1 00:00:00,520 --> 00:00:04,080 Speaker 1: KFI AM six forty. You're listening to Dean Sharp the 2 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:09,039 Speaker 1: House Whisper on demand on the iHeart Radio app. It's Spring. 3 00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:11,360 Speaker 1: Thanks for joining us on the program. Thanks for joining 4 00:00:11,400 --> 00:00:13,520 Speaker 1: us on the second hour of our program this morning. 5 00:00:14,280 --> 00:00:18,479 Speaker 1: Spring has sprung and we're talking about pets and pests today. 6 00:00:18,640 --> 00:00:23,120 Speaker 1: Pets and pests. Is that coming across? Okay? All right, 7 00:00:23,680 --> 00:00:27,880 Speaker 1: So before the break, I was just about to drop 8 00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:31,080 Speaker 1: the mosquito bomb on you, literally, because we were talking 9 00:00:31,120 --> 00:00:35,120 Speaker 1: about how not to control mosquitos, how to not waste 10 00:00:35,120 --> 00:00:39,920 Speaker 1: your money with the stuff that doesn't work like bugszappers 11 00:00:40,080 --> 00:00:44,920 Speaker 1: and electronic repellers. And then we turn to the effectiveness. 12 00:00:45,120 --> 00:00:47,599 Speaker 1: There are three things out there that are that are 13 00:00:47,640 --> 00:00:52,199 Speaker 1: effective to different degrees. One are attractors, which just basically 14 00:00:52,320 --> 00:00:56,040 Speaker 1: distract mosquitos and get them further away in theory from 15 00:00:56,080 --> 00:00:58,920 Speaker 1: you and your friends when you're outside. Depending on the 16 00:00:58,960 --> 00:01:01,280 Speaker 1: size of your property and how big the attractor is, 17 00:01:02,680 --> 00:01:07,240 Speaker 1: you know, various levels of effectiveness. Then there are repellents. 18 00:01:07,319 --> 00:01:12,880 Speaker 1: Repellents work much better. Personal repellents work completely but they're 19 00:01:12,959 --> 00:01:16,559 Speaker 1: you know, annoying. Because you've got a personal repellent means 20 00:01:16,560 --> 00:01:19,440 Speaker 1: that you've got to put on bugspray or bug lotion 21 00:01:19,600 --> 00:01:23,880 Speaker 1: on your skin used to be deep that melted insects 22 00:01:23,920 --> 00:01:27,160 Speaker 1: when they landed on you, and nylon products. If you're 23 00:01:27,160 --> 00:01:29,280 Speaker 1: a backpacker, you know that if you get deet on 24 00:01:29,360 --> 00:01:32,240 Speaker 1: your gear, it literally will eat through your gear. Not 25 00:01:32,360 --> 00:01:36,000 Speaker 1: a good thing, and reason to suspect that it may 26 00:01:36,040 --> 00:01:39,399 Speaker 1: not be good for your skin too. But then a 27 00:01:39,400 --> 00:01:44,200 Speaker 1: few years back, Pickeradin came out. Pickeratin was a byproduct 28 00:01:44,240 --> 00:01:48,120 Speaker 1: I believe, of the Bear Corporation. But Pickeratin save for 29 00:01:48,200 --> 00:01:52,640 Speaker 1: your skin just as effective as deep doesn't melt plastic. 30 00:01:52,800 --> 00:01:57,760 Speaker 1: That's good news. And so twenty percent picrotin on a 31 00:01:57,840 --> 00:02:01,360 Speaker 1: pest control repellent for you is a good thing. Okay. 32 00:02:02,120 --> 00:02:06,000 Speaker 1: Then we talked about Thermoicell. Thermoicel is a product that 33 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:08,960 Speaker 1: we've used around here at times and when we go 34 00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:14,000 Speaker 1: camping sometimes. It is a rechargeable repellent device. It has 35 00:02:14,120 --> 00:02:17,280 Speaker 1: an odor emitter that comes out. It's indetectable for us. 36 00:02:17,720 --> 00:02:20,119 Speaker 1: And you know, some people don't like it because, yeah, 37 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:24,480 Speaker 1: you are putting a form of control into the air 38 00:02:24,520 --> 00:02:27,040 Speaker 1: around you. But it does work. And these things are 39 00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:30,960 Speaker 1: surprisingly effective in about a twenty foot range around them, 40 00:02:31,120 --> 00:02:33,400 Speaker 1: especially for parties and events and stuff like that. But 41 00:02:33,440 --> 00:02:36,880 Speaker 1: here's the problem. Anything that is suspended in the air 42 00:02:37,080 --> 00:02:40,920 Speaker 1: around you is useless if the wind is blowing, because 43 00:02:40,960 --> 00:02:43,519 Speaker 1: the wind just blows it away, and so it doesn't 44 00:02:43,520 --> 00:02:45,960 Speaker 1: protect you. So now I wanted to get to the 45 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:50,960 Speaker 1: real layer of mosquito control, and that is control. And 46 00:02:51,040 --> 00:02:53,280 Speaker 1: I told you before the break, I'm gonna say it again, 47 00:02:53,840 --> 00:02:57,600 Speaker 1: don't spray. Don't call a pest control company and spray 48 00:02:58,040 --> 00:03:01,200 Speaker 1: for mosquitoes. And the very so answer to that is 49 00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:06,840 Speaker 1: that pest control sprays kill indiscriminately. They kill beneficial insects 50 00:03:06,880 --> 00:03:10,400 Speaker 1: in your yard, and because of that, they work their 51 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:13,919 Speaker 1: way up the food chain within your yard. The fish 52 00:03:13,960 --> 00:03:16,760 Speaker 1: in your coy pond that eat those insects, the birds 53 00:03:16,760 --> 00:03:18,800 Speaker 1: that eat those insects, and so on and so forth. 