Posted on 03/23/2008 11:36:40 PM PDT by nw_arizona_granny
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."
[snipped]
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."
(Excerpt) Read more at dallasnews.com ...
Yes, it is pretty in Arkansas, my dad went there to live in the 1950’s and his land looked like yours, more or less, then he went to Missouri for final home.
It is good when deer and turkeys come back, now if more of them would.
You would enjoy the photos of wildlife and birds that Freeper Swampsniper has on his threads, they are beautiful.
Here, I have sand and creosote bushes, that is about it.
Going from the openness of New Mexico must have been a shock, it was to me the year we lived in Oregon.
Everyone wanted to go for a Sunday drive in the forests, they said it was beautiful, all I saw were brown trunks of trees, no sky, no clouds, no hills.
I was glad to see the desert again.
Spam is good, on a picnic and with a open fire, to make coffee.
And it always brings out the evil in me, I always took a bag with me on even one day prospecting trips, with spam and beans in it, and my coffee pot, it may still be over in the storage shed, ready to take and go.
One Sunday, when I was President of the Prospectors Group, I took a group out to a gold area, so they could use their dry washers and find a flake or two.
One of the new members was so green he would fall for anything.
So while he went down in the wash with my metal detector, I decided that I wanted a sandwich, and did not want cold spam.
So I found a nice flat rock, that was too thick to overheat and built a small fire around it and was cooking my Spam, when they came out of the canyon..........
Of course, I said “Oh, this how I always cook on a campfire”.
I never did tell him that it was my first time to cook on a rock, or that if we had been in my truck, there was a grill behind the seat for camp fire use.
The Dollar stores out here, sell a larger can, that looks a bit like an oval shape and label it ham, it is better than spam and might even have a grain or two of ham in it.
But to look at it, it is Spam.
neckbones are much cheaper usually<<<
That may be why you can’t find them, there is more profit in the more expensive types of porks.
Thank you, we were quite proud of the doe, Sparkle, she had a starburst pattern and was so proud of all the attention.
Goats are such fun.
Since you are homeschooling, what do you tell those that think you shouls not do so?
My Grandaughter is homeschooling her two, and her in-laws hassle her all the time.
My suggestion to her a couple days ago, was to print out copies of the ‘Communist Manifesto 1963’, as it was entered into the Congressional records and suggest the nit-picker read it and answer her questions of “is this happening”........
Hope I don’t get her in trouble with them, but nothing she does is up to their standards and from what I hear, she is an excellent mother, doing a good job with the kids.
F.R. has been down since 1 or 2 am, so I sent a bunch of stuff to myself, for posting later, after a nap.
I knew it would have to come back sooner or later.
[Not pre-tested by granny]
pepper wax spray
Mix two tablespoons of hot red
pepper powder, six drops of liquid soap and one gallon of water.
Wear rubber gloves when using any sprays containing peppers, alcohol,
citrus
concentrates, mint oils or anything else that could irritate skin.
When spraying
in breezy conditions, wear eye and nose protection.
Bottom Line/Personal interviewed Sharon Lovejoy, a gardening expert who
frequently lectures and appears on PBS. She is author of several books on
gardening, including Trowel & Error: Over 700 Shortcuts, Tips &
Remedies for the
Gardener (Workman). www.sharonlovejoy.com
[more info]
More Tips on keeping Cats out of the Flowers/Garden
These from a newsleter I get:
***Those prickly round balls from trees called sweet gum balls, the kittys
don’t like to touch them with their claws. I know of some people on this website
that will send them to you (at least I’ve seen them post this before) they have
so many!
***I have had good success putting drops of citric essential oil at 1-2 foot
intervals around my beds. I renew once a month or so. Even here on the coast
this method keeps our cat our of my salad beds. (both orange and lemon work
well) The first time I used the oil I put it in the beds as well. After that
just around the perimeter seems to do the trick. Perhaps lemon scented herbs
would work as well.
***If you place citrus (orange, lemon, grapefruit) peels in your flower beds.
It really does work. We have three stray cats that used to use my flower beds as
a litterbox. Someone told me about it, tried it and they haven’t used it ever
since. The only thing is about every two weeks I have to replace the peels.
Which I don’t mind, if it keeps them out. Cats hate citrus.
