Get matched with top pest control specialists in Akutan, AK

When woodpeckers start banging on your walls or roof, they are probably looking for insects to eat, storing nuts for winter, drilling a hole to make a nest, or communicating with other birds to establish territory or find a mate.

The size of the hole can help determine the reason for the pecking. Small irregular holes are a result of insect hunts. Acorn holes are more consistently sized and often fitted with a nut in the middle. Nest holes are large and have rounded edges. If the bird is pecking to mark its territory or attract a mate, it may leave dents rather than holes, and the noise will stop when the mating season starts in spring.

Naturally occurring EPA-registered Bti products are an effective way to kill off mosquitoes at the larval stage. And, although they won’t wipe them out, there are lots of natural repellents that make your yard less attractive to mosquitoes. Try planting some marigolds, lemon thyme, or other plants they’ll steer clear of, light a citronella candle or two, or lay some bug-offensive cedar mulch.

If it seems like many flies appeared in your yard overnight, don’t be concerned. A single fly can lay over 200 eggs per day, so having one in your yard could lead to dozens more the next day. That’s why it’s important to eliminate flies from outside your home before they take up residence.

Technically, yes, chinch bugs can fly. However you won’t usually see them in flight. Chinch bugs like to stick close to the ground and they usually move around by hopping or crawling (which is why they can be hard to see). Since they don’t get much chance at flying, they’re pretty bad at it and only fly for short distances—like to nearby yards.