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Yeah, those lizards and geckos are the best! They really take care of
carpenter ants and even termites if they can get to them. They are
truly your helper against some really bad insects.

Rat snakes are very sweet. I saved one once who got tangled in my bird
netting that I never use anymore. Most dogs and cats really do not like
rats and mice. It is like a genetic patterning thing to want to kill
them.

My neighbor came to tell me there was a nest of rats in her woodpile and
my fat white cat sat there with her eyes peeled on that woodpile for
hours at a time. My neighbor wanted to poison them. I begged her not to
do that as the cat would take care of them.

I am always finding dead rats in my yard and on my back porch. I hate to
think what it would be like without the dog and the cats I have.
Probably like living in the subway of NYC. I understand that there are
some parts of the city over by the campus where the rat problem is quite
severe. Leaving cat and dog food on the porch or in an open garage is a
really bad idea.

Then there was the scratching on my window screen by my computer and
desk. I thought it was a cat, but no, a big fat raccoon was looking for
a handout. His/her mate was in the tree by my front door looking down
at me while the other one scratched on the window for a meal.

I didn't give it because otherwise it would be like the neighbor dog,
Nicky, who comes and barks at the front door until I supply a biscuit.

Karen Kay wrote:

"jOhN" wrote in
y.com:
I've been weaning off of pesticides and herbicides for several
years and now have a new problem...........a plague of geckos.

Ain't no such thing.

They have taken over my hot tub enclosure, storage shed, are
regularly found in the garage, and have begun showing up in the
house.

This is a good thing!

We frequently find crushed geckos in the sliding glass
door track and along the hinges of swinging doors. Moving lumber
usually results in some gecko damage also. Got any ideas?

Be more careful?

We also have a couple of rats that could feed a family of four.
Any snake that showed up that could take them down would be
worthy of a special on AnimalPlanet. I suppose live trapping is
the most acceptable pro-active control method in the city
limits.

Hm. I acquired a family of rat snakes shortly after whatever was in
my attic arrives. They call it eco-*system* for a reason, you know!

The lizards do hibernate during the winter, though. So you don't
have them too much longer.

Karen