Special Features - All About Homes

JULY 2012

THE GUIDE TO YOUR HOME

Keep away the

contents Battling Ants Protecting Your Garden Mosquito Facts

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Keys to battling ANTS around the house (MS) With more than 12,000 ant species around the world, chances are most homeowners or renters will experience an ant problem at one point or another. Understanding the habits of ants can make alleviating an infestation that much easier.

Understanding Ants Ants may cause stress or prove troublesome when they enter a home, but ants play an important role in nature. Ants live mostly in colonies and may create intricate tunnels throughout the soil. These can help air reach the soil and plant roots. Ants also consume and recycle dead or decaying plants. Some ants are carnivorous and feed on other insects. Ants can also recycle composting materials, helping to enrich the dirt.

According to Pest World For Kids, the queen is the centerpiece of the ant colony. Without the queen, the rest of the colony can only survive a few months before they perish. That’s because the queen lays the eggs which males will fertilize. There are some female workers that are unable to reproduce. Soldier ants are also unable to reproduce and simply protect the queen and help gather or kill food.

Eradicating ants is impossible.

A person is only able to keep populations in check in and around the home. Ants have large brains in proportion to their size. They are known to be the smartest species of insects with around 250,000 brain cells. Therefore, outsmarting them requires appealing to their habits.

Ants are also smart enough to cultivate their own food sources. Some raise aphids to produce sweet secretions that the ants feed on. Ants also do many other interesting things. Many ant species steal pupae from other ant colonies and make the hatched ants work as slaves.

Ants in the Home Ants enter a home when they are attracted to a food or water source. No home is impervious to ants, and even city-dwellers surrounded by pavement have experienced ants indoors. Ants also may be attracted to comfortable nest sites or conditions. Carpenter ants, for example, like moist areas and make their homes in wood.

There are a few different tactics to keeping ants out

of the home. These include: • Creating a barrier around the perimeter of the home. Using a natural or chemical pesticide may keep ants away from the home.

• Reducing favorable conditions outdoors. Make sure there aren’t any cracks or crevices around the

home where ants can enter. Keep shrubbery and dense foliage away from the home’s foundation.

Cut back overhanging tree branches and remove any excess soil that’s up against the house.

• Protecting against food sources indoors. Ants need water and food to survive. Workers will forage for food. If an easy source is inside the home, they will go there. Keep sweet foods sealed in plastic bags. Wipe down counters frequently and sweep up crumbs from the floor.

Pick up pet water and food bowls when not in

use. Vacuum out crumbs from a high chair or baby seat regularly. There is some evidence that ants do not like the aroma or taste of vinegar, so use a vinegar-and-water solution to clean around the house.

• Relying on bait stations. If the aforementioned methods have not reduced ant populations, purchase bait stations. These are readily available at hardware or home centers and work by luring the ants to a sweet solution that contains a poison. Place them in a location where ants have previously been seen. The poison is typically borax, an item that is toxic to ants and other bugs but relatively harmless to humans. Ants feed on the solution and bring back some of the poison to the colony. Individuals should let the ants visit the bait station and not interfere with the transfer of the poison by letting the ants be. There may be quite a steady row of ants, which will slowly dissipate over a few days when the poison takes effect. After some time there should be no or just a few ants left. There are also similar bait stations that can be used outdoors. Replace the stations once every few months to keep ant numbers in check.

• Letting spiders live. Spiders and other insects feed on ants. Resist killing spiders around the house, especially outdoors. They’re natural pesticides.

Ants are resilient and can be a worthy opponent when they get inside a home. The average worker lives anywhere from 45 to 60 days, while a queen can live up to 20 years. Getting rid of one colony might just invite another one in, so expect ants to pose an ongoing problem. Maintaining an ant-free home requires due diligence.

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There’s a Mouse in the House How to Rid the Home of These Pests furniture, or another secluded spot that is warm and cozy.

Homeowners may see shavings of wood or other debris that is indicative of a mouse nest nearby.

Why Are Mice Dangerous?

(MS) Apart from a large, hairy spider, few things elicit fear in homeowners as much as mice.

Despite their diminutive size, mice can cause visible and hidden damage throughout a home. They also can be carriers of disease and contaminate many areas of the home. Getting rid of a mouse can be a tricky endeavor, but with some patience and different methods, it is possible.

Identifying a Mouse The common house mouse is 1 to 2 inches long and is gray or brown in coloring. The head and body length will be about equal to the length of the tail. The head is small and ears are large.

