Show Notes: Bugs and Cool Tools for Mom – On the House
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Show Notes: Bugs and Cool Tools for Mom

By on April 30, 2016

Looking for the perfect Mother’s Day gift for your someone special? Have you noticed more bugs coming out of the woodwork this year? We have gift suggestions for Mom and ways to keep you safe from bug bites and more

 

Thank you to our guests:

Mike Horn & Joe Donora – Lowes fro Pros

www.lowesforpros.com

Lowe’s recently launched LowesForPros.com: Complete online solution built by the Pros for the Pros

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Pro Appreciation Event going on now through May 6

Customers who register on LowesForPros.com through May 6 can save 10% on purchases on the site. This offer is also applicable for existing LowesForPros.com customers.

Lowe’s ProServices: Committed To Saving Pros Time and Money

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The Color Of Your Sheets May Attract Bedbugs

Do bedbugs prefer their hiding places to be a certain color?

Researchers conducted a series of tests in a lab to see if bedbugs (Cimex lectularius) would favor different-colored harborages, or places where pests seek shelter. The scientists found that bedbugs strongly prefer red and black, and typically avoid colors like green and yellow.

In lab tests, the bedbugs’ color preference depended on their age, sex and hunger, and whether they were alone or in a group, the researchers said.

Generally, however, the preference toward red and black was prevalent.

Avoidance of green and yellow colors could be due to these shades resembling brightly lit areas, the scientists said.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/the-color-of-your-sheets-may-attract-bedbugs-because-life-isnt-fair_us_5720d2dee4b01a5ebde40f28?ir=HuffPost+Home&section=us_huffpost-home&utm_hp_ref=huffpost-home

 

Cool Tools And Gifts For Moms 

Mother’s Day gift dilemma got you running in circles looking

for the perfect gift for your special someone?

We have some ideas for you: 

Here’s a gift that keeps on giving for the gardener:

Jackson Perkins new rose:

Sriracha™ Floribunda Rose

Big, Soft Orange Blooms and a Spicy Fragrance

http://www.jacksonandperkins.com/sriracha-floribunda-rose/p/37928/

For the furniture refinisher:

Makita 18V Cordless Random, Orbit Sander

  • One-touch electronic speed control switch provides fast, medium and low settings
  • Ergonomically designed body and grip for increased operator comfort

Pad brake engineered for reduced free-spin and improved overall finish

http://www.amazon.com/Makita-LXOB01Z-18-Volt-Lithium-Ion-Cordless/dp/B0037Y06X2 

For the wood crafter:

Dremel Moto Saw Scroll Saw

  • Easy solution for making detailed cuts in a variety of materials
  • Auto-tensioning feature keeps the blade taut

Can be used as a stationary scroll saw or a portable coping-saw

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Dremel-120-Volt-Corded-Moto-Saw-Scroll-Saw-MS20-01/203899883

 

5 Ways To Create Seamless Transitions For Indoor/Outdoor Living

Merging indoor and outdoor living is becoming an increasingly popular remodeling trend.

Homeowners are relying on windows and doors to blur the line between indoor and outdoor living, transforming their patios into extended living rooms. Greater options for patio doors and moving glass wall systems provide homeowners with a variety of choices.

Sliding Patio Doors

Sliding patio doors are a great option for the replacement market because they can accommodate rooms with pre-existing tight-fitting door openings and limited floor plan space. Balconies and sunrooms often fall under this category. Sliding French doors have an aesthetic appeal for a timeless, classic look. With an easy to use SmartTouch® Bolt, sliding patio doors are secured into the top frame with the flip of a lever. Plus, there is an added benefit of keeping the door secure in a vented position.

In-Swing/Out-Swing Patio Doors

A desire to enhance the amount of light, space and beauty, leads many homeowners to consider adding in-swing/out-swing exterior doors. Assess the amount of space available on the interior and exterior side or the door opening to determine the best operating style. In-swing doors are the most common and the hinges are located on the inside of the home, not visible to the outside. Operable sidelites feature secure multi-point locking with thumb-turn operation and narrow framing for optimal ventilation and lighting. Fixed sidelites are also available with sight lines that are horizontally equal to the door and fixed panels.

Pocket Glass Walls

Pocket glass walls can transform an interior room into an open-air retreat. When fully open, the glass panels slide into the wall pocket and completely disappear from view. When fully closed, the large panels frame the scenic views of a home, which is an attractive benefit to homeowners. Stainless steel rollers make the large panels easy to operate, even with extreme panel weights. Consider thermally broken aluminum with a full weather-stripped structural interlock system for improved energy efficiency.

Stacking Glass Walls

Stacking glass walls open up by sliding large glass panels on top of each other, flooding the room with natural light and fresh air. When the glass doors are open, the patio becomes an extension of the living room space. With the popularity of using wood in design schemes for indoor/outdoor living areas, an aluminum clad wood option with a solid wood interior would blend seamlessly and embrace the natural surroundings.

