There are products you expect to find on Amazon. Rat birth control is not one of them. Yet there it is. SenesTech’s Evolve Rat Birth Control is a soft bait designed to reduce rat fertility rather than poison or trap the animals already living around your property. That caught my attention. We have spent a lot of time on DealyPlanet dealing with rodents: rats getting into garbage cans, mice getting into houses, rodents chewing car wiring and the endless collection of traps, repellents and other products intended to get rid of them. Evolve takes a very different approach. It tries More…
Pest Control for a Vacation Home: What to Check Before and After You Arrive June 3, 2026
A vacation home can develop pest problems quietly. That is the part that makes it different from a primary home. If mice get into the pantry, wasps start building near an entry, bats find a gap in the eaves, or ants move into a damp wall, nobody may notice for days or weeks. By the time you arrive for what was supposed to be a relaxing weekend, the problem may already be bigger than a quick cleanup. Pest control for a vacation home is mostly about timing. You want to know what to check when you arrive, what to do More…
What Smells Do Mice Hate? What Works—and What Doesn’t March 20, 2026
Updated July 2026 Quick answer: Mice may temporarily avoid strong scents such as peppermint and pepper-based compounds, but smells rarely keep mice away permanently. If mice have access to food, warmth, water, or nesting material, they may tolerate an unpleasant odor. The most reliable approach is to combine repellents with traps, cleanup, and sealing entry points. Smell or Product Worth Trying? Main Limitation Peppermint spray Yes, as a temporary deterrent The scent fades and must be reapplied Botanical repellent pouches Possibly, in enclosed areas Results vary and pouches require replacement Dryer sheets Not as a primary solution The scent fades More…