Fall is one of the worst times with pests as the rats and mice are looking for shelter, the Yellow Jackets and Hornets are extra aggressive and now is the time to keep them where you want them to be....away from your home. Here are my tips and tricks including what went wrong for me all in this episode.

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[00:00:31] Eric Goranson: Now I get out there it's before the cameras are here before Bradley's here ready to shoot And this is where things went sideways I kind of had my back turned away and didn't notice it as I was digging with the post hole digger That yellow jackets were quietly coming up out of the ground when it comes to remodeling and renovating your home There is a lot to know that we've the house Welcome to the round the house show.

[00:01:22] Eric Goranson: com and if you want to check it out over there, we do have a member exclusive episode over there Which is just about the history of me, Eric G. So if you want to talk about my, uh, Can we at least listen to my trials, tribulations, where I've won, where I've lost in, uh, some of the trouble I've gotten into.

[00:01:58] Eric Goranson: I had a little piece of cedar [00:02:00] fence I needed to build just to, um, you know, get things closed up right in an area where I moved my hot tub in for my, uh, you know, hot tub segment that I did on the week before show. So I wanted to get that dialed in, so I had a good 6 foot cedar fence there and get that put together.

[00:02:37] Eric Goranson: And I tell you why this was an absolute nightmare. All of a sudden I realized one got me into the arm as I was, you know, using the post hole digger. And then realized that they were in underneath my shirt. And of course they were in my hair and my hair has grown out a lot this last year. And I tell you what.

[00:03:18] Eric Goranson: And, uh, she combed the three yellow jackets out of my hair that was stuck in my hair and would not leave me alone. So, uh, After that, ended up going to get checked out. Bunch of different stuff happened, and thanks to the doc for getting me dialed in on that. But that was absolutely a brutal experience.

[00:04:00] Eric Goranson: But come to find out, I was just taking the top off of this one here. There was still plenty more and, uh, that one got me good. So, uh, now that I've got traps up, just in case I have any other stragglers around... But, uh, I tell you what, I think anybody that has dealt with those little buggers, they are brutal.

[00:04:38] Eric Goranson: They were slower, but they were fast enough to get into my hair from behind me and I didn't even see him. And then, uh, they did not want to fly away when I was batting at them. They just wanted to park themselves in my hair. So, uh, I think the cold might've hurt it. I think that if, uh, I hadn't been on a warmer day, they actually wouldn't have tried to borrow in my hair.

[00:05:17] Eric Goranson: How did I deal with them? Yeah, you know, ones that are in the ground are very hard to deal with, and yes, I did go nuclear on these guys. I did go get a hose end sprayer for killing bugs and sprayed that area from a distance, and then once I got that kind of 3 foot by 3 foot area killed, Uh, I knew that they were still coming in and out of it and that's when I went in and took the, uh, the foaming style spray and, uh, use that to go over the top and created kind of a dam over the top of their entrance and that ended up getting them all.

[00:06:11] Eric Goranson: It'll probably kill him, but I just wanted to make sure and get all that I could with that. But, uh, be very careful. And, uh, as my doctor had said, uh, my first thing that I did was, uh, I knew that I was, you know, partially allergic, not like broke clothes up, but when you get that many of those, it can be really dangerous.

[00:06:52] Eric Goranson: Um, it is something that is good and, uh, they give me a few other medications and, uh, I am, uh, 80 percent [00:07:00] now, you know, days later. So that is the cool part. And, uh, yeah. Thanks for the doc down there at, uh, Providence to help me out. He did a great job and, uh, also a viewer of the television show. So, uh, thanks to him, I am back on the mend and doing good.

[00:07:35] Eric Goranson: And when in doubt, I would recommend strongly that you bring in the professional. But one way you can do it is by setting the traps out that work in your area and You know, I've talked about in the past, but I know that I've got a yellow jacket trap here that, that works really well. And so I set those out and that's how I kind of drew them out of the nest to figure out where they works.

[00:08:12] Eric Goranson: And once I had that, then I knew how to deal with it. But um, that is something that I would recommend that maybe you don't check as a DIY project. If you want to, cool. Just remember that if you don't know how your body is going to react, that can be, uh, quite frankly a deadly situation. So you kind of need to know exactly if you're allergic, how that's gonna react, and maybe you're not allergic.

[00:08:52] Eric Goranson: So these are things that you gotta be really careful with. So, um, be careful, set the traps. Be smart about it. And I tell you [00:09:00] what, next time I am going to be wearing a hat out digging holes because I'm not getting those inside my hair again, that is probably one of the things that I learned. It was a nightmare about that was long hair, man.

