Each year, thousands of Arizona residents email or call Rosie Romero’s radio show with questions about everything from preventing fires in their chimneys to getting rid of tree roots invading their sewer system. His goal is to provide answers that suit the specific lifestyle wherever someone lives in Arizona.
Q: I own a rental home where the storage shed in the yard is completely filled up with my stuff. Now I’ve found out that there are a couple of pack rats living in the shed. I don’t want to set traps because I am not on the property often enough to monitor the traps. But if I clear out all the junk, how can I then keep the pack rats from coming back?
A: You can install a strobe light that will go on and off when the pack rats enter the shed. That might work. You can also install plug-in soundwave devices — the kind that some people use to keep rats and mice out of summer cabins. Another possibility is using hot pepper wax — a good animal repellent. In fact, you might use a few different methods at once — the smell plus the lights and the soundwave. But be advised that you must keep replacing the hot pepper smell, and you have to monitor the lights and soundwaves to ensure that they don’t break down.
Q: My one-story home was built in 1965; now my house’s cast-iron drain pipes are deteriorating and might need replacing. However, the plumber has recommended doing some e-piping to coat the interior of the pipes. Will that work?
A: E-piping was a process originally developed in California for storm sewers. An epoxy coating is pumped into the pipes to clean them up and seal them. It’s not a cure-all; sometimes you can use this coating and sometimes you can’t. Your plumber would be your best resource to know if e-piping will be effective with your pipes in their current condition. However, they’ve been using it for several years with considerable success so you might want to give it a try.
Q: I live in the Sierra Vista area and have some blue spruce, pines and juniper in my yard. What kind of fertilizer should I use for evergreens like this?
A: March is a good time to fertilize. We recommend using a granular fertilizer that you can spread around on the edge of the canopy for each of your trees. Spread the granules from the canopy inward, halfway back to the trunk. Look for a good tree and shrub type of fertilizer.
Q: I know that cedar is good for keeping bugs away. So can I use cedar barks and chips to mulch my plants and help get rid of bugs?
A: Yes, cedar makes great mulch for plants. It is indeed a natural insect repellent, but its ability to do that might only last for one gardening season.
Q: Two years ago, I bought a home where the previous owner enclosed a single-car garage to turn it into a fourth bedroom. He put drywall inside on the walls so that it looks just like a bedroom. However, they left the garage door on the front of the house. How can I find out if he did this legally or not?
A: Check the appraisal for your home to see if the additional square footage is listed in the size estimate for your home. If the appraisal uses language that says the square footage is “as-built,” then the previous owner clearly did the work without a permit. It would be good if you would get the home inspected now and apply for a permit to make everything legitimate. You might not even have to make improvements if there are no code violations with the seller’s workmanship. But if you’re planning to keep the bedroom, it would be nice if you’d remove the garage door. Be advised that your property taxes might go up if you increase the livable square footage. You can also check with your local building department to see whether any permits were issued for work done on the house.
