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How to Get Rid of Moisture in Your Home

How to get rid of moisture in your home

One surprising thing for homeowners can be the presence of humidity or moisture in a home and what that moisture brings along with it. Humidity is simply the amount of moisture in the air, and most people are comfortable with a relative humidity level of about 45% at home. When humidity is high, the air seems hotter and heavier. Excessive humidity may encourage mold growth, which can lead to bad smells, structural damage and health problems. House mold cannot exist without a source of moisture.

How to Get Rid of Moisture in Your Home

Wondering why it’s feeling humid in your home, and what you can do about it? Learn both how to make your indoor spaces more pleasant and how to prevent humidity in your home in the future below.

Telltale Signs of Moisture and Humidity

Inside your home, you might feel a change in humidity in a few ways: as dampness on … Read Full Post »

Why Are Bees Dying?

Why Are Bees Dying

Do you consider bees an unwelcome pest? If so, you aren’t alone. Many people are afraid of this tiny, buzzing, yellow-and-black insect—or, more specifically, scared of its sting. For people allergic to bee stings, an encounter with these stinging insects is genuinely a critical (even life-and-death) event to avoid. Even for those who aren’t allergic, chances are that you’d rather stay away from bees.

While you may know that bees play an essential role in our ecosystem, you may not realize that bee populations worldwide have experienced a significant decline. If you’re among the folks who avoid these little creatures at all costs, that may not sound like such a bad thing. Let’s talk about why bees have been dying, why they’re essential to humans, and what to do if you find a beehive in or around your home.

Why Are Bees Dying?

In 2011 in Brevard County, Florida, about 12 million bees … Read Full Post »

How To Dispose of Household Items in Houston

How to dispose of trash Houston

We seem to constantly bring things into our homes—especially those everyday items we know we will eventually need. But before we know it, our homes are filled with countless empty bottles of cleaning supplies, old batteries, and electronics we don’t use. Adding more items to our house isn’t the issue, though; it’s how to dispose of those items once we’ve used them and ensure you are disposing of them correctly. If you look into how to dispose of trash, Houston is serious about giving residents options outside of adding items to area landfills.

How To Dispose of Household Items in Houston

Some things might be easy to dispose of, like recycling plastic containers. But others, like a washing machine, are sometimes harder to remove. For lightly used items, consider donating household items, like large electronics, to Houston residents that might need them.

Read our list below to learn how to dispose of other … Read Full Post »

Signs You Have Termites

Signs you have termites

Signs You Have Termites

Termites cause billions of dollars of damage each year, and the average termite infestation can cost homeowners tens and even hundreds of thousands of dollars in repairs. We’ll share the common signs of Eastern subterranean-type termites found in and around Orlando and help you with termite prevention.

Common Termites in Orlando

Subterranean termites nest in the soil to obtain moisture and can nest in wet wood. Essentially, they can quickly attack any timber in contact with the ground.

The subterranean termite colony members regularly seek food to feed themselves and their nestmates. They will travel hundreds of feet to find cellulose material to return to their nest. Subterranean termites are highly attracted to cellulose, the plant fiber used in wall and roof cavities to insulate, draught proof, and reduce noise in homes. During their travels, they may stumble upon the wood of your house and begin feasting. Termites in … Read Full Post »

Snakes in Texas

Snakes in Texas

Snakes.

If the very word sends shivers down your spine and makes you recoil in fear, you aren’t alone. Snakes in Texas are as ubiquitous as cowboy hats, horses and prickly pear cactuses—which is to say, you may not see them in urban areas on a daily basis but get even just a little bit rural and they’re sure to start popping up (or slithering along). While newcomers to Houston or any other Texas metropolis may not expect to deal with wildlife, snakes in Houston—and the rest of the state—are a simple fact of life. That’s why it’s so important to educate yourself about this much-maligned and often misunderstood animal.

