I recently stumbled upon a crime in progress, catching the perpetrators in the act. The elements of this transgression included a crime syndicate, accomplices, dubious ethics, and theft. I planted a Cuphea ignea seven years ago as a hummingbird attractor in my garden dedicated to pollinators. Cuphea…
For years, homeowners have been told to pick up the clippings from the lawnmower and get rid of them. I’ve seen people pick up their full, heavy grass catchers on the back of their lawn mowers when full and toss those clippings either into green waste bins or their compost piles. I've often wondered…
What Are Rodents?The scientific name Rodentia comes from the Latin word rodere, which means "to gnaw." Rodents include:RatsMiceVolesGophersSquirrelsWoodchucksChipmunksPorcupinesNutriaBeaversRodents are important but need to be controlled when they infest homes and buildings; they damage crops, transmit…
Once again, hunting season in my yard is open - for female black widow spiders and their webs. It happens every year, beginning in late spring and through the summer months, into the warm fall season.We live at the end of a court in a typical residential neighborhood; however, there is no house on the…
It was not my intention to be surrounded by spider plants in my home. I don’t dislike spider plants, but they aren’t my first choice for a houseplant, perhaps because I grew up in an era where spider plants were everywhere, from festooning macrame plant hangers to growing outside under a local Monterey…
