Owls being used for natural pest control

Six plywood homes were built this month next to the futuristic, blue-roofed Marin County Civic Center as part of an innovative, and slightly desperate, attempt to persuade owls to police the building’s rampaging rat population.

The wily rodents have been wreaking havoc on government property at the San Rafael center. The buck-toothed vermin, it turns out, are a delicacy to barn owls, a family of which can gobble between 3,000 and 5,000 a year.

“Barn owls are most beneficial to man in controlling rodents, because they are cavity nesters and are easy to attract,” said Alex Godbe, program director and founder of the Hungry Owl Project, which built the owl domiciles in cooperation with the county. “They are superb hunters with large appetites. Also, the barn owl is nonterritorial, so you can attract as many owls to an area as there is prey to eat.”

Thus the owl boxes, five of them mounted on 10-foot posts and one in a tree. The boxes, constructed on Sept. 10, have holes in the front and were placed on the west side of the Civic Center, where experts said the nocturnal birds would best be able to see and hear the rodents tiptoeing in the dark.

“It’s all location, location, location,” said Ed Hulme, the coordinator for the Marin County Integrated Pest Management Program. “Typically, barn owls start looking for the wintertime nests in the fall, so we’re hoping they move in soon.”

Cigarette Smoke Odor Bringing You Down?

Do you own a car or house that either you smoke in or was owned previously by a smoker? We will guarantee to completely eliminate that lingering cigarette odor. Here are some great ideas of places to put our odor remover bags:
– Car or Truck
– Closets
– Bedrooms/Living Rooms that are smoked in
You can also sprinkle our granular odor remover in your ashtrays to help clear up that stale cigarette smell faster.

Pet Bird Turned “Guard Bird” Saves His Owners Life:

Man’s Pet Bird Saves His Life When Intruders Come Into His House

“How To Get Rid Of Dead Rodent Stink” -A customer’s testimonial

Read about Jason from Massachusetts testimonial on how he was able to completely eliminate a massive rat infestation’s foul odor by using Clear The Air and how he is now a “grateful and passionate client”:

I wanted to write to you to say how impressed I am with your products.

I had a terrible rodent infestation in an entire side of my house.  We

had had a pest service come in to rid the house of pests, and I had also

been mitigating all points of entry rodents were taking advantage of as

they came out of the cold from the surrounding forest, and build nests

for the winter.  I discovered the location of the nest by the odor of

what smelled like old garbage coming from my 4 year old son’s bedroom

wall and also an overpowering smell of urine coming from the basement

play room directly underneath his room. After identifying the location

of the smell, I completed demolition on a 20 foot by 15 foot area of the

exterior wall of my house.  As I had suspected, there was significant

rodent damage.

The condition of the wall was horrific: the insulation was all eaten

away, and there were enormous rodent nests.  The worst part was there

was so much feces and urine that combined with the contents of the nest,

insects and bio-matter from decayed rodents, it had all permeated the

sheathing, sheet rock, studs, joists, and concrete foundation from the

second floor all the way to the sill plate and foundation.

After clearing out all the debris, and pounds of rodent feces and

desiccated remains in the basement ceiling,  I spent an entire week,

after removing all the exterior sheathing of the effected wall, and

leaving the wall exposed to the outside drying out the studs, and

cleaning it with industrial grade, scented disinfectant.  After

replacing the sheathing that was rotting from the urine, and treating

everything I could, multiple times, with disinfectant, I discovered that

after sealing it all up I still had a phantom smell of the nest and

urine.  It wasn’t as bad, but it was obviously the same smell,

especially when there was an increase in humidity and the house was

closed up, especially my son’s room.

Out of desperation I began searching the Internet for answers.  I came

across Earth Care products when I typed in “how to get rid of dead

rodent stink”, and was encouraged when I saw that your products were

non-toxic, especially having three kids all 5 and under.

I bought three bags and placed them in the large basement room where the

urine smell was the most overwhelming.  In just one day the smell had

decreased by at least half.  The second day the small was almost

impossible to discern.  By the third day there was no trace. It was

incredible!  What was so amazing was that they didn’t need to come in

contact with the effected area, just be near it.  That was key, since I

had already sealed it up.

