Dear Mr. HandyPerson, I read your column regularly and find many sensible solutions to problems. However, in your column on discouraging raccoons, you left out fox urine as a deterrent. ...more

March 22, 2009

We're told not to judge a book by its cover, but the title drops clues which can't easily be ignored. ...more

February 1, 2009

The reddish-brown ants swarmed everywhere on Gayle and Greg Deas' five-acre lot east of Interstate 75, near Myakka City. ...more

September 21, 2008

LAKE PLACID — Two Highlands County employees were treated in what appeared to be an Africanized bee attack Monday afternoon, multiple county officials said. Parks and recreation maintenance workers Jason Gonzalez and Tim Neese ran nearly half a mile from a tree at 1501 Lake Clay Drive, Lake Placid, crossing a bridge and a canal to escape the swarm, Highlands County Emergency Management Director Bill Nichols said. After they escaped the bees, Gonzalez and Neese tried to return for their lawn mowers, but the bees went after them again, stinging Gonzalez three or four times. Neese couldn't count how many of them hit him. ...more

June 16, 2008

Residents will have plenty of options when they head to the polls April 8 to choose a replacement for outgoing city councilwoman Celia Graham. ...more

February 19, 2008

Sean Fernandez, a Wesley Chapel native who served in the Marine Corps, has filed preliminary paperwork to run for the Zephyrhills City Council. ...more

February 13, 2008

Michael Payne, an exterminator who frequently attends city council meetings, has filed preliminary paperwork to run for office here. ...more

February 8, 2008

I understand from the news reports that the Hillsborough County State Attorney's Office is overrun with rodents. Apparently they are hiring an exterminator, at taxpayer's expense, of course, to deal with this problem. ...more

January 18, 2008

Pinellas Park veterinarian Michael Rumore says this is the worst flea season he has seen in 10 years. ...more

November 6, 2007

ST. PETERSBURG - Aggressive Africanized bees are living above Bob Woodworth's home. The 7 feet by 3 feet hive is home to an estimated 40,000 bees, according to exterminator Jeff McChesney. ...more

October 28, 2007