A mouse will eat just about any type of food, but they especially prefer to munch on seeds, cereal grains and sweet things. They get their water needs mostly from food.

Mice do have two major eating times -- at dawn and dusk.

However, they can nibble throughout the day.

Mice like to nest in soft, warm places. In colder climates, they tend to move indoors for the comfort a house can provide.

Mice will nest inside walls, in insulation, in storage boxes, in drawers, under major appliances, within the upholstery of

Mice can spread airborne allergens that can contribute to respiratory problems, including asthma. They are also responsible for spreading Hantavirus, which causes a disease known as Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) that is fatal in more than half of all cases. Symptoms of HPS include fever, deep muscle aches and severe shortness of breath.

Diseases are spread through the urine, dander and feces of the mice. Particles become airborne and can affect individuals living in proximity. A study in the June 2004 issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology reported that 82 percent of rural, suburban and urban U.S. homes were found to have mouse allergens. The numbers may be higher now.

Mice tend to urinate and defecate wherever they travel.

While mouse droppings are visible, urine may not be. Right now in the average household there could be mouse urine on kitchen floors, on countertops, inside of cabinets -- just about anywhere.

Exterminating Mice Although mice can be cute in appearance and seem relatively harmless, sharing a space with them is not recommended (obviously unless they are pet mice and caged). Therefore, extermination methods will be needed.

Poisoning: This method can be very effective. The mouse takes poisoned bait back to the nest and eats it or shares it with other mice. Eventually the poison will take effect.

However, in homes with pets or children, this may not be the best method. Also, a homeowner cannot control where the mouse will die. There may be an odor present while the mouse decomposes.

Glue traps: Glue traps are some of the most common found in stores. The mouse travels onto the trap after a piece of bait and gets stuck on the extremely sticky board. These can be effective. However, a mouse that is only partially stuck on the board may gnaw off a foot to get free.

Snap traps: The old-fashioned mousetrap is spring-loaded and will activate when the mouse trips the switch. Some mice know how to outsmart these traps.

Live traps: For homeowners who don’t want to kill the mouse, live traps have a door that will close after the mouse is inside. The mouse can be relocated far away from the house.

Keep in mind that mice tend to be wiley. They can learn to recognize traps and avoid them. Moving the traps regularly can help with trapping. Also, use gloves when handling the traps because mice can be put off by strange scents.

Cleaning After Mice Because of the contaminants that are in the home from mice, it is recommended that most surfaces be cleaned with bleach. Carpets should be shampooed and vacuumed thoroughly. Items that can’t be cleaned, such as books, should be stored outside to air out.

After the mouse is eradicated, check the home for entry points. Cover them up with metal grating to prevent future access. Also, examine habits around the house and revolve to clean up crumbs, spilled food, etc. so that the home won’t be attractive to other mice.

Protect your Garden from Hungry Animals

(MS) Homes full of garden beds with blooming flowers and foliage can seem warm and inviting. Planting flowers is one of the easiest ways to transform the appearance of a home with minimal effort and expense. Too often, homeowners plant annuals and perennials only to find their hard work has been damaged by hungry animals like deer, rabbits and underground pests. There are ways to keep animals away from plants - many of which are humane and environmentally safe.

Keeping furry marauders away from the garden is something individuals who live in rural or suburban areas have to consider when planting. Many communities are growing and encroaching on the natural habitats of wild animals.

With some of their natural food sources diminishing, animals

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may decide to partake of the easy pickings that come from residential home gardens.

If you understand how these animals feed, you can take precautions to restrict access to planting beds. Rabbits tend to munch on vegetables and ornamental plants. Small in stature and not able to scale fences very easily, rabbits might be deterred by a low fence surrounding plants. Consider digging some chicken wire below the fence a few inches to discourage digging under the fence. The fence should be 18 inches high, and you should keep the openings no more than one inch because rabbits can squeeze through small openings.

In terms of gophers, moles, voles, and other burrowing animals, the key is preventing underground access. Chicken wire or another abrasive material put under the garden soil can help keep underground animals from burrowing under and then up into the heart of the garden.

Deer are another story altogether. They are tall animals capable of rising up on hind legs to stretch out and reach branches of trees and bushes. Therefore, taller fences may be needed to protect the garden. But these can sometimes be unsightly, especially in a front yard. Therefore, look for natural barriers that can keep them out. They may be deterred by thorny bushes or plants. Daisies, papaver (poppies), narcissus, rudbeckia, achillea, agastache, aster, lupine, coreopsis, verbascum, centaurea, and echinacea are available in many varieties and are not attractive to deer or rabbits.

