With the dawn of the holiday season upon us, it is time to get a plan in place foradding festive touches to the exterior of your home. But, before you stock upon the right lights and the perfect decorations and adornments, Christmas Decorwant you to be aware of some of the dangers that holiday decorating can bring.
According to theConsumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), during the 60 days surrounding thewinter holiday season, an estimated 11,000 people are treated in hospitalemergency rooms due to decorating-related injuries including falls, cuts,electrical shocks and burns.
If you are doing it yourself you should follow these home-decorating tips for a safe and festive holiday season:
- Use Certified Products: Only use lights that have been tested for safety by a nationally-recognized testing laboratory, such as UL or ETL/ITSNA.
- Check for Defects: If you are using lights that have been strung in the past, be sure to check them for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections.
- Beware of Metallic Trees: Electric lights should never be used on metallic trees, because the tree can become charged with electricity from faulty lights.
- Flick the Off Switch: Before you go to bed or leave the house, be sure to turn off all holiday lights inside and outside of your home.
Many of theinjuries related to holiday decorating can be avoided by taking precautions andusing properly certified products. Of course, ifanyone is still hesitant about decorating their homes themselves, the safestbet is to enlist a holiday lighting professional like Future Services. We offer a variety of packages, with safe, energy efficient L.E.D. displays. Call us today for a free estimate.
Black Widow Spiders seem to be everywhere in the Georgiathis time of year, but it's not because there are more of them. It's the time when they're big and robust and noticeable, andalthough bites from the pitch-black spider with the telltale red hourglass arerarely lethal — just a few people die from such bites nationwide each year — treatmentshould be sought immediately. Consider a black widow bite a medical emergency.
Most people that are bitten experience severe pain, especially ifbitten in the armpits and/or groin area. Some women have described it as “morepainful than childbirth”. The best treatment is black widow antivenin at thehospital, which works “within minutes,”. We here at Future Services, INC. get morecalls about black widows at this time of year than any other. Some clients callshortly after their pest prevention service, saying they still have spiders. Butthe only way to kill black widows is to spray a toxic substance directly on them.Spiders usually will not pick up the active ingredient in pesticides the wayother insects do. The active ingredient in pesticides is absorbed through fat,but black widows don't have fat on their exoskeletons — they're covered with awaxy substance. Black widows for the most part live outside, behind the sidingmaking them also hazardous to Dogs and cats, which are susceptible to a black widow'svenom.
Black widows release a neurotoxin that generally causes severe,painful cramping of large muscles. The pet may appear to be having a seizure, andmay have shallow, irregular breathing. They can go into shock, their stomachscan be tender and they can even become partially paralyzed. Prolonged paralysiscould last as long as 10 days to three weeks, she said. There are no hometreatments for animals that have been bitten by a black widow, so if theyexhibit any of the symptoms, take the pet to a vet immediately. The bite couldprove fatal, depending on the severity of the bite and the size of the animal. Smallerdogs and cats would be more susceptible.
The best thing is always prevention. The places to look for these unwelcomed guests are around the foundation of your home, close to gutters down spouts, and under splash guards. Their web is real messy and has no real form like other spider webs. If you have found black widows in or around your home please be careful, and DON"T handle them, especially keep children and small pets away. Also remember that the typical black widow with the hour glass is a female, and most probably has laid her eggs. Call us and we will be happy to inspect your home. Click Here to schedule your inspection.