NOT RECOMMENDED:
*** chili powder, red crushed pepper, cayenne pepper (NOT recommended), it
gets on the cat’s paws then they wash themselves and they get it in their eyes,
beware cats have literally scratched their eyes out because of this. Even if
it’s one cat out of 500 infected in this way, that’s one too many for me.
*** Don’t ever use mothballs or flakes. Those little toxic waste pellets destroy
cats’ kidney function, could seriously harm people who handle them, and yes,
contaminate your own garden soil. Their packaging even warns against using them
this way.
On a side note just to let any of you know that are thinking of using these
types of items, it can be linked back to you by the spca and there are laws that
protect animals against cruelty
Its been my experience that gardening and canning cost more than the stuff in the stores. Cheaper to eat out.
free meat?
Inexpensive Cockroach trap proving more effective than sprays!
Group, this is amazing! I’m gonna try it...outside! It has Las Vegas on it’s
ears! Don’t have time to watch the clip? Take a glass jar, put used coffee
grounds in the bottom, add a little water and place outside near the wall or
make a ‘ramp’ so the roaches can climb up and into the jar.
Once they are in,
they can’t get out. Keep a watch on it and empty often. I have NO DOUBT this
works. My question? How do you kill the ones still alive? Put a top on and let
them sufficate? What are YOUR suggestions?
KVBC - Saving You Money
The first tip I used starts like this:
The ‘lawn tonic’ idea has been written about in books and used in Colorado,
where they’re going through a water shortage like we are here in southern
Nevada. “When you don’t have a lot of water and we’re on watering
restrictions, this is another way to get the nutrients to your lawn and keep it
growing.” The secret formula is actually just a mix of common household
ingredients. All mixed into a 10-gallon hose-end sprayer. Each ingredient does
something different, it feeds the lawn, penetrates the roots and promotes
growth, and even kills bugs and grubs.
The next one I used is one ALL of us have had to deal with (ewwww)! What
started as a mistake has turned into the biggest cockroach massacre Las Vegas
has ever seen. Since we told you about the homemade bug trap and showed you how
well it works with our “bug-cam”, the calls and emails have been pouring in.
And thanks to the Saving You Money Team, people are winning the war against the
roaches all over town. “This is nothing but coffee grounds and a little bit of
water, that’s all that’s in there, that’s what Jim Snyder said to do, so this is
a fantastic idea. I’m not a bug collector, but I’m happy to have them here
rather than coming through my door into the house.
Her idea will work, so will the cat food can with an inch of water in the bottom, or 2 inches of beer, soda, even water and a quarter inch of cooking oil, used would be fine, if not solid, they get oily feet and cannot climb the walls of the large soda bottles, if on a slant, with the mouth near the bug path.
You my need to make a hole in the ground, so it will be at a slant and catch them.
granny.
For all of us who have loved, and lost a dearly beloved friend
The Fourth Day
by Martin Scott Kosins
If you ever love an animal, there are three days
in your life you’ll always remember.
The first is a day, blessed with happiness, when you bring home your new friend.
You may have spent weeks deciding, or asking opinions of many vets, or chosen
that silly looking mutt or kitten in the shelter - simply because something in
its eyes reached your heart.
But when you bring that chosen pet home,
and watch
it explore, and claim its special place in
your home - and when you feel it brush against you for the first time - it
instills a feeling of pure love you will carry with you through the many years
to come.
The second day will occur eight or nine or ten years later.
It will be a day like any other. Routine and
unexceptional. But, for a surprising instant, you will look at your longtime
friend and see
age where you once saw youth.
You will see slow deliberate steps where you once saw energy.
And you will see sleep where you once saw
activity.
So you will begin to adjust your friend’s diet - and you may add a pill or two
to their food.
And you may feel a growing fear deep within yourself, which bodes of a coming
emptiness.
And you will feel this uneasy feeling, on and off, until the third day arrives.
And on this day - if your friend and God have not decided for you, then you will
be faced with making a decision of your own - on behalf of your lifelong friend,
and with the guidance of your own deepest Spirit.
But whichever way your friend eventually leaves you - you will feel as alone as
a single star in the dark night sky.
If you are wise, you will let the tears flow as
freely and as often as they must. And if you are typical, you will find that not
many in your circle of family or human friends will be able to understand your
grief, or comfort you.
But if you are true to the love of the pet you
cherished through the many joy-filled years, you may find that a soul - a bit
smaller in size than your own - seems to walk with you, at times, during the
lonely days to come.
