Home gardening offers ways to trim grocery costs [Survival Today, an on going thread]

Americans finding soaring food prices hard to stomach can battle back by growing their own food. [Click image for a larger version] Dean Fosdick Dean Fosdick

Home vegetable gardens appear to be booming as a result of the twin movements to eat local and pinch pennies.

At the Southeastern Flower Show in Atlanta this winter, D. Landreth Seed Co. of New Freedom, Pa., sold three to four times more seed packets than last year, says Barb Melera, president. "This is the first time I've ever heard people say, 'I can grow this more cheaply than I can buy it in the supermarket.' That's a 180-degree turn from the norm."

Roger Doiron, a gardener and fresh-food advocate from Scarborough, Maine, said he turned $85 worth of seeds into more than six months of vegetables for his family of five.

A year later, he says, the family still had "several quarts of tomato sauce, bags of mixed vegetables and ice-cube trays of pesto in the freezer; 20 heads of garlic, a five-gallon crock of sauerkraut, more homegrown hot-pepper sauce than one family could comfortably eat in a year and three sorts of squash, which we make into soups, stews and bread."

She compares the current period of market uncertainty with that of the early- to mid-20th century when the concept of victory gardens became popular.

"A lot of companies during the world wars and the Great Depression era encouraged vegetable gardening as a way of addressing layoffs, reduced wages and such," she says. "Some companies, like U.S. Steel, made gardens available at the workplace. Railroads provided easements they'd rent to employees and others for gardening."

http://oldfashionedliving.com/mice.html

How to Control Mice Without Poison
by Marilyn Pokorney
In just six months one pair of mice can eat more than four pounds of food and deposit about 18,000 droppings. Food contaminated by mice is about 10 times greater than what is eaten. Also, food wasted by mouse nibbling is much more than what is eaten.

Here are some ways to prevent pets and children from being poisoned by using natural mice control.

Mice like to eat seeds, grains, and foods high in fat or sugar. These types of food can be used for bait. Such items include bacon and bacon fat, candies such as tootsie rolls and anise teddy bears, butter, peanut butter, avocados, pizza crusts and nutmeats. Chocolate covered peanut candy will kill mice. Chocolate is poisonous to mice. Switch bait occasionally—it makes the mice more likely to investigate the new food offering.

Place traps along walls between mice habitat and food sources. Place under cupboards or other furniture in the dark to help prevent household pets from being injured by the traps.

Don’t leave pet food out at night—at least until you are sure all mice are caught.

Take a deep wastebasket or other container that is at least 12 inches deep. Put a plastic garbage bag in it along with cereal such as cornflakes, or other mouse food. Place it near a kitchen counter where mice are known to crawl. The mice will jump down into the container but will not be able to crawl or jump back out. Dispose of the mice in any way you choose.

Store bulk foods in sealed glass, metal or hard plastic containers. Stack bagged or boxed food in neat rows on shelves or cupboards in a way that allows for thorough inspection for evidence of mice. In storage areas, keep stored materials away from walls. Sweep floors frequently to detect fresh mouse droppings.

Always clean up after eating. Do not invite mice by leaving food items or crumbs out overnight.

Seal all holes and openings larger than 1/4 inch across. A mouse can crawl through a hole the size of a dime. Use steel wool or cement to seal, screen or cover all holes into the house. Place 3 inches of gravel around the base of homes or trailers. Enclose foundations of permanent houses with metal roof flashing buried 6 inches deep and rising 12 inches above the ground. Mice can jump 12 inches onto a solid surface. Fill gaps around pipes. Fix loose fitting doors. Close openings around chimneys, damaged house siding, broken windows and screens.

Inside, get rid of clutter in basements, storage rooms, sheds, carports, and garages. Remove padded cushions from sofas and chairs, and store them on edge or separate them from one another, off the floor. Remove drawers in empty cupboards or chests and place them on sides.

Outside remove piles of trash, junk and lumber. Keep woodpiles more than 12 inches above the ground. Keep covers on trash cans and dumpsters. Eliminate weeds and other vegetative cover as well as debris and litter in and around homes, buildings, crops, lawns and other cultivated areas. Lawns should be mowed regularly.

For more on pest control, including mice, deer, mosquitoes, snakes and many more visit here

About the Author:
Marilyn Pokorney is a freelance writer of science, nature, animals and the environment. She also loves crafts, gardening, and reading. Visit HERE to read more of her articles.

http://oldfashionedliving.com/carpenter-bees.html

Carpenter Bee Tips
One of our readers, Cindy, asked me about carpenter bees and below is what I discovered and tips from readers who have had experience with them.

