If you want to prevent squirrels and other small wild animals from getting into your home, take advantage of warmer weather to inspect the trees around your house. Small animals use trees as a highway of sorts to get around. And when tree limbs or branches are less than 6 to 8 feet away from the roofline of your house, they’re close enough for animals to make that jump. So if you see branches that close, trim them back to make your roofline less easy and appealing for them to jump onto.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

Liquid castile soaps are the preferred choice of environmentalists because they’re made entirely from vegetable oil and are totally biodegradable, too. While castile soap is a great option for bathing and using around the house, it can be a bit trickier when it comes to washing pets. Most castile soaps use essential oils to give them a scent and often those oils are tea tree, lavender or peppermint. All three are toxic to small animals, especially cats. If you want to use castile soap to wash pets, use unscented. And remember: A little goes a long way.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

Here’s another reason to consider growing native flowers in your own backyard: They are very easy to grow. Usually when planting a new garden, you have to take the time to weed, till and amend with organic fertilizer to make it rich and loamy. But the reality is native flowers -- plants that are indigenous to your growing region -- are adapted to regular soil. If you try to plant native flowers in soil that is too rich and fluffy, it actually can cause tall flowers to flop over.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION