Don't forget to check the refrigerator. I found this array of tasty treats after someone left following a mid-summer visit.
Armadillos are nocturnal animals, generally feeding on insects and their larvae. With a diet including earthworms, spiders, scorpions, snails, cockroaches, wasps, beetles and grasshoppers, they can be seen as a form of pest control. Unfortunately, they become a nuisance when leaving multiple holes throughout your yard and plant beds while foraging. I find the even bigger nuisance is when they return to the same location where they repeatedly dig holes that resemble burrows. Upon closer inspection, most holes typically dead end and extend only about a foot in length. Preferred areas for digging seem to be along home foundations, barrier walls and slabs for pool equipment. While most pose no damage to homes or property, they are an unsightly annoyance. So the most obvious question I receive is, "How do I great rid of them?" Over the years I have read about several methods. My first action is to simply fill the hole with the displaced soil. I find that after several attempts, some armadillos do move on. This may take a half a dozen attempts or so before it is successful. For the more persistent critters other options may include:
On a side note there is often talk about armadillos spreading leprosy to humans. This recently has been found not to be as common as once believed. You can read more armadillos and leprosy at this link. www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-armadillos-can-spread-leprosy-180954440/  Typically, I've only seen deer in the The Lakewood Ranch Country Club just after sunup or right before sundown. But lately, I have been seeing them at various times throughout the day. The deer in the top picture was spotted about 7 am and the one at the bottom at about two in the afternoon. Both had something in common, they were tempted by the Schefflera plant. The deer below was even caught in the act. It seems they can't resist the variegated variety and for whatever reason, this year I've seen more Scheffleras eaten than in years past. I'll keep my eyes on the plants and if the damage continues, deer repellent will be applied. If you are interested in what plants deer favor or dislike, I've shared a list from an article I've linked below. Deer "Candy" Plants Deer Resistant Plants Impatiens Palms Holly Fern Indian Hawthorn Native Grasses Gardenia Hibiscus Yaupon Holly Petunia Arboricola Ligustrum Plumbago Roses Croton Society Garlic Portulaca Coreopsis Agapanthus Viburnum  ,Click the link below learn ways to keep deer from eating your plants.
patch.com/florida/eastlake/how-to-prevent-deer-from-eating-landscaping Living in paradise is something I feel privileged to experience daily. Helping seasonal residents experience this as well is my passion. The spirit of Aloha. 
This was on the counter of one of my homes. It fooled me for a second! I stood it up to show it is fake. I love a good sense of humor!   Here are 9 reasons you should hire a Home Watch Service that is accredited through The National Home Watch Association (NHWA).
1. Accredited members must pass a strict vetting process for consumer complaints or issues. 2. They must carry the proper insurance. 3. They must uphold the highest ethics in the Home Watch industry. 4. Accredited members will always look out for the best interest of the homeowner. 5. They provide regular visits to your home which may prevent or lesson property damage. 6. Offer protection against uninsured, unbonded and unethical individuals who represent themselves as Home Watch professionals. 7. Act as your liaison between contractors, associations, Realtors and virtually anyone you authorize. 8. Deliver consistent and accurate information to you during your absence. 9. Create a presence in your home which may deter squatters and other intruders. Why take a chance with your home. Make the easy choice that will truly give you peace of mind! Aloha Home Watch Services, LLC - A bonded, insured and accredited Home Watch company. As I look back on 2017, it was a great year. While the majority of home visits were uneventful, here is a sampling of some of the surprises of 2017. Glad I was there to catch them! Looking forward to a great 2018  I recently needed to rekey a deadbolt cylinder and found it surprisingly easy and inexpensive. After calling several locksmith companies and receiving quotes anywhere from $75 - $95 per lock, I decided to try a route suggested by a friend. He had used Home Depot in the past and they had charged just $5 if you bring the cylinder to them.
Taking the cylinder out of the locking mechanism was very simple, just a matter of removing two Phillips head screws. The rekeying process took less than 5 minutes and since it was just one lock, the sales associate only charged me the cost of the two new keys that matched the new cylinder setting. This was a savings of at least $70 and I felt was well worth the time and effort. If you are not handy and are not sure about how to remove lock cylinders, there are plenty of tutorial videos on YouTube that do a great job walking you though each step. Good luck and get ready to save money!  Stay connected to local weather with my Tropical Weather page. Simply click to see the weather forecast, hurricane tracks, wind speeds, beach webcams and more! Stay connected to your home, even if you are separated by thousands of miles.
