To Breathe Easier, Get Rid Of Rodents (NAPSA)—Notonly do rats and mice give us the creeps, they can also be very hazardous to our health. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), allergies bother more than 60 million people in America and an estimated 17 million Americans suffer from asthma—a chronic inflammation and constriction of the airways—each year. Environmental factors such as dust, pollen and air pollution { can trigger attacks, as can contact with the feces of cockroaches and dust mites, cigarette smoke, mold, diesel exhaust and pet and rodent dander. To help keep your allergies undercontrol, follow these simple steps: Check your houseplants for dust and mold. Stay indoors during the late morning and afternoon. This is whenpollen levels are highest. Keep air circulating through the house, turn on air conditioners and exhaustfans. * Minimize knickknacks, books and clutter in your home. A preliminary study by the Johns Hopkins Medical Center reports that rodents are linked to aggravating allergy symptoms and are a leading cause of asthma in inner-city children. To help keep rodents out of the home, follow these tips by home improvement expert, Lou Manfredini, aka Mr. Fix-It: Store all food, water and garbage in containers with tight- fitting lids and neverleave food or water out overnight. Wash dishes immediately after use. Wipe down counters and tabletops, as well as sweep floors of ~ . If there’s a mouse—or a rat— in the house, your risk of asthma and allergies mayrise. to ensure crumbs are not left behind for furry creatures to feast upon. To deter rodents from nesting, keep stacks of newspapers, cardboard, firewood, lumber or other storage off the ground or floor at the inside and outside perimeters of your home. Also trim bushes, plants and hedges away from the house foundation. Mice can squeeze through spaces as small as a dime, and rats the size of a quarter! Keep them out by sealing up potential entrances to your home with sheet metal, steel wool or cement, focusing on the spaces around pipes, ducts and vents. * Use rodenticides that are safe and highly effective if used in accordance with label directions, such as products from d-CON Rodenticides. For more information on how to eliminate rodent infestations and/or a free brochure, call d-CONat 1-800-395-3266.
