The Home Manager - Protect Yourself Prior to your Vacation
It seems that as soon as we leave on vacation we start to worry about home security. However, if you think ahead, you could begin to relax the minute you lock the front door. Here's a basic pre-vacation checklist to follow to reduce your worries and make your personal time all the more enjoyable:

Security Precautions
· Call your insurance agency, review your policy and ask about security system incentives.
· Install deadbolts on all doors and check windows for resistance to outside entry.
· Take a home video of your house, furnishings and valuables, then save it off premises.
· Put varying timers on key interior/exterior lighting and add motion sensors outside.
· Suspend mail, newspaper and other delivery services, and ask a neighbour to maintain your property,

Last Minute Procedures
· Shut off water at main entry valve and unplug unnecessary electric appliances and fixtures.
· Adjust refrigerator/freezer temperatures as appropriate and minimize contents in case of power failure.
· Set heating and air conditioning for marginal operation or if possible disconnect air conditioning. Check if your thermostat program allows for auto restart just before you return.

How to Reduce Mosquito Problems
· It is easier to control mosquitoes before they become adults by eliminating egg-laying areas.
· Drain or replace any standing or pooling water on a regular basis, including rain barrels, rain puddles, bird baths, wading pools, pool covers, flower pots, playground equipment and trees.
· Chlorinate and circulate tour swimming pool water even if not in use.
· Make sure your eavestroughs will drain dry after rainstorms.
· Install various birdhouses on your property. Bats and birds can eat million of mosquitoes.

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