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Learning About Fire Prevention, Causes and Educating Kids

We all live our lives day to day thinking that nothing bad will happen. We never think that we will be the ones dealing with the cleanup of a house fire. Unfortunately, there are many, many families that suffer the impact of house fires each year. Last year, a close friend of mine was a victim of a house fire and since then, my life has been different. I have spent many hours researching fire prevention, causes, and teaching children about fire prevention and what to do in the case of a fire. It is my hope that my research can help those of you concerned about house fires make the necessary changes in your home and teach your kids what they need to know about fire.

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Learning About Fire Prevention, Causes and Educating Kids

How To Control Ants When You Have Pets

by Pedro Taylor

Pets bring a lot of joy to your life, but they can also attract bugs into your home. You not only have to deal with fleas and ticks, but you might have to worry about the pet food attracting ants too. The smell of food draws ants inside your house, and that not only creates a problem for you, your dog or cat may stop eating if there are tiny ants crawling around the dish all the time. Here are some ways to control ants when you have pets in your home.

Keep Dry Food Sealed

Once you open a bag or box of dry food, place it in a container that seals. Simply folding down the top isn't enough to keep ants out. A bag that is loosely closed allows odors to waft out and attract the pests. If you buy huge bags of dog food for a big dog, you can buy a trash can with locking lid to store your food. Small bags of cat food can be transferred to kitchen containers. If you buy food in a resealable bag, be sure your pet doesn't claw or chew a hole in the bag or ants will have an easy way inside.

Don't Let Wet Food Sit Out

Ants love wet pet food too. If you feed your dog or cat this kind of food, it's a good idea to feed it on a schedule so you don't have to leave the wet food sitting out all day or all night attracting ants and other bugs. Dispose of leftovers right away and wash the dish to get rid of the odor. Don't throw wet food in the trash can unless you seal it first in a plastic bag or take the trash outside. Otherwise, you may find a trail of ants marching up your trash can the next morning.

Protect The Food Bowls

If you currently have an ant problem indoors, or if you leave food outside for your pets, you should find a way to protect the bowls so your dog or cat doesn't have to deal with the pests while eating. You can buy bowls designed with ant moats that have a rim you fill with water so ants can't crawl up the bowl. You can even make your own moat by placing the food bowl inside a pan of water. Also, you can place a ring of petroleum jelly or cooking oil around the bottom of the bowl so the ants can't crawl up it.

Hire A Pest Control Expert

It is very hard to get rid of ants on your own. They are so tiny, they can get inside the smallest of gaps around your windows and doors. They can even crawl in through cable and electrical outlets. Another problem with DIY ant extermination is that you can kill ants inside your house all day long, but the queen will just keep sending replacements from the colony. Also, using over-the-counter ant sprays and baits could be dangerous to use around curious pets.

A pest control professional like Greenleaf Organic Pest Management will locate the nest of ants outdoors and destroy it along with the queen. In addition, he or she can provide regular treatments indoors and outdoors that keep future ant infestations at bay. Plus, a professional has access to stronger, more effective pesticides and knows how to use them so your pets won't be in any danger.

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