Dear Heloise: We have an older home with wooden windows. Several years ago, we purchased storm windows that got installed on the outside of our wooden windows. They work great, but our window over the kitchen sink has small spiders that spin their webs between the inside and the storm window.

We clean them out twice a week, but they just keep coming back. We don’t want to use insecticide due to them being close to where we prepare food. Any suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks, and we love your column! — Thomas W., Longview, Texas

Thomas, you can use sticky traps. Just open the window, lay down a sticky trap, then close the window. These are good for areas where there is food preparation.

In addition, there are bug vacuums sold at hardware stores that can usually collect the spiders and release them outdoors, but these can be a bit expensive.

These two examples are nonpoisonous, but there is also diatomaceous powder for entry points, such as windows and doorways, to ward off other spiders such as black widows and brown recluse spiders, which are poisonous. — Heloise

NOTEPADS

Dear Heloise: I have many notepads. They are the type you get in the mail when organizations are asking for donations. I would hate to throw them away if they can be used. Do you have any suggestions as to where I can bring these? — Judy, in Connecticut

Judy, fortunately, gift-giving season is nearly upon us. You can take several or even just two that are the same size and wrap a pretty ribbon around them. Then take them to any office and hand them out.

My veterinarian, eye doctor and hairdresser all love notepads, and getting them for free makes them happy. — Heloise

VACATION SAFETY

Dear Heloise: When our four sons were small, everyone in the family wore the same bright shirts when we went to unfamiliar or crowded places on vacation. This way, if one of them had gotten lost, he could have someone help him find us by pointing to his shirt and asking the person to find an adult in the same shirt.

Fortunately, we never lost one of the boys, but we still think it was a good idea. — Katherine Grimes, Ferrum, Virginia

Katherine, this is such a great idea. Far too many children get lost in crowds, where they might get frightened, but I know it’s usually the parents who are frantic. I’ve had letters from readers who told me that they put a whistle around their child’s neck. They told them to blow the whistle if they were lost and raise their left hand straight up in the air to signal to Mom to come over and get them.

My own mother once told me if we were separated in a large department store to go to any store clerk and ask them to page her to that location. — Heloise

THANKSGIVING HEADS-UP

Dear Readers: Now is a good time to shop for that Thanksgiving turkey before all the best birds get picked! It’ll be here before you know it. — Heloise