JEFFERSON PARISH, La. (WGNO) — You will need to prepare for the incoming freezing temperatures protecting the four Ps: people, pets, pipes and plants. Now is the time to start. Roni Lavenia, the CEO of Rooter Man, says that when it comes to protecting your pipes from the cold, insulation is key. Raised homes require extra steps because the pipes are exposed. “Insulating the pipes with either store-bought insulation that you could put on exterior pipes and go around your house to all your hose bibs. Find where your main water is; insulate that,” said Lavenia. “Find where your other hose bibs are. Think about water coming in." Potential for damaging cold next week Lavenia says you can also use a towel, blanket or pool noodle for insulation. To prevent your pipes from freezing, there are gadgets that will do the work for you. Therefore, you won't have to trickle your water which could be detrimental for a parish's water supply. “They have these new gadgets out, like this Freeze Miser, which we started to stock, but you can get them at box stores. What's really fabulous about this is you just put it on and forget about it,” explained Lavenia. “And when the temperature hits 33 degrees, this is designed to come on and start dripping for you.” Other tips include: Cover irrigation systems. Don’t cover outdoor tankless water heaters. Power it down before bed and trickle the hot water. Power it back up in the morning. Tucker Bantom, the general manager at Perino’s Garden Center in Metairie, demonstrates at the business how to protect plants from the frost, but he says not to cover them just yet. Wait for the cold. Bantom recommends using a protection blanket. “You cannot put plastic on the plant. They will burn the plant, and you've wasted your time, unfortunately,” said Bantom. “You want to get this piece, covering the plants down to the ground, so you can warmth up the ground.” Bantom also says some plants are sensitive to the cold, but other plants thrive in the cold, like azaleas. Allstate Sugar Bowl to donate $500K to support Bourbon Street attack recovery efforts If you cover your plants, you must remember to uncover them. “Because if it's out there, and the sun comes out and radiates in that, so to speak, greenhouse you built, it's going to get hot in there, so you really got to take that off and put it back on,” said Bantom. As for your pets, the Humane Society of Louisiana is urging dog and cat owners to bring their pets inside and put farm animals in warm stalls or provide them with blankets. If you are unable to bring your pets inside, place fresh, dry straw in doghouses. For the cats, provide a makeshift shelter for them, like a plastic bin with an opening. Stay up to date with the latest news, weather and sports by downloading the WGNO app on the Apple or Google Play stores and by subscribing to the WGNO newsletter. Latest Posts Louisiana Remembers Matthew Tenedorio Man pleads guilty to murder in New Orleans staged crashes case Mud, debris slide splits hillside home that survived Palisades Fire in half Biden won't enforce TikTok ban, official says, leaving fate of app to Trump Southern California native paid off mortgage day before Eaton Fire consumed home