ALL DIY INFO - Home Improvement Blog » Pest Control

4 Natural Pest Control Methods for Getting Rid of Spiders

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 22:00:10 +0000

Natural pest control is the safest way to rid your home of pests like spiders or other unwanted creepy crawlers. Home Improvement, THE source for home improvement information.

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4 Natural Pest Control Methods for Getting Rid of Spiders

How to Deal With — and Get Rid of — Mice

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 16:16:26 +0000

Filed under: Essential Skills , Know-How Finding mice in your house is not only disgusting — it’s stressful! Here’s how to deal, from the first moment you spot the little guys… You’re in your house, minding your own business, and out of the corner of your eye, you see a tiny blur. You immediately know what the blur is. It’s a mouse. Photo: Clinton Hussey, Corbis Not only is it disgusting and awful to see a mouse in your home, you know that there’s never just one. There’s a whole family of mice somewhere, and that is quite frankly terrifying . So, what do you do? Calm down: Try not to scream and cry and jump on top of the kitchen table like a housewife in a ” Tom & Jerry “cartoon. The idea of having a mouse in your house is upsetting, but try to see the realities at hand. There’s a reason why they call it “Pest Control” and not “Pest Get Rid of Forever” — you’ve just got to take the steps to keep them at bay. Clean everything: Cute TV mice have brainwashed us into thinking that they’re cute and capable of accomplishing things most humans can only dream off. All of this is untrue. Mice carry diseases. If you see a mouse, you’re going to need to clean everything. Use bleach and water to wipe down all counters and tabletops, and make sure you clean surfaces that don’t usually get the attention they deserve — dish racks and stovetops are two big ones. Understand the mouse: Face it — mice laugh in the face of your pathetic attempts to catch them. You’ll set a trap and they’ll steal the bait and not get caught. You wonder, “How is it that I paid so much money to earn a Master’s Degree when I can’t even manage to outsmart a mouse?” Don’t be too hard on yourself. Mice are tricky. If your mouse had a Twitter account, he’d be tweeting at you all day long: “It was really hilarious watching you try to set that trap for 15 minutes!” or “Thanks for the peanut butter, LOL!” or “You think I only stay in the kitchen but I definitely don’t!” He’s taunting you. Try not to let them make you turn into Nathan Lane in ” Mouse Hunt” . There are worse things in life than a mouse hanging around. Promise. Explore your options: There are a ton of different products on the market to help you to catch mice . Wooden traps, clothespin traps, glue traps — someone is getting rich off of rodent infestations. Cool job, guy. Bet you get a lot of women. Anyway, while the newer models may work, your best bet is to stick with the original. Old school wooden traps with peanut butter as bait usually do the trick — or check out a humane way to get rid of mice . Prepare for the future: Also, remember this: Mice don’t have exoskeletons, so they can squeeze themselves into any tiny crack or hole. Deny them access — fill holes with plaster where you can. And where you can’t, shove in some steel wool. Your baseboards will look like they’re growing arm pit hair, which is always really attractive. Call an exterminator: If none of these home-spun preventative measures take care of the problem, you’re going to need to call an exterminator. Make sure they do a thorough inspection of the whole house, especially the garage and basement. Feel better? Yeah, neither do I. But don’t let it drive you crazy. Don’t spend all of your free time sitting on the couch in silence, listening for the pitter-patter of rodent feet (or, as they say in The Night Before Christmas , “stirring”). It’s not healthy. All DIY Info | All DIY Info | Linking Blogs | All DIY Info

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How to Deal With — and Get Rid of — Mice

Natural Pest Control vs. Chemical Pest Control

Tue, 01 Mar 2011 06:00:09 +0000

Natural pest control is one option for managing pests. Home Improvement, THE source for home improvement information.

Be Your Own Bed Bug Exterminator

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 08:00:59 +0000

Bed bugs are becoming more of a nuisance in New York City and elsewhere around the country. You can be your own bed bug exterminator if you’ve already confirmed that you have bed bugs (bites, seeing bugs or droppings). If you think you have bed bugs but don’t want to look too closely then consider hiring a bed bug sniffing dog . They do the dirty work and can identify exactly where the bed bugs are. The following tips were provided by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Is it necessary to use pesticides to get rid of bed bugs? The best way to get rid of bed bugs is to clean, disinfect and eliminate their hiding places. Since young bed bugs (nymphs) can live for several months without feeding and the adults for more than a year, the pest control company may use a pesticide. Talk with the professional about safe use of pesticides and make sure he/she: + Uses the least toxic pesticide. + Follows instructions and warnings on product labels. + Advises you about staying out of treated rooms and when it is safe to reenter. + Treats mattresses and sofas by applying small amounts of pesticides on seams only. Pesticides should never be sprayed on top of mattresses or sofas.

