Q. I thought I read somewhere that bug zappers don’t really work. My neighbor’s zapper is driving me crazy with that ZZZZT noise all night. I’d like to show him proof that all he’s doing is annoying his neighbor. Any facts?
… VIEW MOREQ. Do we have periodical cicadas in our area? When can we expect to see them?
A. We do have some broods of 17-year periodical cicadas in parts of the Northeast but not nearly in the numbers usually seen in the Midwest and farther south. We have no periodical cicada emergences this year though, and in fact, our next emergence isn’t until 2018. Before you say, “but I’ve seen cicadas this summer!” let me explain. What we see every summer is the annual cicada, not the periodical cicada.
… VIEW MOREQ. Help! What can I do to stop squirrels from chewing on my house? We’ve tried chasing them away, covering the opening (they just chewed it open again), even putting hot sauce around the edge of the hole. Nothing stops them!
… VIEW MOREQ. We always have a few of these insects in our basement that the neighbor kid calls pillbugs. They don’t seem to really do anything but I’d like to know where they’re coming from. Any ideas?
… VIEW MOREQ. We have a nice elm tree in our backyard but every year we are overrun with elm leaf beetles from the tree getting into our house. I don’t want to get rid of the tree, but I sure would like to get rid of the beetles! Is there anything we can do?
A. The only permanent solution is to cut down your elm tree. No elm tree, no elm leaf beetles since they are pretty specific feeders and don’t feed on other trees. But seriously, there are preventive measures you can take to keep the beetles from getting into your house.
… VIEW MORE32 Lake Ave.
Worcester, MA 01604
47 Thames Rd Ste 6&7
Hooksett, NH 03106