Dear Heloise: So happy to read your column in the Press of Atlantic City again. We have a huge 150-gallon composter in our backyard, where I deposit lots of vegetable and fruit peelings, eggshells, coffee grinds, tea bags, shredded paper, chopped dry leaves, and grass clippings. I mix it up periodically with a couple gallons of water added. The composter is covered with a snug lid.
However, it stays the same size; it never gets bigger, with only the grass clippings remaining. So, our neighbor thinks we have a groundhog living inside and eating our weekly deposits. To test it, we didn’t mix it all up, and sure enough, the stuff from the gallon-size bucket was all gone two days later, including two bananas.
How do we find the groundhog, and how do we get rid of it? We don’t want to stop composting. I hope you have a solution. — Valerie C., Millville, New Jersey
Valerie, you might want to hold off on depositing food in your compost pile and see if the groundhog leaves in search of other places to find food. Using a strong-smelling liquid such as bleach in a compost pile is not really the best idea, but it might drive the groundhog away.
You might try calling in someone who’s experienced in capturing small animals, such as an exterminator. I don’t recommend trying this yourself because of the risk of being bitten by a wild animal. — Heloise
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Postcard Memories
Dear Heloise: I saw a recent hint about sending postcards to one’s grandchildren, and it prompted me to share my postcard hint:
Every time I go on vacation, I send a postcard to myself! Near the end of my journey, I choose an image that resonates with my trip. I write all of the highlights and lowlights of my adventure, especially small details that I’m likely to forget once the trip is no longer fresh.
Most of these postcards wind up on my fridge, so I have frequent reminders of my treasured holidays. I now have 20 years of an illustrated travel journal from this practice and a nice international stamp collection, too! — Sarah K., Sweet Home, Oregon
Sarah, not only are those great memories of your travels, they may be treasured memories for your grandchildren or great-grandchildren one day. — Heloise
Unwanted Mail
Dear Heloise: As a former postal service employee, I can tell you your recent suggestion that people write “not at this address†on mail from charities might backfire. Your mail carrier might assume that you have moved, and they might return all your mail, not just the solicitations from that particular charity.
Perhaps the best approach would be to register with the Data & Marketing Association at www.ANA.net, which will help cut down on all unsolicited mail, not just charitable requests. — Robin J., via email
Dishwashing Trick
Dear Heloise: For a “standard†squeeze of your 28-ounce bottle of dishwashing liquid, a considerable amount of liquid comes out when the bottle is full, rather than when it is nearly empty. To profit from this fact, do the following:
When your current bottle is empty, save it, buy a replacement bottle, then transfer about an inch of liquid into the old bottle. Use the old bottle until it is empty and repeat the process. You will be amazed at how little liquid you need per squeeze to adequately wash the items in your sink. — C.M., in Texas
