The new R-Plus Insulation from Terminix is like the kid in high school who did everything well. As most plodded along pulling B's and girls' braids, this Renaissance Man hit home runs for the baseball team, played drums for the popular high school rock band and wrote brilliant plays in rhyming iambic pentameter. So does Terminix's new insulation relegate all others to the realm of mediocrity. What, your insulation only keeps out the cold? Boooooring.
Here's a bulleted list of what R-Plus has going for it:
- Saves the environment. R-Plus is made from 87% recycled materials, like old newspapers.
- Kills termites. The insulation is bonded in a patented process with boric acid, which controls pests like termites, cockroaches, ants and silverfish.
- Qualifies for Federal Tax Credit. You could save up to $1500 by purchasing R-Plus.
- Saves up to 20% in heating and cooling costs. R-Plus is Energy Star-rated. Ever heard of it?
It's quite a resume. Sadly, R-Plus could not be reached for comment. It was volunteering at the local soup kitchen before heading off to a Chemistry study group.
Would you consider R-Plus for your insulation needs? How about for Homecoming King?
The outdoor wedding I attended a couple of weekends ago could have used this product. The Mosquito Mister bills itself as "the fastest way to clear a yard of mosquitoes." Let it run for three minutes in your yard and it will clear a 2,000-square-foot area for as long as six hours, which includes ridding the area of mosquitoes, gnats, no-see-ums (hate those) and flies. Just in time for grilling and Father's Day. Mosquito Mister is available nationwide at several hardware stores. Use the company's store locator to find the dealer near you.
Okay, repeat after me: "I will not attempt to kill spiders in my home by setting them on fire." A teenager in Reno, Nevada, recently learned this lesson the hard way after he set his backyard fence and a portion of his home on fire. No one was hurt and the teenager will not be charged in the accidental blaze but, man, I would hate to have to explain this one to my parents.
Is it possible to blow up your apartment while spraying for bugs? According to this Reuters article, a New Jersey man recently did exactly that. Are these spray cans a major threat to household safety? Salon.com says explosions could happen but only when using massive amounts of the stuff. According to their calculations, you would have to spray 50 cans of Raid in a 10-by-10 foot room before an explosion was possible. To me, spraying 50 cans in a 100-square-foot, sealed room sounds like you would die of asphyxiation first. Any bug killing experts out there like to weigh in?
Deer and rabbits may be cute little animals we enjoy seeing, but don’t let them fool you. They are naturally going to want to eat everything that they can, so letting them roam in your lawn or garden might not be the best idea as they can really wreak havoc. The August edition of Bottom Line Personal magazine says to keep deer out, you can use large shrubs on the perimeter of your yard or a simple black mesh fence that’s about 8 feet high (that is a deer’s approximate vertical leap). Also, deer are often scared away by criss-crossed wires from tree to tree (at 8 feet). For rabbits, the fence only needs to be 2 feet above the ground and 6 inches below it. You can also control deer by smart planting. Although a deer’s diet varies with the region and the year, there are several plants that are completely safe in your yard. Ferns are considered deer resistant along with jasmine, rosemary, junipers, iris, daffodils and calla lilies. Deer also avoid vines and rhododendrons.
Everyone loves lady bugs except when they invade your home by the thousands. A friend of mine recently had a lady bug infestation and dug up this page for ways to manage it. The best plan is to stop them before they get in by sealing all cracks and potential entry points, particularly spaces around doors, windows and siding. But if the bugs are already in your home, poisons are of limited value and your best bet is to use a vacuum. Lady bugs are not killed when they are vacuumed up so the page recommends changing the bag often. An alternative method involves putting a nylon stocking over the hose and securing with a rubber band. As the bugs are captured, you can discard the nylon and replace with another one. Clever! Read how to eliminate the top five summertime pests here.
There is nothing more annoying than a bunch of bloodthirsty mosquitoes roaming around your backyard. The army of them that joined my family’s July 4th celebration was far too much to fend off with a small bottle of bug spray. We desperately needed some added protection. I now know that Blue Rhino’s SkeeterVac could have really helped us avoid our backyard bug problems. This device traps biting insects by acting as a false host site. Evidently, mosquitoes are attracted to humans and pets by the CO2, moisture and heat from our breath and by body odor. The SkeeterVac emits a scented CO2 lure that represents a potential host site to a mosquito. (The amount of lure that is emitted can be adjusted manually). Once the bugs land on the device, they are captured on a sticky trap or by a vacuum fan. There, they quickly dehydrate and die, never to bother you or your family again.
