5 Things You Must Check Before Welcoming Your Parents Home

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Have you just recently decided that it’s better for your parents to come stay with you, keeping in mind their old age? A lot of children take this step, because they understand that old age is a time when parents need maximum care and attention. Moreover, one needs to be around them all the time to take care of emergency situations.

However, before you welcome them to your home, where possibly your spouse and kids stay as well, you need to do some important checks.

Proximity Check

Is your home close to hospitals and medical shops? Does the nearby hospital have the facility to provide an ambulance to your residence, in case of an emergency? This is important to know, so that your parents can get timely aid when emergency comes knocking at your door. Otherwise, maybe welcoming them home is not such a good idea, and you could probably consider shifting to their house.

Space and Peace checks

This basically means that your house should be big enough to accommodate your parents comfortably. They should have a room to themselves with their own privacy. At the same time, it needs to be a room away from your children’s room, so that the kids don’t hamper their peace with constant noise and running around.

Supply Checks

If everything seems to work out fine, and your parents are coming in for sure, then you need to realize that older people don’t survive on the kind of food that younger people do. They need a special supply of foods, which is recommended to them by their doctors. You need to have this stock brought in much before they arrive, so that they can start living comfortably from the minute they are in.

Sanitation Checks

Like children, old people too tend to catch infections very easily, and it’s important for them to be in a safe and healthy environment, free of dirt, dust, bugs, pests and termite. If need be, run an extensive pest or termite treatment before they arrive to ensure that the house is clean and sanitized for their welcome.

Convenience Check

If even one of your parents is on the wheelchair, he/she might need to take it inside the bathroom at times. For that, you might have to get the doors to the bathroom (in the whole house, for that matter) resized. You might also have to get a ramp built outside the main entrance to the house for the wheelchair to be dragged out easily. Plus, things need to be at a height at which they can access them without climbing on ladders and stools. So you might have to get some extra shelves built as well.

So do all of these checks much before you decide to welcome them home. After all, you are calling them home so that they can be near to you, and you can take care of them. That would only make sense if you add convenience to their life, so that they can have a peaceful stay.

This article is submitted by Chase Cullen. He is a freelance writer who shares his knowledge about home improvement through his article. He recommends an Atlanta-based extermination company to people whose house is inflicted by bugs, pest and termites.

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Love Them Or Hate Them, If You Only Read One Article About Squirrels – Read This One!

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Squirrels. You either love them or you hate them. How one mammal can cause such a divide in people is amazing, but strange as it seems some people tempt them into their gardens and other people are committed to keeping them out. As comical as they are when they are performing their acrobatics in your garden, they have their annoying habits too.

Whichever side of the fence you fall it’s unlikely you’ll want the little darlings in your attic. They chew through wires and munch up insulation creating havoc whenever they visit. And if you’re storing anything like furniture in the loft then you’ll be extra cross with any squirrel visitors. If a female squirrel takes up residence in your rooftop then the chances are she is looking for a nest for her babies so don’t be surprised if they start multiplying pretty quickly.

Before you do anything though, you need to be absolutely sure that it is squirrels you are dealing with. The best way is to have a look at any droppings that you find – and check some pictures online to check they are not rat droppings. So how do you get them to move on?

Scare Them Out!

Get someone to help you here. One of you stands under the loft hatch with a broom, banging it loudly. The other person stands outside and watches where the squirrels come out of. Once you have found their entry and exit point you can seal it off and block them out. One word of warning though – it won’t take them long to make another hole so you need a more permanent solution too. If you have a hole anywhere around the roof it’s enough for a grey squirrel to get in.

Get a Humane Trap

You don’t have to be an expert to use a humane squirrel trap but it’s worth reading up on how to do it so you don’t get it wrong. If you’re too nervous then a pest-control expert can come and do it for you. Just be careful if you do it yourself and try not to come into direct contact with the squirrel – they can bite and scratch when they are scared.

Remove Their Access

Most squirrels reach rooftops by scaling the branches of overhanging trees. A great way to deter them is to trim the branches right back so they can’t get up there. Squirrels can jump pretty long distances so make sure you take the branches back as far as possible.

If All Else Fails…

…We’re sorry but you’re going to have to get nasty. Poison is just about the only thing that will guarantee that they won’t come back. You can’t do this yourself – you’ll need a professional on the case. Quite often it’s a last resort for people to kill squirrels but sometimes they are left with few other options.

Removing squirrels from your attic is a difficult job but unless you face the problem head on it will only get worse. If you are in any doubt it’s probably best to speak to an expert.

Daniel Nestor, author of this post, works with a premier pest control company based in Sydney. When not working on a pest control task, Daniel enjoys bowling and chess.

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What You May Not Know About Bed Bugs: Health, Prevention And Other Important Information

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Adult bed bug

Find a bed bug crawling along your sheets? This doesn’t necessarily mean you are a dirty person or that your room isn’t clean enough. Bed bugs are nasty little critters that can appear in the nicest of hotels and homes. Rest assured – bed bugs are typically harmless, although very annoying. They may not be the easiest unwanted guests to get rid of but they definitely can be kicked out if you keep at it.

How Do You Know if Bed Bugs Are Present?

Bed bugs can appear anywhere that people commonly sleep and generally do not travel more than 20 feet from their food source, whether that be a sleeping human or a pet, although they are known to be capable of traveling as far as 100 feet during a single night. These bugs live on blood, but can go months at a time without feeding. Since the bugs are only active at night, it can be difficult to know whether or not you have them. Although, you may notice excessive itchiness and a negative change in the sleeping patterns of your family members.

Locating Bed Bugs

While bites can take as long as two full weeks to appear, bed bugs can typically be found within the folds of your mattress, inside your pillows or within a few feet of where you most commonly sleep. If there are places to hide, such as nearby clutter, bed bugs will commonly stay there during the day, as well. Bed bugs are very small, almost too small to see, and extremely thin, which means they can hide just about anywhere.

Am I in Danger?

Most of the time, bed bug bites are nothing serious, as they are not known to spread disease. There are many people who show no signs of being bitten, while others may suffer from an allergic reaction. Although rare, if you notice bites or welts, it may be time to speak with a doctor or locate an exterminator for more information.

How Do I Get Rid of These Bugs?

There are insecticides that can be purchased for personal use if you want to attempt to rid the problem on your own. Make sure they are EPA approved. Since bed bugs can live for long periods of time without blood (sometimes as long as a full year), it’s important to apply the products as directed, and keep up with it. It’s extremely difficult to know whether or not the product is working without extensive background knowledge on the pests and this is why it is imperative that you keep up with the directions to a T.

Prevention Tips

Bed bugs are tough little critters and can be picked up just about anywhere. Since everyone is at risk of them finding their way back to your home, it’s important that you pay close attention and do what you can to keep them out. This means not purchasing used furniture, and if you must, before allowing the new addition inside, have the piece inspected for bed bug eggs, skin and fecal matter. The fecal matter will appear as a rusty-colored stain.

Jonas Grant works for one of the leading pest control companies in Alberta. He has helped many households to get rid of pest problems over the years. Writing is his hobby and often writes articles on matters related to pest control.

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