I’m wondering if you have any ideas how to get rid of carpenter bees. We have a lot boring holes in our deck. Thanks in advance for your help. ~Cindy

I’ve been fortunate and haven’t had carpenter bees, just carpenter ants, so I did some research. They prefer wood that is unpainted and untreated. The preventive measure is to paint or use some type of sealant such as polyurethane on all wood surfaces or use treated wood when possible. I could not find a non-toxic way to get rid of them once they have infested. There are a lot of sprays out there that can used early in the morning or in the evening when it’s cooler and the bees slow down. Once this has been done the holes should be plugged and the surface painted, replaced with treated wood or coated with polyurethane as mentioned.

READER TIPS

In regard to carpenter bees, you can spray them in the hole with WD40. It works great! My husband has gotten several this way. ~Nancy

Relative to Carpenter Bees-I ended up pushing a metal coat hanger down into the hole to smash them, then plugged the hole. I found that they will bore into redwood treated with penetrating oil. They usually start where there is a C’bore, indent or hole already present. You could try plugging as many defects like this before they start boring. I found that plugging a hole did not stop them if already in the hole (they just bored a new way out) If you plug the hole when they are out, they will bore a new entry adjacent to the plug. ~Jim

I have had great success getting RID of these dang things by making a thick slurry of Tide detergent and water, put that in some sort of squeeze bottle, not a sprayer, and pour it into the holes made by the bees. It will kill the bees outright, kills the larva in the nests, and discourages the surviving ones from re-entering the hole and they go elsewhere. I imagine any detergent powder would do the same, I just used Tide :) I like that it is not a pesticide spray, so I felt good about using it on my patio, etc... ~Pat

We had scary wood bores in our carport fascia every year during the painting of an adjacent fence, we unknowingly left a mason jar soaking brushes in turpentine about 6 feet below the bees’ ceiling entrance...the fumes wafted, the bees departed, and we never had to ‘apply’ the toxin. I’m wondering if any really stinky solvent might do the trick...and obviously, the vented container must be spill proof and animal proof. ~Linda

I have some friends in NW France and they had a problem with Carpenter bees in their chimneys. They simply boarded up the inside opening and smoked them out. ~April

CARPENTER BEES NOT ALL BAD

I am sure there are reasons why some folks may need to get of carpenter bees, but here they are one of our best pollinators with the devastation of the honey bee population. They are mild critters usually and only build their condos in dead wood. You really need to do something drastic to get them to come after you. The black female has a stinger, the beige/light brown male does not. Unless there is a really good reason for getting them out of a specific area, folks should consider leaving these gentle giants to the business of ensuring flowers, fruits and vegetables. ~Catherine, The Herb Lady

I tend to leave carpenter bees alone. I have whole hives of them in some boxes under the front windows of my house that I will be forced to destroy when I paint the house. It’s making me really sad. Like Catherine, our pollinators are few and far between, so I treasure these critters. I go out every morning to water or weed or whatever, and they come and buzz around and say hello. I’ve NEVER been stung by one in 9 years, although they are very curious about what you’re doing. Thanks! ~Deb

About the carpenter bees you are talking about I think around here we call them Mason bees and lots of us build houses for them . We clean them up in the fall and put them back out in the spring. If we are talking about the same bees they are very good for the garden ~Doug

Editor’s Note: It sounds like Carpenter bees and Mason bees could easily be confused because they both tend to nest in wood, and Doug is right, they are VERY good for the garden and orchard. They are also a gentle bee. This link explains more about them with pictures: http://gardening.wsu.edu/library/inse006/inse006.htm

http://oldfashionedliving.com/earwigs.html

Earwigs Inside the House and Outside?
From Old Fashioned Tips
Just recently, since all the rain and such here in Alabama we have seen a couple of earwigs in the kitchen...help! I’ve heard that they breed as fast as roaches....we never had any insect problems in our home and surely don’t want the earwigs to start “ a family” in here now! Any suggestions or help is greatly appreciated! ~Corkey in Bama

They shouldn’t breed inside, so I wouldn’t worry about that. The earwigs are attracted to moisture, so that explains the kitchen sightings. Eliminate any damp, moist spots like crawl spaces, areas around faucets, around air-conditioning units and along foundations. Use caulking, putty to seal openings that should be closed permanently and weather stripping around doors, windows, pipes and any other entry sites that you locate. Outdoors you can trap them in rolled newspapers, then dispose of them. Indoors, remove them by sweeping or sucking them up with the vacuum. They are mostly outside, so I wouldn’t worry too much about an inside population!

READER’S TIPS
The best thing I have found for earwigs, is to mix up some soapy water in a sprayer...this works better than the solution that my husband bought at a local garden store....Karen Gobble

Another good tip for those nasty Earwigs is to leave a half filled can of pop around. If the earwigs are in the garden, then bury the can in the soil up to the rim. Those nasty little earwigs are attracted to the sweet smell. They drown in the pop and that’s the end of that! No more earwigs! Doesn’t matter what flavour the pop is, but I have heard diet pop doesn’t seem to work as well. ~Lor in Canada

Pest and Garden Resources
-Yardiac Animal Repellent Store
-GardensAlive Pest Control
-Gardening Pest & Disease Finder
-All-natural Garden Pest Control.

About the Author
Brenda Hyde is editor of Old Fashioned Tips, a daily newsletter for visitors of Old Fashioned Living.com. To sign up for the free tips visit here.

http://oldfashionedliving.com/air.html

How to Breathe Cleaner Air in Your Home
Copyright 2005 by Joe Hickman
From HaLife.com
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concludes that indoor air quality is one of the top five environmental health risks in the U.S. today. They say indoor levels of pollutants can be two to five times as high as outdoor levels, and sometimes more.

Some problems of indoor pollution can be traced to energy efficiency, according to the Texas Institute for the Indoor Environment at the University of Texas. A tighter home is good for conserving energy but bad in terms of air pollution.

Second-Hand Smoke: For children, secondhand smoke increases the risk of bronchitis, pneumonia, and the severity and frequency of asthma episodes. It also can decrease lung function and increase the risk of ear infections and build-up of fluid in the middle ear. Children are vulnerable to secondhand smoke because they still are developing physically and have higher breathing rates than adults.

EPA is encouraging adults not to smoke in their car, home, or anywhere children are present. Don’t hire baby sitters who smoke. For your kids, take the Smoke-Free Home Pledge.

Ozone, the key component in smog, has become an indoor problem. By itself, ozone is lower inside than outside. But when oily terpenes from products such as air fresheners, aroma-therapy candles, oils, and cleaning agents interact with ozone, they generate pollutants like formaldehyde.

Some other pollutants and what you can do about them:

Asbestos: Leave undamaged asbestos material alone. Call a qualified contractor if you must remove it.

Carbon monoxide: Keep gas appliances properly adjusted. Open fireplace flues. Don’t run a car in an attached garage.

Dust mites, pollens, and pet dander: Wash bedding in hot water (130 degrees F). Use wool carpet or wood flooring. Use vacuums with high-efficiency filters.

Formaldehyde: Avoid pressed-wood products. Buy carpet with no formaldehyde content; increase ventilation.

Lead: Use bottled water if drinking water tests positive for lead. Don’t sand or burn off lead paint. Cover with wallpaper.

Mold: Install kitchen and bathroom fans vented to the outdoors. Clean air conditioning and heating equipment. Keep basement dry.

Radon: Have a home test. Seal cracks in basement floor. Ventilate crawl space.

Pesticides: Use nonchemical methods of pest control. Don’t store, pour, or mix pesticides inside the home.

About the Author:
About the Author: Joe Hickman, editor of HaLife.com is a former EPA Web writer in Dallas.

http://oldfashionedliving.com/essential-oils.html

10 Tips for Using Essential Oils in the Home
By J. Black
When guests enter your home the first thing that greets them is the aroma. Essential oils are often used to create a homey atmosphere within the home.

Add 6-8 drops of your favourite scent to water in a diffuser or place the drops directly into a bowl of boiling water.

Sweet orange, lemon and your favourite spice oil are especially good when diffused during the winter months for a refreshing, warming aroma and atmosphere.

Candles fragranced with essential oil can also be used to give the home a pleasant ambience and aroma.

Other ways essential oils can be used around the home include...

1. Add a few drops of essential oil to water in a spray bottle to freshen linen or spray on garments before ironing.

2. As an air-freshener put 6-8 drops in 600 ml of water in a fine spray bottle and spray into the air and towards carpets and curtains. Do not spray onto velvet or silk and avoid spraying directly onto wood.

3. Place cotton wool balls fragranced with lavender in drawers and linen closet to deter moths.

4. Put 4 drops of oil onto a cotton wool ball and place behind the heater or radiator in winter. Drops can also be used with the humidifier.

5. Clean your fridge with a one drop of orange, mandarin, mint, lavender or lemon oil added to the final rinse water.

6. When washing down surfaces in the kitchen 1 drop of lemon, thyme, cypress, lavender or palma rosa placed directly on a cloth or alternatively 7 drops in water.

7. Put a drop or two of oil onto a cold light bulb in a lamp so the fragrance fills the room as it heats up.

8. Essential oils are used to clean the air rather than mask smells in the home. To rid a room of stale tobacco or cooking smells use cinnamon, eucalyptus, lavender, lemon, orange, tea tree, rosemary or lime for their ability to freshen and cleanse the air of stagnant smells throughout the house.

Saturate cotton wool balls and place in the corners of a room, in cupboards or out-of-the-way places to fragrance kitchens and living areas throughout the house.

9. Hallways are the place where we greet our guests. Use lemon, lime, bergamont or grapefruit. Lavender or geranium can be mixed with any of these. Lavender is uplifting in the morning and geranium has a calming effect and good for afternoons when you may need to wind down at the end of the day

10. Keep tea tree oil in your first aid kit for cuts, burns and head lice.
Copyright © J Black

About the Author:
For more articles and ideas for the home and Garden visit Netwrite-Publish.com

http://netwrite-publish.com/garden/valroses.htm

Drying and Preserving Roses

Roses are a popular flower for giving at any time of the year but none more so than on Valentines Day for which the Red Rose has become an expression of love.

The Rose, in all it’s shapes and sizes, is well worth the trouble of drying although the flowers do tend to shrivel a little and the colour tends to turn darker especially with the true red roses.

To preserve your roses try one of the following methods.

Air Drying Roses

The best results are obtained when all the petals of the bud can be seen.

Pick roses only on a dry day after any dew has evaporated. Roses with firm buds that are just about to open are are best for air drying, To air dry hang the roses in a dark, dry, cool place with good ventilation. The buds will open up over a few days the the whole process takes couple of weeks.

When dry a little hair lacquer sprayed on will protect the rose and make it last longer.

Preserving Roses

This can be done using a desiccant such as silica gel. alum, sand or borax. Place your desiccant into a bowl making sure that the desiccant is entirely dry. Remove the stem of the rose and push a short length of florist wire through the centre of the the rose and replace the stem.

Push the wire stem into the bowl of desiccant and carefully spoon the desiccant over the rose. Seal the container and leave to dry out. Silica takes about 48 hours, but alum and borax take about 2 weeks and sand can take up to about 4 weeks.

Your desiccant can be used again by carefully drying out in an oven. When cooled it should be ready to use again.

Dried and preserved roses are also nice to use when making potpourri as they nearly always retain their scent. Add extra scent with a drop or two of rose oil into the potpourri mix then displayed in open bowls of petals with similar colouring or in or use in sachets mixes for clothes drawers or the airing cupboard.

Dried Flower and Foliage Picture Art - Flower Photo Scented Greeting Cards - Garden and Outdoor Living - Garden and Outdoor Living Store

http://oldfashionedliving.com/electric2.html

Your Frugal Fridge!
by Cyndi Roberts
There can be no economy where there is no efficiency.
~Benjamin Disraeli

Now that it’s summer, most of us start thinking about keeping our electric bill in bounds!

One way to do that is to keep your refrigerator and freezer, if you have one, running efficiently.

Be sure to vacuum the condenser coils on your refrigerator at least once a year. You may have to pull your appliance out from the wall to do this, but when the coils are dusty, it keeps the fridge from cooling efficiently.

If you have an older fridge, check the door gaskets to make sure you have a tight seal and aren’t losing cold air around the doors.

Another “small” thing you can do: when you are putting away your groceries after a trip to the store, gather all your items for the fridge in one place. Then you can open the refrigerator one time and put everything inside.

If you don’t have a frost-free freezer and there’s more than 1/2 inch of frost built up, it’s time to defrost. You can speed up the process by setting pans of hot water inside. Never use a knife to try to dislodge the frost and never use a hair dryer to melt it. Water and electricity do not mix!

Now that it’s clean and defrosted, keep your freezer efficient by filling empty spaces with old milk jugs filled with water. These jugs also make good ice blocks for your picnic cooler!

Another good use for these jugs of ice: set one on the kitchen counter in the morning. As the ice melts, your children can have ice water to drink without opening the refrigerator door.

One last thing to remember, when there’s lightning around, it might be safer to just unplug your fridge and freezer. Food in the freezer will stay frozen for up to 48 hours if the door is kept closed. Food in the refreigerator will keep up to 24 hours.