54 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:21,000 Speaker 1: Sitting across the table from me, I've got a couple 55 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:22,920 Speaker 1: of special guests that we're going to be talking in 56 00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:27,160 Speaker 1: just a second about controlling rodents in the wrong way. 57 00:03:27,240 --> 00:03:31,480 Speaker 1: In that very sense that rodenticides, their biggest problem is 58 00:03:31,720 --> 00:03:34,520 Speaker 1: not only are they inhumane, but they work their way 59 00:03:34,639 --> 00:03:38,240 Speaker 1: up the food chain. So don't spray for mosquitoes. Here 60 00:03:38,600 --> 00:03:41,200 Speaker 1: is how you can control mosquitos in your yard. One 61 00:03:42,200 --> 00:03:46,360 Speaker 1: mosquito bits. That's a kind of a brand name that's 62 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:50,000 Speaker 1: out there, mosquito bits. It's they're made of BTI, which 63 00:03:50,040 --> 00:03:54,440 Speaker 1: is an organic larvacide. It's a larva side. It only 64 00:03:54,680 --> 00:04:00,520 Speaker 1: targets mosquitoes and fungus gnats only. Okay. It's totally effective 65 00:04:00,720 --> 00:04:03,440 Speaker 1: for the locations that you place it in. So let's 66 00:04:03,440 --> 00:04:05,480 Speaker 1: say you got a bird feeder and you want to 67 00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:08,440 Speaker 1: keep a bird bath, and you want to keep that 68 00:04:08,600 --> 00:04:11,880 Speaker 1: from being a place where mosquitoes are going to lay 69 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:16,040 Speaker 1: because it's still water, right, you can drop a little 70 00:04:16,279 --> 00:04:19,680 Speaker 1: ring of a mosquito bit into that water. It's not 71 00:04:19,720 --> 00:04:22,479 Speaker 1: going to harm the birds. It's simply going to keep 72 00:04:22,880 --> 00:04:26,320 Speaker 1: mosquito larvae from developing in the water, so you shut 73 00:04:26,360 --> 00:04:30,080 Speaker 1: off the reproduction cycle there, okay. Mosquito bits can also 74 00:04:30,160 --> 00:04:32,039 Speaker 1: come in like these crumbles that if you've got a 75 00:04:32,080 --> 00:04:36,039 Speaker 1: really moist garden bed, you can spread them across the 76 00:04:36,080 --> 00:04:40,520 Speaker 1: garden bed and they're very effective in controlling the liquid 77 00:04:40,560 --> 00:04:43,640 Speaker 1: there as well, especially for fungus gnats and things that 78 00:04:43,680 --> 00:04:48,200 Speaker 1: it might attack your plants. The limit to mosquito bits 79 00:04:48,440 --> 00:04:52,200 Speaker 1: is they affect where they are the water that they're 80 00:04:52,200 --> 00:04:54,559 Speaker 1: sitting in the moisture that they're sitting in nowhere else, 81 00:04:54,720 --> 00:04:56,720 Speaker 1: and they do work, but you got to keep up 82 00:04:56,760 --> 00:05:00,040 Speaker 1: on it. Okay. The system that I have found and 83 00:05:00,440 --> 00:05:04,560 Speaker 1: completely effective here like no other ever, that I'm sharing 84 00:05:04,560 --> 00:05:07,679 Speaker 1: with you now is what's called the in two care 85 00:05:07,800 --> 00:05:11,880 Speaker 1: system in the numeral two care. You can check this 86 00:05:12,040 --> 00:05:16,359 Speaker 1: out on into care dot org. Okay, Into care uses 87 00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:18,719 Speaker 1: a combination of the things that we've talked about already. 88 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:22,119 Speaker 1: First of all, it's a bucket sized container that sits 89 00:05:22,160 --> 00:05:24,720 Speaker 1: in your yard right looks like a landscape speaker. I've 90 00:05:24,720 --> 00:05:27,920 Speaker 1: got one sitting right under my ash tree out beyond 91 00:05:27,960 --> 00:05:31,640 Speaker 1: my deck right now, right among the purple heart that's there. 92 00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:34,200 Speaker 1: Looks like a landscape speaker. It's not going to be 93 00:05:34,320 --> 00:05:37,440 Speaker 1: an obtrusive thing. Depending on the size of your yard, 94 00:05:37,480 --> 00:05:39,400 Speaker 1: you may need more than one. And what's going on 95 00:05:39,480 --> 00:05:44,400 Speaker 1: inside that bucket is this. First, it's filled with water 96 00:05:44,520 --> 00:05:47,680 Speaker 1: and an attractant, the yeast and hay mixture we talked 97 00:05:47,680 --> 00:05:51,840 Speaker 1: about that already. Yeast puts off carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide 98 00:05:52,279 --> 00:05:55,440 Speaker 1: plumes are what mosquitoes look for coming out of us 99 00:05:55,680 --> 00:05:58,080 Speaker 1: that attract them to tell us, oh, there's a mammal 100 00:05:58,120 --> 00:06:01,320 Speaker 1: nearby that I can get blood from. So the yeast 101 00:06:01,360 --> 00:06:04,640 Speaker 1: and hay infusion inside the feeder is an attractor. Okay, 102 00:06:05,200 --> 00:06:08,880 Speaker 1: Then then the magic happens. There is a little floating 103 00:06:08,920 --> 00:06:12,080 Speaker 1: piece of gauze in there that has two active ingredients 104 00:06:12,080 --> 00:06:15,160 Speaker 1: on it. One no surprise BTI, Like we talked about 105 00:06:15,200 --> 00:06:18,400 Speaker 1: the mosquito bits, all right, that kills larva. There is 106 00:06:18,440 --> 00:06:24,440 Speaker 1: another ingredient in there that is a juvenile hormone regulator. Okay. 107 00:06:24,480 --> 00:06:28,039 Speaker 1: All that means is that it prevents larvae from developing 108 00:06:28,160 --> 00:06:30,400 Speaker 1: into adults. And this is what happens. This is the 109 00:06:30,400 --> 00:06:34,159 Speaker 1: best thing. The female mosquito is attracted to the container, 110 00:06:34,520 --> 00:06:37,640 Speaker 1: she lands, She lands on the gauze, She gets it 111 00:06:37,720 --> 00:06:41,520 Speaker 1: on her legs and her body. She lays the eggs 112 00:06:41,520 --> 00:06:44,799 Speaker 1: in the trap, which die almost immediately, and then here's 113 00:06:44,800 --> 00:06:48,840 Speaker 1: the key. She flies away to breed elsewhere. She carries 114 00:06:49,200 --> 00:06:54,040 Speaker 1: this on her body and thereby contaminates every other little 115 00:06:54,040 --> 00:06:57,159 Speaker 1: bit of water source she visits, the kind of water 116 00:06:57,200 --> 00:07:01,080 Speaker 1: sources you don't have access to, the thing you don't notice, 117 00:07:01,120 --> 00:07:06,600 Speaker 1: and especially the water sources in your neighbor's yards. So 118 00:07:06,640 --> 00:07:09,279 Speaker 1: as you've got maybe you've eliminated all of the still 119 00:07:09,360 --> 00:07:12,840 Speaker 1: water from your yard. But maybe your neighbor has got, 120 00:07:13,120 --> 00:07:15,800 Speaker 1: you know, old tires sitting around with water pooling in it, 121 00:07:15,840 --> 00:07:19,680 Speaker 1: and he's breeding mosquitoes that come and bite you. This 122 00:07:19,800 --> 00:07:24,240 Speaker 1: actually helps you and the entire neighborhood around you, and 123 00:07:24,320 --> 00:07:30,280 Speaker 1: again completely harmless to anything other than