I can’t think of anything more annoying than being relentlessly victimized by mosquitoes when I’m outside. It doesn’t matter if I’m minding your own business on my back porch, camping, hiking, or even in the middle of a legitimate survival scenario, these parasites are relentless. They can also be quite dangerous since they are known … Read more
It’s hard to imagine a more hated and more dangerous insect than the mosquito. Yes, I said dangerous. That’s because mosquitoes are, in fact, one of the most lethal animals on Earth, as each and every year the diseases that hey spread kill millions and millions of people. But even if you don’t fall victim … Read more
No matter what you’re doing outside- camping, exercising, barbecuing, or just visiting with friends- there is no situation that can’t be made worse by biting, blood-sucking mosquitoes. In peak season, they can make being outdoors absolutely unbearable… And, no joke, they are surprisingly dangerous, spreading various diseases. Not good! Accordingly, you want to do everything … Read more
Mosquitoes are probably the single most annoying insect out there. Tiny, almost invisible and basically undetectable until they strike, those itchy red welts they will leave behind will be driving you crazy for days after. But annoyance aside, mosquitoes are also quite dangerous, being the primary vectors for several dangerous and debilitating diseases. Whenever you’re … Read more
No matter where you go and what you are doing, you can count on mosquitoes being there in the warmer seasons to torment you. It’s just a fact of life, but if you are ever near a body of water you probably noticed that it seems like the air is positively thick with them. That’s … Read more
Sure, they’re tiny – but if you’ve ever been bitten by a chigger, you know that these creatures are incredibly mighty. The chigger is a type of mite that really packs a wallop in its bite. Also known as harvest lice, harvest mites, and red bugs, chiggers are members of the arachnid family and can … Read more
If you’ve ever walked out to your garden or compost pile late at night, you might have caught a quick, furtive glance of these slimy, slithering, creatures in the undergrowth. Over a foot long, with a shovel-shaped head and powerful secreted toxin, hammerhead worms are invasive, persistent, and virtually indestructible predators that can wipe out … Read more
It doesn’t matter where you live: unless it’s Antarctica there are certain kinds of insect pests that you’ll just have to deal with in life. Some of them are unsightly, some of them spread disease. Some of them can hurt you but others will actually destroy your stuff. For instance, the carpet beetle. As the … Read more
If you ever had a mouse problem before, you already know what a pain it is trying to get rid of them… The little things are pervasive, persistent and evasive, and trying to get rid of them is even harder if you’ve got pets of your own. Poison is an indiscriminate killer, and lethal mechanical … Read more
If you’ve been putting in a lot of work in your garden or in your raised beds elsewhere on your property, there is hardly anything more heartbreaking than coming outside to discover pests have trampled, nibbled, and wrecked the fruits of your labor. This is doubly true when you are closing in on harvest time! … Read more
It has been said that squirrels are merely rats with good publicity, and I for one believe this assertion. I don’t hate them or anything, and they certainly are cute, but when it comes to sheer destructive capability squirrels are right up there with their uglier cousins but they get a pass because of those … Read more
If you listen what the internet has to say about improvised pest control, you might have run across this gem. Purportedly, common, Ivory brand soap will reliably repel flies. Supposedly it has something to do with the fragrance, or other ingredients depending on who you listen to, but the assertion is that flies won’t come … Read more
Ask anybody that is afraid of bugs what their number one most hated bug is, and they will probably answer roaches. Even among people who aren’t skeeved out by bugs, roaches tend to evoke disgust and nothing else. Whether they are scuttling out from under the refrigerator at night or infesting the shed behind your … Read more
If you don’t care for plants in any capacity, seeing a rabbit in your yard is probably just a fun distraction. Watching them hop along, nibbling on grass, before bolting at the slightest disturbance can certainly be a heartwarming sight. However, if you are a gardener, or even if you just take care of decorative … Read more
Chipmunks, just like their squirrel cousins, are basically rats with good publicity. From those adorable chubby cheeks that they use to stash food to their distinctive striped fur, you are rarely going to see a cuter critter out in the wild. Or in your backyard. Or absolutely destroying your prized decorative plants or fruits and … Read more
Depending on where you live and what you do, squirrels are either a quaint and cute instance of backyard wildlife or an irrepressible menace that deserves no mercy. If you ever had squirrels take up residence in your attic or raid your prized garden you might fall into the latter camp. Sometimes there are no … Read more