We love being outside in the summertime for a backyard barbecue or an evening gathering around the fire pit. Unfortunately, the bugs love it too. If you’re tired of itchy mosquitos, armies of ants, and other pesky pests, read on. We’ve got the answer for what bugs you!
Here are some of our favorite tips and tricks to keep backyard bugs away.
1. Start with scents.
Bugs hate strong smells of mint and citrus. They’re also not fond of some other scents. Here are some ways to use these smells against them.
Put mint-flavored mouthwash in a spray bottle and spray your tables, chairs, and patio perimeter.
Place a few drops of essential oils on cotton balls and place them around your entertaining area. Choose scents of peppermint, citrus, lavender, or eucalyptus.
Make fly-repelling sachets of potpourri using cloves and bay leaves.
Burn a citronella torch or candle. Citronella is made from bug repellant grasses and helps to mask the smell of carbon dioxide and human lactic acid, both of which attract some bugs.
2. Place your plants.
Some herbs and flowers are natural pest deterrents. Bringing them into your garden and around your entertaining areas can help keep bugs at bay. These plants are often bug-specific.
To protect against mosquitoes, try basil, catnip, lavender, citronella, lemon-scented geraniums, lemon thyme, marigold, and rosemary plants.
To ward off flies, try basil, catnip, and lavender plants.
For moths and fleas, use lavender.
Chrysanthemums help protect against roaches, ants, ticks, and fleas.
Garlic and rosemary plants can repel biting insects.
A chive and lemongrass garden can ward off other pests.
3. Mind your mulch.
Too much mulch gives cockroaches and ants the perfect home for nesting. You don’t want that too near your entertainment area or your home.
Keep mulch at least 12 inches from the foundation.
Consider replacing mulch with inorganic rock or gravel.
Do make sure to have some mulch, grass, or ground covering. Yellow jackets make their nests by tunneling into bare dirt.
4. Turn on the fan.
Fans work in two ways to keep mosquitos away. Mosquitos aren’t strong fliers and so the breeze can prevent them from getting close. Fans also help disperse carbon dioxide and other chemical cues that mosquitos use to locate their hosts.
Turn on the patio fan or bring a portable fan outside. Both will work. Set them on medium or high settings.
Oscillating fans may be even more effective, as they help to move the air in different directions.
Consider several fans blowing in different directions to cover your entertaining area.
5. Redo your outdoor lighting.
Bright white or bluish lights attract insects because they emit shorter wavelengths. Bulbs that burn hotter also attract their share of bugs. Switch your outdoor lighting to reduce the number of your nightly “visitors.”
Replace white light bulbs with longer wavelength colors like yellow ones. The orange or yellowish glow is less visible to some insects.
Replace your incandescent and halogen bulbs, which give off a lot of heat, for ones that don’t. LED and fluorescent bulbs emit much less heat than others with the same wattage.
Reduce the wattage. Rather than 100 watts, try 60. Dimmer bulbs are harder for insects to see.
Pro Tip: If you are using older LED bulbs, you will need to replace them. Early versions had a coating that gave off more heat than current models.
6. Address standing water.
Standing water is the perfect nursery for mosquitos, gnats, and other bugs. Make sure you don’t have any standing water on your property, or if you do, take steps to eliminate or reduce the risk.
Remove standing water from gutters and downspouts.
Keep kiddie pools, buckets, and watering cans empty when they are not in use.
Get a birdbath with running water to reduce the chance of mosquitoes breeding.
Treat standing water with mosquito dunk pellets. This will allow them to fly but they will be sterile and cannot reproduce.
7. Build a bat house.
Attracting the predators that eat bugs can help you naturally reduce the insect population. One small bat can eat up to 1,000 mosquitoes an hour, which is a great reason to buy or build a bat house.
Buy or build one that is at least 24 inches high by 16 inches wide.
Bats prefer to roost on buildings or concrete structures rather than trees. It helps protect them against their predators.
Mount the house at least 10 feet off the ground and 20-30 feet from the nearest tree if possible.