mosquito. Female mosquitos 124 00:07:30,320 --> 00:07:33,720 Speaker 1: and their larvae. Male mosquitoes don't bite. Female mosquitos bite, 125 00:07:34,040 --> 00:07:36,720 Speaker 1: and they lay the eggs that produce the that reproduce 126 00:07:36,760 --> 00:07:40,840 Speaker 1: the cycle. So this is probably the most effective mosquito 127 00:07:40,920 --> 00:07:45,480 Speaker 1: control system that does zero harm to the rest of 128 00:07:45,520 --> 00:07:48,679 Speaker 1: the food chain, does zero harm to you your pets, 129 00:07:48,840 --> 00:07:51,400 Speaker 1: your fish, your birds, and so on and so forth, 130 00:07:51,440 --> 00:07:53,240 Speaker 1: and so you got to look it up. There are 131 00:07:53,280 --> 00:07:57,200 Speaker 1: pest control companies in southern California. ECLA is one of them, 132 00:07:57,400 --> 00:07:59,960 Speaker 1: but there are pest control companies near you. I promise 133 00:08:00,160 --> 00:08:02,600 Speaker 1: you that do the into Care system. 134 00:08:02,680 --> 00:08:02,880 Speaker 2: Now. 135 00:08:02,920 --> 00:08:06,080 Speaker 1: It is because it's a powerful system. It has to 136 00:08:06,120 --> 00:08:10,480 Speaker 1: be actually a registered system. So unfortunately, you can't just 137 00:08:10,720 --> 00:08:13,480 Speaker 1: order an into Care thing and do it yourself. It 138 00:08:13,520 --> 00:08:16,760 Speaker 1: has to be licensed and registered that it's in your yard, 139 00:08:17,160 --> 00:08:19,760 Speaker 1: So you have to have a professional pest control company 140 00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:22,040 Speaker 1: come and do it. Don't have them come and spray. 141 00:08:22,280 --> 00:08:25,360 Speaker 1: Have them come and do the into care system, and 142 00:08:25,480 --> 00:08:29,480 Speaker 1: the mosquitoes will simply go away. There you go. You 143 00:08:29,560 --> 00:08:32,000 Speaker 1: are welcome, all right. When we come back, we're going 144 00:08:32,080 --> 00:08:36,120 Speaker 1: to talk about rodents and again how to deal with 145 00:08:36,160 --> 00:08:38,120 Speaker 1: them the right way and the wrong way with my 146 00:08:38,240 --> 00:08:40,959 Speaker 1: very special in studio guests. Your Home with Dean Sharp, 147 00:08:41,480 --> 00:08:42,280 Speaker 1: the house whisper. 148 00:08:43,040 --> 00:08:46,319 Speaker 3: You're listening to Home with Dean Sharp on demand from 149 00:08:46,440 --> 00:08:48,720 Speaker 3: KFI AM six forty animals. 150 00:08:48,920 --> 00:08:52,160 Speaker 1: The animals we love. The animals we don't necessarily want 151 00:08:52,280 --> 00:08:56,400 Speaker 1: near and around our houses so much. Okay, we're not 152 00:08:56,400 --> 00:09:00,160 Speaker 1: promoting animal hatred except for mosquitos. That's fine. Mosquito I 153 00:09:00,200 --> 00:09:02,520 Speaker 1: have no use for on planet Earth. I don't care. 154 00:09:02,720 --> 00:09:05,360 Speaker 1: Don't email me about it. I just don't care. I 155 00:09:05,360 --> 00:09:09,680 Speaker 1: don't like mosquitoes. But short of that, I would like 156 00:09:09,760 --> 00:09:12,600 Speaker 1: you too. And here's the big message for today. Okay. 157 00:09:12,640 --> 00:09:14,760 Speaker 1: If there was one thematic message that I want you 158 00:09:14,760 --> 00:09:18,280 Speaker 1: to understand when it comes to pests in general, it 159 00:09:18,360 --> 00:09:23,160 Speaker 1: is this, don't waste your time going to war with nature, 160 00:09:23,320 --> 00:09:26,679 Speaker 1: because you, my friend, will lose, or at best, have 161 00:09:26,800 --> 00:09:33,000 Speaker 1: an unending war, an unending war that you will never win. Okay, 162 00:09:33,760 --> 00:09:36,640 Speaker 1: there are better ways of going about this when it 163 00:09:36,679 --> 00:09:39,880 Speaker 1: comes to having your home in the position that you 164 00:09:39,920 --> 00:09:42,320 Speaker 1: want it to be in regards to the critters that 165 00:09:42,360 --> 00:09:44,760 Speaker 1: you may not want around. And one of those big 166 00:09:44,800 --> 00:09:49,079 Speaker 1: things for every home everywhere across the United States, whether 167 00:09:49,120 --> 00:09:53,600 Speaker 1: you are rural or urban or suburban, is rodents. Rodents 168 00:09:53,640 --> 00:09:57,120 Speaker 1: that you don't want in your house and in your yard. 169 00:09:57,520 --> 00:10:00,160 Speaker 1: And to talk with me about that today, I have 170 00:10:00,160 --> 00:10:03,120 Speaker 1: two very special in studio guests. One of them you know, 171 00:10:03,720 --> 00:10:06,839 Speaker 1: one of them you don't know yet You're gonna love 172 00:10:06,880 --> 00:10:11,000 Speaker 1: them both. I've got Robin Bertolucci and Bambi Corso Steinmeier, 173 00:10:11,360 --> 00:10:16,720 Speaker 1: co founders of Poison Free Canejo Valley, sitting across the 174 00:10:16,760 --> 00:10:20,200 Speaker 1: table from me. Welcome both of you, and thanks for 175 00:10:20,240 --> 00:10:20,920 Speaker 1: being on the show. 176 00:10:21,760 --> 00:10:23,160 Speaker 4: You, thank you for having us. 177 00:10:23,200 --> 00:10:24,840 Speaker 1: You guys are gonna have to wrangle that mic and 178 00:10:24,880 --> 00:10:28,480 Speaker 1: just get your mouth right on it. There. So, for 179 00:10:28,559 --> 00:10:32,000 Speaker 1: those of you who have been KFI listeners for a 180 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:37,640 Speaker 1: long time, you know Robin Robin, the legendary program director 181 00:10:37,760 --> 00:10:41,199 Speaker 1: of KFI who just recently retired and is now enjoying 182 00:10:41,240 --> 00:10:46,160 Speaker 1: her life chasing rodents around her yard in the right way. 183 00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:50,440 Speaker 1: And so she and Bambi, you guys co founded Poison 184 00:10:50,480 --> 00:10:57,160 Speaker 1: Freeknejo when one twenty twenty one. Okay, so I and 185 00:10:57,840 --> 00:11:03,120 Speaker 1: this is essentially about the use of rodenticides in our 186 00:11:03,440 --> 00:11:06,800 Speaker 1: culture as a way of rodent control. And I really 187 00:11:06,800 --> 00:11:10,000 Speaker 1: need you, yeah, Bambi asovyet just ride up on that 188 00:11:10,040 --> 00:11:13,920 Speaker 1: mic there, so tell me. Okay, so explain to us 189 00:11:14,200 --> 00:11:17,520 Speaker 1: what are rodenticides? Why should we be concerned? 