HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: oman@iccgcc.decnet.ab.com (Diane at Allen-Bradley in Cleveland)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: RE: Carpenter Ants
Date: 25 Aug 92 12:49:22 EST


In article <1992Aug24.203806.6044@primerd.prime.com>, 
mguyott@eriador.prime.com (M. Guyott) asks:
> 
> Where can I find pictures and/or descriptions of carpenter ants and/or
> termites?  I am a new home owner and I would like to familiarize myself
> with what they look like.

I would suggest the library, or a professional exterminator.

> 
> Are carpenter ants always black?  Can they be red?  Do they nest in wood
> or do they only eat the wood and have a nest in the great outdoors?

I posted previously that we may have a problem with carpenter ants.  We
have received quotes from Terminex and Orkin to rid us of the problem...
as well as problems with most other household pests that may crop up.

Here's what we learned:  Carpenter ants are always black, varying in size.
The queen inseminates herself once in her life with a male, and is able to 
retain the sperm and inseminate herself to lay eggs on an as-need basis.  
She produces sterile females which are the worker ants that we see.  The
workers are in charge of gathering food and water for the colony.  Carpenter
ants are meat-eaters like us.  They don't eat wood like termites do.  She
lays eggs daily, and depending on the climate, the eggs could take up to 10
months to hatch.  (There is not a safe substance that can be used off the
shelf or professionally that will kill an un-hatched ant - God was very good
to them when he created them.)  At about year 4-6 the queen produces the male
reproductive ants (the ants with wings).  She also starts produicng other
queens.  They mate in the air with the male reproductives, wings fall off,
and they go off to start their own colony.

To address a problem of carpenter ants in the home - the home will have to
be treated for the duration of the "up-to-10-month" gestation period of
the eggs (for the above reason of no chemical can do it until they hatch).

My original post was about Terminex and Orkin.  They are similar, however 
Orkin says that the walls need to be injected - therefore they drill 1/8"
holes every 16" along the baseboard on the interior or the exterior walls on 
the first floor.  Terminex says that even if the ants are in the walls, the
substance they use is carried back to the colony be the workers and infects
the colony this way.  

> 
> Any advice on spotting and identifying any of these beasties would be
> greatly appreciated!
> 
> Marc

Well, I didn't give much advice on identifying carpenter ants, but hopefully
my sharing will be of some benefit to someone out there...

Di

From: brooksp@hpcc01.corp.hp.com (Peter Brooks)
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1992 20:46:14 GMT
Subject: Re: Eletric dryer - running but not drying
Organization: the HP Corporate notes server
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house

Assuming that this is a 220 vold dryer, you are missing a phase.  
Specifically, there are 3 wires (plus a ground) running to the dryer.
Phase(a) hot, Phase(b) hot, and Neutral, which acts as the common
for both phases.  Your dryer motor and controller run off 110, but
the heating elements require 220, thus they need both phases to
run properly.  (Phase a and b are 180 degrees apart; each phase is
110 with respect to neutral, but 220 with respect to each other.)
Assuming that the "right" phase is gone, you will get the behavior
your report.

I had this happen, and the problem was a blown fuse in a fused
switchbox.  (The 220 line had a 30A breaker in the main panel, and
the wire ran to a fused butoff switch that supplied the outlet.
For whatever reason, the fuses were 20A at that time.  I replaced with
a 30A fuse [to match the breaker and socket] and things worked
perfectly.  BTW, I think that the switchbox is now against code.
Don't know if it was ever legit, but the house had been rewired
in part in the early '70s.)

In your case, it could be a bad breaker.  If you are comfortable
working with 220V and have the proper tools, check the lines out.  If
not, call your friendly electrician.

Pete Brooks

Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: smjeff@lerc05.lerc.nasa.gov (Jeff Miller)
Subject: escrow shortages
Originator: smjeff@lerc05.lerc.nasa.gov
Organization: NASA Lewis Research Center, Cleveland Ohio
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1992 21:40:46 GMT


When I bought my house the seller gave me money to cover the amount
of real estate tax for the portion of the year that she lived in the
house.  Several months later my bank told me there was a shortage
in the escrow account and they were increasing the amount they would
charge me every month.  In order to find out where the shortage came 
from I found out what my real estate tax is and it turns out the
estimated amount that the seller paid was too low.

