers having seasonal vehicles — cars for…
Read more...

It's not uncommon to find bugs in firewood — a number of wood-boring insects, arthropods and even fungus can be found in wood. How can you avoid them? Piles of sawdust beneath firewood is indication that insects are active in the wood.…
Read more...

Slithering around yards and hiding in dark, damp areas, snakes can startle people. How do you keep snakes out of your yard? And should you? A garter snake hides in the underbrush. | Aislinn Sarnacki From Harry Potter to Indiana…
Read more...

The last thing a homeowner needs is a colony of flying squirrels living in their walls or attics, but should that happen, there are ways to get flying squirrels out of your house. How do you know if you have flying squirrels in the…
Read more...

What’s that squeak? That rustle of wings? That shadow moving across the ceiling? Here's how to get bats out of your house. A brown bat | Julia Bayly Bats are one of the most common home invaders around the world, and while they’re…
Read more...