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15 Ways to Bug Proof Your Home

8/25/2015

In all honesty, it's impossible to bug proof your home completely. Like it or not, some insects will find a way into your house. But you don't have to make it easy for them! Invest a little time in these home maintenance and housekeeping tasks, and you will greatly reduce your chances of a major insect infestation.
When attempting to bug proof your home, you need to do two basic things: prevent insects and spiders from getting inside, and eliminate bug habitat in your house.Your goals are to keep as many bugs out as possible, and to make your house inhospitable to the few that find their way in.

1. Install and maintain screens on all doors and windows.

If you don't have screen doors on your home, install them. Repair or replace any torn or damaged window screens. Use fine mesh screening to prevent all but the tiniest insects from entering your home.

2. Seal around all doors.

If air and light can pass through, bugs can get in. Install tight-fitting thresholds and door sweeps to the bottoms of exterior doors. Use door seals to fill the gap around the sides and top of each door, too.

3. Seal cracks in your home's foundation, exterior walls, and fascia boards.

Any crack in the exterior walls of your home is a welcome sign to insects. Grab a tube of caulk and inspect your home from top to bottom. Seal any cracks you find.

4. Seal around utility lines and appliance vents.

Insects may enter your home through tiny gaps around your dryer vent, gas line, or even telephone line. Caulk crevices on the outside of your home. You might also want to seal these areas from the inside using a spray foam product.

5. Install critter-proof mesh on vents in attics and crawl spaces.

Raccoons, squirrels, mice, and even birds may make themselves at home in crawl spaces and attics if you don't install barriers to keep them out. These animals may carry mites, fleas, or other pests that will then infest your home.

6. Eliminate moisture by fixing leaks.

Most insects (except for those that live in arid environments) require a certain amount of humidity to survive. Any source of moisture can attract them. Fix any plumbing leaks, however minor, promptly. Even condensation on pipes can drip and create suitable places for bugs to live. If your basement or crawl space takes on water during heavy rains, you're asking for insect problems. Install a proper drainage system, and run dehumidifiers if needed.

7. Keep a tidy kitchen.

Where there's food and water, bugs will happily make themselves at home. Do all you can to keep your kitchen clean. Wipe up crumbs, sweep or vacuum the floor, and clean up spills right away. Don't leave dishes in the sink overnight. Clean out the toaster and microwave regularly. Scrub down your stovetop every day. Throw away food scraps and packages.

8. Keep food sealed up tight.

If you have a kitchen pest problem, you'll need to take drastic steps to eliminate food sources for the offending insects. Store cereals, grains, rice, and other pantry items in air tight containers. Keep opened food containers in the refrigerator.

9. Get rid of clutter.

Insects need places to hide, and a cluttered home is a bug's paradise. Recycle unneeded boxes and newspapers promptly. Keep laundry in clothes hampers. Keep your floor clear of belongings, and put things away after you use them.

10. Clean up after your pets.

Some bugs like pet food, and others like pet waste. Clean your pet's food dishes regularly, and don't leave extra pet food accessible. Store dry food in air tight containers. Scoop and clean your cat's litter box daily. Wash your pet's bed or favorite blanket regularly.

11. Take the garbage out frequently.

If you can smell it (even a little), it's going to attract bugs. In fact, insects are much more sensitive to odors than we are, so even if you can't smell it, it may attract bugs. If you're really worried about insect pests in your home, empty your garbage often. Line your cans with plastic garbage bags, and tie them tight before you take the bags out for pick-up.

12. Rinse recyclables thoroughly.

Your recycling can is a smorgasbord for bugs. Soda cans, beer bottles, and pet food cans will all attract insects if they aren't rinsed out thoroughly.

13. Scrub your trash bins.

Even with your garbage in plastic bags, there's bound to be a spill or torn bag now and then. Scrub out all of your trash bins to eliminate smells and sticky substances that may attract insects. Several times per year, use a solution of bleach to clean your outdoor cans thoroughly, especially if you keep them close to your house.

14. Clean up your yard.

Mulch, leaf litter, and garden debris can all harbor insects. Keep mulch away from your home's foundation, and clean up any accumulated organic matter. Mow your lawn regularly, and keep it short near your house. Pull annuals out at the end of the growing season, and trim back perennials as appropriate in the fall.

15. Prune trees and shrubs.

When trees and shrubs come in contact with your home, they function as highways for insects on the move. Keep tree branches pruned so they don't rest on your roof. Prune shrubs away from windows and doors.