I obviously can't ask the seller to pay me the difference.  However,
can I force the title company to pay the difference since the title
company goofed when they figured out how much tax the seller owed.
Or is there someone else that I can "lean on"?  Or have I been screwed
out of $400?

Thanks,  Jeff

-- 
Jeffrey H. Miller     smjeff@lerc05.lerc.nasa.gov
Sverdrup Technology, NASA Lewis Research Center Group, Cleveland, Ohio

favorite book title: Attack of the Deranged Mutant Killer Monster Snow Goons

Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: mguyott@eriador.prime.com (M. Guyott)
Subject: Two electrical questions.
Organization: Prime Computer R&D
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1992 14:18:51 GMT


Question 1: I have a switch plate in my bathroom that has a switch for the
            bathroom vent fan on the right and two outlets on the left.
            The switch and the outlets are GFCI protected (by the outlet
            just before them in the circuit).  I have a radio plugged into
            on of the two outlets in the block that contains the switch.
            When I turn the fan (switch) off there is a brief interuption
            in the radio.  It only happens when I turn the switch off.  It
            is almost as if the power is momentarily (it is very brief but
            noticable - almost like a "click" in the radio) turned off to
            the radio.  Does anyone have any idea why this is happening?

Question 2: Last night our portable dish washer tripped the GFCI outlet it
            was plugged into.  We have been using the dish washer for almost
            two weeks without any problems.  We were not using any other
            appliances or outlets on the circuit (there are only four outlets
            on a dedicated circuit for kitchen use).  I reset the GFCI outlet
            and the dish washer worked fine.  Is this something that happens
            occaisionally or is this something I should be concerned about?

Thanks for any and all advice, suggestions, and/or insight!  Marc
----
Two of the worst things we teach our children are that a knowledge of science
is nice but not necessary, and a knowledge of sex is necessary but not nice.

Marc Guyott              Constellation Software, Inc.          (508) 620-2800
                         Framingham, Mass. 01701 USA                Ext. 3135
mguyott@primerd.prime.com       ...!{uunet, decwrl}!primerd.prime.com!mguyott
mguyott@eriador.prime.com       ...!{uunet, decwrl}!eriador.prime.com!mguyott
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: spring@acs.ucalgary.ca (Laurie Spring)
Subject: stovetop chip
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 92 19:01:54 GMT
Organization: The University of Calgary, Alberta


My stove top recently acquired a small chip in it's enamel.
Could one of you experts out there give me any advice on how
to fix it - so it doesn't look like a chip with a blob of enamel
touch up paint over top?

Thank-you in advance!!
Laurie
-- 
><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><
><                               Laurie Spring                              ><
><                           spring@acs.ucalgary.ca                         ><
><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: patter@dasher.uucp (24224-guthrie)
Subject: Re: Killing burglars.
Organization: Bellcore, Livingston, NJ
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 92 15:16:32 GMT

In article <1992Aug26.174449.18460@primerd.prime.com> mguyott@eriador.prime.com (M. Guyott) writes:

>I am very interested in this because I would like to find some means of
>defending my home without having to purchase a hand gun.  My wife hates
>them and I must admit I am a bit aprehensive about keeping a gun in the
>house.  Would mace or tear gas or "pest" repelent be a (somewhat) reasonable
>alternative?

Then you'd best not buy a gun. How do you feel about swords? My experience
is that most people fear large blades more than they should. Anyway, I'd
go for MACE and put phones all over the house.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
                    |
George Patterson -  | If you always tell the truth, you never
                    | have to remember what you said.
                    |                        Samuel Clemens
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: mwilson@ncratl.AtlantaGA.NCR.COM (Mark Wilson)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Killing burglars.
Date: 26 Aug 92 16:12:08 GMT
Organization: NCR Engineering and Manufacturing Atlanta -- Atlanta, GA

In <1992Aug24.145037.1946@sdc.com> kenk@sdc.com (Ken Konecki) writes:

>Why are guns necessary?  A can of aerosol EZ-OFF used properly can be just
>as effective as a gun for the purposes of defense.  One quick shot in the
>face and it's over before it begins.  Not only do you not need
>Ken Konecki

This works fine if the burglar is stupid enough to let you get close enough
to use the EZ-OFF.  What would you say the effective range would be, 12 to
15 inches.  Meanwhile, if the burglar is armed, he shoots you.  He knows
right where you are, directly in front of him just a couple of feet
away.  Even blinded and in pain that is an easy shot.

