Columns

     Dear Ken: I’ve been picking up apples on the lawn and driveway for what seems like half the summer. I’m tired of the mass. I hate to cut the branches off, because the tree is well-shaped and provides good shade. What can I do next season to avoid this? Mark

     There are growth inhibiting chemicals—like Florel—that will kill the blossoms if sprayed on at the right time. It produces ethylene—a chemical that plants produce for themselves if they are under stress—and that gas...

     Dear Ken: I have pigeons nesting under my porch roof overhang. Help! How can I send them someplace else?  Debbie

     It’s one of Mother Nature’s great mysteries why pigeons pick out one particular house in a neighborhood and ignore all the others. But once they do, they are very persistent, as you are finding out. Sometimes all it takes is a little chicken wire. Use a staple gun to secure it to the fascia boards and soffit as a barrier to their roosting enclaves.

     Dear Ken: How can I clean them up my rusty window wells? They are pretty ugly. Galen

     There are rust inhibitor paints that you can use. They combine with the iron oxide to create a primer coat you can then cover with a spray-on enamel; check with a name brand paint store. I’m concerned, though, about what might actually be the cause of the rust you mention. The culprit is usually drainage. Make sure that the top lip of the well is a few inches above the...

     I’ve been conducting an experiment over the last couple of weeks at my house to see how hot the attic gets in the daytime. I was somewhat surprised to see temperatures routinely in the 120’s and 130’s during the middle part of the day—from about 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. And on one of the hotter days, I was stunned to see 138.5°!