And at moments when you least expect anything out of the ordinary to happen, you
may feel something brush against your leg - very very lightly.
And looking down at the place where your dear, perhaps dearest, friend used to
lay - you will remember those three significant days.
The memory will most likely be painful, and leave an ache in your heart.
As time passes the ache will come and go as if it has a life of its own.
You will both reject it and embrace it, and it may confuse you.
If you reject it, it will depress you.
If you embrace it, it will deepen you.
Either way, it will still be an ache.
But there will be, I assure you, a fourth day when, along with the memory of
your pet, and piercing through the heaviness in your heart - there will come a
realization that belongs only to you.
It will be as unique and strong as our
relationship with each animal we have loved, and lost.
This realization takes the form of a Living Love.
Like the heavenly scent of a rose that remains after the petals have wilted,
this Love will remain and grow - and be there for us to remember.
It is a Love we have earned.
It is the legacy our pets leave us when they go.
And it is a gift we may keep with us as long as we live.
It is a Love which is ours alone.
And until we ourselves leave, perhaps to join our Beloved Pets.
It is a Love that we will always possess.
Natural Ant Repellants Message List
Reply | Forward Message #2612 of 2842 < Prev | Next >
I, personally, found using the juice of a fresh lemon in the BEGINNING of the
pathway of the ants stops them cold...can’t take the acid.
From another great group:
Ants are pests in the house. In the home common ants aren’t harmful but they
are a nuisance.
There are many natural repellants which can be used to discourage ants from
kitchen counters, pantries, and other areas where food lures them in.
As a first step try to prevent the ants from entering the house.
Use less chemical fertilizers and pesticides in the lawn and gardens. These
cause an imbalance in the biological makeup of the soil. Stressed soil and
plants attract ants.
Many species of ants like to drink honeydew from aphids. If good control of
aphids in plants and gardens near houses is exercised, ants will be less
numerous. Ants seem to dislike spearmint, tansy, and pennyroyal. Plant these
near the house to keep ants away. Sweet fern is particularly dislike by red
ants.
A simple recipe to repel ants can be made by adding to an eight ounce bottle of
mild liquid soap one ounce each of citronella, pennyroyal, peppermint, cinnamon,
rose and tea oil. Mix together and add three tablespoons to two cups of water.
Spray where ants are entering the house. This the formula can be used to wash
down counters in the kitchen but only use one-half tablespoon to two cups of
water.
Spray trash and recycling bins if ants are a problem there.
For anthills near the house pour boiling water into the nest.
Once ants have entered the house, other measures have to be taken. Pennyroyal,
tansy, and mint leaves scattered on surfaces where ants are found can be used as
a deterrent. Bay leaves broken in small pieces is also helpful.
Some people have found a mixture of the following ingredients helpful in
repelling ants. One cup water, one- fourth cup plus one tablespoon hot sauce,,
one-fourth cut liquid soap, and one teaspoon spearmint of peppermint flavoring.
Put in a spray bottle and spray where ants enter the house.
Washing down counters with an equal solution of vinegar and water is repulsive
to ants.
Powdered cloves or red pepper sprinkled on surface where ants are found serves
as an excellent repellant. Ants are extremely fastidious and will not return to
where these hot spices can get on their feet and antennae.
If it not too inconvenient, sticky fly paper placed in strategic areas will
capture crawling ants.
Perhaps one of the most unusual substances used that discourages ants from
pantry shelves are broken egg shells.
Lastly, clean up all food after eating for it is the crumbs that attracts the
ants.
About The Author: Copyright: 2005 Marilyn Pokorney - Marilyn Pokorney is a
freelance writer of science, nature, animals and the environment. Also loves
crafts, gardening, and reading.
http://www.apluswriting.net
Need natural way to keep cat out of flowers/fleas in grass
Marigolds are a great, natural way to keep cats out of gardens. Other
plants that can also deter them are Bay and Rue. Other things they
won’t like the smell of are coffee grounds, blood meal, cayenne
pepper, lavender oil, lemon grass oil, citronella oil, peppermint oil
and eucalyptus oil.
I found a link to some other good ideas here:
http://www.ghorganics.com/page6.html
Hope this helps!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1994968/posts
Truckers protesting high fuel prices
Yahoo News ^ | 4/1/08 | Tom Hester Jr.