Author: Debbie Hadley
Original Article: http://insects.about.com/od/insectssociety/a/15-Ways-To-Bug-Proof-Your-Home.htm

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8 Easy Ways to Save Water This Summer

8/20/2015

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Saving water is particularly important during the summer, when the days are hot and the rainfall is sporadic. It's even more so this year as much of the country faces an unrelenting drought. If you want to cut your water bills or just do your part to conserve a precious resource, here are a few smart tips to reduce water usage around the house.

Use the Dishwasher
Odd as it may seem, studies have shown that in households with two or more people, a dishwasher uses less water than washing dishes by hand. To get the most significant savings, scrape your dishes clean, don't prerinse them, and run the dishwasher only when it's completely full.

Showers, Not Baths
The average bath uses between 30 and 50 gallons of water. And that's if you only fill the tub once—most bathers add more hot water as the bath water cools. An old shower uses about 20 gallons of water, but installing a modern low-flow showerhead can reduce water consumption to just 10 gallons per shower—assuming you don't stay in there all day.

Tame the Toilet
Toilet flushing accounts for more water usage than any other activity in the home. That's why it's so important to replace old toilets, which use between 5 and 7 gallons of water per flush, with an efficient modern toilet that uses only 1.6 gallons. Leaky toilet tanks are also huge water wasters; a faulty flush mechanism in the tank allows water to slowly and silently leak into the bowl. To detect a toilet-tank leak, remove the tank cover and add a few drops of food coloring to the water. Wait 30 minutes, then check the water in the toilet bowl. If it has turned the hue of your food coloring, then the tank is leaking. Repair or replace the flush mechanism.

Don’t use the toilet as a trash can. Dispose of facial tissues, diaper wipes, cotton swabs, and bandages in a trash can; never flush them down the toilet. Besides clogging your pipes, you're also wasting water.

Fix Faulty Faucets
Sooner or later you'll probably find at least one dripping faucet in your home. A little drip may not seem like a big deal, but a faucet leaking one drop per second wastes about 2700 gallons of water per year! If you don't repair the leak promptly, it'll worsen over time and waste even more water (leaks never heal themselves).

You can easily stop leaky faucets without calling a plumber. Do-it-yourself faucet-repair kits are sold at most hardware stores and home centers. Check the faucet's installation manual to make sure you buy the right replacement parts.

Insulate Hot-Water Pipes
Pipe insulation might not jump to mind as a way to save water, but it should. Just think about all the water that's wasted while you stand there waiting for the water in from your sink or shower to get hot. If you wrap every hot-water supply pipe in your home with thick foam-rubber insulation, the water inside the pipe will stay hot longer, reducing the amount of time it takes for hot water to reach the faucet. As a bonus, you'll also save on energy because it won't take as much to heat your water.

Smart Laundry
Today's super-efficient washing machines use much less energy and water than models built just 10 years ago, but you can reduce water consumption even further.First, wash only full loads of laundry. If you must wash a partial load, adjust the water level to match the load. Avoid the permanent-press setting, which uses additional water during the final rinse cycle. Replace rubber water-supply hoses with braided stainless-steel hoses, which are much more durable and less likely to crack and burst open. And when leaving home for vacation or extended periods of time, shut the hot- and cold-water valves, just in case a hose ruptures.

Kitchen Conservation
Don't thaw frozen food under warm running water. Instead, thaw them on the counter or, especially in the case of meats, in the refrigerator. Rather than boiling vegetables in a pot, steam them in a microwave oven, which requires very little water. Wash fruits and vegetables in a bowl of water rather than under a running faucet. You'll save more than 3 quarts of water each time. Even if you don't use a Brita or some other kind of water-purification pitcher, keep a pitcher of drinking water in the fridge. You'll save more than half the amount of water versus running the faucet until the water turns cold.

Lawn and Garden
Spread a thick layer of bark mulch around flower beds, trees, shrubs, and gardens. Mulch not only blocks out weeds, but it helps retain moisture so you won't need to water as often. When using lawn sprinklers, ensure they're not spraying the house, street, driveway, sidewalk, or patio. And if you've got an automatic sprinkler system, install a rain sensor that will shut down the system during a rainstorm. Water early in the morning or late in the day, when temperatures are cooler and less of the water will evaporate before it can soak in. (Read more smart watering tips here.)
Never use a garden hose to rinse leaves and grass clippings off driveways, sidewalks, and patios. Use a wide push broom, rake, or leaf blower.

Original Article:
http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/how-to/a7909/8-easy-ways-to-save-water-this-summer-11182067/
Author: Joseph Truini

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15 Ways to Bug Proof Your Home

8 Easy Ways to Save Water This Summer

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