Consider posing as a witch near a cauldron!

I’ll never forget my favorite Halloween stop, back when I was a kid. A neighbor dressed fully as a witch. She had fog and colored lights and she cackled—she even had a cauldron. I didn’t dare approach her without the help of a parent—she was so real, it was scary! Because the neighbor kept a clear path and the fog at the right level, I never actually feared for my safety…though I had to remind myself that it was pretend more than once. With the approach of Halloween, safety is a primary concern for every parent and homeowner. How do you create a fun, mystical environment for trick-or-treaters without sacrificing safety?

Electricity

The amount of electricity you use in holiday presentations is a primary safety precaution. Use too much, and you could start a fire or end up …

The house mouse is New Jersey's most commonly-infested rodent.

Mice and rats can be cute in cages or in the wild, but few homeowners enjoy seeing these furry creatures scurrying through their homes. Rodents tend to urinate and defecate where they eat; they also contain mites, ticks and other parasites, making their presence a direct threat to you, your family and your pets.

With the approach of fall and winter, rodents take to warm shelter just like humans and other mammals. In fact, mice are pests to humans because our habitats provide them with their basic needs, too. That doesn’t mean it’s okay for them to hang out in your house—aside from health concerns, mice can chew wires and create fire hazards. They also like to make nests out of wood, cardboard and cloth—so say goodbye to any stored clothing.

There are six types of rodents …

The Eastern Ribbon Snake earns its name from its ribbon-like appearance.

Snakes. The very word makes most homeowners shudder. Unless it’s a well-fed pet in a tank, most New York and New Jersey homeowners want nothing to do with slithering snakes. Fortunately, snakes in the northeast tend to stay outside, so we don’t usually have to worry about them indoors.

Snakes can still appear in our backyards, gardens and pools, making homeowners sometimes question the safety of the backyard environment. This is of special concern to those who garden or have children or pets.

Most snakes in New York and New Jersey are active from spring through fall, so during that time you should remain especially vigilant when hiking or weeding in your yard. And there is some good news—most of the snakes native to our region are not seriously poisonous.

Common snakes in New York and New Jersey …