190 00:11:18,160 --> 00:11:21,120 Speaker 2: So the biggest challenge is that all of the rodenticides 191 00:11:21,120 --> 00:11:23,720 Speaker 2: that people are using are poison, and there is no 192 00:11:23,880 --> 00:11:29,000 Speaker 2: safe poison. So what we are educating the community about 193 00:11:29,080 --> 00:11:31,560 Speaker 2: is not using poison because it's going up the food 194 00:11:31,640 --> 00:11:34,079 Speaker 2: chain because the rodents, as much as we do not 195 00:11:34,160 --> 00:11:37,160 Speaker 2: want them in our own houses, are also feeding the 196 00:11:37,200 --> 00:11:40,280 Speaker 2: rest of the wildlife up the food chain. So the 197 00:11:40,360 --> 00:11:46,280 Speaker 2: challenge with rodenticize and poison is that the rodents, once 198 00:11:46,320 --> 00:11:49,920 Speaker 2: they have poison, will be lethargic for seven to ten days. 199 00:11:49,960 --> 00:11:53,480 Speaker 2: They're not going down into a nest, They're coming up 200 00:11:53,559 --> 00:11:55,920 Speaker 2: into the streets, into the neighborhoods, and then they're very 201 00:11:55,920 --> 00:11:58,760 Speaker 2: easy prey for all the animals that come and feed 202 00:11:58,800 --> 00:11:59,920 Speaker 2: on them to survive. 203 00:12:00,520 --> 00:12:03,520 Speaker 1: Okay, now, somebody's listening thinking, Okay, well, I rat poison. 204 00:12:03,880 --> 00:12:06,480 Speaker 1: Rats eat poison, then they die, right, I mean that's 205 00:12:06,520 --> 00:12:09,520 Speaker 1: like the rat poison that some people sprinkle around their 206 00:12:09,520 --> 00:12:11,640 Speaker 1: house or put in their attic or something like. But 207 00:12:11,679 --> 00:12:14,719 Speaker 1: a rodenticide is a little different. A rodenticide is a 208 00:12:14,760 --> 00:12:17,040 Speaker 1: blood thinner, yes, if. 209 00:12:16,920 --> 00:12:18,920 Speaker 2: We're talking about the actual ingredients. 210 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:22,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, and that means that they don't die immediately, like 211 00:12:22,280 --> 00:12:24,600 Speaker 1: you said, a rodenticide. And these, by the way, you 212 00:12:24,600 --> 00:12:28,320 Speaker 1: guys have seen these these black boxes that you've seen 213 00:12:28,720 --> 00:12:32,560 Speaker 1: around a lot of commercial spaces, right, grocery stores, out 214 00:12:32,600 --> 00:12:36,000 Speaker 1: by trash bins. They've got a little hole where you assume, 215 00:12:36,480 --> 00:12:38,400 Speaker 1: you know, a rodent's going to go inside and get 216 00:12:38,440 --> 00:12:40,320 Speaker 1: trapped and killed in there. That's not the case. They're 217 00:12:40,320 --> 00:12:42,160 Speaker 1: going to go in there, they're going to eat something, 218 00:12:42,160 --> 00:12:44,080 Speaker 1: they're going to leave, and then for the next week 219 00:12:44,200 --> 00:12:48,000 Speaker 1: or so they're dying a slow, painful death. On top 220 00:12:48,080 --> 00:12:52,360 Speaker 1: of that, though, like you said, they're lethargic now, which 221 00:12:52,480 --> 00:12:58,240 Speaker 1: means that they're the best rodents to pick off by 222 00:12:58,360 --> 00:13:02,440 Speaker 1: predators because they're moving slow and so predators are naturally 223 00:13:02,440 --> 00:13:04,760 Speaker 1: going to favor them. Is that a fair assessment. 224 00:13:05,080 --> 00:13:08,600 Speaker 4: Absolutely? Yeah, Okay, so go ahead, Robin, I was gonna 225 00:13:08,600 --> 00:13:11,400 Speaker 4: say as a dog owner too, that's something you really 226 00:13:11,440 --> 00:13:13,720 Speaker 4: need to talk about, pets and rodentosies. 227 00:13:13,920 --> 00:13:15,920 Speaker 1: Does your dogs naturally go for them? 228 00:13:16,040 --> 00:13:16,719 Speaker 3: Absolutely? 229 00:13:16,800 --> 00:13:19,480 Speaker 1: All right. We'll talk more about this problem and what 230 00:13:19,520 --> 00:13:21,440 Speaker 1: we can do about it. On the other side, your 231 00:13:21,480 --> 00:13:24,160 Speaker 1: Home with Dean Sharp, the House Whisper. 232 00:13:24,679 --> 00:13:27,959 Speaker 3: You're listening to Home with Dean Sharp on demand from 233 00:13:28,080 --> 00:13:29,600 Speaker 3: KFI AM six forty. 234 00:13:30,040 --> 00:13:33,280 Speaker 1: Thanks for joining us on the program today. Glad to 235 00:13:33,320 --> 00:13:37,040 Speaker 1: have you aboard. We're talking about pets and pests. That's 236 00:13:37,080 --> 00:13:40,520 Speaker 1: an important part of life at home. The furries that 237 00:13:41,000 --> 00:13:43,040 Speaker 1: we want to rat well, I shouldn't. I can't say 238 00:13:43,040 --> 00:13:46,280 Speaker 1: furries these days. I can't know. Yeah, it gets creepy, 239 00:13:46,280 --> 00:13:50,760 Speaker 1: all right. The furry critters, actual real furry critters that 240 00:13:50,840 --> 00:13:53,120 Speaker 1: we want around our house, and the ones that we 241 00:13:53,160 --> 00:13:56,800 Speaker 1: don't necessarily want in too close to the house as well, 242 00:13:57,600 --> 00:14:00,520 Speaker 1: and tabbing that conversation with me right now about how 243 00:14:00,559 --> 00:14:02,760 Speaker 1: to do it wrong and how to do it or 244 00:14:02,840 --> 00:14:07,040 Speaker 1: my very special in studio guests Robin Bertolucci and Bambi 245 00:14:07,120 --> 00:14:11,760 Speaker 1: Corso Steinmeyer, co founders of Poison Free Canajo Valley. Now, 246 00:14:11,840 --> 00:14:14,680 Speaker 1: we were talking about rodenticides, which is a very very 247 00:14:14,720 --> 00:14:19,440 Speaker 1: special kind of a rat poison. It's not a poison 248 00:14:19,440 --> 00:14:22,280 Speaker 1: that kills them immediately. It's it's a kind of a 249 00:14:22,320 --> 00:14:26,480 Speaker 1: blood thinner. It's a very cruel way actually of killing 250 00:14:26,560 --> 00:14:31,080 Speaker 1: a mammal. And I say a mammal because these blood 251 00:14:31,120 --> 00:14:35,680 Speaker 1: thinners they don't just affect the rodents that we're trying 252 00:14:35,720 --> 00:14:38,640 Speaker 1: to dispose of. They are in fact blood thinners when 253 00:14:38,640 --> 00:14:42,080 Speaker 1: they get when when these rodents are eaten by other predators, 254 00:14:42,120 --> 00:14:44,640 Speaker 1: and they get in their systems as well. That's right, 255 00:14:44,840 --> 00:14:46,360 Speaker 1: and that's your primary concern. 