About the Author:
Cyndi Roberts is the editor of the “1 Frugal Friend 2 Another” bi-weekly newsletter and founder of the website of the same name. Visit cynroberts.com to find creative tips, articles, and a free e-cooking book. Subscribe to her newsletter and receive the free e-course “Taming the Monster

http://oldfashionedliving.com/pests.html

Natural and Non-Toxic Pest Control
By Brenda Hyde
Warm weather brings bugs and other pests. I try to use as many natural methods of controlling pests in the house as I can. We struggled with a worsening mice infestation in our old house until we did the most natural thing we could do-we adopted a cat. Besides being my daughter’s best friend he is a fierce mouser, and the problem was gone within a month or so, and has never been an issue again. Today I wanted to give a few tips for curbing those pesky ants that seem to find their way into the house as soon as warm weather hits. Too bad the cat doesn’t catch ants!

-Check all rooms for leftover food, especially bread, crackers and cookies. The kid’s room can be a place that has hidden crumbs in window wells, headboards, closets etc. Check them all and keep everything as crumb free as possible. Don’t ask me how, but kids can leave crumbs in places we would never even dream of eating near.

-Keep all countertop surfaces clean. Sounds easy, but with kids around there are always drips of one kind of another, especially when they are pouring their own juice. Double check and wipe clean. It’s a good time to vacuum out all the drawers and cupboards in the kitchen and bathroom.

-If possible, keep pet food and birdseed covered and out of the house in the garage or a shed.

-Rinse out pop can and bottles when empty and get a routine going for returning them to the store. In the summer, it would even be best to remove them from the house daily. Same goes for any containers that hold anything sweet or syrupy.

-Be careful moving plants outdoors and back in. Ants or other pests can nest quickly, so check before bringing something back in.

-Check around the outside of the house for any cracks or openings. Use caulk to seal, or for a quick fix til you can do that use petroleum jelly in the cracks. You can also use boric acid dust around the foundation, BUT it has to be where kids and pets can’t be exposed, so sometimes this isn’t an option.

-When you do find ants in the house vacuum them up or pick up and throw in the trash or outside. IF you smash them you need to wash the area with soap and water to get rid of their scent. It attracts more ants!

-One home remedy to try is peppermint water. You can add peppermint essential oil to water in a spray bottle or brew a strong peppermint “tea” to use. Try spraying cabinets, floors or any areas that you have been having problems with ants.

-When you do find the nests outside in your yard, dig a hole into the nest with a shovel and pour in an insecticidal soap (this is usually a mixture of alcohol, dish soap and water) into the nest and put back the soil. You may have to do this a few times to really get rid of the ants.

-I’ve used ant traps/baits with some success but I only buy the ones that are safe to put on the counter, and non-toxic-I put them in the cupboards and under the sink.

Jim Patch, one of our subscribers, shares on ridding the garden and yard of ants: Boil water first thing in the morning and pour it on previously identified nest areas. I found that this works at any time of day. As I suspected boiling water will kill grass and larger plants, so be cautious. This can be an advantage as well. I found pouring boiling water in the corners by raised beds to kill ants also killed the Bermuda grass that kept coming up through the corners. It is a chemical free method of weed control.

About the Author:
Brenda Hyde is a wife, mom to three kids and a freelance writer. She is the editor/owner of Old Fashioned Living and sends out two free email newsletters. You can sign up for them HERE

http://oldfashionedliving.com/pestcontrol.html

Rid Your Home of Pharaoh Ants
By Tim Taylor
There are many different kinds of ants in the United States. Some require specialty treatments. Before you decide to treat for ants yourself, find out what kind they are.

Some ants require a specialty treatment. Among them are the pharaoh ant. This ant requires a special kind of treatment. If you spray for these ants you’ll just scatter them throughout your home. So no spraying for pharaoh ants, please.

The pharaoh ant is the little tiny ant that people sometimes call sugar ant or piss ant. Don’t confuse these with other little tiny ants.

The Pharaoh ant is only about 1/15 to 1/12 inch long and very light colored. A real light yellowish to reddish brown. The way to distinguish them from other little tiny ants is by the presence of three segments on the antennal club. You’ll have to have a microscope to see these segments.

They will invade your kitchen and bathroom and other areas throughout your home. If you want to treat for these ants yourself go to your local hardware store or home improvement center and buy a product called Terro . Read the label and apply accordingly in the areas you are seeing the pharaoh ant. Come back and inspect in a short while and you’ll probably see them feeding on this bait.

If you have to call your local pest control company they are probably going to do the same thing and use the same thing anyway or something similar. You save yourself some time and money. This product also works on other small ants also.

