Back in March, readers of this blog received a very brief lesson in identifying pest animals by their tracks. Raccoons, opossums, and squirrels were covered in that post, but those three obviously aren’t the only animals that can cause problems when they decide to take up residence in your home or yard. So, let’s take a few minutes to learn about tracks belonging to another set of critters! […]
July fourth will soon be upon us, and for many Americans, the only “true” way to celebrate Independence Day is with firecrackers. These small, specially designed explosives are definitely fun and exciting to wield, but they’re also loud and potentially hazardous to both humans and animals alike. Their misuse can very easily lead to injuries and extensive property damage, so setting them off is not something that you should attempt on a whim. […]
As much as humans enjoy watching wildlife, we often find ourselves completely baffled by the things that animals do. Activities and habits that are “business as usual” for certain critters can seem bizarre or nonsensical to us—even irritating, depending upon the situation. Interestingly enough, though, many of these actions really do have completely rational explanations. For example: […]
Though we spend a lot of time on this blog talking about keeping animals out of your home, many people are perfectly content to have critters living among them. We’re not talking about trying to domesticate wild animals (which a bad idea for several reasons); we’re talking about obtaining small companion animals that have been bred specifically for tameness. Rodents, like “fancy” rats and mice, hamsters, and guinea pigs can make great pets, and they’re far from the only option. Rabbits, lizards, tortoises, chinchillas…the list goes on and on. […]
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that humans can fall victim to after being bitten by a blacklegged tick (aka a deer tick).
Lyme is very prominent in the northeastern and midwestern areas of the United States, but cases do pop up in Texas from time to time. Spring and summer are “tick season,” so let’s take a few moments to discuss this debilitating illness. […]
Question: “What’s the difference between a mouse, a rat, and a squirrel?”
Answer: “Beats me, but one them just ran under that pile of boxes!”
All jokes aside, how confident are you in your ability to identify and classify? While mice, rats, and squirrels are all rodents and all considered pest animals, they’re definitely not “the same thing.” Let’s take a moment to learn the visual differences between the three: […]
As we’ve said before on this blog, one of the biggest differences between gas and wood-burning fireplaces is the amount of variety that wood-burning allows for. Folks who regularly use their fireplace all have different types of wood or tinder that they swear by, so the kind that you opt to use in your home is usually a matter of personal preference. […]
How would you feel if a wildlife removal specialist told you that a pest animal could not be expelled from your home? And not because the animal is vicious enough to hold its ground or crafty enough to evade traps—it simply cannot be moved because doing so constitutes a crime. […]
Regular readers of this blog may recall that, a few weeks ago, we discussed what you should do if you find a nest of baby rabbits somewhere on your property. And in that post, we mentioned that you absolutely should not try to keep the rabbits as pets, even if you feel tempted to do so. […]
A shallow hole in the ground. A covering made from loose grass and soft fur. And a handful of baby rabbits with closed eyes, wiggly noses, and delicate little bodies. […]