Snakes in Texas

The two broad categories of snakes are venomous and non-venomous. Texas is home to a wide variety of species within those two groups, including many that present little or no threat to humans. Of course, plenty of snakes that are … Read Full Post »

What You Need to Know About Mosquito Season in Florida

mosquito season florida

While the year-round temperate weather is one of the many perks of living in Florida, any resident of the Sunshine State can tell you those perks come with a price—including a nearly year-round mosquito season. Thanks to plenty of warmth and moisture, two conditions where mosquito populations thrive, mosquito season in Florida doesn’t have a clear beginning or end point. However, Florida mosquito species are most active in the spring and summer months, when warm temperatures combined with frequent, heavy rains produce thriving mosquito populations.

What You Need To Know About Mosquito Season in Florida

In any geographic region, mosquito season depends on rainfall and temperature. In many parts of the country, the first warm days of spring signal the start of mosquito season, and winter’s first frost signals the end—except in more arid areas, where mosquito populations don’t pose a problem even in colder months.

But while January is typically Florida’s coldest … Read Full Post »

How To Dispose of Household Items In Orlando

How to dispose of trash Orlando

Practically every day, we bring new items into our homes. While it’s relatively easy to add items to our households, it can be difficult to know exactly how to dispose of certain things. Yes, we realize we can recycle plastic containers, and we shouldn’t put grease down the drain, but what about when your fridge goes on the fritz, when you have to replace that CFL light bulb, or when you change out the batteries in your child’s favorite toy?

How to Properly Dispose Of Common Household Items

It’s easy to throw something in the trash can when you no longer need or want it, but can your item help someone else in our community? If you are considering throwing away a piece of clothing, a book, or a pair of shoes, for example, look at our list of where you can donate household items in Orlando before adding them to the … Read Full Post »

How to Turn Up Your Water Heater

How to turn up water heater

Don’t you hate it when you try to take a hot shower and the water is barely lukewarm? Or maybe your dishes aren’t getting as sparkly clean as you’d like them to be. One easy fix is to check your hot water heater. You might just need to turn it up a bit, or your cold water might be a cry for needed maintenance.

How To Turn Up Your Water Heater

Below we’ll look at where your hot water comes from and what you can do to resolve the cold water blues.  

Water Heater Basics

To know what could be going wrong with your hot water, you must understand what kind of water heater you have.

There are two basic types of water heaters: gas and electric. Most water heaters in the U.S. are conventional tank water heaters—tall cylinders that heat the water slowly at the bottom of the tank and must … Read Full Post »

Where To Donate Household Items In Houston

Where to donate household items Houston

Springtime and the start of the year are two traditional times to declutter your living space, clearing out unused and unwanted items to make space for new, updated ones. But even though January is Get Organized Month, you don’t have to wait for the new year (or springtime!) to roll around before you get started on getting organized.

Any time of year is the right time to organize and declutter—and there’s no time like the present to begin. So what’s your first step? Since one man’s junk is another man’s treasure, your first step should be finding out where to donate household items in Houston.

Where to Donate Household Items in Houston

In Houston, deciding where to donate unwanted clothing, furniture, and household goods is just a matter of choosing which charity you’d like to benefit. Most charities accepting donations serve individuals in need, and your charitable donation is tax-deductible. It’s a … Read Full Post »

Where To Donate Household Items In Orlando

Where do donate household items Orlando

Spring cleaning? How about any time cleaning?

When clearing clutter from your home, attic, or garage, there’s no time like the present—no matter the month or season. Getting rid of possessions that are broken, unused, or past their prime doesn’t just create space in your closets and storage areas; it also has psychological benefits as well.

You know that sense of inner calm you get from a clean, well-organized desk or room? You can have that feeling anytime you decide to go through your things and let go of items no longer in use. And if you donate your unwanted items, they can positively impact here in Orlando via charity organizations assisting people in need. It’s a win-win!

All you have to do to get started is to find out where to donate household items.

Where to Donate Unwanted Household Items in Orlando

Your closet and dresser drawers are perfect for your de-cluttering … Read Full Post »