Bi-Fold Glass Walls

Bi-fold glass walls operate with each panel folding on top of the adjacent panel to open. Designed to smoothly stack and fold against side walls, it creates huge openings from corner to corner. Convenient swing doors can be added to allow everyday access. Upgrade options include a flush sill for a smooth transition from inside to the outdoors.

Once the style of door is selected, consider additional elements homeowners find appealing, such as retractable screens that rolls into a pocket and virtually disappears when not in use, or glass glazing which reduces the need for long, heavy drapes.

http://www.remodeling.hw.net/products/doors/5-ways-to-create-seamless-transitions-for-indoor-outdoor-living?utm_source=newsletter&utm_content=Advertorial&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=REM_042016%20(1)&he=42e20f0c9743c70076f31b576d8d28f5924e8fa8

 

Where Are All These Bugs Coming From?

The good news is you can prevent bug bites and control other pest problems without poisoning the environment, yourself, or your family. Here are 5 common pests that rear their ugly little heads this time of year, and some natural solutions

Ticks

Ticks are tiny—some as small as a pepper flake—but the diseases the blood-sucking creatures can transmit to humans, such as Lyme disease can take a huge toll on people’s health. Your best defense:

Install a deer fence around your property, to keep out the critters that ticks latch on to.

Keep your grass mowed.

Install a gravel barrier between your yard and wooded areas, which helps keep tick-carrying mice out of your yard, and keep woodpiles neatly stacked so they don’t become hiding places.

Use plant-based repellents that work. BiteBlocker is a safer alternative to DEET, and protects against ticks for two hours.

Carpenter Bees

Carpenter bees provide the invaluable service of pollinating plants; but they can cause damage to your home or deck. To prevent them from drilling holes into your home (they do this to rear their young), apply a thick coat of low- or no-VOC paint or varnish to wood that’s exposed to the outdoors, including windowsills and eaves; this makes it much less appealing to the invaders.

If you’re already noticing holes in a piece of wood, you can remove that piece and replace it with painted or varnished wood, or else stuff steel wool into the holes (after the bees have emerged in the spring). There’s no need to be afraid of them. Males—the ones you generally see buzzing around your head—don’t sting, and the females rarely do.

According to Maryann Frazier, a honeybee extension associate at Pennsylvania State University, you can kill the larvae or pupa by inserting a hanger into a carpenter bee hole and ramming it around, and then sealing the hole. This should be done in late summer or early fall. The technique isn’t perfect, though. “Sometimes, they make galleries [holes] that aren’t just linear, but shoot off on sides,” Frazier explains. “So you can’t get them all if they go off at an angle.”

Ants

Ants in an organic garden aren’t a problem, but inside the home it’s a different story.

Make a solution of 1 percent boric acid (available at any drugstore) and 20 percent sugar by thoroughly dissolving 1 teaspoon of boric acid and 6 tablespoons of sugar in 2 cups of water. Soak cotton balls in this bait solution. (Boric acid is a low-toxicity mineral, but do keep it away from children and pets because it can cause skin, mouth, stomach, and eye irritation.)

Make bait dispensers out of old plastic containers with lids. Punch holes in them so the ants can get inside, then put the soaked cotton balls into the containers and cover with the lid.

Place the bait containers wherever you see ant trails, inside or outside the house.

Clean the containers and use fresh bait solution at least once a week. Be patient! The key is to get worker ants to continually carry low doses of boric acid back to feed the ants in their

http://www.rodalesorganiclife.com/wellbeing/fend-5-spring-pests-naturally

 

Thank you the Peppermill Hotel, Reno

 Green Initiatives: Peppermill Reno is the only U.S. hotel heated 100% byon-site geothermal energy. The Peppermill’s pools, hot tubs, domestic water for showers, and mechanical systems, generate all of their heating energy from their geothermal operation 24 hours a day seven days a week. While the state-of-the-art geothermal system headlines the Peppermill’s green initiatives, the resort has invested millions more inmaking every facet of its operation more energy efficient and environmentally friendly. Peppermill Reno was recently recognized for their efforts by the American Lung Association, where they received the 2016 Honor Award, and was the 2014 Sustainability Award at the Nevada Stars of the Industry Hospitality Awards Gala.

www.peppermill.com

 

On Air Mentions:

Sakrete Concrete Sealer:

http://www.sakrete.com/products/Paver-Sealers.cfm 

XYPEX Concrete Waterproofing –

http://www.xypex.com/ 

Jasco Paint Remover

www.jasco-help.com/product/premium-paint-epoxy-remover

Simpson Strongtie

www.strongtie.com/purlinanchors_holdownsandtensionties/pa-hpa_productgroup_wcc/p/pa.hpa

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