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Be Your Own Bed Bug Exterminator

Dear Crabby- Random DIY Advice for the Home Fixated

admin — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 11:55:49 +0000

At some point, I think I mentioned that I busted up my ankle, and how glorious it was. I think the painkillers must have been going to my head. There pretty much isn’t anything fun about the entire process that I can think of at this point. I can’t move around very well–sleeping in my Frankenstein boot is near impossible, and trying to use stairs is an exercise in looking like an idiot, feeling like an idiot, and perhaps falling on your face and sliding to the bottom of the stairs to start all over again–like an idiot. These kinds of things make me crabby. I want to choose to look like an idiot. Fortunately for you the dear reader–this has given me time to peruse my voluminous mailbag–and pass on my sagely DIY advice. Of course–these are all fake real letters from real DIY’ers just like you! Dear Crabby: I just purchased a home. The attic is infested with squirrels, bats, mice, and a new species of chimpanzee I think I may name after my first wife. I was wondering–are there ramifications to having “pests” in my home? And if so–how can I prevent them from coming in? Sincerely, A. Ventura, Miami, FLA Dear A. Ventura, There are certainly ramifications for having pests in your home. Not only can they be frightening–certain species of pests can be a health concern. Common household pests are mice, squirrels, bats–in fact the list is really too numerous to get into here–but they essentially range from Badgers to weevils. The best policy is to prevent pests before they get in. Check around your home for cracks, openings for vents, pipes, utilities etc. Make sure these things are sealed properly to prevent insects from getting in. Insects can get in on plants that are touching the home. Inspect caulking around windows, doors, and any other opening into the living area. House mice can get into openings of around 1/4”. These types of openings can be sealed with a can of expanding foam. The best policy however is to eliminate what the pests are coming in for–most often food. Pet food, people food, pretty much any type of food should be stored in containers, and in pest-proof areas. Dear Crabby: I am interested in the most basic, simple, and easy Home Improvement Projects–but am on a budget. What are the most important power tools you would recommend to own? Cheaply Yours, B. Madoff, Raleigh, NC Dear B. Madoff, Contrary to my–and many others beliefs–one does not have to have a ton of power tools to accomplish simple projects. Why someone would choose this route is definitely beyond my scope of rationale–but to be fair it can be done. A good quality cordless drill sits at the top of my list. It works as a drill, power screwdriver, paint mixer, and some even come equipped with flash lights! The versatility, and over all usefulness of a cordless drill is unmatched. Secondly, I would say a circular saw–as many projects will require some cutting of lumber, trim, or other material. Virtually any cut can (this doesn’t mean should ) be accomplished with nothing more than a circular saw. Dear Crabby: I need to build 8 playpens out of pre-fabricated kits I, um…bought. Do you travel to install these things? XOx8! O. Mom, La Habra, CA Dear O. Mom, Despite my years of experience as a carpenter–I cannot build pre-fab furniture. There is never enough pieces, and the instructions are a mixture of Farsi and somewhat recognizable English. I recommend hiring a civil engineer from Sweden–they are apparently good at these things. Why do you need 8 playpens? Dear Crabby: You’re pretty big on safety–so I thought I would ask what kinds of safety equipment you would recommend for something like breaking glass? Fore! E. Nordegren, Isleworth, FLA Dear E. Nordegren, Anytime you are striking something–such as a hammer and nail–there exists the possibility that debris can either come off the tool you are using–or the item you are striking. Eye protection should be used in any situation like that. Often times–nails can have tiny gnarls and slag left over from the manufacturing process that aren’t part of the actual nail head. These can be struck–and come off the nail at a high rate of speed, and they are often hot from the friction of the strike. It seems like a long shot–but these things end up in your eye a lot more than you would think. Any time you use a tool, or are making loud noises–if you do it once–and it’s loud: Get some ear protection. Despite how goofy these things look–there are actually some very fashionable eye, and ear wear out there if you are that worried about fashion. (Which I would imagine you might be). Post from: HomeFixated.com Visit today! Dear Crabby- Random DIY Advice for the Home Fixated Related posts: Built Not Bought: Win Money For Being Awesomely Home Fixated Making things from scratch and by hand was once the… The Post That Will Get Hate Mail: Best Way to Kill a Mouse No matter how clean you keep your house, if there’s… Ten Lessons from Home Construction Bloopers If you enjoy watching people get hurt (and who doesn’t?),…

