Pests, Weeds & Problems

How to Rid Your Home of Cockroaches

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

37 comments

Cockroaches can transmit bacterial diseases and hepatitis virus and have been known to spread dysentery and typhoid fever. Many people are allergic to them... more »

How to Rid Your Home of Crickets

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

5 comments

What would summer be without the sound of chirping crickets? When the little beasts get into your house, however, they are likely to chow down on anything from your wallpaper glue to your cashmere sweater, so keeping them outside and away from ... more »

How to Rid Your Home of Flies

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Flies spread disease, contaminate food and can place human health at risk... more »

How to Rid Your Home of Spiders

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Most spiders are beneficial, keeping many insect pests under control. Instead of killing spiders, take them outside and release them into your garden. Here's how to keep them outdoors... more »

How to Scare Away Magpies

By honeybee

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Magpies are pretty birds. Koreans believe they will receive good news when the cry of a magpie is heard. The Chinese believe it is the messenger of good news and fortune. In fact, its name in Chinese means "bird of joy". Magpies feed ... more »

How to Spot Wild Mint

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Used for centuries as an herbal antibiotic, wild mint contains menthol, giving it a distinguishing scent and increasing its value as a spice and medicinal herb. Native to many regions in the US, wild mint grows in mountain meadows and rocky ... more »

How to Trap Brown Recluse Spiders

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Trapping brown recluse spiders is a humane and efficient alternative to poisonous pesticides that require spraying in your home. Simple sticky glue boards can be a saving grace in an infested home, especially if rolled up newspapers and glass ... more »

How to Trap Garden Gophers

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Gophers are territorial rodents that bulldoze their way around your property, eating nearly every kind of plant. Trapping is considered the most effective form of eradication... more »

How to Use Newspapers as Mulch

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Layers of newspaper or sheets of cardboard can make an effective weed block, allowing desirable garden plants to thrive... more »

How to Apply Pesticides Safely

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Pesticide is the general term used to describe any chemical used to control insects, fungus or weeds. More specific terms for control are insecticide, herbicide or fungicide. Most pesticides are applied using a garden sprayer. Here is the safe ... more »

How to Attract Bats for Natural Mosquito Control

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Bats are one of nature's most efficient and eco-friendly methods of keeping mosquito populations under control. Just one bat can eat more than 1,000 mosquitoes in an hour. You can forgo harsh chemical repellents and bug zappers by attracting bats ... more »

How to Build a Squirrel Trap

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Squirrels are adorable little creatures with big fluffy tails but when they're in your yard they can become a nuisance. They get into your bird feeders, destroy your crops and eat your pet's food. You need to build a squirrel trap. Of course, it ... more »

How to Build a Wasp Trap

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Wasps, as beneficial as they can be, are also nuisances. If you accidentally step on one or come too close to the nest, they will sting you in swarms. Follow these steps to build a wasp trap and get rid of these pests... more »

How to Choose a Natural Insect Repellent

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Natural insect repellents often seem like a good idea. DEET-based insect repellents carry a number of warnings, particularly about use with children. But do you know how to choose a natural insect repellent?.. more »

How to Control Armyworms

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Armyworms feed on food crops and garden plants at night. When the food supply is gone, they move en masse to a new site. Hence the name armyworm. Armyworms can destroy an entire plant in just one evening, and there may be as many as three ... more »

How to Control Leafhoppers on Outdoor Plants

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Leafhoppers are 1/4- to 1/2-inch green wedge-shaped insects that hop when disturbed. Leafhoppers suck the juices from stems and leaves, and their toxic saliva burns and distorts foliage. They also spread viral diseases as they move from plant to ... more »

How to Control Mealybugs

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Mealybugs are cottony-looking insects with piercing/sucking mouth parts. They suck the fluids from leaves and stems, robbing plants of essential nutrients. Mealybugs feed on all parts of the plant, but especially on tender new growth. Leaves ... more »

How to Control Out-of-Control Weeds

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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You may have recently bought a new house that has never been landscaped, or perhaps you just decided to take up gardening - or maybe you have just let your weeds get out of control. Whatever the reason, you can take charge of out-of-control weeds... more »

How to Control Spider Mites on Indoor Plants

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Spider mites are tiny (1/50 of an inch), rust-colored insects that have piercing/sucking mouth parts. They suck the fluids from leaves and stems, robbing plants of essential nutrients. Plants become weak and their leaves may drop. Indoors, spider ... more »

How to Control Spittlebugs

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Spittlebugs, or froghoppers as they are sometimes called, are sucking insects that weaken plants, causing stunted or dwarfed growth. Adult spittlebugs lay eggs in field stubble in the fall. Here's how to take control... more »

How to Control Weeds Organically

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Weeds will choke the life out of your garden. But if you're at all concerned about the environment, you worry about chemical herbicides. Use these organic methods to combat plant pests... more »

How to Detect and Prevent Rust in Plants

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Rust is a fungus characterized by orange-brown, powdery blisters or pimples found mostly on the undersides of leaves and stems, resembling the rust that you find on metal. Roses are susceptible to this fungal disease, and once infested are ... more »

How to Eliminate Ants

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Ants are social insects, but that does not mean that you want to have them in your home. If you want to eliminate them, here's what you need to do... more »

How to Eliminate Hornets

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Hornets can deliver an extremely painful sting that leave a victim uncomfortable for days. Even worse, those who are allergic to hornet stings may become violently ill or even die. Follow these steps to eliminate hornets... more »

How to Get Rid of Ants

By frank

8 comments

There are all different kinds of ants. This guide will help identify what type of ant you are dealing with, and also provide some solutions to get rid of each... more »

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