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You can find anti-rat sprays in most home department stores that may be worth a try. Spray them along fences and in areas where you don’t want rats to go (like around decks) and they may think twice before approaching. For a natural version, you can try a mint spray, since rats generally dislike mint. But even the most effective sprays are unlikely to stop a hungry rat over time.

Cold winter months won’t always kill off fleas completely. Your home is typically warm enough for fleas to survive or, at least, for the eggs to lay dormant, ready to hatch when warmer weather arrives. Plus, waiting for the winter isn’t a good idea. The infestation will continue to grow, and fleas carry pathogens that can harm humans and pets.

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.

You can remove a wasp nest yourself, but it isn’t a good idea. Although it looks easy enough to hit down a nest with a broom, wasps may be inside or around the nest and are known for getting aggressive when their nest is threatened. If you follow our guidelines for removing wasps nests with pesticide spray, insecticidal dust, water and dish soap, or boiling water, you may be able to safely tackle the problem.