HELPFUL HINTS
DEAR HELOISE: I own a house with a boathouse where pigeons roost. I tried the “owl theory,” but it didn’t wo r k . Yo u might suggest this: Hang some plastic glitter stars or other decorations. Let them hang down a few inches, where the wind and sun catch them, and the birds will not fly near them. It worked for me.
— Ronald G., Friendswood, Texas DEAR READER: Hi, Ronald. I know what you mean about some of those pigeons. They do seem to really get around. This hint works well, whether it’s to keep birds from roosting or from flying into windows, like our big picture ones. Hang some decorations or ribbon (I even taped a few pieces of ribbon on the glass door), and it’s usually just enough movement to ward off the birds.
DEAR HELOISE: My mother-in-law found a few garden snakes in her small garden. She moved into a townhome, but she must have her garden to stay busy and happy. What should she do?
— Hannah in Texas DEAR READER: Most folks don’t care for snakes, especially if you are tending a garden or a flower bed. I live in the “semi-country” in San Antonio, and we do have some of the slithering critters around.
First, seal all cracks between the house and patio, foundation and basement windows, if you have them. Snakes like to hang out in tall grass, overgrown shrubs, piles of wood, etc., so don’t stack wood against the house or outbuilding, and keep it off the ground, if possible. Don’t give them a place to make a home. Don’t leave pet food out, which brings mice, which in turn brings snakes looking for a meal.
Live and let live, I say, but don’t come into my house uninvited.
DEAR HELOISE: As I walk every morning, I take a vitamin E capsule along. I stick a pin into it and rub the oil into my hands, nails and cuticles. By the time I get home, the oil is absorbed, and my hands are soft.
— Valerie, via email
DEAR HELOISE: I enjoy baking, especially cupcakes. When making a large batch of different-colored cupcakes, I split the white/vanilla frosting into several bowls, then add different colors in each. No fear of mixing colors.
— Carol W. in Wyoming