Pests – This is where it starts

Have you ever moved? Whether you bought or rented, I’m sure some of you have run into some kind of challenges being in a new space.

Common things that can be easy or more complex can happen. The plumbing has a block or leak, mold on walls or mold on window sills, an appliance stops working or is not working well, flaking paint.

Pests making your home theirs, the free loaders! Moving in getting the benefits of free warm living. This is unless you get to your new space and the temperature drops below freezing only to find out some or all your heating is not working. Better get cozy to the rat that moved in because you both are going to need warmth…

3D rendering of a smiling cartoon mouse in a mugshot.
By Sarah Holmlund

What do you do when things have water where water should not be? Find the closest water shut off. If you’re in an apartment and renting you might need to call the landlord, and hope you don’t have a slumlord.

3d render image of an interior of a flooded laundry.
By tiero

If you have a leak in a washer, toilet or sink there is likely a shut off around the unit. Older ones don’t always have a designated shut off. So you will need to know where the main water shut off is. Turn off the water and call in the right people for the job. If you have the skills and you own your place go ahead and fix it. If you rent and know how to do the task at hand call the landlord and get verbal permission. I prefer to get written permission. Then you have something to show if it comes about that this person said this.

Read manuals to things in your home or search them on the internet. You will likely have makes and models on many things in your home. Test out your fuse panel, you might need to cut power to something quickly , that is so hard when things are not labeled or miss labeled. You really are better knowing what to turn off, the time before your dishwasher needs electrical troubleshooting. Getting zapped really sucks.

The other problems you might run into is service backlogs, it could be winter and you could be without heat for many weeks. Have an emergency back up plan. You could also have appliance or parts shortages. It is not as easy as “oh the appliance is not working, let’s buy a new one”. Somethings like hot water tanks will have a business name and phone or other contact incase repairs are needed. You can also call the manufactures with the make and model they sometimes will trouble shoot with you.

Things to know where they are in your place are water shut off points, gas shut offs and the fuse panel. Have emergency contacts for your gas and water companies. Know who to call if you have any problem. Have your home insurance papers in a safe place above floods, have a small book with your policy numbers and makes and models in it. Makes it faster to share information.

Photo credit: Malgorzata Surawska/Shutterstock Squirrel

Hope your week is not filled with things not working, know this too should pass, if it does not you can move to the woods and move in with a squirrel. Think they would be as shocked to see you in their tree as you are to see them fall into the house from the chimney? Make the best of this long weekend.

Have you tried to grow a garden with squirrels in town? Let me paint you a picture of me in the heat of those little rodents..

I go out many mornings early to water and check my front garden. It is my way of maintaining peace and tranquility in my world. And take a deep breath and release the bad energy.

Normally going out chatting with the crows or other birds/animals, sitting quietly with nature.

For those that don’t know about squirrels they are usually gray or black, an adult can weigh 400 – 600 g, or 14.1 to 21.1 ounces, and are 23 – 30 cm, 9.0 to 11.8 inches, head and body. Being rodents their teeth constantly grow. When they are not destroying my garden I think they are beautiful.

I get out there, start to look at my plants and what do I see, my little avocado plant I have grown for over 2 years nonked to a stump this sad little stick with the other part of the plant laying limp and wilted nearby! Devastation and anger fill me, knowing who the culprit is. I see if there’s any way I can fix my plant, knowing in my heart it is a goner.

This is not my only time going to my garden to see destruction. I have seen them eat the head off my roses. I have seen them pick off my baby squash and eat them, dig out my seedlings and dig out new plants. The kicker was when I went out and caught one in the act! I look on the ground and there is my first hot pepper of the year with bites out of it and just laying there, with the little fuzz tail running off. Spitefuly I thought serves you right!

This is where my lovely pink roses were.

Sometimes I go out and see them digging and I wave my arms like a crazy person, telling them in a loud voice get out, go I will kick your little squirrel butt! I swear they go and laugh, we get up earlier than you.

I’m sure they think they are good gardeners. But I feel that they should take up other work.

One thing I do is put small clay pots upside down around my seedlings. They are a bit too heavy for them to flip over and it deters them being able to dig out my plants.

This is my tomatoes seedling, they dug them out because I forgot the clay pots.

Have you had anything do destruction in your garden? Would love to read about your woes. Hope you have a calm week free of pests.

Tag: Pests

Used house problems

Tree rats aka squirrels