256 00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:51,040 Speaker 4: Yes, you know, I'm not really sympathetic about rodents, even 257 00:14:51,080 --> 00:14:53,160 Speaker 4: though it is a cruel way to die. Now, I 258 00:14:53,400 --> 00:14:56,000 Speaker 4: don't want rodents in my home and I won't tolerate it. 259 00:14:56,480 --> 00:14:59,920 Speaker 4: But at the same time, it's the impact on other 260 00:15:00,120 --> 00:15:03,880 Speaker 4: animals that were most concerned about, and really they're you know, 261 00:15:03,880 --> 00:15:06,760 Speaker 4: in addition to the blood thinners, there are poisons made 262 00:15:06,800 --> 00:15:10,720 Speaker 4: out of extremely high doses of vitamin C and other 263 00:15:10,840 --> 00:15:14,160 Speaker 4: kind of rodent poisons which are all really rodenticides. And 264 00:15:14,200 --> 00:15:16,960 Speaker 4: the bottom line is there's no safe poisons and when 265 00:15:17,040 --> 00:15:21,040 Speaker 4: the critters eat these poisons, they go out into the world. 266 00:15:21,840 --> 00:15:25,000 Speaker 4: I've heard pest control companies claim that they just go 267 00:15:25,120 --> 00:15:29,280 Speaker 4: into their little burrow, cuddle up, and drift off into 268 00:15:29,760 --> 00:15:32,560 Speaker 4: a peaceful sleep and die. And that's not the case. 269 00:15:32,640 --> 00:15:34,440 Speaker 1: That's a fantasy, Yeah, that is. 270 00:15:34,520 --> 00:15:38,120 Speaker 4: And so they they become really easy prey. And my 271 00:15:38,320 --> 00:15:42,280 Speaker 4: dogs have caught rodents in my backyard. They've caught rats, 272 00:15:42,360 --> 00:15:44,200 Speaker 4: they've come in with them, and you know, if you 273 00:15:44,200 --> 00:15:46,160 Speaker 4: don't catch them, they can eat them. I can't tell 274 00:15:46,200 --> 00:15:50,400 Speaker 4: you how many veterinarians we've talked to that have, you know, 275 00:15:50,520 --> 00:15:54,080 Speaker 4: dealt with people who had poisoned dogs and cats because 276 00:15:54,080 --> 00:15:55,760 Speaker 4: they've eaten poison rodents. 277 00:15:55,960 --> 00:15:58,000 Speaker 1: Okay, So so I want to take a minute and 278 00:15:58,080 --> 00:16:01,760 Speaker 1: just set up both of your background on this particular scenario, 279 00:16:01,800 --> 00:16:05,320 Speaker 1: because you've both had a very personal experience with this, 280 00:16:05,560 --> 00:16:08,760 Speaker 1: which is why you got involved. So rob Once you 281 00:16:08,840 --> 00:16:11,000 Speaker 1: go first, and then Bama, you guys, tell us how 282 00:16:11,120 --> 00:16:13,400 Speaker 1: did this end up affecting you guys? 283 00:16:13,800 --> 00:16:16,960 Speaker 4: All right, So I have this great, big pine tree 284 00:16:17,000 --> 00:16:19,560 Speaker 4: in the back of our yard that every year we 285 00:16:19,600 --> 00:16:23,560 Speaker 4: have these gorgeous redtail hawks come, they lay eggs, they 286 00:16:23,600 --> 00:16:27,320 Speaker 4: have hatchlings, and one year, one of the hatchlings was 287 00:16:27,320 --> 00:16:31,560 Speaker 4: found on the ground leading out of the mouth, which. 288 00:16:31,360 --> 00:16:33,960 Speaker 1: Is not where a hawk belongs, standing in the neighbor's 289 00:16:34,040 --> 00:16:36,080 Speaker 1: yard with blood dripping out of its exactly. 290 00:16:36,200 --> 00:16:41,440 Speaker 4: So my husband Don captured this juvenile hawk, raced it 291 00:16:41,480 --> 00:16:45,120 Speaker 4: to California Wildlife Center, which is an awesome rehabilitation center 292 00:16:45,160 --> 00:16:50,440 Speaker 4: in the Malibu area, and unfortunately it died from rodent poison, 293 00:16:50,720 --> 00:16:52,920 Speaker 4: and that really opened my eyes to it. I've never 294 00:16:53,040 --> 00:16:55,880 Speaker 4: used rodent poison on my property, but if my neighbors are, 295 00:16:56,200 --> 00:16:59,520 Speaker 4: it's just like we are because the animals don't know 296 00:16:59,520 --> 00:17:00,840 Speaker 4: the property boundary. 297 00:17:01,200 --> 00:17:04,880 Speaker 1: So it's just system was shutting down, yes, because it 298 00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:07,960 Speaker 1: had fed on an easily accessible rodent. 299 00:17:08,160 --> 00:17:12,560 Speaker 4: Yeah, it was basically just bleeding internally to death. And occasionally, 300 00:17:12,640 --> 00:17:15,560 Speaker 4: if you have a dog or cat or wild animal 301 00:17:15,600 --> 00:17:17,760 Speaker 4: that is caught soon enough, they can treat that with 302 00:17:17,880 --> 00:17:22,000 Speaker 4: vitamin K, but if they have enough toxicity and it's 303 00:17:22,000 --> 00:17:23,600 Speaker 4: too late, they just pass away. 304 00:17:24,000 --> 00:17:24,240 Speaker 3: Yeah. 305 00:17:24,640 --> 00:17:27,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, Bambi, what about you? What was your experience and 306 00:17:27,760 --> 00:17:28,720 Speaker 1: what led you to this? 307 00:17:29,400 --> 00:17:31,760 Speaker 2: So I'm blessed to live right by the open space 308 00:17:31,800 --> 00:17:36,200 Speaker 2: out in the valley, and one afternoon I walked outside 309 00:17:36,200 --> 00:17:40,119 Speaker 2: and there was a very young coyote who had passed away. 310 00:17:40,320 --> 00:17:44,080 Speaker 2: And it's funny because a vulture actually for the first 311 00:17:44,080 --> 00:17:46,080 Speaker 2: time ever showed up on my property, which is what 312 00:17:46,160 --> 00:17:48,480 Speaker 2: alerted me to the fact that there was a coyote there, 313 00:17:49,119 --> 00:17:52,640 Speaker 2: and so we just you know, we had to call 314 00:17:53,640 --> 00:17:56,480 Speaker 2: animal control to come and take a look, and there 315 00:17:56,520 --> 00:17:59,760 Speaker 2: was absolutely no signs of any outside injury. But like 316 00:18:00,040 --> 00:18:04,520 Speaker 2: Robin's story, the you know, the coyote apparently because they 317 00:18:04,520 --> 00:18:09,399 Speaker 2: can't test for it, had eaten poisoned rodents and had. 318 00:18:09,240 --> 00:18:10,200 Speaker 4: Passed away right there. 