NOW IS A GREAT TIME TO READ THE LAST INSTALLMENT -ESPECIALLY THE PART ABOUT TICKS!!!!!!!!
These are caterpillars that will soon be butterflies that pollinate. PLEASE DON'T KILL THEM!
NOW IS A GREAT TIME TO READ THE LAST INSTALLMENT -ESPECIALLY THE PART ABOUT TICKS!!!!!!!! These are caterpillars that will soon be butterflies that pollinate. PLEASE DON'T KILL THEM!
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YES, I'M OLD ENOUGH TO BE GRANNY, but that's irrelevant. Apparently, what used to be common knowledge amongst gardeners is getting lost. I'm trying to prevent that here.
Mosquitoes carry many diseases: Malaria Chikungunya Dog Heartworm Dengue Yellow Fever Eastern Equine Encephalitis St. Louis Encephalitis LaCrosse Encephalitis Western Equine Encephalitis West Nile Virus Old as dirt, this one is: Avon Skin-So-Soft Oil, the original, costs between $10 and $15 a bottle and sells out instantly. Why? Because in the realm of bug repellents, home-made or store-bought, veteran outdoorsmen know THIS IS THE STUFF! Especially against mosquitoes. It's almost like a magic cloak against the vicious bloodsuckers AND recently have several folks telling me they bathe their dogs with it and it DOES COMBAT FLEAS AND TICKS! MY TRICK is to open the bottle cap and use a straight pin to make small holes in the seal - I dispense a SMALL amount, rub between my hands, pat my face, arms, boots, jeans - once a day. A bottle should easily last you a whole season, if not 2. This is much better for you than DEET and DOES NOT WASH OFF, SO GREAT FOR GARDENING! Where to get it? If you see a lady selling Avon in front of any store or yard sale- GO GET IT! Otherwise, find your LOCAL AVON DEALER ONLINE AND GIVE HER A CALL. OTHER IMPORTANT BUG TIPS: Turn anything that holds water in it UPSIDE DOWN! 1000's of mosquitoes can breed in 1 Tablespoon of water. Use unscented detergent on your clothes. Don't wear perfume, scented antiperspirant, smelly hair products, etc. Plant herbs, marigolds, citronella, lemon balm, and onions: these plants attract pollinators and repel the nasty bugs. Nip it in the bud: as soon as you realize you have a bug problem starting, figure out what they are, what to do, and do it fast before it gets hard to control. ~~~~You can take a picture or a sample to your local agricultural extension office if you have no idea what bug or disease it is. ~~~~Subscribe to pest alert emails - if you're in NC, go here: http://ipm.ces.ncsu.edu/search-results/?q=email%20pest%20alert and you'll see where to do this. Not in NC? Check with your local agricultural extension office. ~~~~Your ag ext office also has info on organic insect control (remember to look for the "OMRI" symbol (see my organic blog). What else?? lets see...hmmmm..... DON'T SCRATCH!!!@!! I don't care if it itches like the dickens, don't do it! CHIGGERS/REDBUGS: IF IT ITCHES LIKE CRAZY AND IT'S AROUND YOUR SOCKS AND/OR THE WAISTLINE OF YOUR JEANS, AND YOU CANNOT SEE THEM, OR THEY ARE SMALL AND RED: GO AS FAST AS YOU CAN TO A COLD SHOWER - WHILE YOU ARE RUNNING TO THE SHOWER, GRAB A 2 LITER BOTTLE OF PEPSI OR COKE TO POUR ON YOU AS SOON AS YOU GET NEKKED. COLD, COLD, COLD WATER, FOLKS - THESE ARE MEAN CRITTERS WHEN THEY GET UNDER YOUR SKIN - AND HARD TO GET RID OF! STINGS: YOU'LL WANT TO EXTRACT THE STINGER - IT MAY HELP TO SOAK IN HOT WATER PLUS EPSOM SALTS (ALSO DRAWS OUT POISON). IF you smoke or have access to tobacco, spit on it or chew it a little and apply to the sting - works great. Otherwise, rubbing alcohol. ~~~~~~~~~~~~WISE