The location should have a nearby water source and at least 6 hours of daily sun.
8. Build a bug trap.
Commercial bug traps are available, but it’s easy to make your own from materials that you probably already have around the house. Put your bug trap outside a few hours before you entertain or anytime you want a bug-free area.
Start with a 2-liter soda bottle. Take off its cap and throw that away.
Measure about 4 inches from the top of the spout and mark that. Use that line to cut around the bottle so that it is now in 2 pieces.
Insert the spout inside the open top so it points back down to the bottom.
Tape the pieces together to seal them.
Fill with soda or a sweet liquid to attract bugs, bees, wasps, etc.
Pro Tip: Fill a small bowl of apple cider vinegar and mix in a few drops of dish detergent. The scent will attract fruit flies and the soap will create a barrier that prevents their escape.
9. Keep it clean.
Keeping your patio or deck clean will help deter bugs. That’s because any morsel of food or sticky substance can attract them.
Sweep any crumbs. Wipe away spilled liquid.
Make sure all your garbage cans and recycling bins have covers to prevent breeding flies. Move them away from your entertaining spots.
Fill a spray bottle with a mixture of one part hydrogen peroxide to two parts water. Spray your patio or deck surface and perimeter. Be careful not to mix this with food or drinks.
Ticks like to hide in tall grass so keep your grass mowed and maintain your lawn. Trim back bushes or tree branches that touch your home, and which help pests get inside.
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.
You’re going on vacation and renting a beautiful property for the week. You’re not expecting anything to go wrong, but what happens if something does? What if you break something, or if you get injured? What if your stuff gets damaged or stolen?
Read on to find out the answers to common questions about insurance coverage for vacation rentals. Knowing what to expect before your vacation will help you make sure you’re covered.
What if something happens to my stuff?
You went out to dinner and came home to find your stuff stolen—a vacation surprise no one would want. Fortunately, your homeowner’s policy or a renter’s policy (at your permanent residence) can help. Your policy will cover your property for 16 named perils or occurrences (i.e. fire, theft, explosion) subject to special limits. However, if your property is damaged because you dropped it or your child spilled juice on it, there is no coverage.
Personal property coverage is that part of your policy that protects your possessions. If they are stolen, or damaged by fire/smoke or other covered “perils” anywhere in the world, your policy will pay for them. That’s true whether your belongings are at your primary home, in your car, or with you on vacation. There are dollar limits for certain items such as money, jewelry, and firearms, so check with your insurer. For personal property coverage on a homeowner’s policy, you typically get 50 or 75% of Coverage A, the total amount of coverage for your home. Renters get to choose the amount of personal property coverage.
How will you be compensated? It depends what you selected for your policy: replacement cost or actual cash value (ACV). ACV is the amount the item is worth, minus depreciation for its age. It will cost a little more for a policy that provides replacement cost since that is higher than ACV. You will get reimbursed minus the amount you have chosen for your deductible, the amount you pay out-of-pocket before your insurance company pays a claim. That’s why all of these decisions when you set up a policy are so important.
What happens if you get hurt at your vacation rental?
Maybe you were minding your own business, and preparing snacks for your day at the beach when a loose tile in the kitchen caused you to trip and fall. As a result, your vacation included a visit to Urgent Care. In this case, the owner of the rental property might reimburse you for your medical bills under Coverage F – Medical Payments To Others of their Property Policy. At California Casualty, we pay the necessary medical expenses that are incurred or medically ascertained within three years from the date of an accident. This coverage however does not involve negligence or liability. After all, the rental property owner didn’t know about the loose tile.
Pro Tip: Because the rental property owner’s policy is the one that would cover medical expenses, make sure that they have coverage.
What happens if you damage the property during your stay?
Let’s say you accidentally put a hot pan on the kitchen counter and the resulting mark doesn’t come off (oops!). You’ll need to pay for the repair. It’s the same if you place the plan there and intentionally caused the damage. The only time your homeowner’s policy will pay for a place that you rent, and do not own, is for property damage caused by fire, smoke, or explosion. Of course, it cannot be intentional.