If you are unsure of what kind of ants you have, call a professional you can trust for a free inspection. After all you don’t have to buy their service.

About the Author:
The Author of this article has been in the pest control business for over 10 years and has treated many homes of ants and other insects. To find out more about ants and other insects visit his website and view the free Insect Identification Guide. http://www.infobreaks.com

http://oldfashionedliving.com/fruitflies.html

Eleminating Household Flying Pests!
by Brenda Hyde
Oh, those flying pests we get so annoyed at. How can we get rid of household flies and those pesky fruit flies that suddenly appear out of nowhere?

FRUIT FLIES

The fruit is gone and you are still seeing flies. What can you do now? Before you go to bed try placing a dish of cider vinegar out on the counter. Add a sprig of basil for good measure. They will be attracted to both and drown. Toss it in the morning and repeat as needed. Some people also have good luck with a little wine in a dish that is then covered with plastic wrap that you’ve poked a few holes in. Leave it out all day and replace as needed until the fruit flies are gone.

Fruit flies also look for moisture. If they are hovering around the sink you may need to flush the drain with bleach. Make sure you clean around the rims—anywhere it becomes damp. If you have a faucet that drips it will need to be replaced to stop that moisture.

To prevent fruit flies keep fruit in the refrigerator when possible and cover it. If it’s out on the counter, make sure it’s eaten before it’s over ripe. When you do have to throw fruit out, make sure you put it in the garbage and close the cover. Keep your compost pile away from the house. Rinse out soda cans or other cans that have had sweet things in them. Keep them in a covered container until they can be recycled or returned to the store.

HOUSE FLIES

You all know the standard things—fly strips, screens, and fly spray— screens are good—the others can be pretty nasty. I generally don’t have problems with fly except in the fall when they seem to swarm in whenever one of the kids open the back door. Basil, particularly the strongest varieties such as purple basil, can be planted in pots near the doors-inside and outside. This is a nice solution, and you will benefit from the basil in your cooking too!

Tansy, Tanacetum vulgare, has been used as a repellent also. You can hang bunches near doors, but the oils have to be released, so you need to pinch/bruise the leaves, and then replace when it seems to lose its scent. Cloves, lemongrass, and mints are also known for repelling flies. You could make sprays with essential oils, or make a strong “brew” and add it to spray bottles. Potted plants or bowls of the herbs placed around can be used to.

As with many other remedies/deterrents, what works for one person may not work for another. The nice thing about herbal solutions is you benefit from the pleasant smells, instead of a nasty chemical smell that is often toxic to us and the flies!

Prevention is important, as with the fruit flies. Keep kitchen trash cans covered, and empty often. Keep the trash bin away from the doors and the house. In both, try sprinkling Borax powder in the bottom after they’ve been washed and dried.

About the Author:
Brenda Hyde is a freelance writer and editor of Old Fashioned Living. She and her family live in a 100 year old house and are experts at Do-it-Yourself projects on a budget! Visit HERE to sign up for her free tips newsletter.

http://oldfashionedliving.com/fleas.html

Ridding Your Home of Fleas
by Brenda Hyde
I’ve only had a few experiences with fleas, and it wasn’t pleasant. One of the first apartments I moved into after college was literally covered with fleas so that I couldn’t sit and read without them jumping on my legs and biting me. It was many years later that our family cat came down with them, and though it was unpleasant, it was nothing like that first experience. My husband convinced me to use a “flea bomb” and it didn’t work, plus I was so afraid of the chemicals I told him we all had to leave the house for the day and then air it out. Since these experiences I’ve come up with some easier and less toxic methods. They won’t work for everyone. Climates are different, as are the type of fleas, but these are a good place to start before having to go the chemical route.

The first thing you need to know is that if your pet is an outdoor pet, they will be more likely to get fleas. Talk to your vet and decide on a good treatment. I’ve tried several and Frontline has worked the best so far.

