All posts by Gareth Jones

Bed bugs in the home

Getting Bed Bug Bites?

Pest Control

Bed bugs could be in more places than you might expect.

Finding yourself covered in tiny marks over the face, neck, hands and arms? Are you waking to discover small rows of bites that swell and itch when you scratch them? These are all bed bugs symptoms.https://mail.blueyonder.co.uk/mail/#inbox

Bed bugs feed on human blood, and tend to attack your exposed skin while you sleep. Both the bugs and their eggs are quite easy to see (about the size of a tick or garden bug), but because they tend to feed at night, it is quite possible that a mini colony of the bugs could be building up under your mattress while you sleep.

Once their colony grows and spreads to other rooms, eliminating the pests can prove expensive and time-consuming. A pest controller is usually the only option, and they’ll generally charge you for treating every bedroom in your house, as the bugs are likely to spread.

If you do find yourself covered in the aforementioned bites, try examining your mattresses, and checking your headboard (if it contains fabric) and bed frames for eggs.

So how do you get rid of bed bugs? Bed bugs cannot be treated with a vacuum cleaner, but subjecting their homes to extreme hot or cold can kill them off.

Leaving pillows, cushions and mattresses in the summer sun or placing them in the freezer may prove an adequate solution, but for those of us without access to large freezers or heating equipment, a local pest control company may be required for bed bug treatment.

KeyMe phone app

Phone App Makes Replacing Lost Keys Easy

Home Security, , , ,

A company called KeyMe has introduced an ingenious app which allows you to scan digital copies of your house keys.

The iPhone app stores a copy of your keys specifications, including its type and the height of and distance between the key’s teeth. So, rather than waiting for a locksmith to replace your locks, you can take your phone straight to a keycutter and have them cut a new key from the app’s digital copy.

KeyMe also have special kiosks situated around New York that you can take your iPhone to and have a new key produced within 30 seconds.

At present the app’s use is restricted to certain key types, but KeyMe is a promising feature for those who find themselves having to replace lots keys on a regular basis.

Chewed electrical wire

Survey Shines Positive Light on Electrical Safety at Home

Electrical and Energy Saving, , , ,

A recent survey carried out by the ElectricSafe Register suggests that the British consumer is well versed in basic electrical safety, and is used to taking precautions when hiring an electrician.

The survey, carried out in Bath and Durham, is part on an ongoing ElectricSafe campaign to increase consumer awareness and monitor attitudes towards electrical safety in the home.

  • 66% of those questioned said that they would ask an electrician to prove their competence before hiring them.
  • 76% said that they would expect to see an ID card displaying proof of a government-approved scheme.

“It’s encouraging to see that so many people ask electricians to prove their competence and would expect to see an ID card, but the figures show that there is still room for improvement,” said ElectricSafe director Martin Bruno.

spot a leak

How to Find a Water Leak

Plumbing & Drainage, , , , , ,

If you find that your water bill has become unusually high, it could be because your plumbing is leaking. Left untreated, a leaky pipe can lead to serious and extensive damage to your home. Worse case scenario, you could end up with mould that will costs thousands of pounds to repair.

So how do you find a water leak in your house?

Know the signs

Early signs of leakage include:

  • stains on your walls
  • a damp musty smell
  • wallpaper buckling
  • wooden floors and surfaces buckling

Check everywhere

Check every single conceivable part of your property. Have an attic, basement or crawlspace? Make the effort to inspect them one by one, and save yourself from having to pay the plumber an additional fee. Check all faucets, kitchen units and radiators.

Check the toilet

Toilets often leak in a slow and discreet manner that is difficult to spot. Try placing food colouring in your toilet tank, and placing kitchen roll around the base of the toilet. Any leakage as a result of flushing should then become easier to spot.

Protect your home from lock bumping

Tips to Protect Your Home from Lock Picking

Home Security, , , ,

Whether you’re moving into a new home or looking to improve your household’s security, locks play an essential role in not only protecting our belongings but giving us peace of mind.

There is no such thing as an impenetrable lock or door. But burglars are opportunistic creatures, and look for homes that they can break into as quickly and effortlessly as possible. Most burglars break in when nobody is at home, and a recent study by criminologist Joe Kuhns revealed that 41% of burglaries are spur of the moment.

Here are a few tips that will make you home as unappetising a target from criminals as possible:

Don’t make it easy for criminals

Don’t be afraid to pay the extra to put quality, modern locks on your doors. The little extras on a front and back door, such as tubular locks and bump-proof locks, won’t make it impossible to break into your home, but will make lock picking that little bit more difficult and go some way to deriving the criminal of an incentive.

Consult with a professional locksmith

Rather than fitting your own locks, hire a reputable locksmith to not only install your locks but offer you their professional and first-hand opinion. Remember, always be sure to research the locksmith first, by looking for online reviews or friend/family recommendations, and request proof of professional qualifications.

Get a lock that is bump-proof

Many makes of lock can be picked with a bump key, which is essentially a key modified to open all of a particular model of lock. Again, a locksmith’s guidance may prove valuable in helping you select a lock that will wear down all but the most determined crook.

A strong lock isn’t enough

Alarms, security cameras and even dogs are going to deter burglars. A secure home should use as many options as is financially feasible. The sight of an alarm system will often be enough to persuade a burglar to visit elsewhere.

Bees pest control relocation

Should Pest Controllers Exterminate Bees?

Pest Control, ,

A guest commentary by Christine Gatto over at sdnews.com used a chilling quote by Albert Einstein that I hadn’t actually encountered before: “If honey bees become extinct, human society will follow in four years.” Gatto then goes on to describe his sadness at seeing an entire colony of bees being exterminated. Even the exterminator wasn’t happy about it… but it was his job.

Bees are generally unlikely to sting unless they are protecting their hive. But as bee stings can prove fatal to those with allergies, for many of us who find a bee or wasp nest in our garden, calling bees pest control is the only option.

Bees pollinate and fertilize plants, and are a vital part of our ecosystem. As Einstein pointed out, without them we would likely perish. In the UK, bees are currently offered no protection under British law, but many more responsible pest controllers will work with beekeepers to relocate the hives rather than destroy them.

So, when contacting a pest controller to fix your bee problem, do a little research first, and see if there is a pest control company that will relocate the bees. Your grandchildren might thank you for it.

Even wasps, which are less popular in the public eye than bees, and more likely to sting a human, have an essential part in the British eco-system, feeding on many smaller bugs that eat our plants and produce.

sdnews.com