HELPFUL HINTS
DEAR HELOISE: Summer is just around the corner, and we will be inundated again with lizards! Do you have a remedy I could try?
— Carol in Houston DEAR CAROL: Lizards in your home or on your patio might be a problem, especially if somebody is squeamish, but lizards are beneficial to gardens because they eat pesky insects like ants and wasps. Here are some hints to control them a little bit: The best way to control lizards is to limit their habitat. Lizard hiding places? Eliminate them — stacked firewood and rock piles should be torn down, and cracks in the foundation of your home should be sealed.
Also, insects are attracted to light, and in turn lizards to insects, so timers on your porch lights can help, too.
Insecticides can kill the lizards’ lunch (insects), but insecticides usually are not recommended.
Lizards love to lie out in the sun, and their colors are bright and beautiful. Maybe enjoy these garden guys for their wonderful attributes? They are harmless to humans. Watch them — if you see a lizard “doing pushups,” he’s communicating with other lizards!
Find one in the house? Scoop him into a box and carry him outside.
DEAR HELOISE: I put my housework on a weekly schedule. Basic tasks — vacuuming, mopping, dusting and cleaning bathrooms — are done every week.
Other jobs (dusting fans, blinds, baseboards and windowsills, and washing kitchen cabinets) are done once a month. It works for me!
The house is always ready for unexpected guests, even for overnight. I just freshen up the guest bathroom, and we are ready!
— Tammi in Texas
DEAR HELOISE: I purchased a set of four 18-ounce plastic drinking glasses that were nestled inside each other.
When I tried to separate them, they were stuck together, and I can’t get them apart. What do you suggest to get them separated?
— Barbara, via email DEAR READER: Barbara, this should be an easy fix. Fill the top glass with ice cubes, then circle a bit of vegetable oil around the lip of the second glass. The ice will cause the top glass to contract slightly. Give it a few minutes, and then they should be unstuck!