Breaking News

Climate change means more mice, demand for pest control

INDIANAPOLIS — At her home in Rockford, Illinois, Rita Davisson said the “one or two” mice she normally sees during the waning winter months “have turned into more like 10 or 15” in the last couple years, and scientists say the warmer weather might have something to do with it. The 66-year-old said the influx prompted her to contract a pest control service for the first time in the more than 30 years she’s lived in her house. “They’re sneaking around the basement, the garage, my backyard,” she said. “The one trap I have just hasn’t been enough ...

Average long-term US mortgage rates inch up to 5.81%

WASHINGTON — Average long-term U.S. mortgage rates inched up this week following last week’s mammoth jump, the biggest in 35 years. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac reported last week that the 30-year rate ticked up to 5.81% this week, from last week’s 5.78%. Last week’s average — which ...