How to keep your cottage critter-free - Cottage Life

All cottages have dozens of unchecked entrances. A mouse and other rodents can fit through a hole as small as a dime. Follow these simple guidelines to keep pests out and prevent infestations when you close up for the winter.

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young hockey players stick handling

Cottage Coach: Make this DIY stickhandling trainer in under 10 minutes

Wooden beer caddy

Cottage Coach teaches you how to make a wooden beer caddy

two men welding

DIY steak flipper and discada using a railroad spike and harrow

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The right way to anchor into a cinder block wall

pipes under a roof

Cottage Q&A: How to find and fix a frozen pipe

dock floating in the water

Easy DIY dock removal hacks

dock

What you need to know about changing the size and shape of your dock

Staircase at the lake

Design considerations for accessibility at the cottage

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The best way to unclog a toilet

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A beautiful White tailed Deer – Doe and her fawn visits the backyard today

How to make your garden more wildlife friendly in winter

Outdoors

Curling, team playing on the ice.

Facts you never knew about curling

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Young man healing knee to a young woman who has been injured doing trekking

Important survival skills everyone should know: Part 2

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Upgrade your cottage with more sleep space

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Meet the Atlantic walrus

Outdoors

Man lighting a fire in a dark winter forest, preparing for an overnight sleep in nature, warming himself with DIY fire. Adventure, scouting, survival concept.

Important survival skills everyone should know: Part 1

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Baikal Lake. Winter travel on the ice by car

How to safely drive on frozen lakes

Outdoors

Santa Claus sitting on beach chairs with blue sky and cloud.Christmas Day concept.

Santa’s day off

Santa Claus enjoys Cookies and Milk on Christmas Eve

‘Twas the night before Christmas

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What makes a snowflake unique

Outdoors

Man Removal Snow with a Shovel

How to shovel snow correctly

Outdoors

Tasty homemade Christmas cookies on blue plate, closeup view

Classic Christmas treats that are easy to make

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Man Taking Roast Turkey Out Of The Oven

Energy saving tips for the holidays

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Negroni coctail standing on the table close up

Easy to make cocktails for a holiday party

Krasnoyarsk, Russia, January 2020: ice sculptures, the festival "Magic ice of Siberia"

Beautiful ice sculptures that will amaze you

Outdoors

Open book by the Fireplace with Christmas ornaments. Open storybook lying on a wooden bench by the fireside. Cozy relaxed magical atmosphere in a chalet house decorated for Christmas. Holiday concept.

How to safely heat a cottage in winter

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Grizzly Bear Portrait

Meet the grizzly bear

Outdoors

red wooden cottage in a snow landscape

Easy repairs that will winterize your cottage

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Arctic fox in the snow in winter.

How Canadian animals adapt to winter

Outdoors

Female feet walking on warm heated floor close up view, barefoot girl legs going on hardwood living room wooden flooring at modern home house, domestic underfloor heating concept, close up rear view

How to warm up a cold floor

A pipe showing freeze damage

How to deal with frozen pipes

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Meet the mighty moose

Outdoors

Group of people playing hockey on a frozen lake in Canada with glacier in the background

The coolest outdoor rinks in Canada

Outdoors

Unusual winter sports

Outdoors

These are the best paddling destinations in Canada

Outdoors

How to clean and reseason rusty cast iron

Outdoors

polar bear with her yearling cubs against Arctic sunset

Facts you didn’t know about polar bears

Outdoors

Man stargazing on a dock in Muskoka, Ontario, Canada

Here are the best places to stargaze in Ontario

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Meet the white sturgeon

Outdoors

Pesuta Shipwreck, Naikoon Provincial Park, Haida Gwaii British Columbia Canada

5 stunning islands in Canada you have to visit

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Group of retro home wooden furniture on Tel Aviv flea market street . Finishing: staining and varnishing. Useful for background.

Cash or trash: What to do with these items

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close up macro a gypsy moth caterpillar eating leaves. nature life

How to protect your trees from LDD moths

Outdoors

water skiing on the river

Water sports wipeouts that will make you go ‘ouch’

Outdoors

Wonderful Halloween pumpkin with a wolf as a motive AND Portrait of Arctic wolf

Wildlife inspired pumpkin carvings

Outdoors

Maple carved leaves natural floral autumn colorful background

Why do leaves change colour in fall?