319 00:18:10,280 --> 00:18:13,040 Speaker 2: So it was really heartbreaking, and I think, you know, 320 00:18:13,119 --> 00:18:16,200 Speaker 2: Robin and I both have a very compassionate heart for 321 00:18:16,800 --> 00:18:21,879 Speaker 2: the animals, and so we teamed up and started doing 322 00:18:21,920 --> 00:18:26,480 Speaker 2: this just as a very small grassroots effort to educate people, 323 00:18:26,480 --> 00:18:31,520 Speaker 2: because most people have no idea that the poisons actually 324 00:18:31,560 --> 00:18:34,520 Speaker 2: work the way that they work, and that it's not 325 00:18:34,640 --> 00:18:36,960 Speaker 2: really safe to do that for the rest of the 326 00:18:36,960 --> 00:18:37,840 Speaker 2: wildlife either. 327 00:18:38,240 --> 00:18:42,120 Speaker 1: Right now, there have been there has been some movement 328 00:18:42,280 --> 00:18:47,480 Speaker 1: in California in a good direction as I understand it, 329 00:18:47,520 --> 00:18:50,320 Speaker 1: and the last time I checked in, there have been 330 00:18:50,359 --> 00:18:54,879 Speaker 1: some bills that pass that basically now prevent places like 331 00:18:54,960 --> 00:19:00,239 Speaker 1: big box stores from selling rodenticides, these particular ones, to 332 00:19:00,400 --> 00:19:04,639 Speaker 1: the public. But that doesn't mean that and correct me 333 00:19:04,680 --> 00:19:08,920 Speaker 1: if I'm wrong. Professional pest exterminating companies can still come 334 00:19:08,920 --> 00:19:10,000 Speaker 1: and put them on your property. 335 00:19:10,880 --> 00:19:17,160 Speaker 2: So Newsome was able to pass to legislation that put 336 00:19:17,200 --> 00:19:23,239 Speaker 2: a moratorium on the second generation for denticides. But like 337 00:19:23,320 --> 00:19:26,240 Speaker 2: you said, Dean, there's still the first gens, and then 338 00:19:26,240 --> 00:19:28,199 Speaker 2: there's just all kinds of poisons. You can still go 339 00:19:28,280 --> 00:19:32,680 Speaker 2: into any home depot store or do it center, Yeah, 340 00:19:32,760 --> 00:19:34,760 Speaker 2: any of these and still get poisoned. 341 00:19:34,880 --> 00:19:39,040 Speaker 1: Gotcha. So legislation is one way to deal with this, 342 00:19:39,200 --> 00:19:43,680 Speaker 1: but ultimately, homeowners making wise decisions about their properties are 343 00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:46,640 Speaker 1: the best way to deal with the rodents on your property. 344 00:19:46,720 --> 00:19:48,400 Speaker 2: Absolutely, that's the best way. 345 00:19:48,560 --> 00:19:52,399 Speaker 1: Okay, So let's transition now and talk about what is 346 00:19:52,440 --> 00:19:57,080 Speaker 1: the right way to deal with this whole problem. 347 00:19:57,480 --> 00:19:59,760 Speaker 4: Well, I think you know the big key is to 348 00:20:00,040 --> 00:20:04,359 Speaker 4: understand why they're there. Number one food, number two, water, 349 00:20:04,680 --> 00:20:07,880 Speaker 4: number three shelter. So if you you know, the good 350 00:20:07,920 --> 00:20:13,640 Speaker 4: news is there's some fantastic ecologically minded s control companies 351 00:20:13,640 --> 00:20:17,200 Speaker 4: that will come and make barriers and proof your house 352 00:20:17,280 --> 00:20:21,040 Speaker 4: so that rodents can't get inside. That's number one. I 353 00:20:21,119 --> 00:20:23,399 Speaker 4: am not somebody that's bothered if I see a single 354 00:20:23,520 --> 00:20:25,920 Speaker 4: rat run outside in the yard at night. That doesn't 355 00:20:25,960 --> 00:20:28,040 Speaker 4: bother me as long as I don't have a whole bunch. 356 00:20:28,359 --> 00:20:31,560 Speaker 4: But some people don't want any I get it. If 357 00:20:31,600 --> 00:20:34,000 Speaker 4: I see fruit on the ground from the fruit trees, 358 00:20:34,760 --> 00:20:39,680 Speaker 4: I pick it up. Trash cans are always covered. We 359 00:20:39,920 --> 00:20:42,760 Speaker 4: don't leave dog food out. You've talked a lot about 360 00:20:42,920 --> 00:20:45,560 Speaker 4: bird seed and how to get the right kind of 361 00:20:45,560 --> 00:20:47,879 Speaker 4: bird seeds so that you're not leaving a big mess, 362 00:20:47,920 --> 00:20:51,240 Speaker 4: because that's a real big attracted So I think the 363 00:20:51,320 --> 00:20:53,960 Speaker 4: key is for starters, why are they there? And what 364 00:20:53,960 --> 00:20:57,080 Speaker 4: can you do to minimize their access to resources? 365 00:20:57,560 --> 00:21:01,639 Speaker 1: Exactly? So there is an act that you all can remember. 366 00:21:01,680 --> 00:21:05,159 Speaker 1: It's really easy to remember. It's red. Okay. It's the 367 00:21:05,200 --> 00:21:11,960 Speaker 1: word red, and red stands for repel, exclude, and deter okay. 368 00:21:12,240 --> 00:21:16,520 Speaker 1: And that's exactly what Robin was just talking about. In 369 00:21:16,640 --> 00:21:23,560 Speaker 1: terms of the idea of deterring the rodents that want 370 00:21:23,560 --> 00:21:26,199 Speaker 1: to be in your yard and in excluding them from 371 00:21:26,280 --> 00:21:29,160 Speaker 1: your yard and your home. That's a different story altogether. 372 00:21:29,280 --> 00:21:31,960 Speaker 1: So we don't want to just you know, poop poop 373 00:21:32,040 --> 00:21:34,679 Speaker 1: one form of pest control and just leave you hanging. 374 00:21:34,720 --> 00:21:36,679 Speaker 1: So when we come back after the break, we're going 375 00:21:36,720 --> 00:21:40,639 Speaker 1: to get deeper into red, repel, exclude, and deter, and 376 00:21:40,720 --> 00:21:43,760 Speaker 1: again walk through the steps of what can you do 377 00:21:44,040 --> 00:21:46,960 Speaker 1: in your yard, in your home, or to your home 378 00:21:47,040 --> 00:21:49,679 Speaker 1: to make sure that rodents are in the right place 379 00:21:49,800 --> 00:21:51,680 Speaker 1: and that you're in the right place and there aren't 380 00:21:51,720 --> 00:21:55,800 Speaker 1: too many of them anyway. Okay, they've got no reason 381 00:21:55,840 --> 00:21:58,760 Speaker 1: to be hanging out too long in your yard. We'll 382 00:21:58,760 --> 00:22:01,280 Speaker 1: talk about that on the other side. Your Home with 383 00:22:01,440 --> 00:22:03,240 Speaker 1: Dean Sharp, the House Whisper. 384 00:22:03,440 --> 00:22:07,400 Speaker 3: You're listening to Home with Dean Sharp on demand from 385 00:22:07,520 --> 00:22:09,040 Speaker 3: KFI AM six forty. 386 00:22:09,200 --> 00:22:12,119 Speaker 1: Every home deserves great design. You know what design is. 387 00:22:12,280 --> 00:22:15,919 Speaker 1: It's not just color and shape, it's not just architecture. 