Real Estate and *stuff *

Real Estate and *stuff *

A real person helping real people with real estate

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Stink Bug Invasion! It’s as Bad as You Think

September 27, 2012

Stink bugs are coming (again)! In fact, they’re already here, and the government is searching for ways to wipe out the little stinkers.

An army of stink bugs has marched into 38 states, and the federal government is scrambling to find ammunition to take them down.

Brown marmorated stink bugs, a Chinese import, are invading homes, orchards, and vineyards; eating fruit, buzzing overhead, and staying warm until they can emerge and lay eggs in spring.

If last year’s stink bug invasion wasn’t bad enough, this fall’s invasion is the second one this year — which presages an even bigger onslaught in 2013, says Tracy Leskey, an Agriculture Department entomologist.

“This has been a very good year for the stink bug,” Leskey told the The Examiner in Washington, D.C.

Entomologists are deep into R&D to find ways to wipe out the stink bug. Front-runners include baited traps and natural stink bug enemies, such as the wheel bug, a bug assassin that injects a paralyzing enzyme that turns stink bug innards into porridge, which the wheel bug sucks up.

The best way you can keep stink bugs at bay is to seal your home up tight, like you do in winter to lower your heating costs.

  • Close doors and windows
  • Fill cracks in siding, window screens, and HVAC vents
  • Install weather stripping
  • Plug outdoor outlets

If stink bugs already have invaded your home, grab them with toilet paper and flush them down the toilet. Or, drown them in a jar of soapy water.

Do not squish them, which will release the stink that inspired its name, or vacuum them up, which will make the machine smell.

I gun down stink bugs in my house with my trusty Bugzooka.

Have stink bugs invaded your home? How do you get rid of them?

Short Sale Update in Central Mass

February 6, 2012

Amy Mullen and Pam Crawford give a little update on the Short Sale process in Worcester County…

Many short sales behind them they have recently closed several more the end of 2011 and January 2012. The most noted change in the process is that the process is still long, and bank seem to be countering buyers more. However the homes are still closing for significantly less than market value.  It’s a good way for a buyer to get a good price on a home and allows the seller to have a dignified solution to their issue.  A short sale allows the seller to have more control over when they leave the property and a much better effect on their credit and income in the long run.

All in all – despite the recent challenges in short sales in Worcester County it’s a very viable solution for both sides of the transaction.

For more information:  dontforeclosenow.com