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When was the last time you practiced your emergency exit?

Via Russel Ray, San Diego home inspector (Russel Ray, Property Consultant):

Ever get invaded by ants? Invariably they find something sweet on the kitchen counter or in a cabinet, and it's always first thing in the morning. In just a few short hours, from the time you went to bed to the time you got up, they invaded. They seem to know how to get in and when you've turned the lights off and gone to bed. Too bad they don't know what a bedside alarm sounds like so they could scurry away before you found them in your beautiful kitchen. Guess they didn't have an emergency exit plan.

Quite often you'll follow the trail of ants and find that they are coming in through one of your electric outlets. Since there's a natural space in the walls to that outlet, it's a great way for the ants to get in. According to the ant researchers, the slight warmth of the electrical wires also attracts the ants.

It's like that with electricity everywhere. You and I know that if we touch a live electrical wire, we can, indeed, get burned. We learned very quickly the first time we did that.

Wildlife, however, doesn't always learn. Where there's warmth, there must be a nice home. Unfortunately, if there's no emergency exit from that home, it can become a death trap:

    

Have you taken time to create your emergency exit plans?

Does everyone have a copy, with other copies in well-known locations?

Do you practice your emergency exit once a month?

Are your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors working properly? Make sure you test them monthly.

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My most recent 20 posts (they'll open in a new window)

1. Seller disclosure: "This outlet has problems sometimes...." - 2/14/09
2. Seller disclosure: "The siding tends to burn...." - 2/14/09
3. When was the last time? - 2/13/09
4. 100 things you can do to stimulate the economy - 2/12/09
5. If everyone is doing it, does that make it right? - 2/11/09
6. That's big! That's huge! That's the biggest I've ever seen! - 2/10/09
7. Just because it's metal doesn't mean it's grounded - 2/9/09
8. What kind of animal did that? - 2/8/09
9. What the heck were they thinking? (electrical) - 2/8/09
10. Clash of the Titans: Logic and Codes - 2/7/09
11. I love helpful Clients - 2/7/09
12. It's only paint! - 2/6/09
13. How to (unintentionally) defrost a freezer - 2/6/09
14. How long will it take for a fire to get through your door? - 2/6/09
15. A quick thank you to ActiveRain - 2/5/09
16. How much will that cost? - 2/5/09
17. How come home inspections are so cheap? - 2/4/09
18. Russel Ray's Greatest Hits - 2/3/09
19. ActiveRain isn't for everyone, but with a little P&C, it could be - 2/1/09
20. Designer electric panels - 1/31/09