Rodent Control

Daniel Strebler Blog Posts August 29, 2018

How do I get rid of mice?

Mice are best controlled by using traps, either snap traps, live traps (e.g., Tin Cat) or a combination of the two. When using snap traps, use different baits (chocolate, peanut butter, etc…) on the traps and place them where the mice are active but where children and pets can’t get to them. Also, seal exterior cracks and holes and put weather-stripping on doors to prevent new mice from entering. Mice only need 1/4-inch in space to enter. Numerous mice indicate a more serious problem and should be dealt with by a professional. rodent control

Is it possible to get rid of rats?

It is possible to eliminate rats, but it takes a lot of effort. Traps are often best for controlling them because the bodies can be easily removed. In some cases, baits should not be used because rodents will die inside a wall and will quickly start to smell. In many cases, both traps and baits are needed. What is the best mouse/rat bait and how should I use it in my traps? Contrary to popular belief, cheese is not a good bait for mice. Peanut butter and chocolate work well as long as you don’t put too much on the trap. Work the bait onto the trap’s trigger so that it is hard for the mouse to get it off and it will be forced to climb onto the trigger. I have moths in my clothes, and have indoor pets that may get into mothballs. What are my alternatives? The first step is to clean the affected clothing and other clothing items that were stored with it. Next, thoroughly clean the closet, dresser, or storage area. Cracks in these areas may also be treated using a properly-labeled indoor pest control product. Pheromone traps are available to monitor for moth activity.

I have wildlife in my attic. What should I do?

If a raccoon or squirrel decides to nest in your attic, or a group of bats is using your building for shelter, it is important to get them out as soon as possible. If left, they will multiply and eventually create health issues because of the fleas, ticks, mites and diseases they carry. They can also cause property damage, as these animals gnaw on wires causing fire hazards as well as computer and alarm malfunctions. Metro Pest Control can humanely remove these animals from your property. Once removed, Metro Pest Control will seal the openings to prevent other pests from re-infesting the structure. For more Pest Control information click here

No Oversight for Limo drivers, didn’t pay off

Daniel Strebler Blog Posts August 24, 2018

No Oversight for Limo drivers, didn't pay off

Late last month, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration wrapped up intensive training of its new Quick Strike team, a group of 50 passenger carrier safety investigators whose goal is to target serious regulatory violators nationwide.

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Our trucking accident attorneys understand that the teams have already begun to dive head-first into action, so far shuttering operations of three companies deemed to pose an immediate danger to public safety. One of those companies, Best Limo Service, is based in Tucker Georgia - just a half hour northeast of Atlanta. The FMCSA's team reported that the carrier's operations were ordered to be halted immediately, due to the severity of the hazard posed to the public. U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood was quoted as saying that the traveling public has a right to expect safety standards will be met when they climb aboard a commercial bus, van or other vehicle. He further reiterated that carriers that flagrantly break the law and put people's lives in jeopardy won't be allowed to continue operations. While Best Limo Service is headquartered in Georgia, it has branches throughout the southeastern U.S., providing charter services and tours to thousands of passengers annually. But an investigation launched in mid-April found serious federal rule violations, which revealed a total disregard for the safety of passengers. In one instance, a driver had tested positive for drugs and another who had a suspended commercial driver's license. And yet, these individuals were allowed to continue to work for the company as drivers, transporting passengers. The company was additionally found to be failing to monitor each driver's compliance with federal hours-of-service mandates. This resulted in drivers who were overly-fatigued and allowed to transport passengers.

The violations didn't even stop there. The vehicle maintenance program operated by the company was clearly not doing enough to ensure that passenger vehicles were in proper working order. An on-site inspection of three of the company's buses ended with all three vehicles sidelined out-of-service for critical safety violations. This is only the beginning of this effort, according to the FMCSA, which also plans to involve law enforcement personnel, advocates and industry insiders into the fold. It's encouraging that over the last half a dozen years, the number of motorcoach safety inspections has tripled, up to almost 34,000 in 2012. That year, there were 880 drivers and more than 1,830 vehicles placed out of service. However, companies continue to flout safety rules and regulations. Companies cut corners to save money. Drivers put their own bottom line ahead of their passengers' safety. Investigators learned the company failed to make sure drivers weren't abusing drugs or alcohol or ignoring hours of service rules. Additionally, qualified mechanics were not employed by the company, as required in order to ensure proper maintenance of vehicles.