Posted on 04/01/2008 11:12:34 AM PDT by Xenalyte
TRENTON, N.J. - Independent truckers around the country pulled their rigs off the road and others slowed to a crawl on major highways in a loosely organized protest of high fuel prices.
Some truckers, on CB radios and trucking Web sites, had called for a strike Tuesday to protest the high cost of diesel fuel, saying the action might pressure President Bush to stabilize prices by using the nation’s oil reserves. But the protests were scattered because major trucking companies were not on board and there did not appear to be any central coordination.
continued.
Its been my experience that gardening and canning cost more than the stuff in the stores.<<<
It would, if one had to go and buy in a store, every tool and jar that one needed.
Hitting the local auctions and garage sales would help.
For me the taste, the freshness of it made it worthwhile.
The fact I know what it has been sprayed with, what is in it and that it does not have strange ingredients or as happened in Mexico, the pickers pee ‘d on the berries , so that they would weigh heavier...........true story, about 10 years ago.
Or the fact that an imported cantaloupe is under recall right now.
If I could, I would garden for my food.
Of course, this is my opinion and the reasons that I support the home garden idea, I do admit that all do not find it fun.
I like spam, too. But only cut about a quarter inch thick, fried to well done on the outside, on toasted bread with mayo and mustard. I buy the Spam Lite. Lower salt, calories, etc. That is the ONLY way I will eat it! lol
I haven't planted yet, but they have been picking around in old flower beds. They belong to neighbors
OATMEAL TRAIL MIX COOKIES
These cookies travel well and sustain travelers well, too.
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 1 tablespoon warm
water
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
a 6-ounce package semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup roasted peanuts
1/2 cup raisins
In a bowl cream the butter and the shortening with the
sugars and beat in the egg, the baking soda mixture, the flour, the
salt, and the vanilla. Stir in the oats, the coconut, the chocolate
chips, the peanuts, and the raisins. Drop rounded tablespoons of the
dough about 4 inches apart onto greased baking sheets and with a fork
flatten and spread each mound into a round, about 3 inches in
diameter. Bake the cookies in batches in the middle of a preheated
375°F. oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they are golden, transfer
them with a metal spatula to racks, and let them cool.
Makes about 30 cookies.
Donna
Dalebert, you are welcome to join in, and may do so, without a garden.
We welcome everyone and are not meant to be a ‘Garden Thread’ only, the article is one that i chose to start what we hope will be an on going thread about survival in today’s dangers.
Self survival, survival with the prices and problems of today.
Gabz and Garden Girl have lovely garden threads.
I notice in my other post to you, as I was headed to bed, was only half of my thoughts.
Do join in, as I am sure you know many things that I would welcome knowing.
And I got too old to have a garden, so my gardens are memory gardens.............Laughing.
Sure do, you keep wild life out of your garden, by building a cage and putting the garden in the cage.
Be sure to thank your neighbor, as the chickens are eating bugs, eggs and weed seeds.
How did it go last year?
Did they bother the garden?
I would turn the soil while they are in the digging / eating mood and let them eat away.
You might ask the neighbor to pen them until your plants are strong enough to survive.
You will want to plant extra seeds, so more survive.......a danger for me, as I couldn’t bare to thin, when too thick, unless they could be transplanted.
I have heard that 3 or 4 foot pieces of old water hoses, in curves, like a snake would keep the birds out of the garden.
You might put up sticks with something like kite string strung on them, at chicken height, and then put something shiny on the string, like the silver mylar, from some of the inner packages of candy and foods, so the light will catch and flash on the silver, make the silver as long as you can, just a once through knot around the string, so it will move and be alive.
Tinfoil /aluminum foil, etc. might work, so start saving your used tinfoil.
But then I tried using can lids in my fig tree to keep the birds from eating the fruit and it did not work, these birds are so hungry for fruit, that they eat, until they cannot fly and you can almost touch them, they are so tired and sleepy from all the eating.
You could put the kids to making those twirly things on a stick.
Laughing as you haven’t a clue to what I think a twirly is and I haven’t the faintest memory of the name.
I think of them as a piece of shiny/bright colored paper or plastic, with 4 cuts, coming in from the corners ‘/’ at an angle, the the point is brought to the center and a nail is through the 4 corner and it will twirl in the wind.............some of the soda bottles shoud work and made into a twirly bird.
