space & energy
Better indoor air. A growing body of evidence indicates the air within homes can be more polluted than the air outside of them. The problem is significant enough that the Environmental Protection Agency lists poor indoor air quality as a major environmental threat in the United States. Panasonic Home & Environment Co. offers the following ideas for improving indoor air quality.
Store paints, solvents and other chemicals in a garage or shed, not in the home. If the garage is attached to the home, make sure there is an airtight seal between the garage and home.
Vacuum once or twice weekly to cut down on allergens.
Dust hard surfaces including floors, ceiling fans, blinds and furniture with a cloth that traps allergens.
Consider wearing a dust mask while doing housework.
Address source pollution points like the bathroom, kitchen, laundry room and workshop by ensuring your home has proper mechanical ventilation equipment.
Empty water trays in air conditioners, dehumidifiers, and refrigerators frequently.
Clean and dry or remove water-damaged carpets.
Replace moldy shower curtains. Or remove them, scrub well with a household cleaner, and rinse before rehanging them.
time
Battling summer pests. Mosquito numbers have exploded this year in reaction to the wet spring and early summer in many parts of the country, according to the National Wildlife Federation. David Mizejewski, a NWF naturalist, compiled these tips to help keep them at bay:
Remove unnecessary standing water around your home. Typical hotbeds for mosquito reproduction are clogged gutters, flower-pot drainage dishes, children’s play equipment, tarps and any debris that holds water.
Share this advice with your neighbors. Mosquitoes that emerge in their yards will easily travel to yours.
Empty and refill birdbaths every few days. It takes a minimum of about a week for the metamorphosis from egg to larva to pupa to winged adult to be completed, so this eliminates any chance that your birdbath will serve as a mosquito nursery.
Attract mosquito predators. Add plants to water gardens to attract frogs, salamanders and dragonflies, and put up houses for birds and bats. Fish feed on mosquito larvae; just don’t release goldfish or other exotic species into natural areas.
Don’t use insecticides or put oil on the surface of bodies of water. This kills beneficial insects and mosquito predators, and causes air and water pollution.
“Mosquito Dunks” that contain natural bacteria that kills mosquitoes can be added to water gardens without harming fish, birds or other wildlife. (Closely related insects, some beneficial, could be affected.)
DEET-based repellants are effective, but if you want to avoid synthetic chemicals, aromatic herbal repellents also work if applied frequently.
Avoid going outdoors at dusk — the peak mosquito time — or wear long sleeves to minimize exposed skin.
Bug zappers aren’t effective against mosquitoes and often kill beneficial insects.
Mosquitoes are not strong flyers, and the breeze created by a fan is often all you need to keep a patio or deck mosquito-free.
