DEAR SUN SPOTS: Help, please! I have misplaced my recipe for refrigerator bread-and-butter pickles. Hopefully somebody out there will share their recipe with me. — Betty, Freeman Township

ANSWER: Last summer a request for pickles (not specifically bread and butter) filled several columns. She expects a similar response to your request!

DEAR SUN SPOTS: Does anyone know an effective recipe to keep earwigs out of the house or ways to remove them? — No Name, Turner

ANSWER: Sun Spots visited several sites online (www.getridofthings.com, www.servicemagic.com, www.dkmommyspot.com and www.ehow.com). Take heart, they said that the earwigs aren’t nesting in your house, merely looking for dark damp places to hang out.

Earwigs are attracted to moist places, such as the area around your house’s foundation. getridofthings.com recommends replacing wet dirt with gravel and eliminating entrance points such as ground-floor windows by using weather-stripping. You can also use boric acid to create an effective barrier and kill the little buggers.

Once they are in your house, your vacuum is your best friend. Have it ready when you enter the room, as they will scatter. Afterward, dispose of the bag in a sealed container.

ehow.com recommends rolling up newspaper, wetting it and placing it in areas where you’ve found earwigs. They will crawl into the damp newspaper and then can easily be disposed of. Another homemade trap can be made using low-sided cans filled with oil, or you can purchase commercial traps.

There are a number of insecticides on the market that will kill earwigs. servicemagic.com said the most effective involve using a hose to disperse the chemicals into the ground. Be sure to follow the directions exactly.

DEAR SUN SPOTS: In response to Diane Cordell (July 18) regarding the Lothrop reunion. I saw her information and thought she might be a descendant of Ralph K. Lothrop.

In July or August of 1969, I attended an auction in Leeds. It was held at the farm home near the corner of Churchill Road and Route 106. Former Sen. Brewster was the administrator. Everything was auctioned to the highest bidder. I bought two or more pickup truck loads of furnishings for about $50.

I still have the brass barn bell with the original nail, presumably from the barn door, along with a few other pieces of furniture.If you are a descendant of R.K.L., you may be interested in retrieving this relic from the past. I only get to e-mail once or twice a week at our library. If you’ll call me at home 933-2473; we can arrange to meet.

Isn’t Sun Spots the very best? Nothing like it anywhere else we have lived. Thanks, Sun Spots. — Clara Long Moore, Monmouth, clara0829@gmail.com

DEAR SUN SPOTS: Marc Beaulieu, a 1986 graduate of St. Doms, had his left leg amputated from the knee down in April. Since he had been laid off and had no health insurance, we are raising money for a prosthesis and to cover other expenses accrued during this difficult and financially straining time.

A dinner/social will be held Friday, Aug. 5, at 5:30 p.m. at the Shipyard Lounge, Androscoggin Bank Colisee. Cost is $10 per person or $15 per couple. Admission will include buffet dinner, DJ with dancing, and raffles and giveaways. A cash bar will be available. A three-month raffle calendar of amazing prizes will also be available to purchase starting that night for $20. Call me for more information. — Brian Beaulieu, 212-9820

DEAR SUN SPOTS: In response to Mike Melcher’s July 20 inquiry regarding Katie’s Sales, that company closed several years ago, and Katie has moved out of state. — Ray Lagueux, rayl@obrienconsolidated.com

This column is for you, our readers. It is for your questions and comments. There are only two rules: You must write to the column and sign your name (we won’t use it if you ask us not to). Please include your phone number. Letters will not be returned or answered by mail, and telephone calls will not be accepted. Your letters will appear as quickly as space allows. Address them to Sun Spots, P.O. Box 4400, Lewiston, ME 04243-4400. Inquiries can also be e-mailed to sunspots@sunjournal.com.

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