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Dear Crabby- Random DIY Advice for the Home Fixated

Confessions of an Organic Serial Killer, Garden Safe Slug & Snail Bait Review

admin — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 12:03:42 +0000

We talked about organic ways to kill snails in our article about using beer as snail bait . The problem with that technique is not that it’s ineffective, it’s that you have to sacrifice beer in the name of snail killing. That’s just not a sacrifice I’m willing to make. Several weeks ago, a massive snail assault began on our property. When I went outside in the evening or early morning, it was like Night of The Living Dead …. snails disconcertingly converging on us from every direction. I briefly entertained leaving them be, especially since our 3 year old daughter loved pointing them out to me every morning. She’d grab one and say “Look daddy, a snail!” Now that I’m writing this, it’s making me realize I’ve been a horrible father. . . . I have massacred my daughter’s favorite morning entertainment. Luckily she can’t read, so let’s just keep this review of Garden Safe Organic Slug and Snail Bait between you and me, shall we? When I say the snails mounted an assault, I’m not kidding. They were everywhere. Aside from devouring several of our plants, they decided they even liked our house itself. We were finding them on our windows, walls, and doors. Thankfully none of them made it inside, but they had managed to take over the entire property nonetheless. Something had to be done. Something that didn’t cost me any beer. Something that wasn’t loaded with toxins (other than the kind that kill the snails). And that’s where Garden Safe made their appearance. Gathering The Fallen Friends Garden Safe has an entire product line of organic, more eco-friendly, less toxic garden products that include herbicides, insecticides, and flower care solutions. Garden Safe sent us two of their two pound bags of their Slug and Snail Bait. I didn’t waste any time distributing the little pellets throughout our yard and even on our lawn (which was also loaded with snails, apparently they like lounging). According to Garden Safe, their Slug and Snail bait can be used around pets and wildlife, and can even be used in vegetable gardens. It’s also Organic Materials Review Institute listed. I even read their MSDS , which primarily suggests wearing gloves during application, and not sticking the pellets in your eye. Sounds manageable. From what I can tell it seems like a relatively safe product, especially for something that kills stuff. Which leads us to the actual gloves-on review. Sorrow Sets In (Actually, it’s Faked) After applying the pellets roughly to the spec’s listed on the bag, I waited. Garden Safe suggests that snails should start dying within 3-6 business days. Ok, it’s just 3-6 days. It all sounds so brutally cold and pre-meditated, doesn’t it? Anyway, after 5 days I conducted a reconnaissance mission in the yard with my daughter. Posing Next to the Massacre It was like the snail killing fields. It seems Garden Safe Slug and Snail bait dealt a deadly blow to our snail population. We looked for survivors, but quickly realized this was a recovery mission, there would be no prisoners. Only shells. Shells of the fallen. Despite loving snails days earlier, my daughter adapted quickly to the new mission (as you can see from the photos). If you’re serious about killing snails, but not interested in dispersing highly toxic poisons in your yard, I’d recommend you consider Garden Safe Slug And Snail Bait . Especially since it won’t cost you any beer! Available for about $10 per two pound bag. Post from: HomeFixated.com Visit today! Confessions of an Organic Serial Killer, Garden Safe Slug & Snail Bait Review Related posts: Is There Anything Beer Can’t Do?: The Slugx Snail and Slug Trap There’s nothing worse than working your butt off only to… Brewing A Green Lawn?: Beer Fertilizer Up in the Great White North where this HomeFixater resides,… Zeba, The Lazy Way To Not Water Your Garden This post should be read: If you live in an…

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Confessions of an Organic Serial Killer, Garden Safe Slug & Snail Bait Review

Liquid Fence Snake Repellant: Yes, Please.

