Pests, Weeds & Problems

It happens to everyone who owns property at some time. Preparing a spot for a new garden or putting in a road down to the lake and theres a tree stump in the way. Tree stumps certainly have a...

Milk thistle is an herb that grows wild or can be grown commercially for many different uses. It's most prevalent use is as an herb to help with body toxicity and as part of a detoxification...

Even people who never use pesticides often become blood-thirsty when you bring up Japanese beetles. This is because these pests can destroy an entire rose bush or even rose garden in a matter of...

Pests are a significant problem in agriculture due to the damage they can inflict on crops. Identifying agricultural pests helps farmers determine the best method to get rid of the offending visitors.

Musk thistle is an aggressive, biennial weed that propagates solely from seed. It is found mostly in grassland and pasture locations, especially in the western United States. To control musk...

Crabgrass and quack grass are two types of grasses that are usually thought of as weeds. The common confusion between the two is most likely due to the similarity of their names; in actuality,...

Vegetable weevils are a type of garden pest that attacks leafy garden plants. An elusive pest that is hard to catch in action, the adult vegetable weevil resembles an everyday beetle, but has a...

Mothballs are generally used to keep moths away from clothes in storage. Some gardeners use mothballs in the garden to keep away pests. Because of the toxic nature of mothball ingestion, though,...

Garden molds come in a host of varieties. The most common type of garden mold is the "dog vomit" mold, which is yellow and lumpy in appearance. No matter the type of mold you have in your garden,...

Honeysuckle vine is a flowering vine which produces nectar-bearing blooms. The vines of the honeysuckle are so hardy they are often used to weave baskets. The honeysuckle vine, though beautiful in...

When white egrets or other birds are roosting in your trees, there are a number of problems that may be caused. Dissuading birds from roosting in a favorite tree is not as simple as shooing the...

Boric acid is a naturally occurring compound found in fruits, vegetables, water and soil. Another form of boric acid is boric acid crystals, which come from dried salt lake beds. Boric acid has...

Controlling weeds in a garden is hard to do unless you use a ground cloth. The fabric weed control cloth will help prevent weeds from growing in the garden, eliminating the need to get down on...

Over 200 species of turtles exist, and, while most of these turtles are harmless, quiet creatures, some can grow into pests that must be eliminated from a pond. Various traps can catch turtles in ...

A camel cricket does not chirp, and it likes to hide in the same locations as field crickets: in crevices and basements. Camel crickets got their name from their humpback appearance. They have...

My apartment has had ant problems every once in awhile and these steps have helped me out a lot the last two times.

Wasps living around your property are more than an annoyance; because they work so hard to defend their nests, they can become aggressive and sting people or pets. If you understand wasps, you may...

Glyphosate is the most effective herbicide for eradicating zoysia grass. If zoysia grass is encroaching upon or springing up in your vegetable garden, you must take care that the herbicide does...

Once a cricket gets in your house it will begin to chirp. This noise can quickly become annoying, especially as you are trying to sleep. What's worse is that crickets can actually munch on things...

The great black wasp (species Sphex pensylvanicus) is an insect beneficial for killing other nuisance bugs such as grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, katydids and cicadas. Insect lovers consider...

Exterminating black ants can be difficult because they form colonies that can occupy large areas and consist of thousands of insects. The ants you see around your home are most often the drones...

The Japanese beetle is a highly destructive pest that feeds upon numerous species of trees, plants and turf. The beetle is slightly less than one-half inch long and easily recognizable, possessing...

Taking proper care of your compost pile is just as important as composting itself. By monitoring the moisture, contents and even insects that inhabit your composting area, you can have total...

Honeybees collect pollen and take it to the hive to be turned into honey, which in turn becomes the bee's food source and is available all year round. Honey has many benefits, including...

Poison sumac belongs in the same family as poison oak and poison ivy. They all three contain urushiol; this is what causes the allergic reaction. If a person has not had a rash from poison sumac...