What happens if you miss.  You have one very PO'ed burglar and there
you are just a couple of feet away.  

Be sure to leave an address so that we can send flowers to your widow.

-- 
--Mark
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: vonzelow@adobe.com (Jon von Zelowitz)
Subject: Least Toxic Flea Control
Organization: Adobe Systems Incorporated
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1992 02:06:57 GMT


In honor of flea season (and a thread that I haven't seen in at least 2
days--wow!) here's a summary of tips from an article a friend clipped on
"Least Toxic Flea Control". Some of these have been mentioned already, but
it's nice to see them summarized in a context of not just spraying poison,
and in sequence from least to most toxic.

Establish a single pet sleeping area that can be cleaned easily and regularly.

Restrict pets' access to bedrooms, attics, basements, or wherever the flea
population may be particularly annoying or where cleaning is difficult.

Vacuum pet areas weekly, and more often during flea season. Dispose of
collected material by burning, composting, freezing for a few days, or
"cooking" in the sun.

Regularly remove and wash all bedding, rugs, etc. that the pet contacts.

Flea-comb regularly.

Keep records to monitor flea population.

Bathe the pet if the flea population starts to build.

Use a liquid spray IGR to prevent adult flea emergence. Don't use a "bomb",
use the hand spray, which can be directed to problem areas, and which
scatters less IGR randomly around your environment.

Spot-treat outdoor pet resting areas with insecticidal soap.

Use flea collars as briefly as possible.

Use poisons only if necessary, and only for the most troublesome periods.

Consider a steam cleaning service, or a professional exterminator if all
else fails.

   Jon von Zelowitz   vonzelow@adobe.com   ...sun!adobe!vonzelow
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Telephone Outlets
From: gary@cdthq.UUCP (Gary Heston)
Date: Sun, 30 Aug 92 19:27:53 CDT
Organization: Garys' Home for Obsolete Computers

ardai@zax.eda.teradyne.com (Michael Ardai) writes:

> In article <5942@grus.cs.nps.navy.mil> erickson@cs.nps.navy.mil (David Ericks
> -Are all cordless phones easy to monitor?  I thought they had built in
> -scrambling circuitry, which is set according to a small bank of
> -dip switches.
> 
>  [ ..... ]
> regular FM (music) radio to pick up cellular.  True scrambling is the only
> way to get a little privacy when you are talking on a radio.

Very little. If you want privacy, go visit whoever you want to talk to,
turn on the shower, TV, stereo, and go to a room with no exterior
walls. Telephones aren't any more secure from eavesdropping; it's just
more obvious when someone's climbing the pole down the street. Of course,
with Caller-ID, it's even easier to avoid detection. (Allows finding the
right circuit a lot further from the target house.)

Gary Heston, at home....
gary@cdthq.uucp
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: drand@spinner.osf.org (Douglas Rand)
Subject: Re: Wasp Nests Yet Again
Organization: Open Software Foundation
Date: 31 Aug 92 10:34:23

In article <38420014@b-mrda.ca.boeing.com> berner@b-mrda.ca.boeing.com (Ann Berner) writes:

	   I'm sheepishly admitting that I didn't save the thread on bee
   and wasp nests, and now we've discovered a monster one outside my daughter's
   window.  Did anyone save the discussion, and would you be willing to e-mail
   it to me?  Or is it now part of the FAQ?  (Maybe it should be, I've seen
   other posts similar to mine).
	   Any and all help appreciated...

At this point you might just keep her window closed (if it
isn't screened) and wait for winter.  In the winter you can
just knock the nest down and throw it out.  I'd certainly 
wait for cooler weather now that autumn is approaching,  as
the wasps will be much less energetic.

