A couple months ago I unhappily discovered bees swarming our house. DISCLAIMER – DON”T try this at home. I then proceeded to get a very long pole, stuck a wad of steel wool at the end of it, and used it to seal the hole they were headed into by our roof. Yes, I probably killed some bees in the process, but I managed to prevent them from taking up residence in our wall and attic. Not a single sting and crisis averted! I patted myself on a job well done . . . until the next day, when a massive swarm of bees located a new home in a crack in a hollow stucco wall that surrounds our patio. Whether you have dealt with a swarm of bees in the past or just want to be prepared for one in the future (or better yet, you’d like to avoid a bee invasion altogether), you’ll definitely want to read on for our adventures in live bee removal. Read More
Pest Control
Adjustable Window Screens – Just Say No to Zika
Our home is filled with traditional, double hung windows. Several are original to the home, which was built in the 1930’s (that’s prehistoric by California standards). One of the first things I did when we bought the home was to remove all the aftermarket screens. They were ugly, hard to clean, in rough condition, and I like a clear view not obstructed by unsightly mesh. Fast forward about a decade (yes, I said decade), and much to my wife’s dismay, we still didn’t have screens on our windows. My attitude was always, “We’re in San Diego, we don’t have bugs!” However, last summer, I was seen running around our bedroom at 3:00 am, hunting a mosquito that was tormenting me. Since my tolerance for late-night wakings has never been good, and because my wife is convinced our family is an ideal target for the Zika virus, something had to be done. I had seen adjustable window screens online a couple times, and it was time to give them a shot. Read More
