It can’t be seen, felt or tasted and it is even odorless. That is why radon is called the silent killer. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer deaths in the United States. A University of Missouri-Columbia expert says testing is quick and inexpensive and well worth the time and effort.

Radon is a radioactive gas that can seep…[more]

(ARA) - With the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, buying personalized gifts for everyone on your shopping list can be stressful and exhausting—not to mention expensive. Since the holidays are about bringing family together—why not buy one gift that the whole family can share? Try adding these items to your shopping list to keep the entire family happy at the holidays—and the whole year round.

Avoid…[more]

During a long bleak winter, the use of artificial light to grow indoor plants is one way to bring a little summer into your home.

With a little creativity, the lighting system for your plants can become an attractive decorative element, said David Trinklein, University of Missouri horticulturalist.

“The use of supplementary electric lighting is the easiest and least expensive way to not only provide enough…[more]

Missouri residents who realize they may have problems paying their utility bills should take the first step of notifying the utility company about their situation. Several utility companies offer heating assistance programs.

Missouri residents who have been disconnected from natural gas or electrical services in violation of the Missouri Cold Weather Rule should contact the Office of the Attorney General at 1-800-392-8222.[more]

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced it has increased the energy efficiency standards for residential furnaces and boilers, underscoring the Department’s commitment to meet its aggressive, five-year appliance standard rulemaking schedule, as established in its January 31, 2006, Report to Congress.  The Department estimates that these amended standards, which become effective in 2015, will save the equivalent of the total amount of energy consumed by 2.5 million American…[more]

Many people fear that the poinsettia, an American favorite for Christmas and the nation’s top-selling potted plant, is poisonous.

“Contrary to the belief of some, poinsettias are not poisonous,” said Jay Chism, agronomy specialist, University of Missouri Extension. “Extensive testing at more than one university over the years has given the plant a clean bill of health.”

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As outdoor temperatures become colder, mice seek locations that are more hospitable.

In many cases, that most agreeable location is inside a home, according to John Hobbs, agriculture and rural development specialist, University of Missouri Extension.

“No matter how big a house is, it is never…[more]

Yews, junipers, arborvitaes, barberry, spirea, euonymus and Bradford pear are some of the most common landscape plants known by the general public. In many instances these are generic selections for the novice gardener or homeowner.

“There are places in the landscape for some of these species, but often they are over utilized thus missing the opportunity to experience other plants that will be effective,” said Jay Chism, agronomy…[more]

Robbie McKinnon knows what she’s talking about when she discusses how to make your moving experience less traumatic. McKinnon, the Pike County family and consumer sciences agent with the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, had to move recently.

“If you have moved your family to a new home, you may also have fresh memories of some of the ups and downs or thrills or frustrations of moving,”…[more]

Many homes in the Ozarks have had an unwelcome guest arrive this fall.

“Lady beetles seem to make their way into homes during both the fall and, to a lesser degree, in the spring. This continues to be a problem for several rural homeowners.” said Tim Schnakenberg, agronomy specialist, University of Missouri Extension.[more]