Backyard Gardening Tips

Image via WikipediaSquirrels may be cute but please stay out of my garden or… Well you will be sorry little fella.

Here is a squirrel repellent that usually does the trick.

1 ounce Murphy’s Oil Soap

1 ounce hot sauce

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Mix everything together and put the mixture in a 22 ounce spray bottle. Fill the bottle to the top with water. Gently mix. Spray everything around where the squirrels are unwanted.

Of course if this does not work you may just find the squirrels looking for a hot chili recipe.

Image by Flatbush gardener via FlickrQ. I have ‘vine weed’* growing around my pond and it is impossible to keep it pulled up out of the ground. It is overtaking everything. What can I do to get rid of this nasty vine?

Looks like miniature white morning glory. Grows about two feet a night when you are not looking! LOL.

A. Well, this is a hard one to call! You do not want to put a chemical on it if there are other plants growing right next door that you want. But, you may consider a weed killer anyway to cut it down in population.

The best way to eradicate it and leave everything as is, is to pull it all out by the roots as deeply as you can go. I know it is work and can seem like a losing battle, but what else can be done? The plants will keep growing as long as there is a structure underground. Keep at it daily, and eventually they will be beat back. At least, let’s hope so!

We also cover the ground with mulch or anything that will keep the sun away from that area. That usually helps to keep things from growing there until I want something growing there.

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Reader’s HintI would like to share with you the way I got rid of some of the worst weeds…My son is a diabetic, and is on insulin. I had him save me some of his used needles, I take a small jar and put Roundup in it. I go to the yard and find the culprit. I cut the big part of the weed down and then inject a full syringe of the Roundup right in the main low body of the plant. Well, its life is over.

I had a yard full of gourds, and those big thistles, and anything that I didn’t want. Now, I have elm trees coming all over my yard. I will hit them with the Roundup treatment. This is easy and gets right to the pest, without me getting it on one of my special plants.

A. That is a very unique treatment. Just be careful with those needles!

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Garden Weed ControlThose noxious garden weeds can detract from the look of a garden, but are much worse than that. They compete with all your plants for water, light, and food. They are quite apt to harbor insects and diseases. Here are some simple weed-control tips which may prove interesting and effective:

Keep areas around your garden free of weeds. Stop the life cycle of all weeds by pulling them up before their flowers go to seed. If they seed, you have to go through their cycle once again before ridding them from your beds. Keep one step ahead of the weeds or you will never control them. Be sure to toss all weeds into a garbage can away from your gardens and remove promptly.

Do not add them to your compost pile. Seeds will blow by on their own and you will have to destroy them by turning the pile up and over weekly. Any vegetables you add should be without seeds, too. Don’t forget to add other kitchen wastes as egg shells, coffee grounds and produce scraps.

There’s an unfortunate belief that anything natural must be good for you. Being “good for you” is interpreted as being safe. So, one problem with natural insecticide is that not enough precaution is taken around small children and pets. Other insects that are helpful in the area can be harmed by the use of insecticides, whether they are natural or not. Even if you only spray the pests, the residue or fumes can cause harm. The consumption of the insects that were pests can be bad for the ones that aren’t.

People use more natural products with false security. There are many natural products that can cause problems if they are used improperly, to excess, or when mixed with other things.

Take medicines, for example. Herbal medicines are created from natural plant sources. They can be dangerous and will do more harm than good if used carelessly or without proper knowledge of the effects of the herb and the correct dosages. So it is with natural insecticides. Just because it’s called ‘natural’, many people mistakenly believe it’s non-toxic. The problem is the word ‘natural’, yet it must be used to describe and differentiate.

Take nicotine, for another example. It’s a natural extract of the tobacco plant. In pure form, it’s highly toxic to mammals. Yet, it’s used to control insects near plant harvest time. The warm weather increases its effectiveness, yet it quickly degrades. Nicotine with cigarettes is a well-known, proven cause of lung disease. It’s sold as a liquid concentrate for use against insect pests on vegetables and fruit.

Still another problem with natural insecticides is that for many of them to be effective, they must be sued more often than poisons. The best bet is to combine insect control techniques so that insecticides of any kind are only needed sparingly.

Just because an insecticide is safe for your plant doesn’t mean it’s safe for you or your animals. Some people have used pepper derivatives to fight against ants. If you’ve ever cleaned hot peppers with your bare fingers, then touched your eyes without thinking, you know just how painful the pepper residue can be. In strong concentrations, they can cause blisters to sensitive areas, cuts, or in the eyes or mouth. It would cause a big problem if you forgot to wash your hands and got the juice on your baby’s bottle nipple or in their eyes.

Rain or automatic sprinklers can dilute the effectiveness of natural insecticides. The problem lies in having to reapply them before you are ready. If you don’t have enough on hand, it will take longer for them to help you control the insects.

Many problems can be eliminated simply by taking the time to understand exactly what you’re dealing with. The insecticide can work for you or against you. What good are natural insecticides if you fail to use them properly? Taking a chance can be hazardous for you, your animals, your children, other insects, birds, and your plants. As the football coaches say, “The best defense is a good offense.”