Are you insured for vacation homes outside the country?
Your homeowner’s or renter’s personal property coverage protects your belongings when they are with you wherever they are. Similarly, your homeowner’s or renter’s liability coverage protects you from damage that you may cause to others or their property anywhere in the world.
When should you file a homeowner’s insurance claim?
If the damage is greater than your deductible, you may wish to file a claim. If it’s not, or if the difference is not much, you may to decide to pay out-of-pocket rather than going through insurance. For example, if the damage if $1,500 and your deductible is $500, you could file a claim. However, if the damage is $750 and your deductible is $500, you may decide to pay the difference. Know that filing a claim can cause your premiums to rise over time.
In addition, some vacation rentals charge a security deposit to cover any damage. Check with your prospective rental so you’ll know going in what to expect.
Finally, talk to your insurance agent and do a policy review to make sure you are fully covered for your vacation rental and other summer fun.
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.
If you’ve ever sat down to read a declaration page on an insurance policy, you know there’s a lot that goes into the documentation. This information is clearly important, but there’s a lot of paperwork. Do you really need to keep it all, and for how long?
Here’s a quick reference guide for your insurance paperwork, including how to organize it, store it, and for how long.
Insurance Policy
Whether you have home insurance, an auto policy, a renter’s policy, or another type of coverage, you will be issued a document that spells out the insurance coverage. This main policy document is multiple pages. It includes all the details of your policy, including coverages and limits, discounts, and endorsements. It also is a resource with definitions of insurance terms and explanations of the claims process. If you are bundling your coverages, such as with home and auto, you will have an insurance policy document for each.
You need to know the coverage that you have, but you don’t necessarily need a hard copy of your policy document. If your insurer offers digital access on their website, you can toss the paper version. Either way, you will want to keep a hard copy of the declarations page.
Certificate of Insurance (COI)
This document is the summary of your coverage. Its format is easy to scan and provides a quick look at your coverage details. It’s especially useful to share with lenders who require proof of insurance if you are financing your home or car.
Keep a copy of your certificate of insurance for as long as the policy is active. It is your proof of insurance. When you renew your policy, you can throw out the old COI.
Insurance Claims Documents
Accidents happen, and things get damaged and stolen. You may file a claim with your insurance company when this happens. If your claim is for an auto policy, you will get an accident report. You also may have medical reports and bills. If your claim is for home damage or theft, you will have an inventory of damage. You also will have repair bills, receipts, and other paperwork. If it’s a third-party claim, where you caused injury or loss to another person, you will receive documentation as well.
Claims can sometimes take years, especially if medical bills are involved. As long as your claim is open, keep all of the paperwork. Only throw it out after you have received the payment.
Vehicle Insurance Card
Your auto insurance card fits in your wallet or glove compartment, which is where it should be kept. That way, you have a hard copy even if you have access to a digital version. Hard copies are useful in case you are pulled over by law enforcement or need to exchange the information with another driver in the event of an accident.
Keep the hard copy of your auto insurance card as long as your policy is active. You may dispose of it when the policy renews and you receive a new card.
Billing Statements
You will receive regular billing statements from your insurer, usually monthly. These may be by mail or online.
Keep your billing statements for tax purposes if you have a home business or you use your car for business purposes. If you’re audited by the IRS, you may need to show your bills for the last 7 years.
How to Store Documents
If you’re keeping paper copies of documents, you want to make sure that they remain in good, readable condition. Here are some recommendations to keep them that way:
Keep your documents in a safe container in a climate-controlled space to reduce the possibility of mold and fading.
Store papers in a waterproof and fire-resistant container. Consider a home lock box or safe or a filing cabinet.
Consider digital storage as well, as a backup. You can store copies of papers on a flash drive. For a small fee, you also can store them in Dropbox and on iCloud and other services.
Pro Tip: Use plastic page sleeves for your documents for added protection. You can slide your documents into the sleeves and then file them in a binder or box.
