My friend watched one and started washing ziplock bags to reuse them. It kinda proves @the_paige's point about living in fear getting a bit silly.

Early find was smart, but putting on that kind of insecticide is a band-aid (and can hurt helpful bugs in your yard). Those borers usually go for trees that are already stressed from drought or bad soil. The better fix is to give the tree a deep, slow water once a week and add some mulch around the base. A healthy tree can often fight off the bugs on its own. Honestly, birch trees are just kind of fragile that way sometimes.

Yikes, I read a whole article on how messed up ducts make your heating system work twice as hard for half the effect. One clear sign is when some rooms stay much hotter or colder than others, no matter what you do with the thermostat. You might also hear rattling or whistling from the vents because the air is fighting to get through. The article mentioned blocked or bent ducts can build up pressure and cause drafts in strange spots. It's basically like paying to heat the inside of your walls instead of your home. Some folks really overestimate their skills with a roll of duct tape.