Tips for repelling ladybugs
Yes, the beloved ladybug can sometimes find its way into your home and often it can lead to an infestation that’s all too much. If you don’t want to chemically spray them to death, you can do the next best thing: Repel them. First, if you see ladybugs, vacuum them up right away. They give off a scent that can attract other ladybugs to your home. Then spray citronella oil on the window panes or wall where you found them; this can cover up their smell. Finally, planting mums outside your home can be a natural repellent; they hate the smell of mum flowers.
UNMADE BEDS
Here’s one healthy reason to leave the bed unmade in the morning after you wake up: Bed bugs hate a messy bed. The average person sweats about a liter of water every night in bed, which creates a warm, damp environment in your bed; bed bugs thrive in warm, damp environments. If you immediately make your bed after
you wake up, you trap the humidity inside, which bed bugs love and could potentially thrive on. If you leave your bed unmade, the bedding has a chance to dry out, which helps create a healthier environment for you to sleep in and a less desirable one for bed bugs to thrive in.
GAS GRADES
You might be wasting money at the gas pump if you choose pricier premium gas over regular fuel. The reality is, if your car is less than 10 years old, it likely only needs regular gas. Modern cars are designed to work with the lowest grade of gasoline available. The only exception to this rule is when your car’s manual specifically calls for a certain grade of gas. If the manual says it works with regular-grade gasoline, use that and save money at the pump.
AERODYNAMIC DRAG
During the hot summer months, leaving the windows rolled up (while running the air conditioner inside) is a more fuel-efficient way to drive at highway speeds. Open windows create drag, which reduces the aerodynamic flow of your car. “But it’s summer!” you may say. If you like to have your windows down, at least do this: Leave your sunroof closed. Not only does an open sunroof bring in the lowest amount of airflow, it also creates the highest drag. Cracking the door windows is the next best thing.
PRINT-FRIENDLY
If you must print Word documents, make a few eco-friendly choices. First, choose paper made from 100 percent postconsumer recycled paper; this is old paper that’s been pulped and made into new paper. It’s readily available at any office supply store. Second, find the default margin size setting in your word processing program and decrease the margins to .75 inch. This will increase the amount of text that fits on a page, reducing the number of pages printed. Even lowering the font size by 1 point can have a big positive impact.
STOVE EXHAUSTS
Even if you’re just heating up some water or frying an egg, you should turn on your kitchen exhaust fan every single time you use your stove. Whether your stove is gas or electric, an exhaust fan is important because it removes excess heat, odors and moisture, and it prevents grime from accumulating on surfaces like kitchen cabinets. But most important, when you cook, airborne particles are created, which are a form of air pollution. If you have gas burners, it’s even more important to always use your fan: Carbon monoxide and other types of air pollution will be sucked out through the vent.
OLIVE OIL
If you keep a jar of olive oil by the stove, think about moving it somewhere else. Heat and light (especially if you have a clear glass jar) are two things that can destroy the quality of olive oil. Instead, store olive oil somewhere like a refrigerator. The cool temperatures will make the olive oil go cloudy, but that’s perfectly fine; it won’t change the taste or quality, and the oil will become clear again when it warms up to room temperature. You can also store EVOO in a dark container inside a dark place like a pantry or inside a kitchen cabinet.