 Here is some great information from NOAA and the National Hurricane Center, describing various tropical cyclones. Notice in the graph above that the peak of storm season is late August into early September.
A tropical cyclone is a rotating, organized system of clouds and thunderstorms that originates over tropical or subtropical waters and has a closed low-level circulation. Tropical cyclones rotate counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere. They are classified as follows: Tropical Depression: A tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 38 mph (33 knots) or less. Tropical Storm: A tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 39 to 73 mph (34 to 63 knots). Hurricane: A tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 74 mph (64 knots) or higher. In the western North Pacific, hurricanes are called typhoons; similar storms in the Indian Ocean and South Pacific Ocean are called cyclones. Major Hurricane: A tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 111 mph (96 knots) or higher, corresponding to a Category 3, 4 or 5 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Here are a few interesting sights I came across during the last month. There's never a dull day when home watching. DO WHAT YOU LOVE AND YOU'LL NEVER WORK ANOTHER DAY IN YOUR LIFE!
Q. What Do Frogs Like To Drink? Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â A. Croak-A-Cola ...And Sometimes Your Toilet Water!5/31/2017  If you're not a frog lover, this blog may creep you out. I had been trying to catch this fellow for about 3 weeks. When I would lift the toilet lid in one of my customer's home, this guy would be tucked under the rim. As quickly as I could make a move to grab him, he would make his escape by jumping off his resting spot and disappearing down the drain. It seemed as if he was experienced with this routine.This went on for about three weeks and he was starting to become a formidable challenge. But unfortunately for Mr. Frog, all good things must come to an end.  On my third visit, I flipped the toilet lid while holding a toilet brush in one hand (ready to clog his escape route) and my net in the other prepared to make the capture. To my surprise and disappointment, the toilet bowl was empty. But as I looked more closely at the rim, I saw a part of his foot barely visible over the edge. Pay-dirt! At last I caught him being careless and sitting outside the bowl (pictured above). After chasing him around the bathroom like we were on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, his days of squatting in homes of gated communities came to an end. But this story has a happy ending. I did let him go next to the pond out back where I am sure he found more to eat.
He is about the seventh frog I've captured at various homes over the years. This would explain why I carry a net and glove in my trunk. With the help of The Tampa Bay Times, here is the best theory I could find for how frogs end up in toilets. They say tree frogs like to climb trees and jump or drop onto roofs of houses. Being cold-blooded, in the morning they enjoy the warmth of the tiles or shingles. Once warmed up, they start looking for a cooler area to rest and the toilet vent pipe that protrudes from the roof is often the most convenient spot. Some fall down into the pipe and end up in your toilet. So when you lift the toilet lid, there's your surprise. If you are not a frog fan, here are a couple of things you can do to diminish the chances of finding one in your toilet: • Trim the tree branches that are nearest to your roof which allows access to the frogs. • Put a mesh wire screen over your toilet vent. This will keep them out for good. Just make sure the mesh is wide enough that the vent can "breathe". If you have had a "frog in the toilet experience" yourself, share it in the comment section below.  Bougainvillea are one of my favorite plants. I took these pictures recently while performing my home watch visits. I never get tired of the vibrant color. Bougainvillea love arid conditions and prefer drier soil and full sun. They love the hot, intense Florida sunshine and rarely seem bothered by drought-like conditions. They make the perfect plant for our area. Certain varieties can grow to sizes that are hard to manage, but I think the effort needed to keep them under control is well worth the view.    As our winter residents prepare to head north, we wish them a healthy and enjoyable summer in whatever state or country they call home. Aloha and thank you for the wonderful season! Rest assured, your home is in good hands with Aloha Home Watch Services, LLC. See you next season!   As of this week, I am proud to report that I have completed the accreditation process with the National Home Watch Association and I am now a nationally accredited home watch company. As part of this accreditation review, I am vetted for proper insurance, screened for consumer complaints and truthful website content as well as agreeing to follow the mission statement and code of ethics established by the NHWA. In addition, I have the opportunity to attend professional training seminars and network with other accredited home watch companies to improve my professional competencies.
