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Pesky Nuisances

QUESTION
Outside our dining room is a landing with French doors. A woodchuck is under the landing. I don’t mind him, but he is eating my wife’s flowers. How can I get rid of him humanely?

ANSWER
Humanely, huh? To get rid of him means killing him, because most state governments (including Louisiana) won’t cart away nuisance animals. I cannot figure any humane way to dispose of a critter, but there is another solution.

You can shoo the woodchuck out and then build a sturdy foundation under the landing, effectively closing him out on three sides. Build a wall of pressure treated wood boards going from the top of the landing and extending maybe 24 inches into the ground.

Even a determined woodchuck would be hard put to excavate 24 inches down to get into his favorite spot.

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QUESTION
Help! I am infested with flies. They are in my finished basement and maybe in my attic, though I have not checked there. I see a lot at the windows, and they are scary. Do I have a nest in the house? How can I get rid of them and keep them out? Is there a chance of keeping them away?

ANSWER
These critters, which are cluster flies, are named from their habit of clustering around windows in cooler weather. They are seeking warmth from the sun. They are not house flies and are less of a menace than house flies. Sweep them up and throw them away. Although they are not inclined to move much, you can hang old-fashioned fly paper to catch quite a few. The rest you can sweep up and throw away. Cluster flies are the sad sacks of the insect world. They breed in the ground and emerge in August, which is a rotten time for insects because October and killing frosts are not far away. So they seek warmth, where they might survive the winter. Don’t ask how they come in; there are many hidden openings in houses that flies, and especially ants, have a knack of finding. Keep them away? It’s a matter of luck. So keep sweeping. Next year might be different.

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