Chicken clean up crew

Chickens are the hot new addition to backyards with very good reason. They’re loaded with personality, provide delicious eggs on a regular basis and do wonders on keeping down the bug problem….

Discouraging groundhogs and ground squirrels

The groundhog saw his shadow a month ago, but in these parts the herald of spring are the ground squirrels. I was taken aback when I saw several of them scurrying across the hard-packed snow in the…

Taking care of the indoor pests

There are people who can grow a veritable jungle indoors. I’m not one of them. It seems not watering indoor plants is detrimental to their longevity, which is something I frequently forget. Plus,…

Protect your fruit trees with a dormant oil spray

Even though the groundhog saw his shadow this week and a major snowstorm is bearing down on the east coast, you need to start planning for spring chores, particularly when it comes to the fruit…

Use organic pesticides with care

I’m definitely an advocate of using organic pesticides whenever possible. The less toxic substances we dump into the environment the better, but I feel the need to stress to people that just because…

Cold is Good

It’s been a might chilly around here lately. At the beginning of the week, we woke to actual temperatures of -25 degrees. The highs didn’t crack zero. I hate it. I understand the “snow bird” logic,…

What Bugs the Bees

For the past three years there’s been an increasing concern about the health of our nation’s – and actually the world’s – honeybee population due to a mysterious malady referred to as Colony Collapse…

When Box Elder Bugs Attack!

It’s a few days past Halloween, but talking to people about box elder bugs (Boisea trivattatus) reminds me of a horror movie. When the weather starts cooling down in the fall, peoples’ homes are sometimes inundated with masses of red and black bugs that freak out many homeowners, especially since it seems you get rid [...]

Keeping the Deer Away from the Trees

Even though most of the apples are gone from the trees, it doesn’t mean the deer will leave them alone. Grant erected cages around them several weeks ago keep the deer from destroying them. Not only do they nibble on the branches- pruning them in a direction we don’t want – but the bucks come [...]

Lovelorn Fools – Urban Elk

While springtime has the ambience of romance and love, autumn is when many animals, ungulates in particular, strut their stuff and woo their mates. Unfortunately, the local landscape often takes the brunt of their efforts.
One of the first natural history films I worked on for National Geographic was ‘Urban Elk’ where we filmed the bulls [...]