Pests, Weeds & Problems

Weeds can be pesky, but the chemicals used to kill them can be worse. You probably already know that herbicides are bad for the environment--but how does bleach stack up?

Rats can get into the crawl space under a home by tunneling under the foundation or coming in through an existing hole. Female rats often use this protected space to bear their young....

Fruit flies are a plague upon households, bars and other areas that serve food and beverages. Not only are they annoying and contaminate things, they also breed rapidly, making it seem like a...

Trees planted close to chain link fences will often become entangled with them as they grow. This is not only unsightly, but will damage your fence, which may cost a pretty penny to fix. If you...

Anthracnose is a common disease of evergreen and deciduous trees, one that attacks the leaves and blights them. It is a fungal disease and goes through a life cycle that is dependent on the...

Agricultural pest control is time-consuming and expensive, and depending on the product used, can also be polluting. While chemical pesticides can be very effective at reducing agricultural pests,...

A tick is a small arachnid that has the ability to transmit diseases to its animal or human host. The tick sinks its mouth parts in to the host and begins to draw blood out. During this process,...

Rice paper plants also go by the name Tetrapanax papyiferus and are a member of the ginseng family. This plant grows very well in tropical areas and has leaves up to 15 inches wide. Unfortunately,...

Canada thistle is hard to kill. The weed spreads primarily by cloning itself from an extensive root system. Taproots can penetrate to 18 feet and lateral shoots extend 20 feet in a single season....

Not all birds are welcome around the home. Take barn swallows, for instance: they can be very messy, especially if they build nests inside a garage or under the eaves of a house. They can also...

Deer tracks and nibbled plants in the garden can cause even the most patient gardener to to throw up his hands in exasperation. Deer browsing in a small garden plot can cause considerable damage,...

Plantago rugelii, or blackseed plantain as it is commonly called, is a perennial weed that is often found in turfgrass. It survives repeated mowing by growing as ground-hugging rosettes. There are...

White grubs are a very serious and destructive ground pest that feed on the roots of turf grasses. They are called "white" grubs because their bodies are white in color and are "C" shaped. Grubs...

The owl scarecrow has become a common sight among human infrastructure---on the rooftops of businesses, around airports and on the lawns and porches of residential neighborhoods.

Nothing is more frustrating than crawling into a nice warm bed after a stressful day and being woken up from a peaceful slumber by the loud meowing of a cat just outside your bedroom window. ...

Leafcutter bees are usually grayish-black in color, with lighter bands around their abdomen. Their size is similar to that of a honeybee; however, unlike honeybees, leafcutters are solitary in...

Bamboo is a tough plant that is notoriously hard to kill. Though many people enjoy its delicate appearance and use it to provide privacy from neighbor's yards, it grows rapidly and can quickly...

Crepe myrtles (also spelled crape myrtle) are multi-stemmed shrubs famous for their long-lasting blooming period. They can be grown south of zone 6, that is, the states south of Virginia. They are...

Alfalfa is a plant widely used to feed livestock and pets. It is often harvested as hay and sold as such. Alfalfa is preferred over regular Timothy hay because it is rich in fiber, vitamin C and...

Removing a stump without heavy equipment can be backbreaking work. Axes, picks and pry bars are the tools required, along with at least a day's hard work. Using chemical applications makes stump...

Oak trees are very hardy. There are more 400 kinds of oaks, and the wood is used to make furniture, corks, and a multitude of other products. However, oaks are toxic to animals such as horses...

Moles are burrowing animals that excel at ruining your perfectly landscaped lawn with their runs and mole hills. Moles tunnel below your yard to search for the grubs and earthworms that make up...

Moles can turn into quite a big problem for you and your lawn. As it creates its tunnels, grass, soil and other plants are uprooted that are in the path of the mole. Another thing to realize is...

Wild animals that move into your home or garden can be a nuisance. Squirrels and birds can build nests that clog chimneys, and squirrels also steal food from bird feeders. Rodents can live in your...

Termites are a serious household pest. They can damage wood and frame work quickly and are often difficult to do away with. Other than expensive pest removal services, there are also several home...

