Joan Morris

1 month ago | mercurynews.com | Joan Morris

DEAR JOAN: I have had a continual problem with pesky gnats that hover under our overhang on our back porch. They appear as it warms up and have not disappeared the past few years. We don’t have any standing water or leaks and I can’t find a source of where they may be coming from. I’ve poured vinegar and water down the patio drains and still no luck. Any advice on how to get rid of these so we can enjoy our back patio?

1 month ago | mercurynews.com | Joan Morris

DEAR JOAN: A while back you mentioned, I believe, one should put out dryer lint for birds to use as nesting material. Is this the time? — Nancy Toledo, Santa ClaraDEAR NANCY: It’s never a good time to put dryer lint out for the birds. It’s a tempting choice, being so fluffy, but it doesn’t hold up under chick-raising conditions, and can dissolve in the rain or an aggressive sprinkler, making the nest unstable.

1 month ago | mercurynews.com | Joan Morris

DEAR JOAN: My husband and I have seen a very little bird – I think smaller than a sparrow –  coming and going from this bird house. It keeps bringing more leaves and twigs, but it doesn’t look like a nest, nor does it appear to stay in there. Any idea what kind of bird and why it’s collecting all that stuff? DEAR GLORIA: It might not look like a nest now, but it will. Some birds can take up to two weeks to collect enough materials to satisfy their nesting urge.

1 month ago | marinij.com | Joan Morris

DEAR JOAN: We have been feeding a stray cat for about two years. Until she became friendly enough to eat in the house, I was feeding her on the patio under a small A-frame “tent,” if you will. Under the tent is a doormat for a little comfort. During the outside feedings, we had other cats, as well as a raccoon and an opossum eating her leftover food. When she started eating inside, that problem went away. Her small milk dish though, still resides on the patio.

1 month ago | mercurynews.com | Joan Morris

DEAR JOAN: One day my sister in Santa Clara was driving her car when she smelt something burning. She pulled over and popped the hood and saw that something had stashed some prickly pears in the engine. She always parks next to a cactus in her front yard. What kind of animal would stick this fruit in a car? — Tim Avila, Santa ClaraDEAR TIM: Prickly pears stashed in the engine compartment is the work of a rodent, most likely a rat.