Waukesha County Home

FEBRUARY 2016 HOMES PLUS 7 (BPT) — Temperatures don't need to drop drasti- cally to inspire unwelcome animals to encroach on your personal space. Deer can devastate your landscape, rodents can infiltrate your backyard and before you know it you have damage to your yard and home. Wildlife can even put your family's health at risk; deer are known to harbor disease- carrying ticks and rodent infestations have been associated with respiratory ailments. It pays to take sensible steps to keep unwanted animals away from your home, no matter what the temperature. Diverting deer A single deer can con- sume 1.5 tons of vegetation a year. The number of whitetail deer has tripled in certain states in the past decade and, as other food sources become scarce in fall and winter, hungry deer turn to suburban landscapes for food. Forag- ing deer can cripple gar- dens, shrubs and trees, sometimes rendering them unable to weather winter, leaving you with a dead, lifeless landscape in springtime. Deer also carry the ticks that cause Lyme disease. You don't want to be spending time in the cold maintaining fences (which often aren't tall enough to keep deer out), sound and sight deterrent devices (which deer get used to) or even utilizing a chemical- based repellent (which can be harmful to humans, pets, wildlife and plants). Instead, opt for a proven effective, all-natural topi- cal spray repellent like Bobbex Deer Repellent. Available as a ready-to-use spray or concentrate, Bobbex's taste and smell deterrent won't wash off in rain or snow, and proved 93 percent effective in inde- pendent testing by the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. Visit www.bobbex.com to learn more. Ridding yards of rodents If you're a fall gardener, rabbits, squirrels, chip- munks and other herbi- vores can do more damage to your landscape than frost. Fencing and other types of deterrents like plastic owls often aren't effective in scaring herbi- vores away. Bobbex-R Ani- mal Repellent is an all-nat- ural, topical spray that repels small herbivores but is harmless to all wildlife, people, pets and contains no petro chemicals. Rain, snow, hosing and irrigation won't wash the product off, and you can even use it as a bulb-dip to prevent below- ground foraging. It can also be sprayed at the mouth of burrows and holes to pre- vent animal re-entry. Bobbex-R will also help protect plantings from reduced moisture content during periods of water reduced weather condi- tions. In winter, cold weath- er, blustery winds and frozen soil reduce plants' ability to absorb much needed moisture to main- tain vitality. Bobbex-R pro- vides retention of moisture in plantings through peri- ods of frigid weather. Proactive tips to keep critters out of homes Mice, rats and even rac- coons can take up resi- dence inside homes when the weather turns cold. A single rodent in a home can quickly turn into an infestation, damaging walls, belongings and exposing your family to allergens and disease. Removing an infestation can be costly and time-con- suming, so it makes sense to be pro-active and try to prevent pests from coming inside in the first place. Take a look around your home to find any potential entry points — remember, mice may be able to get in through an opening as small as 1/4 inch — and plug them. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends looking around doors and win- dows, pipes throughout the home, fireplaces, attics and crawl spaces, vents and drains. You can do the job yourself or hire a profes- sional to help pest-proof your home. While you may have to put up with a long, cold, hard winter you certainly don't have to tolerate unwanted four-legged foes in your home or yard. A combination of the right deterrents and pru- dent preparations can ensure your environment remains as pest-free as pos- sible. (BPT) — Rain, sleet, ice and snow — no matter what form it's in, precipi- tation can lead to major winter damage resulting in many issues for home and business owners. Icy roads, ruptured pipes and ice dams are all complications brought on by winter water, and the threat may be even greater this sea- son, according to national weather predictions. "When it comes to winter weather, it pays to be pre- pared for the worst," said Peter Duncanson, director, disaster restoration sys- tem development at Ser- viceMaster Restore. To protect yourself and your home from winter's freeze-thaw cycles, here are four must-do tips from the experts at ServiceMas- ter Restore: ■ Understand your insurance policy. If some- thing goes wrong at your house, you want to know you're covered. That means now is the perfect time to review your insur- ance policy closely. As you do so, pay special attention to what is and is not specifically covered, as it applies to winter weath- er conditions. You may find gaps in your policy where additional coverage is needed. ■ Keep your gutters flowing. Your gutters are one of your home's most important defense mecha- nisms when it comes to water removal — but only if you keep them clean. Clear your gutters of debris as soon as possible and repair any leaks to ensure proper water flow. Keeping your gutters clear does more than just rid your home of excess water, it also stops the possibility of ice dams — a very expensive seasonal hazard. Once your gutters are clean, make sure your downspouts are clear of debris as well, and that they properly divert water several feet away from your home's foundation. ■ Fortify your founda- tion. Water damage to your home's foundation can easily cost thousands of dollars so it's worth your time to reinforce it in advance. Take a trip around your house and inspect the foun- dation for cracks or small holes where water can seep in. Even a few inches of water can damage your carpet, drywall, wood floors or the foundation itself. ■ Prevent pipes from freezing. A frozen pipe that ruptures can be one of the most destructive win- ter water accidents. To pro- tect against frozen pipes, insulate your home's out- door pipes with a faucet cover or even a towel. You should also ensure pipes that border an exterior wall are well-insulated. This will keep the pipes war m and reduce their risk of bursting. On the coldest nights, it's a good idea to open faucets a small amount, allowing water to drip into a drain to keep water moving through the pipe. You can also leave cabinet doors open under- neath sinks to circulate air and protect against freez- ing. Follow these four steps to help your home enter the spring nice and dry. Sensible steps to keep out unwanted animals Take four steps to prevent winter damage to your home BPT One deer can consume 1.5 tons of vegetation a year. If that's not a reason to keep animals away from the yard, think of the damage rodents can do if they get inside. Even after the season starts, review your insurance

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