You have seen your share of bugs in your dwelling and it makes you angry. You start to think, "Is management doing his or her job? Why do I keep seeing these bugs? Where are they coming from?" Community managers and renters must work together in order to maintain an apartment unit and this includes pest issues. So what to do?
One. Know what pests keep showing up and take photos.
By doing this, you can help pest control treat the problem when they arrive. Leave photos at the leasing office or send to property owners.
Two. Pinpoint where they might be coming from by removing furniture and appliances from walls and baseboards.
Check for cracks, small holes, outlets, around piping, along the edges of carpets, and other places you suspect bugs might be coming from. Seal cracks, holes etc. after those areas have been treated.
Three. Communicate with management if problem continues.
Sometimes the issue may increase after the property has been sprayed, but does the pest problem begin to die down? If not, keep in touch with your landlord and be sure you are on a schedule to have your household sprayed often. If this can't be done on a regular basis from management, take matters in your own hands and search for treatments that will help you get the matter under control. Save receipts, take photos before and after where bugs show up. This way if there is an issue later, you will have documented what you had to do to ensure your comfort level in your dwelling.
Four. Look for signs of bug or rodent feces in things like drawers, corners, cabinets, closets, etc.
Don't ignore the black or brown crumbs that seem to keep showing up in your drawers, or the weird smell that keeps coming from your closet or a damp place in your home. Chances are there are some insects or rodents at work leaving behind a trail for their friends to follow to a source of food and water.
Five. Close your blinds and curtains at night to prevent light from attracting insects into your home.
The more lights you have shining from windows and places outside of your home, the more likely you will see bugs flying around. When a door or window is open, insects will find their way in, so turn off lights nearby. Spray an insect repellant before going outside. Be sure to spray around windows and doorframes not only inside, but outside as well. Spray in and around crevices.
Six. Get in a habit of walking and treating your environment periodically.
Note days and times on calendar when you will check your unit and have it treated for bugs.
Seven. Keep flooring, countertops, tables, and furniture clean.
An area that isn't typically wiped down with a household cleaner will in time attract all sorts of bugs from spiders to dust mites. Schedule vacuming and dusting in your weekly activities.
Eight. Take trash out often.
Don't wait until the bag is filled up when there are food products lingering in it. Bugs and rodents can detect odors. Use trash cans and garbage bags that supress odors. Separate food particles and place in small bags and take out immediately or use garbage disposal. However, know what the disposal can handle before placing items down drain. Treat your garbage bags with insect spray and cans.
Nine. Use air tight containers for storing dry foods and other edibles.
Open bags and containers will attract bugs, so take some time out to separate items that will not be eaten often and place in plastic.
Ten. Encourage your family to eat primarily in one area and throw food away in a common area.
The more places your family eats and leaves dirty dishware, the more potential issues your household will have with bugs.
Lastly, you will want to observe the decor in and around your dwelling that might be attracting bugs and rodents as well. Pine wood, wood chips, and fruit trees are magnets for all sorts of bugs and rodents.
When you are proactive in the upkeep of your household, you will have less insect issues. Consider favorite pets will also attract insects, so stay up on treating your pet. Use insect repellants on areas that you or your pet have experienced insect bites. If you moved from a place that had a serious bug issue, there might be furniture, area carpets, and cardboard boxes that are keeping the problem going in your household, prepare yourself to part with them if after several treatments the insects don't go away.
Tuesday
6 Things Not to Expect from Professional Packers
When seeking out professional packers, do keep the following in mind when it comes to your expectations. The last thing you want to do is stress yourself out on moving day anticipating that the packers will do XYZ when in fact, they will only do ABC.
One. Everything will be packed the day before you move.
If you scheduled to move on a certain day and your packers plan to pack you up the day before, there is that possibility that they might not get all your your things packed within the designated time frame. From accidents to unexpected illness or simply underestimating all your items, anything can happen which can cause packers to carry on their tasks the following day which just might put you behind so plan accordingly.
Two. All your items will be at your location and intact.
Sometimes things are forgotten, get shifted around and unfortunately break, this is why it is important to have your items insured. You will also want to have recent photos of your most treasured items, so that you can prove that damage occurred while packing. Also, be sure that all your items are accounted for. Find out what kind of system your packing company uses to help you stay organized in advance. Do they label, number, color code, etc.? If your packing and moving professionals are one in the same, you should have no problem keeping up with who did what and who handled your items. Get names and numbers before your workers start handling your items. Keep in mind periodically even with professionals will mishandle or leave your items on the truck, you will want to know what happens in the event an oversight or accident takes place concerning your belongings.
Three. You will be able to find everything with ease.
Just like if you were to pack items on your own and label them as best you can, you may forget what was in the box or bag you packed. The same holds true with professional packers so before you accuse someone of stealing something, be sure you have opened every box and unwrapped everything before you assume your items are lost especially those you may have hid from yourself.
Four. The inventory list that the packers provide may not correspond with your list.
It happens, sometimes what your list reflects may not be accurate with the packers list because at the last minute something was added after you got your copy. So be sure your list and theirs is updated.
Five. The boxes you may have packed may not be reinforced by the packers.
You may have gotten a head start on your packing, but didn't tape your boxes or even pack your items as well as the professionals. If this is the case, most likely the company is not going to take responsibility for what you already packed and they will not reinforce your boxes either.
Six. The professionals may not pack your items the way you want.