How to Dispose of Documents
The general rule is that once a policy is done, you don’t need to keep the paperwork. (See the exceptions for claims documents and billing statements above.) But your insurance documents have personal information that could lead to identity theft if not disposed of safely.
Always shred any old papers. Use a crosscut shredder that cuts in two directions to produce confetti.
A small home shredder will work or you may find a free shredding event in your community.
Local banks and other companies also may shred your papers for a fee.
Remember to permanently delete old digital copies as well.
Going Paperless
Did you know, you can access your account online with California Casualty? Once you’ve signed up, you will have quick access to your policy(ies) at any time and from anywhere. You simply “Sign In” in the same right-hand corner where you created your account initially. And easy, secure access to this policy portal gives you the flexibility to:
Download/Print ID Cards
View/Download Your Declaration Pages
Pay Your Bill Online
Make Some Changes to Your Policy (Manage Drivers, Manage Vehicles, Manage Lienholders/Mortgagee)
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.
When the weather is hot and dry, and conditions are just right, wildfires happen. They are more common in some parts of the country than others, but it’s important to remember a fire can break out anywhere. And when it does, your home and your family are at risk.
Know whether your home is located in a high-risk fire zone and what to do to protect it.
What’s your zone?
A fire hazard zone is a region that has characteristics that put it at higher risk for wildfires, such as:
A history of fires in the region over a 30-50-year period
Dry, hot, and windy weather that cause fires to spread faster
Forests and vegetation that act as fuel for fire
Steep slopes where fire often burns faster
The potential for fires to burn through the top layer of foliage
Millions of homes are located in or near fire hazard severity zones. U.S. states most impacted by wildfires include California, Oregon, and Arizona. California has classified its fire zones as moderate, high, and very high. These areas are mapped by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The zones help property owners and builders better protect structures in areas at high risk.
Other states also affected by recent wildfires include Washington, Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Idaho, Nevada, Texas, Alaska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Florida. There’s been a population boom in these drought-sensitive regions, which means there’s an increased risk of human activity sparking a fire.
The nonprofit, First Street Foundation, has an online risk factor tool where you can search for your region’s fire risk. You also can find information from your state’s Department of Forestry. If your home is in a fire hazard zone, make sure that your community is an active Firewise USA® site working with local foresters to reduce risks.
How can you protect your home?
In addition to your community working to reduce risk, there are steps you can take to help better protect your home from wildfires.
The USDA Forest Service has divided your home and property into three zones based on research into how homes ignite. Addressing each of these zones will help to reduce the risk of a fire on your property.
Immediate Zone (Less than 5 feet) – your home and the area immediately surrounding it
Seal your windows and doors to reduce the risk of embers getting inside your home. (Embers are burning pieces of wood that can be carried by winds for more than a mile.)
Use insulated glass, which can hold heat longer than standard glass.
Avoid acrylic skylights that could melt.
Paint decking with fireproof paint.
Consider other fireproof materials, from siding to roofing to metal or fiber-cement doors.
Emergency vehicles need driveways that are 12 feet wide and have a vertical clearance of 15 feet. Check that your property can accommodate them.
Extended Zone (30-100 feet) – the vegetation and land that extends 30 feet past your house
Keep trees at least 12 feet apart (between canopy crowns) within 30-60 feet of your home. Keep trees at least 6 feet apart within 60-100 feet of your home.
Pick up debris and dead plant material.
Remove vegetation that is near storage sheds or other structures.
Make sure your home and street are clearly marked for first responders.
Finally…
Clean your home with fire safety in mind so that you don’t accidentally cause a fire.
Make sure you have home insurance that protects against damage caused by natural disasters such as wildfires. The right insurance provides peace of mind in the event of a fire.
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.
Dry, hot weather makes the risk of fire especially dangerous in many parts of the country. Even if you’re not in a region prone to wildfires, you could be affected. Fires can happen anywhere, and once they start, they can spread quickly, putting your property and home at risk.
Fire prevention starts in the yard, and there are some simple steps that you can take to protect your home and property.
