Tag: weather

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How to Protect Your Home During Extreme Cold Weather: Some Cold Weather Tips to Use Right Now

While you can’t change the weather, you can minimize some of the extreme cold’s biggest threats to your home. Here is a list of helpful reminders about how to keep your home warm and safe in extreme cold weather:

Things To Do Before a Freeze

Turn off sprinkler system.

Wrap all exposed pipes outside or in unheated areas of your home.

If you have pipes along an exterior wall that are in a cabinet, open the cabinet door.

Disconnect and drain garden hoses from outside faucets.

Insulate faucets with Styrofoam covers or wrap tightly with old rags.

Know where the main water shut off valve is and have the shut-off key handy in case a pipe bursts.

Things to Do During Sub-Freezing Temperatures

Allow water to drip slowly from How To Keep Kitchen Clean From Insects inside faucets during a freeze.

Open cabinet doors under sinks to expose pipes running along outside walls.

Close garage doors.

Drip hot and cold faucets in kitchen and bath.

Things to Do if You Encounter a Frozen Pipe

Apply heat to the affected area using an electric hair dryer, an electric heating pad, heat lamp, or electric heat tape around the pipes.

Do not use a torch or any type of open flame to thaw frozen pipes.

Keep the faucet open, running water through the pipe will help melt the ice.

If you have a frozen and burst pipe, you may not know it until the pipe Pests Of Vegetables Pdf thaws out. Pay attention as the temperatures climb above freezing.

What to Do if a Frozen Pipe Bursts

Find the house shut-off valve and turn it off.

Immediately contact a plumber for repairs.

Keep Your Home Warm and Safe

Keep flashlights in every room in case the power goes out.

Keep extra firewood or fire logs on hands in case of gas or electricity outages.

Close the fireplace damper when not in use.

Close blinds and curtains to keep the cold air outside and the warm air inside, except when windows are in direct sunlight.

Use ceiling fans to distribute heat around a room.

Place draft snakes on window sills.

Have a working fire extinguisher on hand for emergencies.

Outside of Your Home

Purchase a bag of rock salt to melt ice on walkways.

Keep a bag of sand on hand to improve traction.

Make sure there is a snow shovel in your garage to dig out of any accumulated snow.

Keep a windshield scraper handy.

Protect Your Pets

Remember to bring your pets indoors.

If your pets are outdoor pets, make sure there is a place out of the cold and wind where they can sleep.

Before starting your car in the morning, make sure a cat isn’t staying warm under the hood.

Pets who spend a lot of time outdoors during cold weather need extra food because keeping warm depletes energy.

Use plastic food and water bowls to keep your pets tongue from freezing to the metal.

The salt used to …

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Pests Hiding Spot

Cold Weather Often Means Rodent Infestation and the Biggest Intruder is Normally the Mouse

Here in Indiana our wind chill temperatures measured below zero degrees the last two nights.
It’s dangerous to go outside when the wind is blowing hard enough to make the air feel that cold. Are Pesticides Made From Petroleum When you do venture out you’ll want three or more layers of warm clothing for protection.
If you’re like me you really want to stay inside and hibernate until temperatures climb back to more agreeable levels.
We’re not the only creatures that search for heat this time of year. Think about that little mouse that lives in your back yard all summer. She digs tunnels in the ground, hollows out a little burrow to live in, and gives birth to litters of baby mice all summer long.
Come cold weather do you think she thinks about how nice she’ll have it spending the winter curled up in that hole in the ground? Or do you think maybe her eye is on your house, and all that wonderful warmth you’ll provide for her over the next few months?
Oh, and do you think when she moves in she’ll just pack up her belongings, and make the re-location alone? Not Natural Fat Derived Soap a chance. She’s bringing her whole family with her, and they’ll make nests all through the walls of your home.
That’s just the way they are. All they care about is their own comfort, and though they don’t offer it, I’m sure they’re full of appreciation for the fact that you give them a cozy place to live. Not to mention all the food you leave scattered around for them too.
Yep, they’ll be happy critters all winter long.
Much of the time you don’t have any way of preventing this invasion of rodents. They have a habit of finding entry points you’ll never see. Your only option is to perform rodent control techniques inside your home to minimize or eliminate the infestation, keep damage to your home at low levels, and prevent the disease and sickness to your family that rodents threaten.
Rodents are creatures of habit. Once you understand the way they act, and learn how to effectively get rid of them, you’ll find control of this pest a simple process. (Though not always easy or quick.)
Often the first indication that you have a rodent problem is the discovery of their droppings. The pest control industry calls them the little “calling cards” of mice. Mouse droppings look like roach droppings. They’re about the same size and shape. The major difference is that a mouse dropping has points on the ends while roach droppings are blunt.
When you see those calling cards you know you have unwanted guests. You never know the size of the rodent population, and until you take action against this pest that population will grow.
Mice like to travel along walls, and near furniture or appliances where they can duck into cover when they feel threatened.
Placing a glue board inside a cardboard …

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Pests Hiding Spot

Tips to Keep Horses Healthy and Comfortable in Hot Weather

Your horse’s health may be more at risk in oppressive heat than excessive cold. As heat and humidity begin to crank up follow these tips to keep your horse happy and healthy. Use this formula to determine if it is safe to work your horse:

Temperature (degrees F) + Humidity (%) – Wind speed (MPH.)

Example: 90 (degrees) + 70 (percent) – 12 (MPH) = 148

If the result is close to, or above 150, too much work could put your horse’s health in jeopardy. Learn how to monitor your horse’s heart and respiration rates. Also become familiar with his normal sweating pattern.

Water

The most important element of equine health in hot weather is plenty of clean, cool water. No matter what type of watering system you use check it at least once daily. Automatic waterers can quit, water lines break, horses sometimes confuse their water bucket with the manure bucket, and playful horses knock over barrels and tanks leaving everyone without water.

If you horse goes off his feed, the first thing to check is the quality of the water. There are three things you need to check when evaluating your horse’s water supply:

Quantity – is the bucket or barrel full?

Smell – does the water smell clean?

Taste – If the water passes the smell test, go ahead and dip your finger in the water and taste it. If you don’t like it neither will your horse.

Flavor the Water

A trick used by horse owners/trainers who haul frequently is using flavored water. When your horse drinks water at home flavored with Gatorade, apple juice, or Kool-Aid – you can usually get them to drink any potable water. For double duty from the water bucket, add either apple or orange flavored electrolytes. This encourages your horse to drink more and keeps them balanced.

Sometimes a horse’s muzzle will peel and look dry and sore from sunburn; other times it can be improved by balancing their micro-nutrient intake. Use sunscreen and try putting a soft block of trace minerals in your horse’s feeder to see if the situation improves.

Insects

Horses come with varying degrees of sensitivity to insects. The menu of options to protect your horse against biting and disease- Is There A Rat Season carrying insects range from the new pour-on topicals that last for two weeks to stall confinement in the most severe cases.

The only way to determine the best approach for your horse is through trial and error. Be careful not to overuse fly sprays and don’t let a residue build up on your horse’s coat. Some horses can develop chemical burns from layers of fly spray.

Fly sheets vary widely in design and material. Choose a fit that won’t rub your horse and provides adequate air flow. Don’t leave fly sheets on for days at a time. Use them during the day or overnight, whichever bests protects your horse from sun and insects. Rinse fly sheets regularly to keep your horse …

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