Crabgrass and dandelions are two of the most pernicious weeds in nearly every lawn across America. Controlling them can be difficult, especially when trying to keep the good grasses around them...

Yard work inevitably means you will have to burn brush, and yard waste. There are times when it is necessary to burn a stump from a cut down tree. Fire safety becomes on issue when doing this...

While entomologists are fascinated by the Texas leaf-cutting ant, homeowners find them a destructive nuisance. The ants live in colonies of up to two million and can remove the leaves from all the...

Weasels are small but determined animals that many homeowners and farmers consider a pest. They are carnivores and slaughter chickens and rabbits with little difficulty. You can contain these...

Out-of-control bamboo is a common problem. Getting rid of clumping varieties requires little more than a shovel. Running bamboo, on the other hand, can send up new growth far from the original...

Snakes can be important to have around because they eat mice and bugs, keeping you from having a field of mice invading your home. If, however, you have an abundance of snakes in your yard and...

Norway Spruce trees can be found in forests throughout the world in cooler, non-tropical zones. In the U.S. they are popular in yards because of their fast growth rate and large size. This large...

There are many reasons why you may want to get a mole out of your yard. These pests burrow in the ground, leaving blemishes on your manicured lawn. They eat the roots of your plants and flowers,...

Deer can be fun to watch, but when they eat your garden down to nubs, it might be time to find ways to deter them. Many perfumed soaps have a strong smell and bad taste that deer don't like,...

Skunks can be a huge pest when you have a garden. They are attracted to gardens that have tomato plants and other kinds of vegetables that attract bugs; skunks love eating bugs. But having skunks...

Its name notwithstanding, Bermuda grass actually came to the United States from Africa. It has a wiry appearance, with flat, pointy leaves and fine white strands like hair at the point where the...

Powdered borax or boric acid will get on the feet and legs of an insect when it walks through a thin layer of it. As the insect cleans themselves and interacts with other insects, the powder will...

Grubs live in soil and eat lawn roots. The resulting browning of the lawn occurs in late summer to early fall. This varies with the part of the country you reside, as does the best time to...

Scorpions are a huge problem in some areas. While they do not deliberately attack, they can slip into many parts of the home and sting if they feel threatened. As opposed to only stinging once, ...

Black ants can be a serious nuisance in your home. Black ants live in large colonies and will invade your home in search of food. Use a variety of home remedies to solve your ant problem without...

Gnats are tiny flying insects that can bite humans or pets. Gnat bites are not harmful to humans and pets, but they do cause itching on the skin. Male gnats often fly in groups when they are ready...

Lawn moles are about the size of a chipmunk, 6 to 8 inches long and weighing between 3 and 6 oz. They can cause considerable damage to lawns by digging tunnels and disturbing root systems. There...

Grubs are the larvae of beetles that feed on the solid root structure of your lawn. If not properly treated or controlled, grubs can ruin large areas of green space that may take years for you to...

Black ants can quickly infest a home, requiring us to find a way to get rid of the annoying pests. Retail pest control products are available, but these can be costly and often contain chemical...

Non-flying insects have a disadvantage. Because they have to crawl, they can be forced to climb over desiccants that are laid to scratch them so they leak internal fluid and essentially bleed to...

Do you hear loud scratching and rustling in your attic? It's might be a raccoon, which, given the chance, will happily make a home in your home. Attics provide all of the necessities for a happy...

Fleas are blood-sucking insects that feed on warm-blooded mammals. This makes not only your pets susceptible to flea bites but also you and your family. Fleas can quickly multiply and infest a...

Russian thistle, also known as tumbleweed, is a non-native plant introduced to American from Russia in 1873. It is common in the western United States, having been inadvertently distributed along...

Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense) is one of the most troublesome perennial weeds in the northern U.S. because of its extensive root structure. It can reproduce both by seeds and through the root...

Lemon trees are popular as home-grown fruit trees because they require little care and thrive easily in warm climates. Their foliage is attractive and their fruit can be juiced, eaten or used as a...