Fire Prevention Steps to Take for Free
Remove flammable materials from your yard, especially from 5 feet around your home. These include bark mulch, dried leaves, and garden debris. Also, remove any tree branches that hang low and could fall on your house.
Keep your yard clean by regular raking. Use a steel rake to remove dead grass and leaves and place them on a tarp. Then transfer them into a leaf bag placed far from your house or put them into a fireproof composter.
Replace your plants with low flammability plants. While no plant is fireproof, there are some plants that are more difficult to ignite due to their high moisture content. These include sedum, succulents, cacti, lilac, and lavender.
Pro Tip: Highly flammable plants often have gummy sap and/or leaves that carry a strong odor when crushed. It’s probably best to avoid these types of plants.
Space your plants farther apart so it’s harder for them to ignite each other. Also, keep plants and grass watered regularly. Avoid planting anything that could catch fire and block your escape from windows or doors.
Do not store anything under your deck that can catch fire. Move any stored wood well away from your house.
Follow fire pit and barbecue safety when using those items.
Low to Moderate Cost Fire Prevention Adjustments
Remove wooden or plastic garden borders and replace them with stone or corrugated steel landscape edging. Replace mulch with gravel or seashells.
Cover your eaves or openings in the exterior walls of your home with 1/8-inch metal screens to block embers.
Install metal gutter guards to keep leaves and pine needles out of gutters. These can become dry and brittle and add fuel to a fire.
If you have a deck, install metal wire mesh no larger than 1/8 inch to prevent dry leaves from collecting underneath.
Plant deciduous trees, such as Serviceberry trees, that don’t produce a lot of dead wood. Avoid conifers such as pine, juniper, or spruce trees.
More Costly Fire Prevention Actions
Redo your wooden deck with fire-resistant decking materials.
Add hardscaping to your property. This can create a break in vegetation that can slow down or stop the spread of a fire. Plan for paths at least 4 feet wide.
Install concrete retaining walls. These also can help slow or stop a spreading fire.
Consider fiber cement or aluminum siding which stand up to heat better than their more combustible alternatives such as vinyl. You also can add flame retardants to wood siding or surfaces.
Add steel exterior shutters to pull down over windows to keep a fire’s heat from shattering the glass. You also can install double or triple-paned windows.
Make sure that you are in the best position to protect your property and your home in case a fire does occur. Here are some ways that you can prepare.
Check your property to ensure that emergency vehicles, including firetrucks, will have easy access to your home and can get close enough to deploy their hoses.
Keep a hose available in your shed or fire extinguisher on your property away from your house in case you need it.
Make sure you have smoke detectors on every floor of your home and check them monthly.
Store extra extension cords nearby in case you need them. They may be useful to power emergency lights after dark.
Make sure you have home insurance that protects against damage caused by natural disasters such as wildfires. The right insurance provides peace of mind in the event of a fire.
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.
Do you want to save money on your insurance payments? Did you know there’s a way to do that without raising your deductible or lowering your coverage? The answer is bundling.
What is bundling? It’s a term to describe a multi-policy discount. If you have more than one policy with an insurance company, you may bundle those policies and, in the process, you can save on all.
Here’s why you might consider bundling:
Bundling can save you money. Depending upon the amount of coverage for your policies, and your state, you can save from 5% to 25%.
Bundling is convenient. It simplifies bill paying and record keeping since you interact with just one insurer.
Bundling can help ensure you are fully covered. Having all policies with one company allows your insurance advisor to review any gaps in coverage.
There are many different ways to bundle your insurance.
Homeowner’s Insurance Bundles
Your home is one of your greatest investments; you need to make sure that it’s fully protected. There are plenty of decisions to make when buying your own policy- from coverage limits to extra protection for your belongings. One of those decisions might be to incorporate additional coverage to enhance your policy. When you bundle those with your home insurance, you can save money.