This product is amazing.  Despite having done my best to improve the air

quality of my home, apart from burning the house down and starting over,

I have a significant peace of mind knowing my children are not breathing

that wretched air from a rodent’s nest. I am ordering more bags for the

rest of the house.  Thank you, is all I can say.  I would be delighted

to provide a testimony for the efficacy of your product.  I am a

grateful and passionate client!

Jason

Need to purchase bags and read up on product use?  Click Here to go to our Odor Remover Bag Product Page.

Does your Pet act sad?

Testimonial: Dead Animal In The Wall Odor Elimination

Please read the following testimonial we received about a foul odor eliminated from a dead animal that was stuck between the walls:

We’ve spent the weekend trying to eliminate a “dead animal” smell from our upstairs bedroom in our three year old home (something got into the walls and died). My little doxie Milo alerted me to the problem and has been going crazy, sniffing and trying to show me that there is something in there L

We tried everything – vinegar, baking soda, ionizer, etc; nothing helped and the 90 plus degree heat today made it really awful! I was ready to call a disaster restoration service or critter control to address the odor.

In desperation, we searched the web and found Clear the Air information; we took your advice to go to Petco and make our own bags.  I made two bags from nylon hose and hung them around the closet and room. It’s only been a few hours and the difference is already unbelievable! Even Milo isn’t interested in sniffing it out anymore.  I anticipate that tomorrow will be even better.

What a great product – we will definitely use Clear the Air for  the garage, dog crate, etc. –hopefully we won’t run into any  more dead critters in our walls.

Sincerely,

Lynne P.

Valencia, PA

Keeping Your Dog Safe In The Summer Heat:

Summer is the season most of us look forward to for outdoor activities, but dogs don’t do as well in hot weather as people do. Sometimes it’s kinder, and far safer, to keep your dog at home. But whatever you do and wherever you go, keep these tips in mind:

Be aware that not all dogs handle heat in the same way. Dogs build up heat as a function of volume and lose it as a function of surface area. This means that larger dogs with rounder bodies have less surface area for their size, and build up heat faster.

In addition, dogs lose heat through evaporation from their nasal passages and tongue. This means that dogs with flat faces are less able to lose heat. As a rule, the bigger the dog and the flatter the face, the more prone they are to overheating. Overweight and old dogs have an even greater risk, as do dogs with thick fur.

Fur coats can be hot. Fur provides some amount of protection from the sun, but thick fur prevents body heat from escaping and promotes overheating. It’s a myth that shaving a dog’s coat makes him hotter. Shaving it to the skin can make him vulnerable to sunburn, but cutting the fur to about one inch can help him stay cooler. If you don’t want to shave him, brush as much undercoat as you can out, and be sure no solid mats are there to trap heat and moisture.

Don’t exercise your dog when it’s warm. He wanted to run, so you took him jogging. You only noticed he was in trouble when he started to stagger, then fell. His breathing is rapid, his gums red, and he has thick, profuse saliva. He’s in full blown heat stroke, and you must act fast to save his life. See later in the article for instructions.

Unfortunately, veterinarians see far too many dogs in this situation every year, many of which succumb. Dogs overheat before people do so even though you may be just a little warm, your dog can be lethally overheated. On warm days, exercise your dog first thing in the morning, late at night, or only where he can cool off in water. And beware of hot asphalt!

Keep your dog out of parked cars. You only meant to be gone a minute. But once in the store, you got distracted, you forgot just how hot it was outside, and by the time you came back, a crowd was around your car. This time you were lucky. A broken window, the scowls of onlookers, but your dog is alive. Next time he might not be.

Studies show that the temperature inside cars can heat to lethal temperatures within 30 minutes even if the weather outside is relatively cool. Regardless of outside air temperature, cars heat up at a similar rate – gaining 80 percent of their final temperature within 30 minutes. Cars that start at a comfortable 72 degrees F (22 degrees C), for example, soar to a deadly 117 degrees F (47 degrees C) after 60 minutes in the sun. Cracking the windows scarcely affects the temperature inside.

Nobody keeps statistics on dog deaths from being left in cars, but about 30 to 40 children die in parked cars each year. Considering that dogs aren’t allowed in most places children are, and that dogs overheat more quickly than children, it’s likely that hundreds of dogs die in closed cars every year.

