Few animals can cause as much damage to your garden as deer. Their ravenous appetite can destroy your landscape valuable greenery and they really don’t seem to care too much about the consequences of their meal.

Products to stop deer damage abound. The products for deer deterrents fall generally into these categories:

• Deer “startle” devices
• Deer taste and odor deterrents
• Deer fencing
• Electronic deer repellers

We have found that deer, like people, can respond to different products differently. Some aren’t bothered by some products and others are. Unfortunately, there is almost no 100% effective deer deterrent by itself. Although taste and odor deterrents come closest to achieving this goal. However, a starving deer may even sample greenery treated with Liquid Fence or a similar product.

Best results to deter deer can be had by having 2 or more products used concurrently in your yard or garden.

For example, utilizing the “Scarecrow” to keep deer away from a designated area and then backing it up by treating some of the more desireable plants with Liquid Fence or Deer Off can achieve excellent results.

Be aware that deer are often the most destructive as the food supply dwindles. Also, deer may end up visiting your yard as your neighbors use deer deterrents themselves.

When the weather turns cool and wet, rats and mice seek shelter in your home and garage. PestDetour carries a great variety of rodent control products to make your home less desireable to these pests. From rodent poisons to rat and mouse repellers and traps, too, a complete assortment of products are available from PestDetour.

One proven deterrent that works and gets a lot of positive customer feedback is the Pest A Cator line of electronic rodent repellers. The Pest A Cator works “24/7″ to keep rats and mice from living inside your home.

This device comes in several different models and simply plugs into any house outlet. It sends an electromagnetic pulse through the neutral line of your home wiring. This pulse is inaudible to humans and is completely safe for all electronic equipment, including computers. By using the home’s wiring, it keeps rodents from living in the walls, ceilings and floors. So, wherever there is wiring, the sound repels rodents will be there. I use one at home and in my workshop and I can attest to the fact that it works.

PestDetour has sold the Pest A Cator to customers around the world. What is interesting is that of the many great products that we sell, this one is very often recommended to one friend by another - testimony to its results.

Let’s say the rats do get into your garage, attic, basement or home. Consider the “bettter mousetrap” from Rat apper. The Rat Zapper is an electronic, battery powered rodent trap that delivers a lethal shock to rats and mice. It’s safe for use around most pets and the family but is deadly on rodents. One of the benefits of the Rat Zapper is that it kills rodents cleanly without blood or guts. The Rat Zapper comes in two models the Rat Zapper Classic and the Rat Zapper Ultra. There are also some helpful accesories, too.

Of course, we realize that some folks are looking for humane rat and mouse control. We also carry a live mouse trap so that you can catch and release these rodents to the outdoors.

Whatever your requirement, PestDetour has the solution to your rodent problems.

Many of us can remember when the first “bug zappers” came out. They were a “miracle”! Everyone in the neighborhood had these things plugged in and you could hear the sound of bugs gettting electrocuted all day - and all night - long.

But over time, many people began to realize that it wasn’t just the “bad bugs” that were getting zapped. Many of us also came to realize that this was not a good thing.

Time and technology marches on and now there are some solutions to help with annoying bugs that spare the “good” bugs. One of the best ones out there is the DynaTrap.

What’s good about the DynaTrap is that it targets “biting bugs” over the “good bugs”.

Plus, it does not make a loud “zapping noise” but instead draws them into a “dehydration chamber” with a quiet vacuum blower.

The results are in and people who have used the DynaTrap really like it. With all due respect to the Mosquito Magnet, which really does work, it requires a great deal of ongoing maintenance and supplies. The “care and feeding” of a DynaTrap, on the other hand, is much simpler. Just plug it in, empty the chamber when full and change the 2 light bulbs when they burn out. Most folks will get a couple of seasons with the bulbs and they aren’t that expensive.

The technology of the DynaTrap utlizes some clever ideas to accomplish excellent effectiveness against biting bugs. The intake funnel is coated with titanium dioxide which creates carbon dioxide - a real mosquito and biting bug attractant. Plus the two light bulbs create warmth and UV rays which also attract biting bugs. Then the whisper quiet vaccum fan draws the insects into the unit where they will no longer bother you or your family and friends.

So now with the DynaTrap you can target mosquitoes, biting flies, asian beetles and even house flies within about 1/2 acre with an easy to use and effective trap that you just plug in to any houshold outlet. It can even be used indoors, too. All of this for under a hundred bucks. Not bad.

Nothing is more frustrating than having a cantelope growing so beatuifully, and when you go to pick it have a hole eaten in it from the underside. That DA** gopher has burrowed underneath the garden and come up directly under the cantelope and eaten it!!! 

What are the options to get rid of these gophers?  Many people use the underground vibrating or sonic gopher chasers. Gopher poision is another option. What about gopher gasses? There is also a new product made with castor oil granules.  Help!! What to do!!!

You may have the cleanest home - or kitchen - in the world, but ants happen and summer usually encourages infestation. Hot weather often drives ants indoors seeking cooler temperatures or moisture. And guess what? Your house qualifies as the anecdote to the hot, thirsty ant.
There are more than 20 varieties of ants that invade or live in homes throughout the country during warmer months.

