A NOVEL WAY TO FOIL BLACK FLIES
Phyllis Hubbard puts garden hose over a barbed wire fence when crossing; Walter Brooks recycles soft water from the dehumidifier and gas furnace for the washing machine; Fred Wark advises checking your smoke detector; Peter Godley smears his hardhat with oil to keep black flies away; Fred Babbitt keeps squirrels away from his pole bird feeder by fixing two wine bottles around the pole; Bonnie Gelle made a grid to help her cultivate among spreading vines; Russell Skinner buys a large brush and cuts it into smaller ones; Jim Polk crushes walnuts with a 4x4.
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Getting Away Scot-Free
Where I frequently have to cross a barbed wire or
electric fence, I slit a piece of garden hose and slip it
over that part of the wire. It saves my pants and my temper
without reducing the effectiveness of the fence.
— Phyllis Hubbard
Corydon, IN
Don't Waste a Drop
We recently installed a new high-efficiency gas furnace.
Besides the obvious savings, we've found another one. In
cold weather, such as we've had this winter, when the
furnace runs a lot, the condensation created amounts to
about four gallons of water a day. Rather than draining it
into the cesspool, we started collecting it and using it in
the washing machine and steam iron. Water from the
dehumidifier, in the summer, can be used the same day. Nice
soft water, free of charge!
— Walter Brooks
Bemidji, MN
What Does Your Detector Do?
Regarding John Vivian's article, "Fireproof Your Home"
(issue #142), some smoke detectors detect only smoke,
others detect only a rapid rise in temperature. It is good
to know exactly what yours does. Check it by opening the
cover and let smoke from an incense stick drift into the
sensing unit. Check for heat sensing by holding an electric
hair dryer near the sensor. The alarm should sound if it is
heat sensitive and operating properly. Blowing a dryer
could cause the unit to function improperly; check the
manufacturer's recommended maintenance procedures to ensure
you do no damage.
— Fred Wark
Lakeland, MI
Ain't No Flies on Me
About 30 years ago a man wrote to the Bangor Daily
News saying, "If everyone did this the state of Maine
wouldn't have a black-fly problem." His suggestion was to
wear a hard hat smeared with oil.
Unappealing? Absolutely, but it works. And for the past 30
years it has been a blessing to me. It is the only hat that
keeps my bald head from sweating. The hats are adjustable
to size and do not fall off when bending down. They are
cool and comfortable when adjusted. In the fall there is a
new hatching of black flies for a few days but because I
wear the hat every day there are thousands which won't be
breeding next year.
About 15 years ago I drove into Bangor to get something my
wife needed at the supermarket and forgot I was wearing my
hat with flies. I was stopped several times by shoppers
asking, "Are they flies?" "Yes, they are black flies." At
that time I was using baby oil but have found that any kind
of oil works. I find the best to be chain saw bar oil
because it contains a sticky substance that inhibits it
from flying off the chain and also protects your shirt from
drips on a hot day. Any color hat will do! That's our son
Joe in the picture.
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