388 00:22:16,000 --> 00:22:22,320 Speaker 1: Design at its essence is a manifestation of intentions, right, 389 00:22:22,520 --> 00:22:24,800 Speaker 1: the intention for your home to look a certain way, 390 00:22:25,080 --> 00:22:28,640 Speaker 1: to function a certain way. All of that is design. 391 00:22:28,720 --> 00:22:31,200 Speaker 1: It all falls within the purview of design. So some 392 00:22:31,240 --> 00:22:33,800 Speaker 1: of you might be thinking, what is a home designer 393 00:22:33,880 --> 00:22:37,679 Speaker 1: talking about pets and pests about, Because they are part 394 00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:41,119 Speaker 1: of the property that we are trying to create for 395 00:22:41,320 --> 00:22:45,800 Speaker 1: our habitation, and our habitations are set in the middle 396 00:22:45,880 --> 00:22:52,760 Speaker 1: of nature, and so the designs that we utilize for 397 00:22:52,920 --> 00:22:58,040 Speaker 1: controlling pests and benefiting our pets are absolutely apart. They're 398 00:22:58,040 --> 00:23:02,600 Speaker 1: not architecture, but they're absolutely le apart of designing a 399 00:23:02,760 --> 00:23:06,200 Speaker 1: quality home. And we're talking about pets and pests today 400 00:23:06,280 --> 00:23:08,800 Speaker 1: and right now I've got my two very special in 401 00:23:08,880 --> 00:23:13,000 Speaker 1: studio guests, Robin Bertolucci and Bambi Corso Steinmeier, co founders 402 00:23:13,280 --> 00:23:17,720 Speaker 1: of Poison Free Canejo Valley. We've been talking about rodenticides 403 00:23:17,760 --> 00:23:21,440 Speaker 1: and just rat poisons in general, how there are better ways, 404 00:23:21,640 --> 00:23:24,959 Speaker 1: and right before the break, we broke out that acronym 405 00:23:25,080 --> 00:23:28,160 Speaker 1: that's easy for everybody to understand. Red. Yeah, go ahead 406 00:23:28,200 --> 00:23:30,040 Speaker 1: and just pull that right in, Bambi, just pull it. 407 00:23:30,960 --> 00:23:36,680 Speaker 1: Red stands for repel, exclude, and deter. Okay, these are 408 00:23:36,960 --> 00:23:43,560 Speaker 1: the strategies to employ to to build the proper relationship 409 00:23:43,760 --> 00:23:46,320 Speaker 1: with all of the wild not just the rodents, but 410 00:23:46,359 --> 00:23:49,160 Speaker 1: all of the wildlife around you that you don't necessarily 411 00:23:49,240 --> 00:23:52,439 Speaker 1: want hanging out in your yard. Bambi, you want to 412 00:23:52,520 --> 00:23:54,439 Speaker 1: take it from there and just kind of give us 413 00:23:54,480 --> 00:23:55,119 Speaker 1: some tips. 414 00:23:55,400 --> 00:23:58,800 Speaker 2: Absolutely so when it comes to using red as the acronym. 415 00:23:59,119 --> 00:24:03,320 Speaker 2: So with regard to repelling your rodents, you can plant 416 00:24:03,359 --> 00:24:04,200 Speaker 2: mint varieties. 417 00:24:04,280 --> 00:24:05,400 Speaker 4: You can use products that. 418 00:24:05,359 --> 00:24:10,200 Speaker 2: Include balsam fur, peppermint clove, for example, some cinnamon and 419 00:24:10,240 --> 00:24:15,480 Speaker 2: garlic barrier concentrate. When it comes to excluding, this is 420 00:24:15,520 --> 00:24:18,040 Speaker 2: really important because we want to seal buildings. You want 421 00:24:18,080 --> 00:24:20,919 Speaker 2: to seal any areas into the house. Do not overflow 422 00:24:21,000 --> 00:24:23,880 Speaker 2: trash cans or trash bins, and you can even put 423 00:24:24,000 --> 00:24:27,240 Speaker 2: lock lids on them. Clean up the barbecue areas, the 424 00:24:27,280 --> 00:24:31,080 Speaker 2: greaser areas, and seal any entry points into your home, 425 00:24:31,320 --> 00:24:35,720 Speaker 2: your building, and even your garages. And then when we're 426 00:24:35,760 --> 00:24:38,320 Speaker 2: talking about deterring them so that they're not even on 427 00:24:38,359 --> 00:24:41,080 Speaker 2: your property in the first place, you can do things 428 00:24:41,080 --> 00:24:43,640 Speaker 2: like remove your pet feces, make sure you're cleaning up, 429 00:24:44,040 --> 00:24:48,360 Speaker 2: pick up your fallen fruit, remove vegetation. I know that 430 00:24:48,800 --> 00:24:52,880 Speaker 2: rodents love ivy and so that a really good hiding 431 00:24:52,960 --> 00:24:56,679 Speaker 2: place for them, but removing vegetation and debris things like 432 00:24:56,720 --> 00:24:59,040 Speaker 2: that is going to help deter them and keep them 433 00:24:59,160 --> 00:25:00,520 Speaker 2: away from your property. 434 00:25:00,880 --> 00:25:03,680 Speaker 1: Absolutely great, great piece of advice. All Right, I'm gonna 435 00:25:03,720 --> 00:25:06,840 Speaker 1: kind of work backwards from there. Rodents love ivy because 436 00:25:06,840 --> 00:25:09,760 Speaker 1: it provides cover for them. They can climb, they can 437 00:25:09,840 --> 00:25:12,720 Speaker 1: hide in it. And if you're wondering, well, hey, I 438 00:25:12,760 --> 00:25:15,960 Speaker 1: want some green vining stuff. This is why you often 439 00:25:15,960 --> 00:25:20,680 Speaker 1: hear Tina and I talking about other alternatives to ivy 440 00:25:21,040 --> 00:25:23,560 Speaker 1: that green out the side of a house. Robin's got 441 00:25:23,560 --> 00:25:25,240 Speaker 1: some on the side of her house that we planted 442 00:25:25,280 --> 00:25:29,840 Speaker 1: around an entry fountain for her. Creeping fig. Creeping fig 443 00:25:30,000 --> 00:25:33,600 Speaker 1: is an amazing plant. It grows like crazy. I like 444 00:25:33,640 --> 00:25:37,560 Speaker 1: to call it Southern California English ivy because it'll give 445 00:25:37,560 --> 00:25:40,000 Speaker 1: you that full effect. Now, the leaves on a creeping 446 00:25:40,000 --> 00:25:43,480 Speaker 1: fig are only about half inch maybe three quarters of 447 00:25:43,520 --> 00:25:48,040 Speaker 1: an inch in diameter, and it grows full and green, 448 00:25:48,240 --> 00:25:53,960 Speaker 1: and it grows very fast, and it only grows to 449 00:25:54,080 --> 00:25:56,680 Speaker 1: about an inch thick, which means rodents have no use 450 00:25:56,800 --> 00:25:59,960 Speaker 1: for it whatsoever. It does not provide cover or shelter 451 00:26:00,119 --> 00:26:02,879 Speaker 1: or for anybody. And so one thing that never happens 452 00:26:02,880 --> 00:26:05,320 Speaker 1: to you, Robin, is you go outside and find, you know, 453 00:26:05,520 --> 00:26:07,920 Speaker 1: rats inside your creeping fit because there's no inside. 