Dear Heloise: It’s that time of year in the Midwest — snake season! Do you or any of your loyal followers have any ideas for keeping snakes away from my home and garage without costing me a month’s worth of paychecks? Please help! — Jan M., Moline, Illinois

Jan, try one or all of these:

— Make sure tall grass is cut short or cut down. Also, trim bushes.  Snakes love cool, shady places.

— Seal all cracks and openings such as holes with caulking or metal sheeting.

— Manage your trash; make sure garbage can lids are tightly closed.

— If you store bird feed, chicken feed, or any other type of feed for animals outside, store it in something like a trash can with a tight lid.  Rodents get into the feed, and snakes love to chow down on rodents and lizards.

— There are repellents like cinnamon oil, clove oil, garlic and lemongrass, all of which snakes hate.

— Got any puddles on your property? Fill them with dirt, sand or pebbles. Snakes love cool, wet spots. This is especially important around air conditioners.

— Dilute ammonia and spray it around your property.

I hope these tips help! — Heloise

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Heloise@Heloise.com

EGG WHITE FACIAL

Dear Heloise: How often do you have to use your egg white facial for it to be effective? Thank you for your assistance. — Femy C., in Laguna Woods, California

Femy, as often as you feel is needed. This is only a temporary fix, and there is some controversy about facials. Many dermatologists discourage facials altogether. It causes tightening and relaxing of the skin, which they feel stretches the skin over time. — Heloise

FLASHING LIGHTS

Dear Heloise: I have an older car that doesn’t have a backup camera, making it difficult to see around larger vehicles in a parking lot when I’m backing out. (Think Texas-sized trucks parked on one or both sides.) So, before I put my car in reverse, I turn on my emergency hazard lights to make other drivers aware while I’m safely inching out of my spot. (Don’t forget to turn the lights off when you’re done backing up.) — Diana A., McKinney, Texas

NO RETURN NEEDED

Dear Heloise: I love your helpful tips here in Universal City, Texas. Here’s mine: I like to pass on the good books I’ve read to friends. On the front, I paste a sticky note that says “no need to return” if I don’t want it back. This way, they can take their time reading it, and there’s no pressure to return it. — Corrinne B., in Texas

CALLING ALL EXPATS

Dear Heloise: Facebook has many groups like “Expats in …” where you can get all kinds of info from people all over the world. — Tiffany J., via email

Tiffany, thanks! What a great way to make friends in new places. — Heloise

WASHING OUT BLOOD STAINS

Dear Heloise: I cut my hand at work and bled on my favorite pair of white slacks. A woman I work with told me not to wash them in hot water but didn’t say why. Wouldn’t hot water be best to wash out a blood stain? — Gina D., in Gary, Indiana

Gina, no, hot water will set the stain. You might want to try a prewash stain remover on the stain, then wash as you usually do in cold water. Don’t be too surprised if it takes two washings. — Heloise