--
Douglas S. Rand <drand@osf.org>		OSF/Motif Dev.
Snail:         11 Cambridge Center,  Cambridge,  MA  02142
Disclaimer:    I don't know if OSF agrees with me... let's vote on it.
Amateur Radio: KC1KJ
From: georgec@eng.umd.edu (George B. Clark)
Subject: Re: Credit report
Date: Fri, 04 Sep 92 20:40:34 GMT
Organization: University of Maryland

In article <BtwMon.6x1@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu> msingh@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (The Supreme Commander) writes:
>
>I would be very hesitant to provide all of this information. Providing
>all that information will make it just that much easier for them to
>"update" their information on you. IMHO credit agencies have no right
>to keep all this information on me!

I understand how you feel about wanting to preserve your privacy, but
you are wrong. Let me explain.

If you ever want to build a good credit history for the purpose of
enhancing your borrowing power, you have to be willing to go public
with information about yourself. Otherwise, from the perspective of
a lender, having no credit history is as bad as having a bad credit
history. For all they know, you just got out of jail.

I used to subscribe to the TRW Credit Service, and I couldn't agree
with you more. They are a nuisance. However, you've got to play the
game. Feed them as much data about yourself as you can. It's an
opportunity to make yourself look good.

A good book that reveals more details that is consistent with what
I'm telling you, is:

     More Wealth Without Risks
     by Charles Givens
     published 1991
From: d3a132@pnl.gov (Carl P Baker)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: suggested weapons (was: Killing burglars.)
Date: 27 Aug 92 16:02:09 GMT
Article-I.D.: oracle.1992Aug27.160209.26686
Reply-To: d3a132@pnl.gov
Organization: Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratories

In article 270892083653@morril6t-21.micro.umn.edu, sbarnhar@mailbox.mail.umn.edu (Dr. Barnhart) writes:
>I've had this conversation with some police officers I know, and they have
>been fairly unanimous in recommending a 12 guage shotgun with the shortest
>legal barrel length, no choke, and loaded with #4 magnums.  (One of the

NOT speaking from personal experience, but I can't imagen anything scarier
than looking down the wrong end of a twelve bore at a frightened angry
homeowner protecting her family.  This recommendation makes the most sense
to me.  A cloud of shotgun pellets is awfully destructive at short range
(less than 20 yards or so), and awfully innocuous after passing through
a wall or 70 yards or so of air.

By #4 magnums do you mean 4 inch?  What size shot?  I think that I would save
the rock salt for pesky teenage hoodlums (:-)), and stick to lead shot for
the home invader.  Have to remember that baseball bat thing.  Handy to have
while your watching over him waiting for the police to come (if he happens
to not be dead and you choose to keep him that way).


-- carl

Carl P Baker
cp_baker@pnl.gov
509-375-2724

Disclaimer: I am not the official spokesperson for anyone.  For which
organizations that use spokespersons are profoundly grateful.
From: kens@eugene.net.com (Ken Smith)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Pilot Light Goes Out...
Date: 27 Aug 92 01:10:38 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Network Equipment Technologies
Originator: kens@eugene


... The home I recently bought came with a gas range, which is 
having difficulties in keeping its pilot lights for the cooktop
lit. The brand is something like Gaffers and Sutherland (?), and 
it has two pilot lights, one for the front and rear left burners
and one for the right burners. For some reason, about once a week,
one of the two pilots will go out. When this happens, I have to lift the 
top of the range up and re-light the pilot. I am hoping that someone
out on the net has encountered a simular situation and a resolution
to it. Is this due to the pilot burners becoming clogged with crud
or might an adjustment be necessary?? Any help or advice would be 
greatly appreciated!