Here are some additional strategies that you can try.

• Create narrow pathways between raised beds. Rabbits will feel like they are in prime locations for predators to get at them in this type of situation and may be less likely to venture in. Deer may not be able to navigate narrow paths.

• Use mulch. In addition to benefitting the plants, keeping soil moist and fertilizing the areas, mulch also deters many animals.

• Interplant different species of plants. Some animals don’t want to bother picking tasty plants out among other varieties they don’t like. So mix plants with ones that animals find unpleasant.

• Use other natural deterrents. Animals may be kept away by scents of their predators. Urine from coyote, foxes, dogs, and cats may help. You can also try human hair, cat litter and soap flakes.

• Create an animal-friendly area elsewhere. Feed the deer and rabbits the foods they love somewhere away from your garden. They may fill up with favorites and stay away from your flowers and vegetables.

• Traps may work. As a last resort, use humane traps to collect animals and release them elsewhere.

Salt...

As more and more unique ingredients show up on grocer’s shelves, it is becoming a little more difficult to determine how to use all these fancy items.

I am a collector of salt, so you can imagine my delight when I stood face to face with the exotic, yet strangely familiar box of Maldon sea salt at Big Bend Market (they had three kinds!). I was elated!

Without going into the boring details, all salt is sodium chloride. Fall those who, like myself, love food trivia, the oldest salt mine has been dated back some 7000 years.

By Nan Dell, Chickadee Epicurean

Atlantic coast - it has a clean, almost ocean taste; Hawaiian black lava salt is a blend of sea salt and purified volcanic charcoal, and has a very slight smoky flavor. Sea salt is sold in fine and coarse grain.

3) Table - Table salt is the most commonly used salt. It is generally gathered using solution mining. It usually always contains anti caking additives and can come with or without potassium iodide. Do not use iodized salt for pickling as it can leave the water cloudy and turn acidic food a funky colour.

The three varieties I will be addressing are: So, how do we use these salts?

1) Kosher; 2) Sea; and 3) Table.

Kosher salt can be used in place of table salt. This is a good option as less Kosher salt is needed because it 1) Kosher - Kosher salt received its name due to its use in dissolves on your tongue quickly, leaving an intense salt preserving meats according to the requirements of Jewish dietary guidelines. Kosher salt has a flat shape that is achieved by either using pressure or by forming it into flat shapes during evaporation. Kosher salt generally contains no additives. Some people believe that Kosher salt has a cleaner and more even taste than ordinary table salt. Due to its shape and size, Kosher salt has less salt in a pinch than ordinary table salt. It is commonly used for pickling since it does not contain any additives (potassium iodide, a compound believed to have some health benefits).

2). Sea - Sea salt is produced by evaporating sea water (salt ponds) using wind and sun and can take years to produce. It has many flavor and colour nuances depending on where the salt is cultivated: for example, grey salt is a moist salt that comes from the French

chickadeeepicurean@gmail.com

Table salt can be added to pasta water. It is said that the best pasta is boiled al dente in water that tastes like sea water. It is a great all purpose seasoning and perfect to place on the table for large gatherings or small family dinners. Stick to table salt when baking, as most recipes are referring to this type of salt when listed on the ingredient list.

There is no doubt that salt should be used sparingly and I hope that this information can inspire you to utilize this oldest of spices and perhaps give thought to leaving out any added salt and replacing it with a pinch at the end.

flavor with less grains. Kosher salt can be used in place of pickling salt and can also be used as a finishing salt.

Sea salt is an excellent finishing salt. That is to say, when a dish is about to be served, a sprinkling of any type of course grain sea salt would be an excellent addition. For steak, try blending dried porcini mushrooms with sea salt and sprinkling on the meat just before you remove them from the grill. Try experimenting with different types of sea salt. Sprinkle a black lava salt on fresh tomatoes to add a very slight smoky flavor. Sprinkle some beautiful Maldon salt on a hot caramel sundae, or a little sea salt on fresh pineapple with a squeeze of lime juice (does anyone feel like a little tequila?)