PREVENTION ADVICE: Most insects do NOT want to sting you: it will either kill them or deplete their precious venom. However, if you corner them, threaten them, run from them (yes, they will chase you if you run), or fool with their home or babies...well, you asked for it. LEAVE THEM ALONE! THEY WILL LEAVE YOU ALONE!!! Except for maybe Red Hornets. Wasps are NOT aggressive and they're great pollinators. Yellow jackets may start chasing you because you're drinking or smelling like something citrus. If they smell fear, and you run: bees - wasps - yellow jackets - dirt daubers - ALL will chase you and I will laugh at you running around in circles and getting chased, because I DID warn you about that! Just ignore them and they will pretty much do the same with you. FLEAS: Plant pennyroyal and put an end to them in your yard. The seeds are cheap and plentiful - grow them and give them to your friends where your dog likes to visit. Pennyroyal is also supposed to repel mosquitoes and whiteflies - I cannot vouch for that, just the fleas. DO NOT WEAR WHITE IF YOU HAVE FLEAS IN THE HOUSE - THEY LOVE WHITE!! WHITE SOCKS ESPECIALLY! YOU WILL BE EATEN ALIVE!! ~~~~to get them out of your house: you can spray or call the bugman, but your best defenses are: 1 Get the fleas off the dog first (don't do this in the house!!!!!!! common sense!) 2 Wash all bedding, clothes, etc. that the fleas came in contact with. 3 Vacuum, vacuum, vacuum. Then vacuum again. DUMP THE BAG OUT - DON'T LEAVE IN HOUSE! (OR CANISTER) PUT IN OUTSIDE TRASH CAN AND MOVE IT AWAY FROM THE HOUSE! WASH THE CANISTER! THEN GO VACUUM AGAIN! They're easy to get rid of if you NIP IT IN THE BUD AND GET THEM OFF THAT DOG/CAT! TICKS: THE OLD WAY: fingernail polish remover or alcohol to make them pull their head out, then pull off with tweezers and burn or flush. NOW WE'RE TOLD TO SIMPLY PULL THEM OFF WITH TWEEZERS. REASON: THERE IS MORE RISK OF BACTERIAL TRANSMISSION IF YOU KEEP FOOLING WITH THE TICK. YANK IT OUT. IF THE HEAD IS LEFT IN, IT MAY CAUSE INFECTION, BUT THE RISKS OF BACTERIAL TRANSMISSION/LYME ARE DONE. GET IT OFF ASAP. UNDER 24 HOURS MEANS MINIMAL LIKELIHOOD OF PROBLEMS. ~~~~WHAT TO WATCH FOR: FEVER, FLU-LIKE PAINS, AND MOST ESPECIALLY, A RED RING AROUND THE BITE: IF THE BITE IS CENTERED, IT LOOKS LIKE AND IS CALLED A BULLSEYE, AS IN A DART BOARD. THIS IS A RASH THAT MAY SPREAD OUTWARD. IT HAS A CLEAR CIRCLE INSIDE IT, EXCEPT FOR THE BITE ITSELF. SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION IMMEDIATELY!!!! YOU HAVE BEEN BITTEN, EVEN IF YOU NEVER SAW A TICK (IT COULD BE AN ADOLESCENT THAT YOU CANNOT SEE). YOU HAVE A SPIROCHETE IN YOU THAT WILL CAUSE LYME DISEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IF THE RING IS NOT CENTERED AROUND THE BITE, YOU SHOULD STILL SEE A DR. IMMEDIATELY: YOU HAVE BEEN BITTEN AND THESE SYMPTOMS WILL LIKELY LEAD TO WHAT IS NOW CALLED "TICK-BORNE ILLNESS," WHICH KIND OF WRAPS UP ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING THAT MIGHT HAPPEN TO YOU. SPIDER: IF YOU KNOW FOR A FACT IT WAS A BLACK WIDOW, WHICH IS SHINIER THAN HAND-WAXED BLACK IMRON PAINT ON A CAR, DANCES LIKE CRAZY, HAS LONG CREEPY LEGS, AND A RED HOURGLASS ON ITS TUMMY, YOU ARE OK. THEY ARE EXTREMELY OBVIOUS AND EASY TO SPOT. WELL, ODDS ARE, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO DIE - JUST GET REALLY SICK. GO SEE THE DOC IF YOU WANT. IF YOU DID NOT SEE THE SPIDER, OR YOU SAW A VERY, VERY SMALL ONE - BROWN, WITH A DARK FIDDLE-SHAPE ON ITS BACK: BEWARE OF THE BROWN RECLUSE!