I can never bear to throw out the clear plastic that is in a bacon package, that rigid base that it rests on, as it works for cutting patterns of, as for marking quilt scraps to cut, etc.
You need Grandpa Ira’s little poodle, one of those that is about a foot high.
If he was milking the dog kept the other animals away from him and if the chickens got in the garden, grandpa would say:
“Bear Dog, those chickens are bothering me in the garden” and off went Bear Dog and away went the chicken.
Bear Dog never hurt a flea, but you better not “bother Grandpa”.
[I buy and use Orange Essential Oil from soapmaker supply sites, and it is not expensive, roughly $10.00 for a pound and you use it by the drop, no need to buy fancy name orange oils...my opinion,
granny]
Safe Cleaning and Pest Control
by Carolyn Swicegood
Most parrot owners are well aware of the common hazards that endanger
our
parrots, such as overheated Teflon, forbidden foods, poisonous plants,
toxic
metals, and others. There are many lists of poisonous plants and many
articles about the various hazards to be avoided. Two other means of
frequent exposure to toxins that have not been covered extensively are
cleaning and pest control. Here are some suggestions for safe
alternatives
to the chemical solutions that normally are used to clean and control
pests
in the home and aviary.
NATURAL CLEANING SOLUTIONS
Add twenty drops of Grapefruit Seed Extract to a 32-ounce spray bottle
filled with water. Use on all surfaces around the house and to clean
sprouts, fruits, and vegetables before feeding to parrots.
Baking soda with water is a good all-purpose cleaner (1/4 cup baking
soda to
1 quart water).
Sprinkle baking soda on surfaces to be cleaned or make a paste with
baking
soda and liquid soap. Scrub with a damp nylon scrubbing pad, soft
cloth,
sponge, or very fine steel wool. White distilled vinegar diluted in
water
removes baking soda residue. Dry with a soft cotton cloth. Recycled
cotton
clothing serves as a good cleaning and drying cloth.
CITRA-SOLV natural cleaner and degreaser is a concentrated solvent made
of
citrus oils, surfactants, and limonene (from citrus peel oil) that
safely
cleans chewing gum, ink, oil, grease, tar, gummed labels, and even
sticky
fly paper “goo”. It is the only solvent safe for use on bird feathers,
but i
t should be removed after it does its work. Using your thumb and first
finger, rub a few drops of the Citra-solv thoroughly into the sticky
goo or
grease on the feathers. Remove it with a washcloth. Then rub Dawn
liquid
detergent into the feathers. It is crucial NOT to add water until
straight
detergent has been worked into the feathers. ONLY after you have
thoroughly
worked the detergent into the feathers should you add warm water. This
also
applies to cleaning grease from feathers. If you cannot locate a source
of
Citra-solv, call the distributor at (800) 343-6588 from 9-5 EST.
CLEANING CAGES
If cages are wiped down daily and cleaned well once a week, you rarely
will
need to do a major cage cleaning. Hot soapy water will clean most dirt
on
cages and will help to preserve the finish.
Grapefruit Seed Extract is a good anti-bacterial cleaner for cages. It
can
be added to a spray bottle and used for pre-soaking the cage or used on
a
sponge to wipe down the cage. It is completely non-toxic and is more
effective against strep, staph, salmonella, candida, and e-coli than
Clorox!
Citra-solv will easily loosen and remove the most stubborn hardened
debris
from cages and grates.
To clean grates, spray with Citra-solv or GSE solution over a layer of
newspaper. Cover with another layer of newspaper and allow to stand for
fifteen to thirty minutes. Wipe, rinse, and dry.
OxyFresh also is an effective cleaner for grates and hardened dirt. It
is
non-toxic and is effective against polyoma.
To catch droppings, use newspaper rather than bedding which can hold
moisture and rust out cage bottoms. Damp corncob bedding can develop
dangerous mold spores.
IN THE KITCHEN
For stains on counters, squeeze fresh lemon juice on the stain and
allow to
stand for 45 minutes. Sprinkle on baking soda, and rub with a sponge
or soft
cloth.
Burned or baked-on food in cookware—sprinkle cookware liberally with
baking
soda and add just enough water to moisten. Let stand for three hours
and
lift the burned food out of the pan.
Cutting board cleaner and disinfectant—Apply 10 to 20 drops of
NutriBiotic
to cutting board and work into entire board with a wet sponge or dish
cloth.