The limo service shut-down in Tucker was followed shortly thereafter by the shut down of a Niagara Falls passenger carrier, which operates a small number of tour buses in the area. The FMCSA encourages riders to "Look Before You Book" by checking a motorcoach company's credentials and safety history.

Faucet Repairs can you do it

Daniel Strebler Blog Posts August 1, 2018

Faucet Repairs can you do it

Faucet repairs can be very difficult with so many different kinds of faucets available but there is nothing to stress about! We will walk through the different kinds of faucets to make things simpler. To start off, there are typically three main kinds of faucets in your house. They are kitchen faucets, bathroom faucets, and tub and shower faucets. These faucets are the ones used every day!

Many people struggle with repairing faucets but I want to show you that it is not that difficult. There are several things that you need to know about your faucets to make them easy to identify. These keys will make life much simpler on you if you have to go to a plumbing supply house to get whatever repair parts you need. These keys will remain the same whether you have a kitchen faucet, bath faucet, or tub and shower faucet. #1 What Brand Faucet Do You Have? The first thing that you need to know is what brand your faucet is. This does not always happen though. You may have moved into your house and do not know what brand faucets that you have or you may have just forgotten what brands you have. We can still figure out what you have from knowing the following. #2 How Many Handles Do You Have? The second thing that you need to know is how many handles does your faucets. Your kitchen and bath faucets will have either a single handle or two handles. Your tub or shower faucets can be single handle, two handles, or three handles. Graphic of different handled faucets #3 Do You Have A Cartridge or Stem? The third thing that you will need to know is whether your faucet has a cartridge or a stem. Typically if you have a single handle faucet, you will have a cartridge which is the picture on the left. If you have a two or three handle faucet, then you have a stem which is the picture on the right. When you have a cartridge or stem go bad, the faucet will begin to drip out of either the aerator in the spout, the shower head or the tub filler in the tub. Cartridges typically must be completely replaced because there is nothing that can be replaced on or inside of it. Delta Faucet , Moen, and Kohler are some of the major brands that use cartridges in their tub and shower valves. Moen uses their cartridges in all of their single handle faucets.

On stems, brass and some plastic, typically have a washer on the back of them head on by a screw that needs to be replaced when the faucet begins to drip. Some faucets have a brass seat underneath of the stem that is removable. When this seat has been roughed up, it can rip up the washer on the stem and cause a leak. This seat needs to be replaced as well. Plastic stems most commonly do not have a washer on them. Usually they have a seat and spring underneath it that uses pressure to turn it on and off when the stem is rotated. Delta Faucet's stem with seat and spring are the main example of this style. There are several company's like Gerber, Price Pfister, and Glacier Bay that also use this technology in many of their faucets as well. Graphic of Delta Stem with Seat and Spring!!!! Your stem could also be a ceramic stem. This can be brass or plastic on the outside and white ceramics on the inside. A ceramic stem will not have a washer on it with a screw. Instead there will be a thin rubber washer with a hole in it where you can see the white ceramic pieces inside of it. The rubber washer is solely a buffer so that the ceramics are not scratched when the stem is installed. Ceramic stems are not a new technology even though they seem to have become more popular now. These stems are in a lot of faucets now but there are some drawbacks to them. The ceramic discs in these stems can scratch very easily when they come into contact with sand, dirt, or grit in the water lines. They can also be scratched very easily if they are touched by your hands so that is part of the reason that you can not by the ceramic disks to repair the stems separately. The third drawback of a ceramic stem is the price. They can run anywhere from $10 up to $60. This can be jaw dropping to homeowners that purchase the faucets for close to $30 to $40. #4 Is Your Cartridge/Stem Broached or Square? The fourth thing that is good to know about your faucet is to know whether the stem is squared or broached at the top (where the stem enters the handle). Even if the stem is broached, you will need to know more because there are several different sizes of broaching. Counting the "teeth" will give you another key piece of information. Graphic of different broached stems #5 There Is Nothing Universal About Plumbing! The fifth and final key that you should know is that plumbing, not just faucets, are like cars. You can not put a GM motor into a Ford engine. It just will not work correctly. There is nothing universal about plumbing. You can not just run to Lowe's or Home Depot and just pick up any stem or plumbing repair part to fix your faucet. It may take some searching and you may even need to call your local plumbing supply store. These local specialized plumbing stores carry much more of a variety and more in depth stock of stems and repair parts that some stores do not have on their shelves.