454 00:26:08,040 --> 00:26:10,080 Speaker 4: Yeah, you're right, No, it looks beautiful. 455 00:26:10,160 --> 00:26:13,560 Speaker 1: It's just one of those things. So there are always solutions. 456 00:26:13,720 --> 00:26:17,080 Speaker 1: We're talking about not having trash laying around, not having 457 00:26:17,840 --> 00:26:21,520 Speaker 1: you know, having that lockdown, not leaving dog food outside. 458 00:26:22,000 --> 00:26:26,160 Speaker 1: We were also talking during the break about bird feed right. 459 00:26:26,160 --> 00:26:28,440 Speaker 1: People want to feed their birds, but they don't want 460 00:26:28,440 --> 00:26:31,040 Speaker 1: to feed the rodents, But there are all sorts of tools. 461 00:26:31,359 --> 00:26:33,560 Speaker 1: Check back with the show two weeks ago when we 462 00:26:33,560 --> 00:26:37,639 Speaker 1: were talking about birds and bees, when I had Richard 463 00:26:37,720 --> 00:26:41,560 Speaker 1: armording from wild Birds Unlimited on buying the right kind 464 00:26:41,600 --> 00:26:44,480 Speaker 1: of quality bird foods so that the seed that you're 465 00:26:44,520 --> 00:26:48,120 Speaker 1: buying is actually the seed that our local birds eat, 466 00:26:48,200 --> 00:26:51,600 Speaker 1: because if it's filled with filler seeds that they have 467 00:26:51,720 --> 00:26:54,040 Speaker 1: no use for, they're just going to slough it onto 468 00:26:54,080 --> 00:26:56,639 Speaker 1: the ground. Now, the rodents want it, but the birds 469 00:26:56,680 --> 00:26:59,760 Speaker 1: won't eat it. Our seeds and our feeder are just 470 00:27:00,400 --> 00:27:04,000 Speaker 1: local seeds that are local birds want to eat. You 471 00:27:04,040 --> 00:27:07,080 Speaker 1: can do that too, and therefore when the little birds 472 00:27:07,160 --> 00:27:10,359 Speaker 1: knock some of the seeds down onto the ground, the 473 00:27:10,440 --> 00:27:13,840 Speaker 1: larger birds like doves come along and clean it all up. 474 00:27:13,920 --> 00:27:16,639 Speaker 1: There's no residual seed at the end of a feeding 475 00:27:16,720 --> 00:27:19,600 Speaker 1: day around here. And on top of that, you can 476 00:27:19,720 --> 00:27:24,160 Speaker 1: add hot pepper hot pepper seeds because birds have an 477 00:27:24,200 --> 00:27:27,679 Speaker 1: incredibly high toller. In fact, if it's not a ghost pepper, 478 00:27:27,760 --> 00:27:30,680 Speaker 1: birds don't even know that it's in there. And yet 479 00:27:30,840 --> 00:27:34,479 Speaker 1: rodents mammals like us, they don't like the hot stuff, 480 00:27:34,600 --> 00:27:38,840 Speaker 1: and so the feed itself can be rodent resistant. These 481 00:27:38,840 --> 00:27:41,639 Speaker 1: are the kinds of strategies that you can simply use 482 00:27:42,040 --> 00:27:46,400 Speaker 1: to keep rodents from swarming in your yard. Robin that was. 483 00:27:46,359 --> 00:27:48,320 Speaker 4: That's one of the most common things I hear from 484 00:27:48,359 --> 00:27:51,120 Speaker 4: people that have a rodent problem. One of the first 485 00:27:51,160 --> 00:27:54,680 Speaker 4: questions we always ask is do you have a bird feeder? 486 00:27:55,080 --> 00:27:58,560 Speaker 4: And usually the answer is yes. So I love the 487 00:27:58,680 --> 00:28:03,879 Speaker 4: idea of using local seed that will keep the mess 488 00:28:03,880 --> 00:28:05,960 Speaker 4: off the ground, because that really will be a big 489 00:28:05,960 --> 00:28:06,720 Speaker 4: difference maker. 490 00:28:07,880 --> 00:28:10,600 Speaker 1: Yeah. Absolutely. And you know, here I am, I'm begging 491 00:28:10,640 --> 00:28:13,600 Speaker 1: people to bring more wild birds into their yard, and 492 00:28:13,800 --> 00:28:16,080 Speaker 1: I also don't want them to have more rodents into 493 00:28:16,119 --> 00:28:18,280 Speaker 1: their yard. And there's a way to do both. Our 494 00:28:18,680 --> 00:28:22,040 Speaker 1: yard is a perfect example. Our client's yards perfect examples 495 00:28:22,080 --> 00:28:26,320 Speaker 1: because we practice these very very simple steps and it 496 00:28:26,400 --> 00:28:32,240 Speaker 1: throws things into proper balance. Makes sense, okay, all right, 497 00:28:32,400 --> 00:28:36,040 Speaker 1: So excluding from a house, by the way, there are 498 00:28:36,040 --> 00:28:38,440 Speaker 1: companies that will do this for you, right. There are 499 00:28:38,440 --> 00:28:41,160 Speaker 1: companies out there that if you don't want to get 500 00:28:41,200 --> 00:28:44,080 Speaker 1: out the expanding foam insulation, you know that stuff that 501 00:28:44,080 --> 00:28:47,280 Speaker 1: comes in little cans. It's really that easy. You can 502 00:28:47,360 --> 00:28:50,160 Speaker 1: find sitting on the shelf at your local hardware store, 503 00:28:50,200 --> 00:28:55,520 Speaker 1: big box store, specialized expanding foam that actually has a flame, 504 00:28:55,640 --> 00:28:59,040 Speaker 1: not a poison, but a flavor additive in the foam 505 00:28:59,480 --> 00:29:01,400 Speaker 1: that odents just don't want to chew through. And you 506 00:29:01,440 --> 00:29:03,880 Speaker 1: can use that to fill up every little hole and 507 00:29:03,920 --> 00:29:07,040 Speaker 1: every little gap leading into your attic. That's where they 508 00:29:07,080 --> 00:29:10,800 Speaker 1: normally get in of your house. There's no excuse for 509 00:29:10,920 --> 00:29:13,920 Speaker 1: having rodents inside the house. The occasional rat that runs 510 00:29:13,920 --> 00:29:17,600 Speaker 1: across the yard, who cares, But in your house, No, 511 00:29:18,320 --> 00:29:23,680 Speaker 1: in your attic, absolutely not. No one here loves rats. Okay, 512 00:29:23,960 --> 00:29:26,640 Speaker 1: we're just trying to put them in the proper place. 513 00:29:26,680 --> 00:29:29,000 Speaker 1: All right, we'll finish this up right on the other side. 514 00:29:29,000 --> 00:29:32,320 Speaker 1: Your Home with Dean Sharp, the House Whisper. This has 515 00:29:32,400 --> 00:29:35,880 Speaker 1: been Home with Dean Sharp, the House Whisper. Tune into 516 00:29:35,920 --> 00:29:39,240 Speaker 1: the live broadcast on KFI AM six forty every Saturday 517 00:29:39,280 --> 00:29:42,480 Speaker 1: morning from six to eight Pacific time and every Sunday 518 00:29:42,480 --> 00:29:46,040 Speaker 1: morning from nine to noon Pacific time, or anytime on 519 00:29:46,200 --> 00:29:48,440 Speaker 1: demand on the iHeart Radio app.