Be prepared for travel emergencies. You’re driving with your dog on a hot day, enjoying the air conditioning. Suddenly the car dies. As you wait for help, the temperature is rising, and your dog is starting to get overheated. If you have water, offer some to him, and pour some over him. Next time, prepare by bringing a cooler with ice and a small car-battery-powered fan. Soak your dog and a towel in ice water, have him sit on the towel, and aim the fan at him. Air blowing over your dog’s wet skin and fur cools him just as your sweat in a breeze cools you.

Provide for comfort at home. You left your dog in the yard, but the day turned out hotter than you expected. Next time, provide for your dog’s comfort before you leave. Be sure he has a place that’s shady all day long. Buy a kiddy pool and fill it with water so he can soak in it and cool off. If possible, aim a fan at him from a sheltered place so he has a breeze. If your dog is left inside, you may need to run the air conditioning, or at least a fan. If the weather is very hot, you may need to find a way to guard against electrical outages while you’re away. Some pets have died when the electricity, and thus air conditioning, unexpectedly went off during the day.

Spring can be just as hot. Just because it’s spring (or fall) don’t be lulled into a false sense of security. Many people who are aware of summer heat hazards fail to take the same precautions in spring, when their dogs may still be wearing their thick winter coats. Don’t be caught off guard!

Cooling a Hot Dog. Don’t plunge an overheated dog into ice water. This causes the peripheral blood vessels to contract, actually trapping the overheated blood at the body’s core — just where it does most harm. Instead, cool the dog slowly by placing him in cool water, or by draping him with wet towels and aiming a fan at him. Offer him plenty of cool water.

If you have a thermometer, cool him until his temperature reaches 103 degrees F (39 degrees C), then stop, as it will continue to decline. As soon as you have him cooling, race him to the veterinarian. Even if he appears to have recovered, he needs to go to the veterinarian because some delayed but deadly effects can still occur even days later.

Not All Dogs Can Swim! Although swimming is a great exercise in warm weather, make sure your dog can swim first! Some breeds, such as bulldogs, French bulldogs and Pekingese, have the swimming ability of cinderblocks. And even good swimmers can drown in backyard pools if they don’t know where the steps are to climb out.

Dogs and UV Rays. Dogs, especially light-skinned dogs, can get sunburn and melanoma. If you dog likes to sun worship, rub sun block on his belly and the top of his nose, the most common sites for sunburn.

Happy Labor Day Weekend!!!

Have a Great 3 Day Weekend From Clear the Air!!!  Are you ready for the 3 Day Weekend?  Whether you are staying at home and Bbq’ing, taking the boat out, or taking a road trip, should you have any pesky odors remember to use Clear The Air for any of your foul odors such as cigarette smoke, mildew, “boat smell”, “doggy” smell on the carpet, cat litter box odor, and many more!

Puppy and Cheetah Unlikely Friendship

What a cute friendship between a puppy and a baby cheetah!

Cheetah Sahara and Anatolian shepherd dog Alexa grew up together at the Cincinnati Zoo and became close friends, proving that cats and dogs really can get along. The animals are part of the zoo’s Cat Ambassador Program, which works in conjunction with the Cheetah Conservation Fund to protect these threatened wild cats. The Cat Ambassador Program educates farmers in Namibia and South Africa on how these dogs can be used to protect livestock from cheetahs without shooting the cats. Alexa and Sahara are now 10 years old, and new cat-and-dog couple Tommy T. and Pow Wow are the stars of the program. Watch these two adorable ambassadors play together.  -Mother Nature Network

Watch The Video: Cheetah and Puppy Wrestle

Cat Urine Smells – Customer Testimonial for Clear The Air

Once again, another happy, satisfied customer!!

I should have sent you a “thank you” note months ago…but better late than never!!!

We had a lengthy conversation last year regarding my “smelly” problem.  You may recall that I was ready to rip up my carpet and install a tile floor.  But, thanks to your prodding, I did what you told me to do and used Clear the Air faithfully for about a month.  The  use of your product did indeed “Clear the Air” and I cancelled the tile installation.  This product has saved me thousands of dollars and saved me the hassle of tearing up my wall to wall carpet.

Since that time, I’ve shared this secret with several of my cat-owning friends and they,too, have eliminated the odor.

I would recommend your product to anyone who has an odor problem and I’m sure they would be as happy as I am.

-Shirley