My log home in NE Pennsylvania is about 11 years old. A few months ago, I noticed that something had begun gnawing on the ends of the lower two courses of logs on one corner. I've soaked the gnawed areas with everything noxious I could think of from hot pepper sauce to undiluted diazanon, but the gnawing continues. I think it is a porcupine, but have had no success seeing it or luring it into a box trap. Last year I had a flying squirrel gnawing up on one wall, and this doesn't seem to be similar. (The squirrel has been taken care of and is no longer around) This is close to the ground and is much more destructive. Two questions: 1) Is there something I can put on the wood to discourage the critter? 2) Have had no success luring the critter into a box trap. Have tried salted rags, fruit, vegetables without success. Anything else work as bait?--or as poison? Thanks in advance. JCCremer

While clearing out a portion of my lot that is at the bottom of a slope, I came across some sections of a tree trunk that had been sawed and stacked in a row. The sections are about 2 feet high and as wide and they sit on the other side of a wire fence that was covered with blackberry vines. Blackberry vines had covered the fence and the trunk sections until I cleared them out; they are in my neighbor's lot which is also covered with blackberry vines, but not as much as my lot had been. I was at the bottom of the slope today right before sunset and was surprised to see two swarms of dry wood termites come out of two different stacks of the trunk sections. I'd like to know what is the best way to deal with these things (or, rather, I should say how should my neighbor deal with them since they are on his property). What sort of treatment should be used and is it necessary to spray the area around the stacked trunk sections? Thanks in advance for any help.