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When it comes to keeping birds from doing their business on your porch rails, you have several DIY options and home remedies you can try: 

• Tie a fishing line from one end of the deck post to the other. Birds won’t be able to see the line across the railing, so they can’t land on it.  

• Hang wind chimes close by, which may scare birds away. 

• Apply a bird gel repellent to the railings, which contains smells that birds generally don’t like. Or, similarly, you can apply citronella or lemon oil around the railings, since birds don’t like strong smells.

Yes. While cellar spiders can seem creepy or scary, they’re essential to the ecosystem. They feed on smaller insects in your home or elsewhere, keeping those populations in check. They’re also food for birds and small animals, so if you let a cellar spider live and simply transport it outside your house, you’re letting the natural cycle continue undisturbed. 

Besides checking your pet’s fur, you can use two other tests to find fleas in your home: the white sock test and the water and lamp test.

To perform the white sock test, simply put on a pair of long white socks and drag your feet along the carpets in your home. Fleas will gravitate to the heat created by your socks. The water and lamp test involves placing a bowl of water on the floor and shining a light over it. Fleas will then be attracted to the light and land in the bowl of water.

No, poison isn’t the best way to deal with animals in your attic. It’s unlikely to completely eradicate the problem, especially if you don’t take care of access points. Also, poisoned animals may die and decay in the attic, causing noxious odors. 

Some animals may leave the attic before the poison kills them, which could lead to nearby pets or other wildlife eating the animals and becoming poisoned themselves. Ultimately, it’s better to avoid using poison and contact a professional instead.