Outdoors

Scary dark gray wolf (Canis lupus)

Why Canadian wolves matter

Outdoors

mated pair of grizzly bears share a moment

Strange mating habits used by Canadian animals

Outdoors

Grey Squirrel Feeding on Pumpkin Seeds

How to stop squirrels from ruining your pumpkins

Outdoors

Eastern Hognose Snake with flattened neck on sandy soil with grass

Here’s how to identify Canadian snakes

Outdoors

Septic tank: the removal of sewage sludge and cleaning of a domestic septic tank at rural French home.

Signs and symptoms of septic failure

Outdoors

Open door fridge and frosen kitchen interior. 3d conceptual illustration

What can and can’t be left in the kitchen over winter

Outdoors

Mums planted in a gourd on a rustic wooden surface and background

Creative ways to use pumpkins other than for Halloween

Outdoors

boat being loaded onto a truck's trailer on boat ramp

Watch how to prepare your boat for removal, transportation, and storage

Outdoors

warped wooden boards

Warning signs that it’s time to replace or repair your deck

Outdoors

These images from the 2020 Cottage Life Photo Contest will leave you in awe

Outdoors

Wooden table with red apples, cinnamon and sugar

12 genius uses for leftover apples

General

Long lens photograph of the fall leaves at Killarney Provincial Park

Here are Ontario’s best lookout points for viewing the fall colours

Outdoors

Woman pulling smoking dish out of the oven

5 Thanksgiving dinner mistakes you don’t want to make

Closeup of a female Moose eating leaves off a tree

10 Canadian animals you can see in autumn

General

cheerful young man in wheelchair enjoying the spring on the lake

Ways to make the cottage more accessible

General

Thanksgiving dinner. Roasted turkey garnished with cranberries on a rustic style table decoraded with pumpkins, vegetables, pie, flowers and candles

Thanksgiving activities you can do before dinner

General

hand holding young plant on blur green nature background and sunslight. concept eco earth day

Facts about plants that will surprise you

Outdoors

georgian bay

Red flags to look for when buying vacant land

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Glasses with different sorts of craft beer on wooden bar. Tap beer in pint glasses arranged in a row. Closeup of five glasses of different types of draught beer in a pub.

Beer 101: Get to know your beer

Outdoors

Young girl bird watching

Learn how to identify these 10 Canadian birds

Outdoors

The exterior at dusk of a modern log cabin, in the mountains

This is where you should place outdoor lighting at the cottage

Outdoors

a shot of a bird outside window glass

How to stop birds from hitting windows

Outdoors

linens-drying-on-clothes-line

Cottage Q&A: How to store your precious linens

cast-iron-pan

What you’re doing wrong with your cast iron pan

Choose the right drywall anchor for any hanging project

first-aid-items-on-a-wooden-counter

Create the ultimate cottage first aid kit

hide-that-ugly-screw-head

Hide that ugly screw head with this simple DIY

measures

Know your measuring devices and how to use them

DIY Cutting Board Revival Thumb Clean

Revive an old cutting board in a few simple steps

DIY Leather Paddle Handle Thumb Clean

Give your hands a more comfortable grip with this DIY leather paddle handle cover

person-playing-hockey-on-ice-rink-natural-on-lake

5 tips for building an ice rink on your lake

Know your levels and how to use them

DIY Dock Cleat Coatrack

Give yourself extra hanging room with this rustic DIY dock cleat coat rack

Wax used to loosen bolt.

Loosen a rusted nut or bolt with this easy DIY hack

wine-bottle-top-open-without-a-corkscrew

Open a wine bottle without a corkscrew

DIY-Christmas-tree

Go out on a limb and get festive with our DIY Christmas tree

DIY Antler Key Rack Thumb Clean

Never lose your keys again with this DIY antler key rack

DIY Card Box

This DIY tea light holder has a secret

DIY Leopold Bench

Kick back and relax with this simple DIY Leopold bench

DIY industrial dog bowl on a wooden floor DIY project

Your pet will give this DIY industrial dog bowl a woof of approval

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The exterior at dusk of a modern log cabin, in the mountains

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