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Want pro tips and advice straight from the source?
Register to join our Ask a Pro LIVE interactive event on Thursday, September 26 at 1:30 EDT: Caleb will be taking your questions about all things pest control and offer his solutions for your unique pest issues!
You’ll leave this event knowing:
- Which pests will to be ready for this fall;
- How you can solve many pest issues on your own;
- How to know when it’s time to call in a professional;
- How to find the best pest control professional;
- The true extent of the damage pests can really cause, and how much it can cost you.
Welcome to Ask a Pro! We take your questions about home improvement, DIY, lawn and garden, and homeownership and answer them with the help of professionals. Our experts are vetted and verified—and they’re eager to share their knowledge.
Last month, BobVila.com readers submitted pest control questions on Facebook and Instagram, and via our newsletter. We hand-picked our favorites, and tapped Caleb Fabry of Town & Country Pest Solutions to help answer them. In this installment of our Ask a Pro series, Caleb tackles your questions about getting rid of pests of all kinds and sizes. He’ll also be joining us for our Ask a Pro LIVE webinar event about fall pest control.
Meet the Expert: Caleb Fabry, President of Town and Country Pest Solutions Inc.
Caleb Fabry serves as President of Town and Country Pest Solutions, a family business in Upstate New York that has been operating since 1986. Caleb and team specialize in the safe management of insects, rodents, and nuisance wildlife, for residential and commercial clients. The company is an active member of the National Pest Management Association and the National Wildlife Association.
To learn more about Caleb, check out Town & Country Pest Solutions Inc.’s website, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram pages.
How do I get rid of RODENTS…especially MICE? They have taken over the garage and shed. We have other animals and cannot use poison. I have tried peppermint essential oil, but it did nothing. —Hope, via the newsletter
Caleb’s advice: While peppermint oil can temporarily deter them, it’s not the most reliable solution. Mice have no bladder control, so they are constantly urinating along the paths they take to enter and exit or to a food and water source. Peppermint oil essentially masks the pheromones in the urine and sebum they placed, which causes them to feel “lost”. This prompts them to create new paths for themselves. Instead of relying on the essential oils, I recommend using snap traps or enclosed bait stations to catch or eliminate mice as quickly as possible and gain control of the situation. Trapping will take persistence, and using a variety of lures until you find one that works the best will need to be part of the process. Try adding small pieces of a cotton ball, thread, peanut butter, Nutella, or melted chocolate on the trap pan. Be prepared to set many traps and reset them until they are gone. By instinct, mice love to feel “protected”, so they run walls more often than running out into the open to get food or from point A to point B. Setting traps with the pans or trip plate facing the walls will be the best way since the walls offer protection from predators on one side. This way, even if they don’t want your bait, you may still catch them because they will just walk over the pan and get caught.
It’s crucial to act quickly because mice reproduce at an alarming rate—a single pair can have up to 60 babies in a year, rapidly escalating a minor problem into a significant infestation.
Fixing holes, maintaining a clean environment by reducing clutter, and securing food sources is key to preventing mice from returning. They won’t stick around if you can remove at least one of three things they need for survival: food, water, or shelter.
If you’re still having trouble or want a more comprehensive solution, a professional rodent control service can provide the necessary expertise to ensure your space is rodent-free and all your pets will stay safe.
I live in Florida and have a mole problem. Feels like walking on a mattress. What is the best way to get rid of them? — Harry, via the newsletter
Caleb’s advice: Moles can be a big headache, especially in areas like Florida, where the soft, moist soil makes it easy for them to tunnel. The nature of the soil is also attractive to moles’ food sources. The “mattress” feeling you’re describing results from the moles tunneling just below the surface. These animals are typically attracted to lawns, where insects like grubs and earthworms are their primary food source.
First, using insecticides (preferably environmentally safe ones) or beneficial nematodes to target grubs and other soil-dwelling pests can reduce their food supply, making your yard less appealing to moles. However, moles can still be persistent even without an abundant food source.
Trapping is one of the most effective methods for mole control, as long as you’re using special mole traps that can be placed in active tunnels. It’s important to locate the main tunnels to increase your chances of success. These types of traps can be found online or in hardware stores.
Some more humane methods include repellents you can spray or scatter on the yard. These can be effective when following the directions strictly. However, know that if you have neighbors, this will likely just push the moles over to their yard and cause issues for them. It does not solve the problem or eliminate them, but this is a good option in certain situations.
Remember that moles can reproduce quickly, with females having three to five babies per litter. Their population can grow if unchecked, so acting fast is crucial. If DIY methods aren’t working or you want a more comprehensive solution, finding professional mole control services with excellent reputations that can effectively eliminate moles humanely and immediately stop them from further damaging your lawn is the way to go.
- Want more advice from Caleb? Check out what he had to say about spiders, lubber grasshoppers, and more.
My question is regarding earwigs. They eat all my garden vegetables, fruit trees, and flower plant leaves I have done a few different things and their numbers have reduced—or at least are somewhat under control—but I’m looking for more help. — Karen, via the newsletter
Caleb’s advice: Earwigs can be destructive in the garden, especially when they start eating your vegetable plants, fruit trees, and flowers. It sounds like you’ve already made some progress in controlling them, which is great! There are a few more steps you can take to keep their population down and protect your plants.
Removing their hiding spots is one of the best ways to control earwigs. They love dark, damp places, so clean up any mulch, piles of leaves, or other debris around your garden. You can also use traps, like rolled-up newspaper or damp cardboard, to attract earwigs overnight, then dispose of them in the morning. It’s not a long-term solution, but it can help get rid of earwigs.
Another method is using a product from your local garden or hardware store. Ask them for recommendations on products to use on the ground below the plants, whether it’s a liquid to a granular. Since they don’t fly and have to crawl up the plant or tree, spray around the base.
If you’ve tried these methods and are still struggling, a professional treatment that targets common moisture insects, such as earwigs might be your best option. They can apply eco-friendly, garden-safe treatments around your plants to further reduce their numbers and help protect your garden from future damage. They should also give you professional advice on what you can do to the current environment or landscape to help reduce the problem.