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If the snakes in your yard are non-venomous species (like common Rat or Garter snakes), why not consider the live-and-let-live approach? Some benefits of not getting rid of snakes include:

• They’re great at controlling disease-spreading rodent populations, including rats, mice, voles, and moles.

• Some non-venomous species (like the common kingsnake) eat venomous species like rattlesnakes and copperheads.

• Species like the garter snake keep down populations of garden pests like slugs and grasshoppers.

Even if you have extreme ophidiophobia (fear of snakes), don’t try to shoot or kill them with a shovel. Besides being pretty cruel, killing snakes in most states is illegal unless your life is at risk and many species are protected. 

Plus, you're putting yourself at greater risk using these techniques if it goes wrong and the now-angry snake is venomous.

A standard homeowners insurance policy will often cover raccoon damage in an attic, on a roof, or in other areas of a home’s structure. If you have raccoons removed and discover structural damage, file a claim. However, homeowners insurance typically won’t cover the repair or replacement of personal items that you may have stored in an attic.

Paper wasps, like many other wasps, are attracted to sweet smells that remind them of nectar. That’s why wasps may buzz around you as you snack on watermelon on the patio. They may also like the scent of certain perfumes. Standing water attracts these wasps, too.

Paper wasps are also attracted to warm, sheltered spaces, where they can build nests and raise larva in protected areas away from predators. They may also be attracted to untreated wood on your deck or fence, as they use wood pulp to build nests.