Originally uploaded by Range Kleen

Falling into Place
Get your home in order for fall by preparing for cold weather. You can start by making a maintenance checklist day.
Start by shutting off the Air conditioning if you haven’t already done so. Open up the windows and get some fresh air circulating. If your house has vents make sure to sweep up and clean out any dust or particles that may have accumulated over the summer. Next, time to change the air filters in your furnace; depending on the area you live in you may want to consider replacing more or less. Replacing your air filters 1-3 months is recommended if your home has dual forced air entry. Also if you have a fireplace it may be time for a chimney sweep. Replace batteries in smoke detectors and check your homes fire extinguisher once a year as those are only good up to 6-10 years. Outside of the home make sure to clean out your gutters now while it’s a little warmer so you don’t have a problem come winter time. Disconnect water hoses from outside faucets and shut off any valves connected to the outside to prevent freezing. Be sure to empty out any unused fuel in seasonal equipment that will not be used during winter such as lawn mowers, weed eaters etc. This will prevent fuel clogging in the equipments lines.

These are just few tips to mention to keep your home on track.

For more information:
Learningcenter.statefarm.com/residence/maintenance/fall-maintenance-tips-for-your-home/

Originally uploaded by Range Kleen

Beware: Bed Bugs are on the rise! If you are a frequent traveler, thrift shop and garage sale junkie your family could be at risk, and you don’t even know it yet.
Many people thrive on the look of antique or used furniture but there may be a lurking presence you don’t know about until it’s too late. Most people don’t know what they have encountered until the damage is done and the bed bug is infested everywhere in your home.
The most common assumption is that people think bed bugs are attributed by a dirty house. Well that assumption is not true. Of course a dirty house will not help the issue, probably only make them cozy and less detectable. A clean house will not keep them from infesting it will only slow down the process.

Here are a few tips on what to look for and how to get rid of this tiny creature.
Be aware:
1. When traveling read reviews of the potential place you are considering staying in, don’t go for the cheapest place. Reading the reviews can be time consuming but they are very important to consider.
2. When enjoying your hotel stay think twice before relaxing in any furniture.
3. Once you have worn something be sure to contain it in a plastic bag separate from your luggage. Your luggage and clothing are main carriers. But it doesn’t stop there. Once your infected, these pesky insects can travel with you in your hair.
4. Stay away from used mattresses and furniture that have been thrown away.
5. If you live in a Condo or Apartment you are more at risk than a homeowner; depending on how the apartments are separated these bugs can travel through cracks and crevices and even your plumbing.
6. Think again before exchanging clothing with another person unless you 100% know that they are not infested.

Bed Bugs can hide anywhere! Not only in your bed, but in ……
1. The edge of carpet and floor boards
2. Wooden surfaces even picture frames
3. Upholstered furniture
4. Behind peeling wallpaper and paint
5. Sheets, curtains, pillow cases; any loose fabrics in your house
6. Headboards, bed frames, and mattress seams

Most importantly they love to snuggle in cold dark places.

Bed bugs are hard to detect. Bed bugs look like small specs of dirt or as big as a brown pepper seeds. The first signs of bed bugs are bites/ welts. The second is if you notice red dots on your sheets after sleeping. The red dots will appear after you have rolled over them unintentionally squishing them, which causes the blood they have absorbed to leak out on your sheets.
Sometimes they can put off the smell of raspberries unless your house is infested they can put off a fowl odor caused by the oily liquid they can shed.
Younger bed bugs can live up to one year without feeding; bed bugs that have fed frequently can only live up to a month without feeding. Bed bugs prefer to feed on people rather than pets.

How do you get rid of this critter?
1. Call an exterminator! Of course there are things you can do yourself, but if you want to get the job done properly several visits from an exterminator will get the job done faster and more efficient.
2. Place lavender around your house; not only bed bugs cannot stand the fresh scent other bugs cannot tolerate it either.
3. Seal your mattress and box springs in plastic. Once sealed you can get rid of any bed bugs by taking away their oxygen. Not only do they need blood to keep their bellies full they need air to breathe. So cut off there oxygen supply.
4. Wash and dry clothes and sheets (anything that can fit) on the hottest setting. If you can dry twice at least your sheets and blankets.
5. Vacuum all areas of house.
6. Spray EVERYTHING with disinfectant spray.
7. Clean up with alcohol; not any kind of alcohol. Preferably rubbing alcohol. Although after all this is said and done a nice glass of wine to help you relax might not be so bad to consider.

Ever wonder how powerful a fire extinguisher really is? Here are a few guidelines to follow and think about before reacting in a hot situation.
1. If you can’t blow it out, call the fire department!
2. If you can move the fire to an open area with a broom or long stick do so.
3. Never block your path way out from a fire.
4. If you smell a sign of smoke before exiting a room touch the door. If the door feels warm that could mean the fire is close on the other side. Never expose air to a fire that only creates a bigger flame.
5. Never trap a fire. When using a fire extinguisher; spray away from walls and corners. By not doing so you can create a higher flame by trapping the fire.
6. The 5 pound extinguisher’s life span, brand new is 13 to 15 seconds of spraying time. Life span is approximately 6 years. As time goes on the extinguisher ages as well. In an old extinguisher you have approximately 13 seconds. If you spray and miss the fire you lose 2 seconds, and if you experience low pressure you’re losing 3 seconds. In actuality there is only 8 seconds of full pressure usage.
7. The 3 pound extinguisher new is good for 8 to 12 seconds. An old extinguisher drops down to 8 seconds. Again if you spray and miss the fire you have lost 2 more seconds. Then of course low pressure equals a loss of 3 seconds. The total full pressure usage time is 3 seconds.
WHICH IS EXTREMELY UNSAFE, AND NOT A GOOD THING!
The most important thing to remember is to get out. Make sure to make a plan with your family. Even if you have teenagers make sure that they know where to go or what options they have.

You may have not known this but by working or playing outside can expose yourself and/or your children to getting Lyme disease. You can get Lyme disease by being bit by an infected tick.

You need to be most cautious during May, June, and July. On the positive side you don’t have to worry about this during cooler months.

Symptoms are: headache, fever, skin rash and fatigue. If you think you or someone you know might have this, you must get checked out as soon as possible because the pain can worsen and spread to the nervous system, joints and heart. If a tick hasn’t been attached to your skin for at least 24 hours your risk of Lyme disease is very small, if it has been longer than 24 hours, please look for symptoms or contact the call a nurse hotline. The following are ways to protect yourself:

1. Avoid woods, tall grass, bushes, and leaf litter. If you must work in these conditions, be sure to clear heavy brush this will reduce your risk of getting a tick. If you are in the woods or out in the country stay as close to a path as possible, so that you are not brushing up against bushes or tall grass.
2. Contact your local health department to find out where the high levels of tick infestation are.
3. Protect your body; wear long pants, long sleeve shirts and socks to cover as much skin as possible.
4. Tuck pant legs inside of boots to be sure that a tick cannot enter that way. If you’re going to be outside for a long period of time it is best to tape the area of where your sock and pant leg meet.
5. After working outside no matter how long you should always check clothing before going inside. It may be best to buy a repellent that can be used on clothing.
6. Wash clothing in hot water and then dry in high heat up to an hour at least, to kill any ticks that may have been overlooked.
7. Inspect all areas of your body not just the exposed skin. Check your armpits, scalp, ears or even private areas. Remove tick right away with tweezers.