Also, especially during warm/hot weather keep things clean and vacuumed. Carpet, furniture, pet beds/blankets, pillows, throws—anywhere your pet may lay or sit. Empty your vacuum bag and throw it in the trash (outside) if you even suspect you may have fleas. I also found that I really have to keep it clean under things-—the computer desk, sofa etc. If you can do this ALL the time, you may head off the fleas. But sometimes, no matter how clean you are, they sneak in anyways. If they do, here are a few things you can try:

Boric acid, which is in Borax , kills fleas and the larvae by dehydrating them—drying them out is how I understand it. You can go to a hardware and buy boric acid or pick up a box of Borax at the grocery store. If your area doesn’t have it, ask around for a laundry aid that contains boric acid. Sprinkle it on the dry carpet, allow it to sit overnight if possible, then vacuum in the morning. Vacuum twice if you have to, then throw away the bag. If you aren’t sure and your carpet is newer —I’d test a spot first to make sure it doesn’t fade. You will have to repeat this every two weeks—to make sure you get them all. Keep up the steady vacuuming. It also might be easier to put the borax in an empty oatmeal or cornmeal container-then poke holes in the lid-then take the top to make sure it’s secure, and sprinkle on that way. An extra option is to add 20-25 drops of an essential oil to the borax first-—working it in with your hands (wear rubber gloves). Let it sit a couple of hours, then put in the container and sprinkle. You can use cedar, citronella, pennyroyal, lemongrass, rosemary, eucalyptus, and lavender. This is optional though...

An important note on essential oils. You’ll find recipes online that suggest spraying pets...rubbing oils on them...etc. I do not recommend this. Unless you are an experienced herbalist it’s not a good idea to use the oils on pets, especially cats. When you do use the Borax, with or without the oils, keep your pets away. You don’t want them eating or rolling in the Borax. Make sure you vacuum it all up before letting them go in that area.

MORE FLEA TIPS FROM OFL VISITORS

I have used just plain table salt and it works great. Isn’t dangerous to pets. It even helps to brighten the carpet. You need to repeat every couple of days tell you get all the eggs that hatch. It must dehydrate them too, I would think. ~Paula Barringer

I have tried all kinds of remedies for decades before finding one that works, safely! I now use Diatomaceous Earth diatomaceous earth, food-grade, and have for about a month. Applied it directly to all the cats and rubbed them well, and mixed about a half-teaspoon into “special food”. Then sprinkled the stuff all over the bare floors, swept it into the cracks, on the furniture, in the drawers, wherever fleas might hide. Liberally applied and then mixed it into the sand all around the house. It also dehydrates like borax, but with one big difference-DE is non-toxic, it will also kill the parasites caused by flea-infestation. Wear a cloth mask to avoid inhaling it-dries the mucus cavities right out. Apply lotion or oil to hands after washing them.

The first week I’d follow this regiment daily. The outdoor cats were treated more often, as they’d roll in the sand, disperse the DE and collect more fleas. By the middle of the second week I only had to do the cats every two days, the house continued to get a daily sprinkle. I added a bit of DE to one meal for a week then did it every two days and now once a week. It is now a month later, the cats are back to their familiar roosts. DE was the only thing I’d found that could be and was used on infant animals, was chemical-free and completely non-toxic. ~Shaggylord, Adirondack Mountains

Last year we took on two cats from a lady we knew through church. Because of the circumstances for the first two weeks they were in our house it was all anyone could do to make sure they (and the two resident cats) got fed and watered and the litter boxes got cleaned. We only stayed overnight in our own home twice in those two weeks due to church events and other end-of-summer busy-ness. After things settled down we discovered a severe flea infestation. We couldn’t walk across a floor anywhere in our place without getting about ten bites on our shins. We fixed this in one hard weekend of work (with a few more days of bites as some of the ‘missed’ adults died off), using exactly what you suggest (Borax, DE and a long acting flea treatment like front line) but the way we did it was different and I think labor saving in the long run.

The first thing we did was wash all the cats with an appropriate non-flea shampoo. Once they were dry we treated them with a long acting flea treatment. I don’t recall which brand we used.

The next thing we did was mix 1 part diatamaceous earth to 1 part borox in a container with hole punched in the lid for sprinkling. We secured the cats in one part of the house and moved furniture off the carpet in the other part of the house, covered the carpets (where the cats weren’t) and the corners of the tiled areas. Then we used a broom to work the powder into the carpet (very dusty. Use some sort of mask. We used wet bandanas with some success) and under the floorboard cracks and let it sit overnight. The next day we vacuumed up the loose powder. Some of the powder stays in the carpet to continue to control flea larvae, but isn’t accessible to cause problems for pets or children. We also had to do some damp dusting of surfaces to get the residue of borox and DE off of shelves and such. Then we mopped the hard surfaces with hot soapy water. Soapy water does a good job of killing fleas because it dissolves their waxy coating, but plain water will not.

After that’s done, secure the cats in the already done area, and then do the area that the cats were in the previous day in the same way — sprinkle, work in, let sit, vacuum and damp dust.