You can choose to bundle your home insurance with:
Sump pump endorsement: A sump pump is a device that collects excess water and drains it outside your home. Sump pump coverage covers the costs of repair and replacement in the event of a sump pump failure. Just a couple inches of water backup can cause thousands of dollars in damage – ruining carpets, destroying appliances, and crumbling drywall.
Flood insurance: Regular home insurance does not cover flood damage. That’s why many people in flood zones purchase this extra policy. There is a 30-day waiting period to buy flood insurance, so take that into consideration.
Auto insurance: If you have a vehicle, you likely have liability, collision, and/or comprehensive insurance. Liability coverage is used to pay for damages that you cause. Collision coverage helps to pay to repair your vehicle or get one of equivalent cash value if yours is totaled. Comprehensive coverage is for damage to your vehicle other than collisions, such as natural disasters, fires, vandalism, theft, and animals that damage your vehicle.
College students and renter’s insurance: If your college student* lives away at school, his or her belongings are covered by your homeowner’s policy at 10% of the limit of liability or $1,000, whichever is greater. You may want more coverage than 10%. Talk to your insurance advisor about expanding limits, such as an umbrella policy to cover expensive items your student is bringing to college. Alternatively, consider purchasing renter’s insurance for your college student for an off-campus apartment. Renter’s insurance not only protects your student’s possessions but offers them emergency housing if they are unable to reside in the rental unit. Renter’s insurance is surprisingly affordable, so when you bundle it with your homeowner’s, it could practically be free!
*Note that college students must meet certain requirements in order to qualify as an insured on your homeowner’s policy. This includes age limitations, family relationship, and full-time enrollment in school. In the event of theft coverage, they must have lived in the location 60 days immediately before the loss.
Earthquake Insurance: If you live in an area that is prone to earthquakes, you may want to consider this additional coverage. Homeowner, condo, and rental insurance policies typically do not cover earthquakes.
Umbrella policies: This type of policy provides additional personal liability insurance that starts to pay after your underlying limits of liability on your home insurance policy have been exhausted after a covered loss. While there’s no way to know for sure how much liability coverage you may need, understanding what you stand to lose is a good place to start. If you’re being sued, it’s possible that equity in your home, your personal savings, and your income may be at risk. If the value of two years of your annual income, the equity in your home, and your savings exceed the liability limits on your auto or home insurance policies, then you should consider an umbrella policy to protect your net worth.
Renter’s Insurance Bundles
Renter’s insurance is like homeowner’s insurance but for tenants. Starting at about $10 a month, it protects your personal belongings (that’s right, your landlord’s insurance policy will not cover your belongings) but that’s not all. It’s an important safeguard if you’re found at fault for property damage or injuries at your place (and even around the world). It also can help if you don’t have access to your apartment or home due to a covered loss.
You can choose to bundle your renter’s insurance with:
Auto insurance: As described above, auto insurance helps protect you in the event of an accident or other damage to your car. When you bundle your renter’s policy with an auto policy that you already have, the savings can be substantial.
Pet insurance: Our pets are like family and we want to keep them as healthy as possible. Pet insurance can help to offset those veterinary expenses. Depending on your policy, pet insurance may cover exams, prescriptions, lab tests and x-rays, surgeries, emergency visits, and even cancer. You make the initial payment and then are reimbursed depending upon the deductible and limits that you have selected. (Pet insurance also may be bundled with homeowner’s, too.)
Auto Insurance Bundles
Auto and homeowner’s insurance, and auto and renter’s policies, are among the most popular types of insurance bundles. However, you also may wish to bundle your car insurance with a boat policy.
Boats and personal watercraft: If you have a boat, you will need a boat insurance policy. You also need a separate policy for personal watercraft such as jet skis. The policies protect you from vandalism, accidents, and liability for injuries to others.
*Note that motorcycle insurance is not eligible for a bundling discount. However, if you live in a cold climate state, and only ride your bike in warmer months, you can ask about seasonal coverage.
Each year, California Casualty policyholders save an average of $423* a year. That could be even more if you decide to bundle your coverages. See how much you can save and get started with a free quote today at mycalcas.com/quote.
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.