Leave on for thirty minutes before rinsing well.
Ovens—For lightly soiled ovens, make a thick paste of water and baking
soda. Scrub well with a nylon scrubbing pad. If the oven is greasy, add
a
small amount of liquid soap. To remove spots, use very fine steel wool.
To clean underneath the refrigerator, tie a sock around the end of a
yardstick. When one side is dirty, turn the sock inside out and repeat.
FOR THE BATHROOM
To clean the sink, shower, tub, and tile grout, soak with diluted
liquid
soap, sprinkle on baking soda, scrub with a nylon scrubbing pad, and
rinse.
To disinfect bathroom surfaces, spray with a solution of one quart of
water
and twenty drops of Grapefruit Seed Extract from health food stores.
Mildew remover: Spray mildew with hydrogen peroxide.
Lime deposit remover: Spray a solution of 1 cup apple cider vinegar, 2
tablespoons salt, and 1 cup water on lime deposits and let stand
overnight.
Rinse with cold water.
FLOOR CARE
For vinyl floors, damp mop with a solution of a gallon of warm water
and 1/2
cup of white vinegar.
To cut grease on vinyl floors, dilute a small amount of liquid soap
with
water.
To remove black heel marks on floors, rub with a pencil or typewriter
eraser.
To prevent water spots, dry with a cloth after mopping.
CARPET CARE
Products like “Carpet Fresh” have been linked to bird deaths. There is
no
safe way to use it as every time you vacuum clean the carpet, leftover
particles will become airborne.
For odors, sprinkle carpet with plain baking soda. Let sit for 15
minutes,
and then vacuum.
Carpet shampoos may contain toxic ingredients such as ammonia and
perchlorethylene, a known carcinogen. Plant-based cleaning products,
such as
citrus cleaners are preferable. Use a steam cleaning machine with ten
to
fifteen drops of Grapefruit Seed Extract per gallon of water. Many
hospitals
now use GSE for carpet cleaning.
WOOD FURNITURE CARE
To remove water stains on wood furniture, dab white toothpaste onto
stain.
Allow the paste to dry and then gently buff off with a soft cloth.
Furniture polish can be made by mixing 2 parts olive oil with 1 part
lemon
juice. Apply mixture to furniture with a soft cloth and wipe it dry.
Nicks and scratches can be covered by mixing granular instant coffee
with a
little water and applying with a clean, cotton cloth.
Use your hair dryer on the cool setting to dust pleated lamp shades and
other hard to reach areas.
NON-TOXIC WINDOW CLEANER
Recipe for window & glass cleaner: 1 gallon water, 1 cup white vinegar.
Apply with cloth or spray bottle and clean with a linen cloth.
For extra sparkle, polish clean windows with a crumpled piece of
newspaper
when nearly dry.
SAFE DRAIN CLEANER
When drains are clogged by hair and debris, make a solution of equal
parts
of baking soda, vinegar and salt. Place in the drain and let it foam
for
15-20 minutes. Then rinse with boiling water.
NATURAL AIR FRESHENERS
The use of commercial air fresheners is dangerous to parrots.
The only way to really freshen the air is to open windows and circulate
fresh air with a fan or air conditioner.
Set out a dish of cut lemons or baking soda to absorb odors.
Simmer on the stovetop or in a slow cooker: water, slices of ginger,
spices
such as cinnamon, cloves, allspice, vanilla and almond extracts, and
lemon
and other citrus fruit slices to make your house smell fresh.
GENERAL PEST REMEDIES
Diatomaceous earth (DE) can be sprinkled on areas where pests are
found. It
contains the spent shells of tiny sea creatures that are sharp enough
to
damage the exoskeleton and cause insects to dehydrate. DE is harmless
to
humans and animals. Parrots should not breathe the powder as it is
being
applied in the aviary. One brand available in natural food markets is
“Concern” by Necessary Organics.
Neem—the seed kernels of the Neem tree are rich in limonoids, bitter
tasting chemicals that effectively block development, feeding and egg
laying
in many species of insects. The most powerful limonoid (azadirachtin)
has
been certified by health authorities in the USA and Europe as being
non-toxic to birds, animals and humans, but highly effective against
insects.
Frogs, spiders, ladybugs, praying mantis, and dragon flies will help to
reduce pest populations around the home and garden.