Receiving my accreditation fits well with my mission to continually improve upon my qualifications which translates into improved home watch services for my homeowners. Living in paradise is something I feel privileged to experience daily. Helping seasonal residents experience this as well is my passion – The spirit of Aloha.  Hazardous waste recycling day is the third Saturday of the month at the Manatee County landfill off Lena Road. Dropping off some unused paint and sealer from a homeowner's garage. The drop off is FREE and is a great way to protect our environment. In addition to hazardous waste, they also collect E-scrap.
As seasonal residents return and I look back on 2016, it was a great year. I added many new families to the Aloha community and counted it a privilege to watch their homes. While the majority of home visits were uneventful, here is a sampling of some of the surprises of 2016. Glad I was there to catch them! Happy New Year Looking forward to a great 2017
Have you ever noticed that we often take our sewer lines for granted? Typically, what is out of sight is out of mind. That is until there is a problem with the "old drain system" and then life as we know it, comes to a halt.
These pictures show what happens when a cast iron drain pipe meets the ravages of time. The yellow objects on the right are the old cast iron pipes removed from below the foundation of one of my homeowner's living room. For several years the drain pipe had been backing up from time-to-time and needed to be cleared. After sending a camera down the pipe to search for the cause of the chronic clogs, the deterioration of the pipe was evident. The decision was made to replace the pipe with a new PVC drain. After sealing off the area to prevent dust from entering the rest of the home, the slab was cut, the old pipes removed and the replacement PVC drain was put in place. Problem solved. Fortunately for most of us, cast iron drain pipes have not been used in our area for years. So the next time you flush your toilet, appreciate the wonders of the PVC pipe! Welcome back to the early seasonal arrivals. The Sarasota/Bradenton area is a beautiful place to live.
  Stay connected with my Tropical Weather page www.alohahomewatch.com/tropical-weather.html. When storms develop, I post current tracking maps and have links to an evacuation zone map, the local ten day weather forecast, Caribbean satellite images and real-time webcams of local beach conditions. Don't get caught uninformed.
 Here is some great information from NOAA and the National Hurricane Center, describing various tropical cyclones. Notice in the graph above that the peak of storm season is late August into early September.
A tropical cyclone is a rotating, organized system of clouds and thunderstorms that originates over tropical or subtropical waters and has a closed low-level circulation. Tropical cyclones rotate counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere. They are classified as follows: Tropical Depression: A tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 38 mph (33 knots) or less. Tropical Storm: A tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 39 to 73 mph (34 to 63 knots). Hurricane: A tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 74 mph (64 knots) or higher. In the western North Pacific, hurricanes are called typhoons; similar storms in the Indian Ocean and South Pacific Ocean are called cyclones. Major Hurricane: A tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 111 mph (96 knots) or higher, corresponding to a Category 3, 4 or 5 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
It always pays to look up! Summer rains can bring welcomed relief to a hot, summer day, but with these cooling showers can come unexpected leaks. These spots recently appeared on a garage ceiling after a very heavy rain shower. Gusty winds combined with heavy rains can cause leaks to appear out of nowhere. This leak was along the flashing, next to a faux dormer on a tile roof. I made a quick call to the roofer and they removed the tiles and repaired the leak. I'm glad I caught it early before further damage may have resulted.
Home watch tip: Before repainting over the stain, here's a tip to be sure the leak has been successfully repaired. Using a pencil, make several small 1/4" marks along the outside edge of the stain. Later, when you check the stain after several new storms, you can see if the leak has progressed and extended beyond the original marks. When nothing has changed and you are sure the repair has been successful, it's time to repaint. DON'T LET YOUR LEAKS GO UNDETECTED. CALL US TO WATCH YOUR HOME WHEN YOU'RE AWAY. ALOHA HOME WATCH SERVICES, LLC |
Archives
June 2025
AuthorBill Medred is the founder and owner of Aloha Home Watch Services, LLC |
RSS Feed