Dear Sun Spots: Are there any tour bus companies (such as Maine Line Tours) that pick up individuals in Maine and go on guided tours to New York City, Washington, D.C., and elsewhere? Thank you. – No Name, No Town.

Answer: Sun Spots has located a number of charter bus companies in the area. Try contacting one or more of the following tour companies to see what packages they might be offering. Some have their tour schedules available on their Web sites which should assist you in your search. When calling, Sun Spots would recommend you ask about their pickup locations as many have multiple pickup locations along the Maine Turnpike and southern highways. In addition, sometimes senior citizens groups or adult education classes set up trips that you might also be interest to you. As well as the bus company list below, you might also check them out.

Contact:

• Custom Coach and Limousine, P.O. Box 17514, Portland, 800-585-3589, www.customcoachandlimo.com.

• Cyr Bus Lines, 153 Gilman Falls Ave., Old Town, 800-244-2335, www.cyrbustours.com.

• Northeast Charter & Tour Co., 235 Goddard Road, Lewiston, 888-593-6328, www.northeastchartertour.com.

• VIP Tour & Charter Bus Co., 129-137 Fox St., Portland., 772-4457, www.vipchartercoaches.com.

Dear Sun Spots: Help! You have helped many with problems and we look forward to your help in this matter.

We are having a huge problem with moles in our lawn. They are still digging holes, even with the cold weather. We have tried many different kinds of powder and more with no luck. Hopefully, someone can help suggest a way to get rid of them. Thank you. – MaryAnn Martin, No Town.

Answer: In addition to responses from readers, you may recall the solution offered to J.L. of Leeds, who was experiencing the same scourge, in the Feb. 1, 2006 column:

Trapping the moles seems to be the best solution. However, Call of the Wild RV Center in Oxford suggests purchasing a plug-in electronic pest repeller from your area department store’s garden or pest care center. An electronic pest repeller uses sonic or ultrasonic sound waves, which are inaudible to the human ear, but drive pests away. After successful trapping and repelling, and you are certain that all moles have been removed, plug any visible entry holes to discourage future moles.

Sun Spots also recommends you contact Animal Control Officer Wendell Strout in Greene 946-2781, to discuss your animal problems. He’d be happy to chat with you and help solve your challenge.

Also, as noted in a previous column, according to Bill Adler Jr., author of “Outwitting Critters,” there are several things you can do to encourage moles to do their tunneling elsewhere. You can apply milky spore or beneficial nematodes to your lawn; they kill the grubs, which are the main food source for the moles. Another approach is simply to water the lawn thoroughly, getting the ground wet once or twice a week for three or four weeks to discourage the moles. Alternately, you can try drying out the soil and forcing the insectivorous mammals elsewhere. Packing the soil with a roller may make it too compact for digging. Sprinkle a castor oil concoction on the ground. To make the mixture, whip two ounces of castor oil with one ounce of liquid dish detergent in a blender until it holds its shape. Add water to equal the volume in the blender and whip again. Fill a sprinkling can with water and add two tablespoons of the castor oil mixture and sprinkle on areas of heaviest concentration of the burrowing. This works best after a heavy rain or watering.

This column is for you, our readers. It is for your questions and comments. There are only two rules: You must write to the column and sign your name (we won’t use it if you ask us not to). Letters will not be returned or answered by mail, and telephone calls will not be accepted. Your letters will appear as quickly as space allows. Address them to Sun Spots, P.O. Box 4400, Lewiston, ME 04243-4400. Inquiries can also be posted at www.sunjournal.com in the Advice section under Opinion on the left-hand corner of your computer screen. In addition, you can e-mail your inquiries to sunspots@sunjournal.com.