This shouldn’t have to be repeated. If there isn’t a serious drop off in the number of fleas immediately, or if there are any fleas at all after three weeks, it probably means that somewhere has been missed. I’ve done this before for less severe infestations but decided that the couch or desk didn’t need to be moved and had to do it again. Move all the furniture, dust (with the borox and DE), sweep (work the dust in with the broom) and vacuum any upholstered furniture that doesn’t have washable slipcovers (wash what you can in soap and water. It’s easier) and the fleas won’t have anywhere to hide.

It’s been 18 months and we haven’t seen a reoccurance yet. Because the cats are indoor cats we didn’t renew the long acting flea treatment, so we know that the fleas are good and dead.

We also used food grade DE (all of this uses food grade DE, not pool filter DE which is totally different and likely won’t work) for internal parasites brought in from these cats (they had been given a ‘clean bill of health’ by a vet and brought directly from the vet’s boarding kennel to our home, so we thought they were safe) very effectively, the way Shaggylord mentioned. We only dosed the cats once every two weeks for six weeks (half a tsp mixed with wet food) rather than every day. It worked.

In order to deal with the ear mites we used an essential oil product sold commercially for cats through our food co-op. I don’t recall the brand but it was primarily neem oil with other essential oils (lemon grass by the smell of it, plus some mint or something). That would probably be a safer bet than pure EO for those who are not experienced herbalists. It claims to work on fleas though we didn’t check that. It did work nicely on the mites.

One thing about DE — it’s high silica content is rough on the lungs of people with asthma, so if you or your kids or animals have such issues it’s better to have them avoid the area while you’re working, or if someone with asthma must work with the DE, then have them wear some sort of mask. Even a dampened bandana is better than nothing. This is why we didn’t dust our animals nor leave the dust around, because I have asthma. ~Vinnie

Spring is finally here! My daffodils are blooming and
my seeds have sprouted. Today I have some tips and
recipes from readers.

MORE GARDEN MARKERS
Great idea about the shims for markers. When we painted
the entire house, I got scads of wood paint paddles extra. I
marked them, varnished & dried, and planted them in the
garden as markers, they are holding up very well. I can
read them from far away, plus they’re free-for now!
~Charlene

I go to the dollar store and get a BIG bundle of pop cycle sticks
for a buck Work great in my small green house for markers.
Also if you kids eat pop cycles save the sticks and put them in
the dishwasher and they are good as new. great recycling!
~Debi in Iowa

CORRECTION ON LAST WEEKS LEMON FLUFF
I left out a couple of details in the instructions.

Lemon Fluff

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 stick butter
1 tablespoon sugar
1 large tub frozen whipped topping (16 oz.)
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon lemon rind-outer layer only
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 8 ounce blocks cream cheese, softened
2 small boxes instant lemon pudding mix
3 3/4 cups milk

Mix together flour, sugar, and butter. Press into a
lightly greased 13 x 9 pan. Bake crust for 15 minutes
in a 350 degree F. oven. Let cool completely. Blend
together the sugar, cream cheese, and 2 cups of
whipped topping. Spread onto cooled crust. Mix
together the pudding, lemon rind, juice and milk. Pour
over the cream cheese mixture. Top with remaining
cool topping. Refrigerate overnight before serving.

MORE RECIPES
Flaxseed Morning Glory Muffins

1 cup Fiber One® cereal
2/3 cup 8th Continent® vanilla soymilk
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup ground flaxseed or flaxseed meal
3/4 cup chopped apple
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup finely shredded carrot
1/4 cup flaked coconut
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup fat-free egg product
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla

Heat oven to 375°F. Place paper baking cup in each of
12 regular-size muffin cups. Spray bottoms only of baking
cups with cooking spray. (Muffins will stick if baking cups
are not sprayed.) Place cereal in resealable food-storage
plastic bag; seal bag and crush with rolling pin or meat
mallet (or crush in food processor). In large bowl, mix the
cereal and soymilk; let stand about 5 minutes or until cereal
is softened. Stir in remaining ingredients. Divide the batter
evenly among muffin cups. Bake 22 to 25 minutes or until
toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Immediately
remove muffins from pan to cooling rack. Serve warm.

Stewed Rhubarb From Nubella.com
Low fat, low cholesterol and low sodium!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1 Lbs. rhubarb, thawed if frozen, cut into 1-0/1 inch pieces
1 tsp. lemon zest

Combine all ingredients in a heavy saucepan over medium
heat. Simmer 5-7 minutes, or until rhubarb is tender.
4 Servings.

More: Tips on getting rid of ants from the home & yard—
http://www.oldfashionedliving.com/ants2.html

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