When it comes to eliminating ants, some homeowners seek out the help of a pest control professional. Professionals are trained to identify pests, treat the problem and recommend steps to prevent reinfestation. This is important since the untrained eye cannot always spot the damage pests can cause or identify them correctly.

However, this does not mean you cannot deal with these ant invaders yourself. Terro offers an excellent ‘one-two punch’ of products to not only keep them out of your home but to get them should they invade.

Terro Outdoor Ant Killer Granules (Stock # 448423) can be sprinkled around the permiter of your home to keep ants from coming in. Long lasting and fast-acting, this is a product you can count on.

Should they get in, take a look at the Terro Pre-Filled Ant Bait Tray (Stock # 587474). This item is easy to use and attacks the voracious ants within an hour. Once they find it, they feed on it, take it back to the nest and ususally within 24 hours the home-invading ant pests will be gone.
Don’t be disconcerted when the colony finds it. Yes, you will see MANY ants feeding from the Bait Station…but not for long. The positive part of this method is that you are getting to the source of the ant probelm and not just killing the ones you see.
Another Terro product is Terro Aerosol Ant Killer (Stock # 817676). This item works well indoors to treat nooks and crannys where they may get in and to spray the stragglers left behind after using the Bait Tray.

All in all, you CAN deal with invading ants with the help of PestDetour and Terro.

Here are a few tips that you can also take to help control ant problems around your home and garden:
• To keep ants out of buildings, caulk cracks and crevices around foundations that allow entry from the outside.
• Indoors, eliminate cracks and crevices wherever possible, especially in kitchens and other food-preparation and storage areas.
• Store sugar, syrup, honey and other sweets in closed containers that have been washed to remove residue from their exterior surfaces.
• Rinse out empty soft-drink containers and remove them from the building. Thoroughly clean up grease and spills. Take kitchen waste out daily when ants are a problem indoors.
• Look for indoor nesting sites, such as potted plants. If ants are found there, remove the plants and containers from the building, then submerge the infested pots for 20 minutes in water that contains a few drops of liquid soap.

That’s it for now. Thanks for readin’,
Aunt Cora

We know. We’ve been there. Deer in the garden. Ants on the kitchen counter. Flies buzzing around the patio table. Mosquitoes pestering you while you’re trying to enjoy the beautiful outdoors. Yikes! It’s enough to make you nuts.

But, PestDetour is here to help. We have products to offer you solutions.

For over 5 years (which is actually a long time in the internet world) we have been selling and shipping products to happy customers throughout the entire world to solve their pest problems.

We can help with your problem, too.

One of the most frequent requests that the folks at PestDetour get is for a wasp trap. Just to clarify, the wasp is the long-legged black and yellow insect that usually makes its nest in the eaves, rafters and nooks and crannys around your home, shed or garage. They are slow-flying and are not to be confused with the more agressive yellowjacket.

Although conversations with a major manufacturer has confirmed that they are working on one, it has been several years of unsucessful protoypes so far.

So are there any solutions for wasps short of spraying them with insecticdes? I’ve found the “Waspinator” to be an intriguing new product to repel wasps from a local area. Designed to mimic the look of an actual wasp nest, other wasps see this and will be detered from encroaching into this area. As dubious as this may seem, the sisters who brought this item to market claim it comes from an old family idea that has been perfected, tested and proven to work.

So, if you don’t want wasps hanging around your BBQ, patio or pool area, try a Waspinator and fool the wasps into staying away.

Skunks. The name evokes a wrinkled nose and maybe a bit of nausea at the thought of their odor. Yet despite their reputation, skunks are generally an easy going critter who sprays only when riled up. Their diet consists primarily of insects so they are also beneficial. However, when they patrol around your property they can be a nuisance. They will seek out food sources like your garbage can or pet food. And you definitely want to discourage them from making a den around your home or property.

Being that they are kind of cute and have no other line of defense other than their foul smell, of course, you don’t want to just “shoo them away” either.

So, what are your solutions? First, keep your home from being “skunk friendly”. Block off openings to your basement, crawl space, shed or under your deck.

The folks her at PestDetour can help too. They stock several ultra sonic products that are motion-sensor activated. When the critter gets within range, the unit sounds off a high-frequency tone that should repel them from the area.

PestDetour also stocks odor and taste deterrents (Liquid Fence) and even live animal traps. (Look under “Animal Pest Solutions”).

OK, so what if you or your pet gets hit by the fould stench of a skunk?

There’s a tried and true solution developed by Humboldt State University chemistry teacher William Wood that you can make yourself.

Here’s the recipe:
1 - Qt. Hydrogen Peroxide
1/4 cup Baking Soda
1 - Tsp. Liquid Dishwashing Detergent

Bear in mind that not only will this deodorize skunk smell, but it may also (without harm to your pet) bleach out your black pooch.

Aunt Cora

Just about everyone finds yellow jackets to be one of the most annoying of the summer pests. They are sort of like a fly on steroids - obnoxious, aggressive and they don’t take kindly to being swatted at.

If you are trying to enjoy your picnic or BBQ, a yellow jacket trap will certainly help. Hang it about 20 ft. from where you are at and the powerful attractant should pull them in that direction instead of in yours.

One of the best methods of reducing yellow jacket populations in your area is to be poractive by placing the trap(s) out in early to mid-spring. This will catch the queen and thus reduce the overall population. Good hunting!