CENTRAL ALBERTA REALTORS® ASSOCIATION ASSOCIATION— —MLS® STATISTICS Sales & Listings Processed Processed--Single Family Dwelling Dwelling--Comparing June 2012 to 2011 The Association is continuing to see stable increases in sales volumesevidence that we are in a new cycle of growth. The strong job market and migration to the area, declines in rental availability, the diminishing gap between costs of renting vs. home ownership, and the higher price differentiation between new and used homes support increases in resale housing.

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Learn to control Mosquitos at home

Keep

BUGS Away Safely

(MS) Just when you thought the weather warmed enough to start enjoying the great outdoors, something sinister takes all of the fun from being outside ... mosquitoes!

Many people find the cold weather isn’t a walk in the park, but at least it keeps bugs at bay. Once the weather warms, those biting flies, no-see-ums and other pests start hatching and wreaking havoc. One of the more prolific pains in the neck, arms, legs -- wherever else they can bite you -- are mosquitoes.

Mosquito Facts With more than 200 known varieties, mosquitoes live in many regions of the world where the weather is consistently warm. The name mosquito is a derivative of a Spanish or Portuguese word meaning “little fly.” The name dates back to the late 16th century. Native Hispanic Americans called mosquitoes “zancudos,” which translates to “long-legged.”

Whatever name they are called, mosquitoes are a nuisance. But they also can be quite dangerous. That’s because mosquitoes can transmit diseases such as malaria, yellow fever, dengue, filariasis, and encephalitis to humans and animals, according to the American Mosquito Control Association.

Their bites and swarms on farm animals can cause weight loss and decreased milk production as well.

Mosquitoes play some positive roles in nature, including a food source for other predator species. Generally, however, they are not crucial insects to have around.

Mosquito Control What makes people so attractive to mosquitoes is the subject of much inquiry and research on the part of companies hoping to build a better mosquito repellent. The universally recognized reason mosquitoes seek out warm-blooded animals is carbon dioxide. The AMAC says that mosquitoes can sense expelled carbon dioxide up to 35 meters away. Additional attractants include sweat and lactic acid produced by the body.

Some of the best ways to prevent attacks is by limiting the number of mosquitoes

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around -- which means eliminating breeding grounds. grounds Mosquitoes like standing water in which to lay their eggs. These are good places to start.

• Find standing water. Eliminate all sources of standing water. This can include flower pots, children’s toys, unused tires, pool floats -- anywhere that has a depression that can collect water. Even uneven areas of the lawn can provide a cozy spot for water to congregate.

• Clean gutters. Water trapped in gutters due to debris is a prime spot for mosquitoes to land and lay eggs.

• Move pond water. A water pump that produces a fountain effect or simply circulates water around in a pond prevents standing water from occurring.

• Treat mosquito haunts. Carports and other shaded overhangs are prime roosts for mosquitoes. A bug zapper or other repellent in that area can eradicate a few of them.

• Investigate BTI. BTI or, bacillus thuringensis, is a natural organism that can be put into places where mosquitoes normally breed. The larvae consume the BTI, and it kills them before they can turn into full-grown mosquitoes. BTI, sometimes called “Mosquito Dunks,” is sold most commonly in doughnut-shaped briquettes that can be placed around the landscape. They’re nontoxic and safe for wildlife, but not recommended in water used for human consumption.

• Explore mosquito predators. While it’s not wise to overrun a property with mosquito predators that may get out of control, a few well-placed foes of the blood-suckers may do the trick. Here are some insects and small animals that feast on mosquitoes: - water fowl and other birds - dragonflies - mosquitofish (dine on larvae) - guppies - bats Attract these predators to the yard, and there may be an all-natural mosquito control available.

(MS) April showers may bring May flowers, but May flowers still bring bugs, which can be nuisances to people trying to enjoy the warmer weather outside. Biting flies, mosquitoes, gnats, bees, and beetles can make outdoor excursions unenjoyable. People often rely on insect repellents to keep bugs away. Though there are many repellents on the market, only a few of them may be considered safe. Repellants, such as those that contain DEET, may prove more hazardous to human health than the insects themselves -- even if a person has been bitten. To repel insects safely, experiment with these different

methods.

• Aloe vera, lavender, peppermint, and clove are known to repel mosquitoes.

• Grow herbs and flowers like garlic, rosemary, tansy, catmint, basil, pennyroyal, and marigolds. These plants naturally repel many bugs.

• Avoid lotions or perfumes with a floral scent, which attract bugs.

• Remove standing water around the house where pests may gravitate to and lay eggs.

• Citronella candles and sprays may work for a few hours in relatively small areas.

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