[00:09:33] Eric Goranson: So let's see if we can stop 'em. We'll do that just as soon as around the house returns walk.

[00:10:05] Eric Goranson: Welcome

[00:10:29] Eric Goranson: If you hear him during the show on the radio, that means they're supporting this show. So make sure that you give those guys some love because, uh, I really appreciate anybody that's out there on the radio supporting the show. And of course, the same goes with our sponsors here on around the house. We've got some new ones coming on board here shortly.

[00:11:03] Eric Goranson: And now I wanted to talk about rats and mice and how to deal with them. And this is one of those things that I first want you to be very careful with. Because any time... That you're dealing with mice, rats, and there's droppings around, this could be something that really makes you sick and could make your entire family sick.

[00:11:43] Eric Goranson: I want you to be very careful with so this is not just something that you just grab your normal vacuum. And clean it up with no, you've just contaminated that vacuum. So make sure we don't want any of those viruses or any of that other stuff out there that you can get from this. So be really careful when cleaning up the [00:12:00] droppings.

[00:12:17] Eric Goranson: So let's make sure that you've got that cleaned up. But really, where you're running into the problems is getting these things trapped or killed. And, uh, you know, my 1st thing is, if you've got 1 or 2 that are floating around inside your house. I, I, I've had a trouble with them. I have struggled. I have tried just about every different system out there and the best ways I've dealt with it is to bring the professionals in.

[00:12:59] Eric Goranson: [00:13:00] So maybe this is something that you bring a professional in and have them. You know, place those things around your home and get it there. Can you do it yourself? Yeah. Um, just be careful while you're doing it. So really what I want you to do is here's the easy stuff that you can do as a homeowner. So first off, I want you to go around and close up every single little opening.

[00:13:48] Eric Goranson: Another good 1 is where you see, um, heating and cooling that HVAC where that comes in. That could be another spot. And then around events, any other holes that maybe somebody had [00:14:00] worked on the house and there has been rot. Now here's the good news is now those openings, they make a spray foam that you can get a good stuff makes it.

[00:14:24] Eric Goranson: Like it was, you know, like it was just cardboard. And so they made a big hole in it. So really this is where I want you to take a look. And get that dialed in and close up any one of those little holes. Now, if you've got foundation vents that have holes in them, go through there with wire mesh and get those cleaned up, um, and get those resealed back up again.

[00:15:04] Eric Goranson: If you can't find an insert that would go in there. There's 2 ways. I do it 1. I'll go in and get some treated 2 by 4s and build a frame and put the staple the wire mesh over that. And then I'll drill that on the inside of the foundation. So I can still put. You know, a vent cover on the on the outside to keep that, but I can build my own little frame for that mesh.

[00:15:43] Eric Goranson: But you want to make sure and get a fine enough mesh that they're not going to slide through it. But you also want it to be too fine like window screen. Where it's going to block a lot of airflow, because the whole reason that's there is to get good airflow going through there. And if you go something as fine as window screen, one, they can eat through that pretty [00:16:00] decently.

[00:16:29] Eric Goranson: And feeding the birds that way. Well, you are also feeding the rats that way too. And that got to be really brutal. So making sure that if you've got, um, a bird feeder out there, uh, those can be a massive attractant to rats. So make sure that you've got bird feed that the rats don't like, or to make sure you've got it going into an area that you can clean it up every day, you know, because you're also feeding those rats and mice, so make sure.

[00:17:15] Eric Goranson: The next 1 and we're seeing this in our inner cities now, especially here on the West Coast. But anywhere that we've got the homeless and we've got people living and lots of food and squalor and dirt that attracts, uh, those rodents in as well. And so really you can start to get some really bad rat problems and some other health issues as well with that.

[00:17:58] Eric Goranson: So get any of that stuff [00:18:00] cleaned up and then you know The issue that you have when we come back. I want to talk about this, you know, do you trap them? Do you put out the bait things? How do you deal with it? You know, the, the glue traps, um, can be pretty brutal if you've seen how those work and we're not going to get into those details, but, uh, they're not very kind to these, uh, you know, these animals.

[00:19:11] Eric Goranson: Welcome back to the around the house show. This is where we help you get the most out of your home through information and education. Thanks for joining us today. Well, we've been talking about, uh, dealing with pests and rodents in your home, and one of the things I wanted to talk about here today. Or some of the myths that you think out there that, uh, when you're out there trying to deal with these things, especially when it comes to mice and rats that can be, well, deceiving and head you down the wrong direction.

