Tag Archives: pests

How to Get Rid of Mice, Romans Family Style

It never fails. Every spring it seems that something finds its way inside our house and then promptly passes away. Since our home is in the middle of the woods, this tends to be inevitable. We are veterans in the war against unwelcome visitors. We’ve learned to ferret out their places of entry and close them up tight. This last hunt and discovery, however, had even us surprised. The notice that a little friend had entered started with some scratching noises. I told my husband to get ready. My eldest son was convinced the noise must have been coming from … Continue reading →

New Uses for Chalk

Reusing items is more frugal than just recycling them or throwing them away. Many times, we can find new uses for inexpensive things that we already have, making an expensive trip to the store unnecessary. Chalk is pretty inexpensive, and if you have kids then chances are that you have chalk, since it is a popular and cheap toy that spurs on the creativity. Even if you don’t have kids, consider picking up some chalk, which may be on sale at the end of summer, and using it for one of the following tasks. You can use chalk with some … Continue reading →

Of Rats and Men

Oh, you noticed the change in the title, have you? There is a good reason for that. Here are the continuing adventures of our battle of wits with the rodent who threatened our home and our sanity. If you missed the earlier article, you can read it here: Of Mice and Men The scratching started up again, and with a sigh, my husband, at my prompting got to banging. I coached him on technique and frequency. When the mouse fell silent, we would retreat back to the couch to wait. Then the noise would start up again. At one point … Continue reading →

Of Mice and Men

In the middle of the morning, around 4 am or so, I heard this loud scratching sounds. Fearful that our youngest son somehow got up and was getting into trouble, I headed downstairs, half asleep. When I got down, I found my husband with a flashlight and his head cocked to one side. The scratching started up again. “Is it a mouse?” I asked and he shushed me. I complained under my breath about our less than stellar extermination company; the one that failed to show up for the last two appointments. My husband opened the garage door and started … Continue reading →

Frugal Moth Repellent

Got moths? Even if you don’t see the moths flying around, you know that you have them when you find holes in your clothes or their eggs. Yuck. Moths may be in your home even in the winter, since your home is heated. They need food and shelter and may just be taking advantage of your hospitality. Years ago, the standard repellent for moths was the classic use of moth balls. But who could really live with the moth ball smell on their clothes? A better answer is to use cedar. Cedar is a natural wood that repels moths and … Continue reading →

A Thief in the Garage

Have you ever heard of the proverbial thief in the henhouse? Well in our home it is a little different. We have a thief in the garage. My eldest son has been religiously collecting acorns practically wherever he goes. He spends part of his precious outdoor school recess time collecting them from the playground. He stops on walks to collect them. He visits botanical gardens and searches for any that the gardeners might have missed. His goal, he tells me, is to plant an entire stand of oak trees once spring comes and the ground thaws. Of course, I am … Continue reading →

A “Green” Way To Get Rid Of Garden Pests

It was a balmy 73 degrees today. (Seventy-three degrees in March in Wisconsin—that’s something to brag about.) Our family took advantage of the beautiful weather by visiting a local wildlife sanctuary. After I got a good look at the critters there I came home and surveyed our yard and garden. Lo and behold, not five minutes into my inspection, a big fat fly landed on my arm. (Ah, the welcoming committee doesn’t miss a beat.) With the spring thaw in progress it won’t be long before I am battling bugs and other garden-loving pests. In previous blogs I’ve written about … Continue reading →