Like many pests, wasps are attracted to foodespecially foods that are high in sugar and meat products. This includes pet food. Make sure that your trash cans are sealed tight, bird feeders are far from the house, and food isn't left out. Check your house for unsealed vents, torn screens, cracks around windows and door frames, or open dampers. Seal off these problem areas and the wasps no longer have entry ways into your home. Swatting wasps is actually counterproductive. When a wasp is squashed, a pheromone is released which attracts nearby wasps. Rather, walk away from any hovering wasps.

Summary: Put food away. Seal entry points. Avoid swatting.

When you want to clean non-porous surfaces such as toilets and showers, sinks, and vinyl or tile floors, use a bleach to water ratio of 1:32. Add a half cup (118.3 ml) of bleach to a gallon (3.8 L) of water. Mix this in a sturdy plastic bucket. Using a mop for floors or a clean rag for other surfaces, carefully dip into the solution and wring the mop or rag out. Wipe the surface in sweeping motions. Go in a back and forth pattern to make sure you cover the whole area. Make sure not to clean with bleach on surfaces like wood, leather, canvas, or carpet. Bleach will stain and fade this type of porous surface. If you let the bleach solution dry on the surface, it can leave residue. Always use a bucket of clean water, and a clean mop or rag if possible, to completely rinse the surface. A bleach odor may remain in the air after you rinse the surface, which is okay.

Summary: Mix bleach and water in a ratio of 1:32. Apply the solution to the surface you want to disinfect. Rinse the surface with clean, cold water.

You have a couple choices in fuel, each of which produces different results. Take the following things into consideration: flash (ignition) point, taste, smell, and smoke. Popular options include specialized fire blowing fuels (such as Safex Pyrofluid FS), kerosene, and paraffin (traditional lamp oil). You should never use naphtha (white gas), lighter fluid, gasoline, or ethyl alcohol. Ultimately, your fuel of choice should be the one that is least offensive to your senses; everyone has their own personal preferences for fuel, so a little trial and error is necessary to find yours. Fuels like kerosene and paraffin have high flash points, meaning they don't ignite easily. This is desirable for fire blowing because you want to minimize your risk of "blowback" or igniting the fuel's fumes while performing. Kerosene produces a lot of smoke and is also the most dangerous (due to its mostly unrefined quality) of the high flash point fuels; many people also say it tastes and smells terrible! All petroleum-based fuels are extremely toxic and carcinogenic (cancer-causing); these should never come anywhere near your mouth! Even non-toxic fuels such as paraffin should not be inhaled; even minor inhalation of these fuels can cause serious respiratory issues like lipoid pneumonia. Many beginner fire blowers use a simple, homemade torch made from a non-flammable handle (often metal) and an absorbent cloth wrapped around the end for the wick. You will need to bind the wick material to the handle using a fire-resistant cord so it will not unwrap or fall off while lit. Find binding specialized for fire blowers or that is specifically designed to resist burning; this can be found through juggling specialty retailers online (such as at Dube.com). Stay away from cotton cord or typical rope, as these burn easily! You may use anything for the stick portion of the torch that is not flammable. Many people use bent wire coat hangers for this because they are non-flammable, lightweight, and do not transfer heat easily. The stick should be at least 12 inches long. Choose a wick material that does not burn quickly; otherwise your torch will burn itself out too early. Make your wick tip small for your first few practices. Once you have figured out whether you are getting the right sized flame, you can adjust the size of subsequent wicks to reduce or enlarge your flame. Bind the wick to the handle at the base of the wick material, leaving enough exposed material to easily soak with fuel and let it burn for a while. You can either dip the wick into a fuel container or pour the fuel onto the wick. Either way, make sure the wick is soaked with fuel but is not dripping. In order to get excess fuel off of the wick before lighting it (to prevent spreading fire onto yourself or the ground), shake it vigorously over a fuel receptacle until it no longer drips. Make sure no fuel gets onto the handle (stick) of the torch when it is dipped. Even though this material should be non-flammable, it will still light if it has fuel on it. Do this with an ignition source such as a match or lighter. Be sure to hold the torch in your dominant hand, either upright or at arm's length. Light the wick at its base (closest to the handle) so you can quickly move your hand away from it once it lights. Make sure there is no fuel on your hand before you light the wick. Choose an ignition source that can be easily started with one hand, since you will be holding the torch with your other hand. Select an ignition source that allows you to keep your hand at least a few inches from the wick when you are lighting it; something with a long handle or nozzle, such as a barbeque lighter, is a good option.

Summary: Choose a fuel. Buy or make torches. Soak the torch wick in fuel. Light the torch.

Ahead of time, plan 5 minutes during your date or outing when you and your companion will check your phones. It can be helpful to select a moment of transition form one activity to another. Doing this allows your companion to know they will have time set aside to address any important communications that come up, putting them at ease for the rest of the outing. To a romantic partner you might say, "I really want to focus on each other tonight. Can we leave our phones in the car during dinner? We can check them before we drive to the movies to make sure work hasn't called you." To a coworker you might say, "Can we sideline our phones for the meeting? Let's give each other our undivided attention to discuss the proposal. We can check for new messages on the way to the client luncheon." Certain activities are not conducive to checking phones because you need both hands to do them. If your partner or friend has a consistent problem with checking their phone, try mobile-unfriendly activities, such as rock climbing or canoeing, to get more quality time when you hang out. You may even get extra enjoyment doing something out of the ordinary together. If your partner or friend's phone interruptions are largely tied to a specific work schedule, try scheduling your hangouts on other days. This will help you have a more productive friendship or relationship. For example, if your partner or friend is a social worker who is always on call on Tuesdays, let's say, schedule outings on other days so your companion can better balance their work needs with your social ones.
Summary: Pick a designated moment to check your phones. Choose phone-free activities. Select a date where there won't be disturbances.