[00:20:06] Eric Goranson: So... With any of the nicer traps, and there's ones out there that have like little wells in them that you can fill up that I think work even better. But when you can put it on that pressure pad, they have to actually work at it to get that off there, and then if they put their weight on it, it's a game over.

[00:20:45] Eric Goranson: So really, to me, trapping is my favorite way to go. That way I'm not getting the owl population. I'm not hurting the neighbor's cats or dogs. Or anything else like that or anything else that runs into well, what used to be an alive [00:21:00] rat or mouse. Now, here's another thing here. That's another myth that I would like to talk about.

[00:21:33] Eric Goranson: But don't think that you having a cat is going to eliminate that. Your cat is well fed probably and is not much of a hunter. And so the chances of your cat finding it is probably slim to none. So I would not depend on just having a cat to take care of your rodent issues because it's probably not going to work effectively.

[00:22:17] Eric Goranson: One, they're looking for shelter. So you could have the cleanest house in the world, and they have an opening, and guess what? They're inside your house, because they're looking for shelter. But the other thing is, they're looking for water, and they're looking for food. So, uh, any food stuff that's around, where they get access to, like a pantry, Or anything like that, you are now giving them access into that.

[00:23:01] Eric Goranson: And, uh, be on the lookout and that's where you need to be looking for things like that. And this time of year, now that we're getting into the fall, things are cooling off. They're going to be looking for places inside. So take a peek for that and be really on top of where they're coming in. So first off, I want you to start outside.

[00:23:37] Eric Goranson: We were talking and she had an interesting one where, you know, she has battled with her house. Bats. Bats coming into our attic space. Bats coming in, and in certain areas, bats can be a huge deal. I have them around here. They're just not hiding out in my house. All it takes is a little bit of a opening, [00:24:00] you know, between A piece of trim or anything else.

[00:24:22] Eric Goranson: So as soon as you lifted up the edge of the shingle, there was an inch or two. Of open space into the attic. So all the bats had to do was to fly up, crawl up and push up just a little bit on the shingle material. And they were into their new happy home, and all of a sudden you end up having a bat condominium that way.

[00:25:21] Eric Goranson: Oh, it's close enough though shingles We're gonna overhang that'll be fine. And you've got a mess and the same goes for If you've got ridge venting, things like that, if they don't do the ridge venting correctly, you can have some serious issues. So any of those holes can do that. Now, make sure you got those all dialed in and sealed up, but you still want to make sure you've got adequate attic ventilation.

[00:26:01] Eric Goranson: Those are a combination. It's like the freeway exit into your house. So really spend the time. Make sure you've got trimmed. Everything's trimmed back. Everything's away from the house. And that any of those things now, for me, I've got a battle that I'm just getting ready to work on. I have a squirrel trying to get into my shed this fall.

[00:26:41] Eric Goranson: I never finished. I need to get that soffit done. It'll take me an hour, but that will keep those from coming up in there. And, uh, squirrels can do a massive amount of damage. I had some installation in there and they actually had, uh, Had started that's what made me notice it as I actually saw where they had removed and tore apart insulation [00:27:00] fiberglass insulation They were going to make into a nest or something so that was kind of weird and then uh I was up on my shed cleaning off the roof this last week and I noticed that 10 feet up above it in the tree is a great big squirrel nest so I can tell that that is going to be Their storage area.

[00:27:48] Eric Goranson: Is that you don't want to, um, you know, you don't want to sit there and, and really close them into a room, you know, or into a space. And so. That can be [00:28:00] 1 of the challenges and so I would get up there if you're going to be closing up stuff. I would go out there and make a ton of noise in that area, really get things disturbed up and then leave, give them a chance to get out of there.

[00:28:29] Eric Goranson: So take the time, see if you can scare them out, make some noise. Give an opportunity to go and then get it sealed up. When we come back, we'll get this wrapped up just as soon as Around the House returns. Don't go anywhere. Welcome

[00:29:04] Eric Goranson: Around the House. Show this where we help you get the most out of your home through information and education. Thanks for joining us today. We've been talking about, you know, rodent infestations and all of that, just absolute nastiness. You know, the stuff that none of us like to deal with. Now, one thing I want to talk about is, is before we get too far into some of this other stuff is cleanup and you really have to be careful.

[00:29:51] Eric Goranson: You need to have a n99 mask on gloves And, you know, something I'd have a Tyvek suit on because here's the thing. [00:30:00] And you have to be careful with this is things, especially like raccoons. They have some different worms and stuff that are literally in the air that can be something you breathe and cause. a massive health issue.

