1. On the Wire - Prudent Pruning
2. Ask Tom & Leslie - Attack of the Birds!
3. Got A Question About Your Money Pit?
4. On the Air - iPod, uPod, We All Pod!
5. Dot Common Sense - The Power is in Your Hands
6. Fun Fact - Appliance Myth Busters
7. Short Cuts - Stove Top Spring Cleaning
8. Share This Information With A Friend!

ON THE WIRE

Early spring is a good time to think about pruning. Deciduous trees and shrubs can be shaped and cut back before growth starts so they will grow and bloom they way we want. Removing dead branches is a good place to start. But how can you tell if a branch is dead when it has no leaves? Look at the end. Live branches will have small twigs and swelling buds. Live stems and branches are also flexible and bend. Dead branches snap off when you bend them and they may have peeling bark. If you aren't sure, wait until the leaves come out. And remember that stressed, sick or newly planted trees leaf out later than normal.

Young trees need special attention in spring, so they will have branches evenly spaced around the main trunk. If there are two competing main shoots on top, one should be cut back or removed entirely, so only one central trunk will develop. For trees that have branches too low, you can prune them off at the trunk so that you can walk or plant under the tree. Walking height is 6 to 8 feet of clear space, but no more than two branches should be removed in any one year or it slows down growth.

There are certain trees, called "bleeders", which drip excessive sap in early spring. They are maple, birch, elm, golden chain, and yellowwood and are generally not pruned until their sap stops running, usually in late May or June.

As a safety precaution, use a pole pruner, a hand saw, or loppers. Never take a power saw up a ladder, or use it above shoulder height while standing on the ground.

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ASK TOM & LESLIE

This week's question comes to us from Gene Jacobs, in West Chester, Pennsylvania. Gene says, "For three days now a robin has been flying up against a window every few seconds, just barely touching it. There is nothing above or on the window that I can see, so I have no idea what's attracting the bird. It's very persistent, although I chase it, it comes right back again. Any thoughts as to what's going on and how I might get rid of this stupid bird! It's very disturbing to hear it against the window all day long. It does stop when it gets dark, but then right back the next morning."

Gene, according to the folks at www.WildlifeHotline.org, this is common behavior this time of year. It's mating season! Male robins and cardinals attack windows to drive out "competitors" not realizing this is their own reflection, which explains why it stops after dark - no more reflection. There are several ways to handle this. One is to cut out squares of aluminum foil, about 12 inches long and wide, and put them on the outside of the windows being attacked. Secure the foil with a piece of duct tape at the top, so the foil blows in the breeze. Put several of these on each window. You can also use helium balloons with faces, a big yellow smiley face for example. The balloons will bob in wind and scare the bird away. A third option is to get silvery Mylar tape and dangle three-foot strands over the area being attacked. The strands blow in the wind and will scare the bird away.

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GOT A QUESTION ABOUT YOUR MONEY PIT?

1. The toll-free studio hot line is 1-888-MONEY PIT. Find out when we broadcast in your area by checking out our website at www.moneypit.com. Each week we take dozens of calls, give great advice and offer callers a chance to win a terrific prize awarded to one random caller to every show.
2. Call when it's convenient for you, 24 hours a day, same number: 1-888-MONEY PIT. A live person takes your call 24/7! So -- WHENEVER you have a home improvement question -- phone it in. Simply tell our phone screener your first name, and where you're calling from...and ask your question. Weíll get back to you with the answer ñ or even call you back during the show!
3. Click here to email your question to us. We may read your email on the air and we also respond personally to many of the email questions we get.

ON THE AIR

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DOT COMMON SENSE

Are you fed up with your high energy bills? Are you tired of paying through the nose at the pump? Did you know that the power to lower the cost of energy is actually in your hands? President Bush probably said it best when he said Americans are addicted to oil. The Alliance to Save Energy says if we can break that dependency, we actually have the power to lower the rising cost of energy over time - on everything from what heats our homes to what goes in our cars. It's called "The Power is in Your Hands" campaign, and the goal is to make Americans aware that the best way to lower those energy prices is for us to wean ourselves off of our oil and gas obsession. Click here to learn more.

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FUN FACT

This week, we're busting our own little myths. These little known facts buck tradition and go against what you've probably heard most of your life, but lots of appliances aren't being used they way they could be because of them. Here are the most popular untruths we uncovered:

GARBAGE DISPOSER

• Myth - You have to run the water when using your garbage disposer.
• Truth - The disposer runs on steel ball bearings, so running it "dry" won't ruin it, but the water does help push the food down.
• Factoid - It's actually called a "disposer". The confusion of disposal - comes from the GE brand name Disposall. And by the way, you can't put anything down your disposer to sharpen the blades.

MICROWAVE

• Myth - If I have a metal rack in my microwave, I can put metal in it.
• Truth - In microwave ovens with a metal rack, the amount of metal actually disperses the microwaves to avoid sparking and arching.
• Factoid - Good news for all you doggie baggers: according to the Aluminum Foil Container Manufacturers Association, aluminum foil containers can be safely used in modern microwaves (made after 1980). Make sure to remove the lid, because the aluminum will block the microwaves, so the food will be heated from the top. This allows for more uniform cooking, according to the AFCMA. Make sure that no aluminum or metal touches the interior walls or door, otherwise arching will occur. We would recommend against using aluminum foil in the microwave.

• Myth - When you cook with a microwave, you are actually "nuking" the food.
• Truth - Microwave ovens heat using radio waves, the health hazard comes from looking into it while cooking, that could cause cataracts - not sterility as is the common misconception.

DISHWASHER

• Myth - You have to use the heat dry cycle of the dishwasher for you dishes to dry spotless.
• Truth - If you use any rinsing agent, you can air-dry your dishes to a spotless sparkle.

OVEN

• Myth - It's good to clean an oven before cooking a large meal.
• Truth - Using the self-clean cycle on your oven before planning a big holiday meal is the last thing you want to do. The self-clean cycle stresses any oven to the limit, so it's most likely to break down right after a cleaning.

• Myth - It's cheaper to clean the oven myself with oven cleaner than to run the self-clean cycle.
• Truth - Contrary to what most homeowners believe, it only costs about 35 cents to run the entire self-clean cycle, whether you have a gas or electric stove. That's cheaper than a can of oven cleaner for sure!

FRIDGE

• Myth - If the ice maker's ice cubes are sticking together, it's not working right.
• Truth - The icemaker is fine, the cubes are just reacting to a principle of physics. When the cubes touch, slight pressure is created, generating heat which melts the ice cubes just enough to have them stick together when they instantly re-freeze.

• Myth - The longer you stand there with the door open, the more energy is wasted.
• Truth - The temperature in the fridge drops in less than a minute, standing there any longer won't make much of a difference in energy wasted.

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SHORT CUTS

As you tackle your spring cleaning to do list, don't forget your kitchen appliances - especially your stove. Not only is a dirty stove no fun to look at, spills left under the burners can reduce the stove's ability to heat up efficiently. Dirty stovetop drip bowls reduce the heating efficiency of the burner, so clean or replace the drip bowls regularly. Never cover them with foil! This can cause an electrical short in the stove or block the oven vent, which is often through the center of a back burner. Also check your oven door to be sure it's closing tightly. This will improve the efficiency and temperature accuracy of the oven. If it doesn't close properly, you should inspect the door gasket, hinges or door springs. These parts can be replaced by many do-it-yourselfers.

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