admin — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 12:09:32 +0000

Liquid Fence’s information page on their snake repellent asks: “Are Snakes Terrorizing your Family, Pets, and Livestock?”. #@!$ no! Snakes are terrorizing me! My wife and pets can fend for themselves–all I have to be is faster than them. I dislike snakes. A lot. I know I am not alone in this–but seriously–what are they for? Fine. Get all PETA on me and tell me how many uses snakes have. I think they belong in two places: Hell and Zoos. Both are probably similar from the snake perspective. If you are one of those people that insists on having a snake as a pet–don’t try and tell me how awesome it is, or that it is friendly. It eats frozen mice and rats: whole. The friendly little fella in the picture is also known as the Crotalus atrox or Diamondback Rattlesnake, of the pitviper species. Pit. Viper. For all of you that aren’t writing me hate mail (and the four that are)–check this out: Liquid Fence’s snake repellent keeps multiple species of snakes away–check here for a list–and doesn’t include the chemical naphthalene, which is an EPA Class C possible human carginogen and comes from coal tar. Pretty much anything that mentions cancer, tar, and coal has to be bad–so it is good that Liquid Fence’s snake repellent doesn’t use it. Liquid Fence is also all natural, so your kids and pets can have it as a snack. No, just kidding. Repeat: KIDS AND PETS SHOULD NOT EAT THIS. But–it is supposed to be safe to use around them to keep snakes away. It also prevents snakes from using their hypnotic vision to lure the kids into their lair, possibly forcing them into either a Professional Wrestling career, or living in your basement at age 40 with their pet snakes. It’s up to you. Keep snakes away from your kids and pets. You have been warned. Since I have been working and living at the family ranch in Central Montana–I’ve had the pleasure of meeting a rattlesnake. It was mean, it scared me, and I did not like it. I ran. My plan is to build a backpack to hold 55 gallons of repellant, get myself an umbrella hat like this, and have a constant stream of Liquid Fence cascading around me at all times. I am that serious about not wanting snakes near me. You can purchase a quart of concentrated Liquid Fence snake repellent for around 40 bucks. Post from: HomeFixated.com Visit today! Liquid Fence Snake Repellant: Yes, Please. Related posts: Raindrops Keep Falling in my Barrel OK, so it hardly ever rains in San Diego. In…

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Fuji EnviroMax, Trash Batteries Without Being a Tree-Slapper

admin — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 11:54:37 +0000

As a family, we’re not into dumping toxic heavy metals into the landfill. But that’s just what you’re doing if you throw conventional batteries in your trash. Instead, we stockpile our used batteries in a bag tucked into a drawer that might soon be labeled as a toxic waste superfund site if we don’t get them to a local battery disposal drop-off shortly. I’m pretty sure acid is eating it’s way through the drawers and headed through the floor next. It’s like Three Mile Island all over again. But what if batteries weren’t made from nasty stuff like cadmium, mercury and lead? The battery geeks over at Fuji are trying to address this very issue with more eco-friendly EnviroMax batteries. I say “more eco-friendly” since we really try to use rechargeable batteries now, whenever and wherever we can. In the non-rechargeable world, Fuji Enviromax eco-friendly batteries hope to achieve green environmental goals, while not sacrificing performance. On the green side, Enviromax are mercury, cadmium and PVC free. They are packaged with over 75% recycled materials. Even the manufacturing process is greenified by not releasing any ozone depleting compounds. PET plastic is used in both the battery jacket and for the packaging plastics. It’s pretty clear Fuji made some pretty major changes to make these batteries more green. On the performance front, Fuji boasts the Enviromax has one of the longest shelf lives in the industry, a whopping 7 years. Their power meets or exceeds competitors and they are one of the longest lasting alkaline batteries (with independent labs having tested those claims). The Enviromax are designed for digital devices and have one of the strongest anti-leak protection technologies on the market. No more Three Mile Island effect! Fuji sent us four AA’s Enviromax’s to test out. What can we say, they’re functional AA batteries. Did we put them into a device and then watch it fail to power up due to a lack of mercury and cadmium? Nope. Did the devices we test them in start emitting smoke in objection to the lack of lead content? Not really. In fact, the Enviromax’s seemed to perform just about like any other traditional alkaline battery we’ve used before. The real difference is in the lack of nasty ingredients, and the ability to simply toss the battery in the trash rather than worry about sending it to toxic battery recycling heaven. Fuji’s exact wording on this is “Dispose of in most landfills”, followed by the disclaimer, “Please follow your state and local regulations regarding the proper disposal of all batteries.” My corporate CYA translation leads me to believe you can probably trash them without fear of government reprisals, but naturally, “Please follow your state and local regulations regarding the proper disposal of all batteries.” That’s HomeFixated plagiarized CYA for you. With all that said, if you truly want a “green battery”, you should strongly consider switching to rechargeable entirely. But, for situations when you can’t use a rechargeable, or if your religion requires you only use disposable batteries, the Fuji Enviromax is a great alternative. So, when you can’t use rechargeable, don’t be a tree-slapper and buy toxin-filled batteries. Be a tree-hugger and opt for the Fuji Enviromax instead. You can find the: Fuji EnviroMAX Alkaline AA Battery 4 Pack for about $10. And the Fuji EnviroMAX Alkaline AAA Battery 4 Pack for about $9. Post from: HomeFixated.com Visit today! Fuji EnviroMax, Trash Batteries Without Being a Tree-Slapper Related posts: Livos Kaldet Wood Stain 270: Green, But Don’t Feed It To Your Family We all know we need to start being more environmentally… Green Termite and Pest Control that Actually Works: Bora-Care How to be green, eco-friendly and less toxic and still… It Is Easy Being Green With The Neuton Mower When I first laid eyes on the Neuton electric mower,…