[00:30:38] Eric Goranson: And then you need to make sure that you're gloved up your Tyvek up. If you get this into Anything on you, you need to be now either throwing it away or making sure that you're dealing with it properly where you're washing it in a steam bath or deodorizing it and doing things to actually make sure that you're killing what's in there because some of that stuff can make you sick or be [00:31:00] worse.

[00:31:19] Eric Goranson: And then make sure, um, here's one thing that I do have, which works out well. You can do a sanitizing wash with your washing machine. If it does it like mine, for instance, if I get into something, if it's bad, I just throw the clothes away. But if it's something where I'm like, well, I could have gotten dirt into that.

[00:31:55] Eric Goranson: And you're usually going to be good to go, but really you need to make sure that you've got things [00:32:00] really well and cleaned up because this could be its own health hazard. And when in doubt, bring the professional in. So tell you what, that can be its own battle that I want to make sure that you've got it cleaned up.

[00:32:27] Eric Goranson: Now, the last thing I wanted to talk about here, and we've talked about it before, are our carpenter ants and things like that. Now, carpenter ants are those big, thick, meaty. Looking and so the black ones, they're like three or four times bigger than the little tiny sugar ants and those are where you can really get things dialed in and it caused some serious problems.

[00:33:08] Eric Goranson: So if you've got a sighting leak or a gutter that's been overflowing and running down in and getting things wet. Here's your problem. The problem is, is that on the inside of your house, that's where things are getting pretty brutal. That moisture is actually creating the perfect space for those carpenter ants to live.

[00:33:44] Eric Goranson: Now my house, at least when, uh, people over the years have found it and I keep finding little areas in the house where that is common in my house being it's built in the seventies, that's pretty common. That happens, that happens here in the forest where I live. So that is something that's pretty common, [00:34:00] but making sure that you've got that closed up and tightened up is the best plan that now by going around and really inspecting each spring and fall to make sure that you don't have any soft spots.

[00:34:27] Eric Goranson: If you're seeing the ants, then you know, you have an issue. And to be honest, that's when I bring in the professionals, because you can go around with the sprays, but there are some really good products out there that are available to the pros only, and it used to be the only way to do it as they would actually drill into your house, into the area and put in these pesticides in there.

[00:35:06] Eric Goranson: You know, bringing in the pro to handle it is the key because, uh, when you have to tend something off, you tend something off and let the professionals do it. And it's just like, um, with bed bugs out there, you know, you see that where bed bugs will, will get into infestations into hotel rooms, condos, Airbnbs, and even your house.

[00:35:46] Eric Goranson: And that could have been back from your great Las Vegas vacation or your. Vacation that you had down in the Caribbean, you could have brought those back as an unintended guest. And so many times now that, uh, what if you [00:36:00] look at what the companies do to come in and do that, they actually come in and heat your house up, which is pretty cool.

[00:36:24] Eric Goranson: That's how they do it in hotel rooms. They go in and set heaters in the hotel rooms, close up all the doors and windows, make sure they take out any candles, things like that, and they get it hot and they bake them out of there. And that's a good way to go. But again, this is where you bring the pro in to handle it because this is not something that I would recommend you tackle.

[00:37:17] Eric Goranson: Any of the rodent testers do what I think they should do as far as keeping rodents away. So for me, um, at least at this point, I say, do not rely on any one of those plug in electronic ones. I have not seen one that works. Now, if there is one that works out there, that's awesome. I have not seen it. Any of the tests are the ones that I've seen probably a dozen different ones tested out there.

[00:38:09] Eric Goranson: It can be a bathroom that you don't use. So let's say you've got Three bedrooms three baths and there's one bathroom. You'd never go into because it's a guest bedroom Nobody stays in there when those traps dry out. You can have a super highway into your home With rats and mice, so make sure and now make sure that you've got this where all of those if it's a shower You're not using maybe it's a basement shower or something like that Go down there every few weeks turn the water on fill the trap up make sure that water is going flush the toilet make sure That there's water staying in there because if it's drying out then you have got places where sewer gas We're mice and rodents can come up through the sewer and yes, they will do that.

[00:39:10] Eric Goranson: So make sure that you've got all those traps nice and wet. You're flushing toilets, you're running sinks and you're running the shower to make sure you've got something clean and you'll be better off. All right, everybody, let's get over to our number two. After these important messages, we'll be right back with the second hour on the house.