Clover fescue is a hardy grass often used for grazing livestock. Clover fescue has deep roots and will form a dense sod. It can grow over 48 inches in height if left unmanaged. Although clover...

Mole plants are one way to combat moles and the tunnels they create in your lawn or garden. These tunnels compromise the structural integrity of the soil, making it sink and killing the plants...

Honeysuckle is a shrub or vine plant with over 180 species. Unfortunately some species are susceptible to a powdery mildew growing on the leaves. This will not usually injure the plant but may...

Burdock is not a simple weed. It cannot simply be plucked and thrown away and thus gone from your garden. No, burdock is not a visitor. Burdock is the guest that won't go home, even though you've...

Ticks are tiny arachnids that live on the blood of mammals and birds. They are often found in grass, shrubs and small trees, and can be a great nuisance to domestic pets. Unfortunately, ticks...

Canna is an attractive flowering plant whose leaves serve as a host for Japanese beetles. Japanese beetles are 1/2-inch-long bugs with a metallic green body and copper wings. They eat leaves,...

Iron bacteria are not unhealthy to humans, but they secrete a sludge that impairs water flow by narrowing water pipe diameter. The rust-colored sludge in your toilet's water chamber comes from...

Pesky little gnats flying around your plants? Are there tiny, narrow slime trails crisscrossing your plant's soil? If so, fungus gnats have taken up residence in your potted plants. Fungus gnats...

Weeds are a problem in almost everyone's lawn. Getting rid of them can be as tedious and difficult as pulling out the weeds by hand. A lot of weedkillers also can kill nearby plants and other...

Bahia grass is a warm season grass that is resistant to drought, insects, disease and various types of fertile and infertile soils. This grass is not an aggressive plant, but its roots can go...

For the most part raccoons prefer to live their lives in the wild, but the ever encroaching human presence has caused these otherwise solitary animals to search for food in many people's...

Thistle and its subspecies are found throughout the North America. Though some species are native, non-native Eurasian species such as Canada thistle are considered weeds. It is an opportunistic,...

Powdery mildew looks like someone sprinkled flour or talcum powder on your lawn. It tends to attack Kentucky bluegrass, particularly in areas of the lawn that are wet or get very little sun. It's...

Snakes elicit different emotions in different people--fear, fascination or even disgust. Some land owners enjoy having one or two snakes take up residence in their barn to help keep out rodents...

When dealing with weeds forming in newly established sod, it is important to consider what type of turfgrass you are trying to establish, along with what type of weeds that you want to eradicate....

Carpenter bees are large, black and yellow bees often observed hovering around the eaves of houses, as well as the weathered or bare wood on decks and porches, where they make little round...

Getting rid of unwanted grass can be a difficult proposition. Digging up the grass can work temporarily, but unless every root is removed, grass can grow back. Killing grass from the roots up is...

After a winter of family pets using the garden or backyard as a porta-potty, the yard may be quite odorous by spring. Skunks that are attracted to gardens may also leave their scent behind. This...

Spruce trees are coniferous trees with whorled branches. They are very dense and hardy, which is what makes them difficult to kill. They flourish in cool to cold temperatures and can grow to be 60...

Mice rarely build their nests in places that can be accessed easily; in some cases they build them in areas that can be potentially dangerous to the health of homeowners. Mouse nests in a furnace...

The black walnut tree can grow up to 150 feet high and 5 feet in diameter. Its wood is highly prized among carpenters. In fact, it would be wise to place an ad in your local paper to sell the wood...

Parramatta grass is a clumping grass that invades pastures and chokes out other more productive grasses. It flourishes in swampy areas and land occupied by vehicles or machinery. Parramatta grass...

Cockroaches are a difficult to kill insect that can infect your home and your food. While cockroaches aren't incredibly destructive or aggressive, they are incredibly intelligent, for insects....

Weeds are unsightly, hard to kill and just plain stubborn most of the time. Weed killer can be expensive and pulling the weeds by hand is hard on the back and knees. Many people do not know this,...

Termites are among the most hated of household pests. They nest in homes, chew through wood and are extremely difficult to remove. In the past, strong chemicals were used to deter and control...