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Fuji EnviroMax, Trash Batteries Without Being a Tree-Slapper

DIY Home Improvement

admin — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 23:30:32 +0000

It appears that there has been a decline in consumer faith in the building and construction industry of late. This may be because of the scams shown on television or the bribery and corruption endemic in the corporate sector, but it is almost certainly the same motivation why so many are now carrying out home improvements by themselves.

Why not? A little knowledge of the technical aspects together with with an eye for creativity is often enough to complete the home improvement on your own.

Why are people turning to DIY home improvements?

There are many individuals trying to pass themselves off as construction workers, althoughthey do not have a lot of expertise in construction or home maintenance and they are literally are out there right now practising, learning their trades on homes like yours and mine across the country.

Not surprisingly, homeowners are discovering that the jobs are not being finished to their liking. Sometimes they are even pre-paying for services that do not get done or were not part of the plan.

You do not have to rely on and pay someone to improve your home. Why not try to do it yourself?

You can augment your home’s existing concrete surfaces using acid stains, acrylic paints, epoxy paints, and scoring techniques.

If you are bored with looking at bleak gray concrete, there are some easy jobs if you are earnest about having a go at home improvement DIY, you can easily give your patio, driveway or garage a revitalizing new look.

Decorative concrete work costs about double that of standard concrete, which is why many people cannot afford it.

However, there are cheaper methods to beautify concrete after it has cured, without having to pay skilled tradesmen.

Acid-based concrete stains are becoming more and more popular for coloring concrete surfaces. They chemically react with the cementitious material to create permanent color with a variegated or mottled appearance like that of marble. This results in a natural, elegant looking exterior.

Water-based concrete stains are an alternative to acid stains but are much more user friendly because they are so much less dangerous. These stains do not chemically react with the concrete; they are absorbed into the porous surface and act like a dye. The big benefit of water based stains is the wide array of colors available.

If you want to venture beyond the basic staining of your concrete, consider using some scoring techniques to create patterns on the surface.

You could make your concrete look like a tiled floor for instance. It is just up to your imagination. A mini angle grinder with a 4 inch grinding wheel is the ideal device for this.

The important thing to remember when scoring is to trace out the pattern on the concrete first and ensure you are pleased with the way it looks because scoring is permanent.

Epoxy paints make an excellent coating for garage floors and basement floors. Many commercial floors have epoxy coatings because of their durability and resiliance to chemical spills as well as their appearance.

In recent years, however, it has become very fashionable for domestic use with the availability of an increasing quantity of different colors. This is not a tricky job, but the key to successful application is surface preparation.

Epoxy paints have also become obtainable in a water based form making it safe for the DIY’er and perfect for indoor jobs. They cost a little more than stains. For a 400 square foot floor, you’ll spend about $200 for the materials needed for this job.

So, you see? You do not have to spend big money to improve your home. You have the capacity to do it yourself. With a few instructions and a little bit of work, anyone can turn dull concrete into a masterpiece of their own.

Owen Jones, the author of this article writes on several subjects, but is currently involved with Flowtron Bug Zapper devices. If you would like to know more, please go to our website at Indoor Bug Zapper

Pest Control

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 17:53:34 +0000

Pest control is a blanket term used to describe controlling or ridding an area of different kinds of pests. If you are going to do your own pest control, you should educate yourself on each… Home Improvement, THE source for home improvement information.

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