You may wish to have your collectibles packed with extra bubble wrap, cardboard, and a box within a box, but for sake of time, your request is rejected or ignored. You may want to pack those items the way you want to avoid conflict. The last thing you want to do is get into a major argument with people who are handling your stuff.
With these six tips, you should be well on your way to having a successful move. You may also want to consider making your packers duties less cumbersome by ridding yourself of those cheaply made items or hard to pack things that you really don't care too much about. Less is best and will save you time, money and heartache!
Nicholl McGuire
One. Everything will be packed the day before you move.
If you scheduled to move on a certain day and your packers plan to pack you up the day before, there is that possibility that they might not get all your your things packed within the designated time frame. From accidents to unexpected illness or simply underestimating all your items, anything can happen which can cause packers to carry on their tasks the following day which just might put you behind so plan accordingly.
Two. All your items will be at your location and intact.
Sometimes things are forgotten, get shifted around and unfortunately break, this is why it is important to have your items insured. You will also want to have recent photos of your most treasured items, so that you can prove that damage occurred while packing. Also, be sure that all your items are accounted for. Find out what kind of system your packing company uses to help you stay organized in advance. Do they label, number, color code, etc.? If your packing and moving professionals are one in the same, you should have no problem keeping up with who did what and who handled your items. Get names and numbers before your workers start handling your items. Keep in mind periodically even with professionals will mishandle or leave your items on the truck, you will want to know what happens in the event an oversight or accident takes place concerning your belongings.
Three. You will be able to find everything with ease.
Just like if you were to pack items on your own and label them as best you can, you may forget what was in the box or bag you packed. The same holds true with professional packers so before you accuse someone of stealing something, be sure you have opened every box and unwrapped everything before you assume your items are lost especially those you may have hid from yourself.
Four. The inventory list that the packers provide may not correspond with your list.
It happens, sometimes what your list reflects may not be accurate with the packers list because at the last minute something was added after you got your copy. So be sure your list and theirs is updated.
Five. The boxes you may have packed may not be reinforced by the packers.
You may have gotten a head start on your packing, but didn't tape your boxes or even pack your items as well as the professionals. If this is the case, most likely the company is not going to take responsibility for what you already packed and they will not reinforce your boxes either.
Six. The professionals may not pack your items the way you want.
You may wish to have your collectibles packed with extra bubble wrap, cardboard, and a box within a box, but for sake of time, your request is rejected or ignored. You may want to pack those items the way you want to avoid conflict. The last thing you want to do is get into a major argument with people who are handling your stuff.
With these six tips, you should be well on your way to having a successful move. You may also want to consider making your packers duties less cumbersome by ridding yourself of those cheaply made items or hard to pack things that you really don't care too much about. Less is best and will save you time, money and heartache!
Nicholl McGuire
Saturday
House, Townhome or Apartment?
How do you know whether you will need an apartment, town home, or house? Sometimes people are juggling between all three. Here are tips that might help you make a decision that you can live with for at least a year.
1. Evaluate everything you have right now. How much are you giving away, keeping and throwing away? Once you start clearing out some of the clutter, you will be able to better determine exactly how much space you will need in the future.
2. Consider your roommates and their stuff. How many people are living with you and what sorts of things will they be doing in your new household? For instance, if a hobby takes up too much room and money is definitely an issue when renting your next place, then consider finding ways to take the extra activity, large items, and memorabilia elsewhere until you can have a bigger space.
3. Think about how might new housing better serve your family/friends. What problems do you hope your new environment will solve and what challenges might it create? Can you live with the pros and cons? Not enough bathrooms might be a problem, but then again maybe not depending on how many people live in the dwelling. Special amenities you might do without especially if you rarely used them in your last place.
4. Cost is a factor, so avoid the temptation to get something that will negatively impact your finances. How much money for housing is too much? Have you checked your budget? Could you stand to save more money? Is it necessary to live in a certain neighborhood, have special features, and live near a shopping mall? Remember the more you think you need, the more you will pay.
Note some other concerns about your new residence such as how large or small bedrooms are, closet space, kitchen and dining room areas. If you have fewer items decorating your rooms and make good use of wall, cabinet and closet space, you will be able to fit more. Find out how to organize your next place at: The Organizer
Nicholl McGuire a blogger, author, poet, speaker and mother of four.
1. Evaluate everything you have right now. How much are you giving away, keeping and throwing away? Once you start clearing out some of the clutter, you will be able to better determine exactly how much space you will need in the future.
2. Consider your roommates and their stuff. How many people are living with you and what sorts of things will they be doing in your new household? For instance, if a hobby takes up too much room and money is definitely an issue when renting your next place, then consider finding ways to take the extra activity, large items, and memorabilia elsewhere until you can have a bigger space.
3. Think about how might new housing better serve your family/friends. What problems do you hope your new environment will solve and what challenges might it create? Can you live with the pros and cons? Not enough bathrooms might be a problem, but then again maybe not depending on how many people live in the dwelling. Special amenities you might do without especially if you rarely used them in your last place.
4. Cost is a factor, so avoid the temptation to get something that will negatively impact your finances. How much money for housing is too much? Have you checked your budget? Could you stand to save more money? Is it necessary to live in a certain neighborhood, have special features, and live near a shopping mall? Remember the more you think you need, the more you will pay.
Note some other concerns about your new residence such as how large or small bedrooms are, closet space, kitchen and dining room areas. If you have fewer items decorating your rooms and make good use of wall, cabinet and closet space, you will be able to fit more. Find out how to organize your next place at: The Organizer
Nicholl McGuire a blogger, author, poet, speaker and mother of four.
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