                              kens@net.com   (ken Smith)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: hollen@megatek.UUCP (Dion Hollenbeck)
Subject: Re: Possible gas leak?
Organization: Megatek Corporation, San Diego, California
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1992 20:29:08 GMT

>>>>> On Tue, 1 Sep 1992 14:48:55 GMT, mguyott@eriador.prime.com (M. Guyott) said:


Marc> My wife and I have been living in our home for all of three
Marc> weeks now.  We had not previously noticed any natural gas odors
Marc> in the basement.  This past weekend we went away for the
Marc> weekend.  This is the first time we have left our house closed
Marc> up for a couple of days.  When we got back we thought we could
Marc> faintly smell natural gas (I know it's not acutally natural gas
Marc> but the odor that the gas company put in with the natural gas)
Marc> in the basement.

Marc> Any suggestions on things that I can do to detect if there
Marc> really is a leak somewhere?  Should I have the plumber test for
Marc> a leak?  He said he could do this if I wanted him to.  Any
Marc> thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.

I don't know about where you live, but here, we are told to call the
gas company.  If you call them about a gas leak they will be out
within the hour and bring a sniffer.  They don't fool around about gas
leaks.  If it is found that you do have a leak, they will shut off
the gas and you will have to get a plumber to fix it, but they will
diagnose for free, and they have the right sniffers to do it.

-- 
Dion Hollenbeck       UUCP: {uunet, ucsd, sun}!megatek!hollen
                      INTERNET:            hollen@megatek.com
Megatek Corporation  9645 Scranton Rd.  San Diego, Ca.  92121
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: ksouth@iguana.dsd.es.com (Kerri South)
Subject: what to do about hideous tub
Reply-To: ksouth@dsd.es.com
Organization: Evans & Sutherland Computer Corp.
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 92 23:45:01 GMT

My "new" house has a 40 year tub that has very ugly mineral deposits all
over it. Lime Away barely begins to get rid of the deposits. Do I have
any other options besides a) paying $200 to have the tub refinished b) paying
??? to install a new tub and c) living with a permanently dirty looking tub?
Should I continue to use Lime Away and muscle power via a scrub brush to
remove the stuff bit by bit? Will I damage the porcelain (it may already
be damaged for all I know.) Can I safely use anything stronger? WHAT is 
stronger? I don't want to have to buy a respirator unit, and if the
something-stronger destroys the porcelain I'll have to get it refinished
anyway.

Please send any ideas.

-- 
Kerri South, Evans & Sutherland Computer Corporation
Design Systems Division, P.O. Box 8070, 
Salt Lake City, Utah 84108        (801) 582-5847 
INET: ksouth@dsd.es.com

Looking forward to the day I can take a bubble bath in a pretty tub!
From: cooper@endeavor.ColumbiaSC.NCR.COM (Bob Cooper x7429)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Painting Garage Floor
Keywords: garage paint floor
Date: 25 Aug 92 17:45:01 GMT
Organization: Your Organization Here

I just bought a 15 year old house with a 2 car garage.  I want to paint
the floor with (I guess) an glossy epoxy paint.  Any suggestions or
problems?  Any particular product that you are aware of?  I want the floor to look like what you see at sears autocenter -- slick as glass and you can wipe oil up with no problem.

Thanks,

Bob Cooper

-- 

        -Bob Cooper 
	 Systems Architecture
	 Bob.Cooper@ColumbiaSC.NCR.COM
	 (803) 796-9250
From: n9020351@henson.cc.wwu.edu (James Douglas Del-Vecchio)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: suggested weapons (was: Killing burglars.)
Date: 3 Sep 92 17:11:58 GMT
Article-I.D.: henson.1992Sep3.171158.18400
Organization: Western Washington University

jim@n5ial.chi.il.us writes:

(Re tools for home protection)

>seriously, though, on the shotgun issue --- I'm curious as to why nobody
>has suggested either a 10 gauge (too strong, perhaps?  to much kick for
>an amateur?) or a .410 (too ``wimpy''?).  these may be dumb questions....
>my primary use for a rifle/shotgun is for hunting (been a long time, too).

	The reasons are exactly as you stated them (too strong and
too whimpy) and because the 12 ga is the universal shotgun cal.
More ammo is sold in that gauge than any other, to my knowledge, 
so it has the advantage for availability, price, and versitility
(the largest range of whimpy to strong loads that I know of).  Ditto
for the guns.  There is a wider selection of 12 ga guns than any other
gauge.

Jim Del Vecchio