Gardening Tips - A natural insecticide is the safest kind you can use. The half-life, or the amount of time the substance stays active in the environment, is much shorter than for synthetic chemicals. However, there are some precautions you should take to use natural insecticide safely.One use of natural insecticide is for keeping chiggers off of humans. Oil of pennyroyal or mountain mint can be rubbed on as a preventative. If you are pregnant, though, you will not want to be in contact with these substances. They can cause you to start having contractions. Sabadillia is a natural insecticide that is a stomach poison for insects. It is not toxic to humans. It does cause irritation to the eyes and to the lungs. If you put it on your garden, be sure to wear a mask. You should also wear a mask when using another natural insecticide, Diatomaceous Earth.

One natural insecticide that is also a respiratory tract irritant is rotenone. It is also very toxic to fish and somewhat toxic to mammals. You should wear protective clothing when applying this natural insecticide. You should also wear a mask.

If you make a carbon dioxide tick trap as a natural insecticide, you will need to take the usual precautions when using the dry ice. Do not touch it; use extra heavy gloves or ice tongs. Don’t let it come in contact with water or it will turn into fog. Do not ingest it. It can be very harmful if not handled properly. In the case of termite extermination, if you are planning to use a substance like a nicotine sulfate, be careful. It can be extremely toxic to people. It is best to have a professional exterminator do the work with this natural insecticide. .

The family of trees that includes the walnut puts out a natural insecticide. It is called juglone. The problem with it is that it is toxic to many other plants. You might want to have ornamental plants or a garden. The juglone might stop you.

This natural insecticide causes “walnut wilt.” Plants near the tree, especially touching the roots will wilt and die. Some a little farther away will become stunted. The only precautions you can take are to put affected types of plants away from the trees. You can put juglone resistant plants near the trees. These include zinnias, carrots, and black raspberries.

There are also some precautions you can take to make sure the natural insecticide retains its bug-killing abilities. If you make a preparation that is to be used dry, let it dry in the shade. Direct sunlight will ruin the active ingredients.
There is a lot of natural insecticide that is made from recipes. If the recipe says to dilute it, be sure to do so. If you don’t, the tender leaves and plants can be burned. It only takes a little time and a little water.

You can do yourself a service if you take precautions when using natural insecticide. You can keep yourself safe. You can protect the environment. You can save your other plants. Also, you can be sure that your natural insecticide will work.

Image via WikipediaSometimes you don’t just need natural insecticide for your yard, garden, and home. You also need it for yourself and your pets. You want to avoid the aggravation and even the disease that can come from bug bites. You just don’t want to put unnatural chemicals on your body that might cause another kind of harm.

Luckily, there is a natural insecticide for your every personal insect killing need. Many people don’t like to use the mosquito repellent with DEET in it. They fear that it is unsafe for their skin.

Fortunately, there are all kinds of natural insecticide on the market to replace DEET. One mosquito repellent has only water, natural oils, and vanillin. One kind of natural insecticide for mosquitoes is a patch that you wear for 24 hour. After this time, you will be protected for 36 hours. One natural insecticide recipe for insect repellent works for fleas, ticks, and chiggers. It uses lavender, sage, mint, rosemary and wormwood. You mix these ingredients together and cover them with vinegar of the four thieves. Let it set for a week and then apply it with a cloth.

Another natural insecticide insect repellent recipe is for all kinds of biting insects. You mix aloe Vera gel and skin lotion. Then you add citronella, eucalyptus oil, and patchouli oil. You shake it up in a bottle and put it on anywhere but your face.

If your pet has brought fleas into your home, you can get rid of them by dusting your carpet with boric acid. Wait a week and then vacuum it up. You can also use natural insecticide to get the fleas, as well as ticks, off you pet.

Diatomaceous Earth can be used as a natural insecticide in the home to keep fleas from coming back and attacking your pets. Pyrethrum or rotenone sprays will kill lice, fleas and ticks in your house to keep them off you pets. A natural insecticide called neem oil can be used directly on the pet to get rid of fleas. Orange oils can be used. There are also herb-based flea collars available to buy. These are all available to buy through brick-and-mortar or online stores.

There are also natural insecticide methods you can use made with simple ingredients. You can put certain things in your pet’s food. Some of these are fresh garlic, brewer’s yeast, and flaxseed oil.

It’s an unpleasant thought, but through no fault theirs, people can sometimes end up with bed bugs. These bugs are tenacious and very good at hiding in crevices of the bed. There are several ways to get them out of your bed. To get them off you, soap and water helps, but the natural insecticide neem oil does wonders.

No one wants to think of having bugs on themselves or their pets. It isn’t a pleasant thought. Besides, it is uncomfortable and hard to deal with. Natural insecticide can help take care of the problem. On top of that, they can even make it safer for your health. Maybe it’s time to give natural insecticide a try.

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