One bat will eat up to 600 mosquitoes, harmful moths and other insect
pest
per hour at night. Bats do not attack people or harm pets and can be
encouraged to inhabit “bat houses” on your property.
Place saucers of fragrant wine with a few drops of detergent in areas
frequented by fruit flies. They will die happy!
Place fragrant fruit such as mango peels in the bottom of wine bottles.
Fruit flies go in and cannot get out.
ANTS
Wash countertops, cabinets, and floor with equal parts vinegar and
water to
deter ant infestations.
Sprinkle powdered cinnamon on ant trails. Several types of ants will
not
cross a barrier of cinnamon powder, powdered charcoal, bone meal,
talcum
powder, or chalk.
Parrot cage legs can be set in shallow pans filled with water—like
small
moats that ants cannot cross.
Fire ants—Killing the egg -laying queen is the only way to destroy the
colony. Choose a day when the ground is dry. Gently sprinkle a teaspoon
of
instant grits on each fireant hill. The worker ants carry the grits to
the
queen who eats them. When she drinks water, the grits expand in her
stomach
and kill her. The remainder of the hill dies within a day.
COCKROACHES
Prevention—Close off all cracks around pipes and electric lines where
roaches enter the house. Use cement, screening, or Brillo pads. Caulk
small
cracks along baseboards, walls, cupboards, and around pipes, sinks, and
bathtub fixtures. Seal food tightly. Rinse food off dishes that are
left
overnight. Do not leave pet food out overnight.
Release small geckos in your home and aviary. Provide dishes of water
for
them to drink. They will feast upon the roaches at night in the late
evening, and sleep out of sight during daylight hours.
Baking soda and powdered sugar mixed in equal parts and spread around
infested area is a non-toxic roach killer.
Diatomaceous earth (DE) can be sprinkled on areas where roaches are
seen.
Parrots should not breathe the powder as it is being applied in the
aviary.
One brand available in natural food markets is “Concern” by Necessary
Organics Inc.
SEED MOTHS
Freeze bird seeds if possible to kill larvae and store all food in
airtight
containers.
Place basil leaves or mint teabags in bags or canisters of bird seed to
repel moths.
Instead of using toxic mothballs in clothing storage areas, use whole
cloves
in cheesecloth or spice bags and hang them in closets or stored bags of
clothing.
Place sticky fly strips (without pesticides) into an old bird cage or a
closed basket out of the reach of children, birds, and other pets.
Make your
own sticky paper by boiling sugar, corn syrup, and water together.
Spread
the mixture on brown paper grocery bags. If a bird accidentally
contacts fly
paper and gets the sticky goo on its feathers, Citra-solv will safely
remove
it.
FLIES
To prevent flies, keep garbage containers tightly closed. Sprinkle dry
soap
powder or flakes into garbage cans after they have been washed and
allowed
to dry.
In a small glass or jar, pour about one inch of real cider or red
wine. Make
a cover with saran wrap and a rubber band. Punch about six holes with a
bamboo skewer or other shaper object. Flies will crawl in but cannot
crawl
out.
MOSQUITOES
Avoid wearing perfume, bright colors, flowery prints, and bright
jewelry as
these items attract mosquitoes.
Burn citronella candles to repel insects.
Neem products repel and affect the development of mosquitoes. Two
percent
Neem oil mixed in coconut oil, when applied to exposed body parts,
provides
complete protection for twelve hours from bites of all anophelines.
MICE
Place instant mashed potato powder or potato eyes (buds) in strategic
places
with a dish of water close by. After eating the powder or buds, mice
will
need water. Drinking water causes fatal bloating.
Use “snap traps” inside a box with an entrance hole large enough only
for
mice to prevent birds and other pets from being injured.
By using natural methods of cleaning and ridding our homes of pests,
we can
eliminate two of the major sources of our birds’ exposure to toxins.
MC Formatted by Donna
Source:
“http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Ranch/1011/dog.htm";
[In Victorian days, they made the fly traps from crystal and fancy glass.
Today, if you take the large soda bottles and cut the top portion off, smoothly at the shoulder, then take the cut off portion and turn it so the top is in the bottle and works as a funnel, to allow the flies to go in, not out, you may want to seal the cut edges with a few staples or even tape.
Keep it simple and throw it out when it gets smelly.
I always find a use for the the cut off tops, as a funnel that is larger than the small ones that I have owned for years, LOL, not the bug trap tops.
granny]
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.