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Odds and Ends

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Pest Control Products




Magic Mail Monitor (MMM) is a POP3 mail monitor with multiple accounts support. It sits silently in your system tray, and notifies you about new messages in one of your mailboxes. Then you can preview messages and delete unwanted mail in order to avoid spam and viruses before you open your regular email. Magic Mail Monitor V2.9 Its Free!

More results from the poll "What insects in your home bother you the most". If you would like to vote in the poll or see the results Click here. If you have already voted, please do not vote again, thanks. Have a great day!

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Pest Solutions In A Box

"Cockroach Be Gone" A complete guide to rid your home of cockroaches. "Pest Control Facts Revealed" A comprehensive look at how to keep from being cheated by your local pest control company. "No More Bugs" 7 special reports to help keep your home pest free. Pest Solutions In A Box Order here Only $39.85 17.95

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Main Article

How To Keep Insects and Other Pests Out of Your Home Without Using Chemicals

Keeping insects and other pests out of your home can sometimes be a chore. In the warm months of the year they are so persistent. They just keep coming back. Well, just follow these guidelines and you will probably keep at least 90% of them out. Even spraying chemicals will not keep all of them away. But this is a pretty simple procedure. It is what I do at my home and it usually works.

First of all, most pests come from the outside. I have said that before but I am saying it again. Most pests come from the outside. Whether it be roaches, ants, spiders, crickets, rats, mice, etc. Unless you bring them home from the grocery store (weevils, flour beetles, Indian meal moths) or someone else brings them into your home when they are visiting (German roaches) then this is a surefire way to stop them on the outside first.

Its really a simple procedure but you will need a few things first. Pick up some caulk at your local hardware store or home center. You may also need some of that thin sheet metal and some sheet metal cutters. All of the items are very inexpensive. A lot cheaper than hiring a professional or buying chemicals yourself.

Take a walk around the outside of your home. Check all around your windows and doors for entry points. See all or those cracks and crevices. Take the caulk and caulk around all of your windows and doors and any other place you think that insects may be entering. It does not take a very large space for a tiny insect to enter. Even if you think the crack is too small, caulk it anyway.

Those weep holes in your brick. Do not seal them. Just find some fine mesh screen or maybe steel wool and stuff in the weep holes. Keep all shrubs and trees from touching your home. Trim all hedges and shrubs away from your home about a foot or more.

Now take a look around the outside of your home for places you may think rats or mice may be entering. It does not take but 1/4 inch for a mouse and 1/2 inch for a rat to enter. Check around the air conditioning unit. See where the lines enter your home. There is usually a small space that is not sealed. Try using some steel wool or some sheet metal cut the right size to seal this. Do not use that spray on foam that expands. Rats can chew right through this.

If you are able, climb upon the roof. Check for places rats can enter. A rat can climb straight up a brick wall or come from a tree and get on your roof. Check around where the soffits may meet. Or one roof meets another or one section meets another section. There is usually a small space where rats may enter. Seal these areas with sheet metal or steel wool. No matter how many traps you put in your attic and how many rats you catch, if you do not seal these areas, more rats will enter.

Those twirling vents on your roof that turn by the wind are just entry places for rats. You don't have to remove them. Just go into your attic and place some screen across the bottom of the vents. You can use staples or nails.

Now lets start on the inside. Just like the outside, use the caulk around all doors and windows on the inside. Small spiders can enter around windows. Check under the window seal and seal this with caulk.

Now check under all sinks. See where the pipes come through. There is usually a space around the pipes where mice, rats, spiders, roaches and other insects can enter. Seal these spaces with steel wool or sheet metal.

Just a little caulk, sheet metal, screen and steel wool and you have insect and rodent proofed your home, and without chemicals. One thing to remember: Steel wool will rust.

The best defense is Exclusion!

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For Your Information

Before You Sign a Contract For Pest Control Services: Be sure you fully understand the nature of the pest to be exterminated. Find out of the company has liability insurance to cover any damage to your home. If a guarantee is given, know what it covers. Don't expect a treatment to last indefinitely. Get bids from several different companies in order to compare prices. Discover what goes on behind the closed doors of your local pest control company. Pest Control Facts Revealed


Cell phone companies are charging us $1.00 to $1.75 or more for 411 Information calls when they don't have to. Most of us do not carry a Telephone directory in our vehicle, which makes this situation even More of a problem.

