It's spring, and that means animals are up and out and moving about. They're also more likely to intersect our lives and make us critter crabby. Here's a crib sheet on controlling animal nuisances people are complaining about:

AntsThose small brown ants scooting around the house usually love sweets or grease.With the proper bait — sweet bait for the sweet ants, greasy bait for the grease lovers — you'll attract ants, and that's a good thing. They will feed on the poison-laced bait and take it back to the nest and feed it to the queen, When the queen dies, so does the nest.Don't worry — the "poison" in the baits is borax, deadly to ants but not so dangerous to us. But you'll want to keep ant baits out of the reach of children and pets.If you're not sure if you're seeing sweet- or grease-loving ants, experiment.Try a sweet bait such as Terro. If it doesn't attract ants, try a grease bait, such as Drax-FP.If neither work, you might be dealing with the pharaoh ant and need a hydramethylnon bait, such as Maxforce.

WoodpeckersThat drum-drum-drumming on the house in spring usually means the woodpecker is proclaiming its territory.Woodpeckers are protected and may not be killed, but there are ways to try to discourage them, such as using the bird-scare reflecting tape sold at pet and bird stores. Suspend the tape in parallel rows across the woodpecker-damaged areas. Twist the tape several times. The tape reflects sunlight to produce a flashing effect.You also can suspend CDs, pie tins or inflatable Scare Eyes for Birds from brackets around the house so their movement will keep the birds away.Some people suggest discouraging drumming by distracting the birds with suet cakes. Place the suet cakes away from the house, 30 feet or more, and then next to the house at the birds' preferred place to peck, if they have one.

RabbitsA metal mesh fence 18 inches high and buried at least 3 inches in the ground helps control bunnies, but it can be an eyesore. You also can try a rabbit repellent:Beat an egg or two, mix with water in a 1-quart spray bottle and shake. Spray where you don't want rabbits. Reapply regularly, especially early in the growing season and after each rain.Mix 3 tablespoons each of cayenne pepper, Tabasco sauce and mild dishwashing detergent into a gallon of water. Pour into a spray bottle, shake well and spray onto the stems and leaves of plants.Along a garden perimeter, place blood meal or predator urine, available at garden and sporting-goods stores.Check whether you can kill rabbits. There is a season for hunting them in some areas, and in some areas you can take destructive rabbits at any time.

Moles and volesTrapping is the most effective means of controlling both pests.Mole traps are available at most hardware and garden stores. Wear heavy leather gloves when working with traps. Or look in yellow-page directories for a pest-control company that also does animal control.Castor oil-based repellents have worked for some. Commercial products are available, or you can make your own. Mix 6 ounces of castor oil and 2 tablespoons of dish soap in 1 gallon of water. Mix 1 ounce of this concentrate per gallon of water and apply to the lawn. If it rains, reapply.What doesn't work? Gas bombs, poison peanuts, chewing gum, human hair and devices emitting annoying sounds or electrical impulses.You know you have voles by the network of brown trails in the lawn in spring. Grass will grow back, but trees and shrubs are damaged by voles that feed on the bark.Voles are easily trapped by mousetraps baited with peanut butter. If you set the traps outside, cover them with a box in open areas or a scrap board against the wall so they don't attract and kill songbirds.

Night crawlersSome night crawlers are good for the lawn. But too many leave dirt piles behind, making the ground rough and uneven. Remove the mounds with a power rake or vertical mower. The best time to power rake is early fall, but you can do it in the spring before it becomes hot.