If you notice ANY OF THESE SYMPTOMS, SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION IMMEDIATELY!!!! YOUR LIFE IS IN DANGER!!!!!!!!!!!!! GRANNY'S ADVICE: GARDENERS BEWARE! BLACK WIDOWS ABSOLUTELY LOVE TO HIDE IN POTS, STACKS OF POTS, BLACK POTS ESPECIALLY: THEY ARE DRY AND WARM PLACES TO HANG OUT. THEY MAY ALSO BE HIDING IN CINDERBLOCKS. YOU CAN SPOT THEM EASILY ON EITHER IF YOU ARE PAYING ATTENTION AND LOOKING FOR THEM, ESPECIALLY IN PILES OF POTS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN DISTURBED FOR AWHILE. THE BROWN RECLUSE CAN BE FOUND IN OLD PILES OF WOOD, OLD HOUSES, DRY PLACES - CALLED THE RECLUSE BECAUSE YOU ALMOST NEVER SEE THEM - THE BIGGEST ONES MIGHT BE THE SIZE OF A PENNY - INCLUDING THE LEGS - USUALLY MUCH SMALLER. TRADITIONALLY, MOST BITES OCCURED IN THE OUTHOUSE, ON THE REAR END, WHICH WAS BARED AND NEXT TO DRY WOOD. GRANNY SAYS: WHEN YOU ARE TURNING OVER BRICKS, LOGS, CINDERBLOCKS, FOOLING IN THE WOODPILE, ETC.: WEAR LONG PANTS, SLEEVES (IF YOU CAN STAND THE HEAT), GLOVES, AND BOOTS. ALSO, KICK OR FLIP THINGS OVER BEFORE YOU PICK THEM UP AND LOOK TO SEE IF THERE ARE SNAKES OR SPIDERS. GRANNY ALSO SAYS: MAKE LOTS OF NOISE IN HIGH WEEDS/GRASSES AND NEAR THAT WOODPILE OR STACK OF BRICKS OR OLD HOUSE/BARN. LET THEM KNOW YOU ARE COMING! THEY WILL HIDE OR HAUL @SS. THIS HAS NEVER FAILED ME. I TELL THEM TO GO AWAY, I'M A-COMIN'! SPIDERS HAVE EXTREMELY SENSITIVE HEARING AND I NEVER SEE SNAKES WHERE EVERYONE ELSE DOES. IT IS NOT BECAUSE I AM NOT LOOKING. THEY HEAR GRANNY LONG BEFORE SHE GETS THERE!!! ONE LAST NOTE: Flies (all types) and roaches are silent killers because people don't respect their disease-spreading capabilities. - esp. flies Don't eat or drink anything a fly has landed on, please. Keep your food covered, in and out of the fridge. Sprinkle some sweet tea or whatever they're going for on glue strips: I prefer the flat ones over the hangy things, esp. since I live in a house, not a barn. For roaches and ants: yes, red ants as well; use a very small amount of boric acid in any kind of syrup, caro, sugar water, or mountain dew. Put it in a plastic soda bottle cap on the ant mound or in the kitchen behind the fridge or in dark corners where you know the roaches go. Yes, this is poison. No, it is not organic. The bee man tells me it does not hurt the bees and they don't go for it, plus it doesn't leave a lot of residue. Yes, it works and it works FAST. Avoid bringing anything that might have roaches - they love cardboard boxes, esp. from the beer store and the grocery store - into your house. Got fruit flies? There are 2 kinds. One is the drain fly - pour clorox down your drains, clean up all things wet, and get rid of anything with food or organic matter on it, including your plants - good time to put them outside. The other is a real fruit fly - you'll know because they multiply faster than any other animal on earth, truly. Clean up all food and organic matter. Traps with vinegar don't work for me: I put a trash can with some fruit in it out the back door, lure them out, and shut the bag or lid. I also use the sweet tea on the glue strip trick - never fails. This has been a really long piece, but I'm sure there's stuff I left out or you're wondering about. I'll have more natural bug repellents for you in the future. Questions? Please email me @ [email protected] . |
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