When you need to use the 411 information option, simply dial 1 (800) FREE 411, or 1 (800) 373-3411 without incurring any charge at all!

This is the kind of information people don't mind receiving, so pass it On to your family and friends. This works on your home telephone as Well!

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Technology-Computer-Home Improvement

PHISHING - What You Need To Know
By: Larry Spinak

Phishing, according to Wikipedia, is “attempting to fraudulently acquire sensitive information by masquerading as a trustworthy business in an electronic communication.”

You may receive an email that looks like it came from your bank, or from eBay, or PayPal, or Amazon. They’ll tell you that your account has expired, or they suspect somebody has been trying to access your account fraudulently, or that they’re just verifying your information for security reasons, but if you don’t respond, they’ll have to “freeze” your account. They may even pose as the IRS.

Phishing scams are made up of two parts. The first part is called link manipulation. They try to make the email look like it came from the actual institution they’re impersonating. They will always include a link to a fake website. These links look like they go to the correct place, but there are technical tricks they can use to make it look like it’s going to one place while really going somewhere else.

The second part of the scam is called website forgery: the site you are sent to from the link in the email will look legitimate, but it isn’t. They may request that you “log in” with your real information, or to provide them with private financial information.

What can be done? Part of the solution is technical. The people who make Internet Explorer, Safari, and Firefox regularly update them to close some of the technical loopholes exploited by the phishers. That’s why it’s important to make sure you are using the most recent version of your internet browser. A good spam filter for your email program will also go a long way towards eliminating many of the phishing emails before they even reach your inbox.

The best way to protect yourself is to know what to look for, and to be suspicious of any incoming email requesting that you divulge private information. There are some telltale signs to look for. Phishing email usually contains an urgent request for personal financial info. There’s almost always a link in the email. Do not use this link. If you want to contact your bank via the internet, open the browser yourself, and type in a known good internet address. You can also contact the company directly and ask them about the email.

Most phishing emails will not contain personal information. They may be addressed to “Dear Valued Customer,” for instance. In contrast, a real email from these institutions usually will contain personal information - perhaps your screen name, or the last four digits of your account. This isn’t foolproof, though. Just because personal information is present doesn’t make an email legitimate, but the lack of any personal information is a strong indicator that it is not.

What should you do if you think you’ve given information to a phishing scam? First, contact the institution concerned right away and let them know. Next, if possible, close the account and start a new one. Then be sure to monitor your bills and statements very closely for anything unusual.

Phishers are rotten, selfish, cowardly, and evil. The more educated and wary you are, the more difficult it is for these scammers to succeed.

Larry Spinak is a professional computer consultant and tutor in the Los Angeles area. He started his business, CompuNerds, in 1999.

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Joke Center

 

A man and woman had been married for more than 60 years. They had shared everything. They had talked about everything. They had kept no secrets from each other except that the little old woman had a shoe box in the top of her closet that she had cautioned her husband never to open or ask her about.

For all of these years, he had never thought about the box, but one day the little old woman got very sick and the doctor said she would not recover.

In trying to sort out their affairs, the little old man took down the shoe box and took it to his wife's bedside.

She agreed that it was time that he should know what was in the box. When he opened it, he found two crocheted dolls and a stack of money totaling $95,000.

He asked her about the contents. "When we were to be married," she said, "my grandmother told me the secret of a happy marriage was to never argue. She told me that if I ever got angry with you, I should just keep quiet and crochet a doll."

The little old man was so moved; he had to fight back tears. Only two precious dolls were in the box. She had only been angry with him two times in all those years of living and loving. He almost burst with happiness.

"Honey," he said, "that explains the doll, but what about all of this money? Where did it come from?"

Oh," she said, "that's the money I made from selling the dolls."

If you would like to submit a joke to be included in this newsletter, feel free. Email or Fax it. 817-237-1148

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