ANTS
Author: Sue
•8:02 PM

I am so happy tonight! I just got some wonderful information from my friend Craig again!
He has ants! Don't we all... and this is the way he deals with them!

I dislike ants, especially the argentine sugar ants.
 
I find the most economical means of doing them in, is using a Boric Acid Sugar solution.
There are commercial products that supposedly work faster, but the solution I use is cheap and effective.
It is slow acting (4 to 5 days) but it works.
 
Boric Acid is a poison but is one of the less toxic types and actually has some medicinal properties.
It's less toxic than aspirin and it's available at most drug stores.
 
I start by boiling the water in the microwave or stove top, then mix the boric acid powder and sugar slowly.
 When it's cool, it's ready to use.
 
I find plastic lids to containers work, but if one has pets or small children, one should use caution and keep it out of reach.
Might be good to use sealed containers with small holes to let the ants in and out.
 
I have a 10 ounce container I use for the mixed solution and it's about right for my needs.
 
Recipes...
 
10 oz. 
5 tablespoons (2.5 oz.s)  Sugar
1 1/8 teaspoons Boric Acid Powder
7.5 oz.s (.94 Cup) Water
 
1 cup
 1 teaspoon Boric Acid Powder
 3/4 cup Water
 1/4 cup Sugar
 
2 cups
2 teaspoons Boric Acid Powder
1 1/2 cups Water
1/2 cup sugar
 
1 quart:
1 cup - Sugar
1 tablespoon + 3/4 teaspoon - Boric Acid Powder
3 cups (1 1/2 pints) -  Water
 
(The above recipies may make slightly more than the total quantity indicated)
 
Tip: One can use a Recipe Quantity Calculator to convert to different quantities.
 
 
Craig
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Beneficial Bugs
Author: Sue
•2:14 PM




Not all bugs are bad; like my friend the Praying Mantis who just paid me a visit! I let them hang out with me because I am fascinated by their looks and behaviors! This one was perched on our Kirkland Brand Chicken Wraps Box! This prompted me to snap a picture of him and share it with everyone.  So now I must ramble on about Good Bugs!

 

Praying Mantis love to eat moths, crickets, grasshoppers, flies and other bugs I don’t know about! They have even been known to eat each other! Yuck!

Lady Bugs

We also have my friend the Lady Bug! Not only do they bring us good luck but they devour those nasty Aphids I hate and they are cute!

Spiders

Spiders are your most important predators on insects. They kill more insects than all the other predators combined.

Bees

They pollinate all our flowers!

Dragonflies

They eat mosquitoes, aphids and other pest bugs.

 

I know there are many other bugs out there that are good for our Gardens but I need you to tell me and our fellow Gardeners who they are!

So be careful who you spray they may become your best friends

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Deer Resistant Plants
Author: Sue
•7:13 PM




Bleeding Heart
Boxwood
Coneflower (Echinacea)
Holly
Iris
Marigold
Nasturtium
Northern Red Oak
Snapdragons
Spruce
Strawflowers
Yuccas
Zinnias

Thank you Karen N. for submitting this to me!

I shall proceed to plant some of these and I'll keep everyone informed of my progress! At present we have 4 Bucks on the property and 8 Doe and an unknown number of fawns. They always seem to be multiplying! If any of them survive a whole month I shall declare a miracle and give them an official stamp of approval! The only one I see possibly surviving are the strawflowers. They might tickle their fickle tongues! LOL

By the way I borrowed the picture from this site! I thought it was a wonderful picture so here is the link to his site.
http://soulsongart.wordpress.com/2008/02/01/strawflowers/
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The Spider and the Bee!
Author: Sue
•8:20 AM

Just had to share this picture with everyone! My very talented friend Craig took another awesome picture yesterday! He has an amazing Canon DSLR. He used a 60mm macro lense to shoot this! Enjoy!
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Author: Sue
•8:07 AM

Found This on Care2:

A little off track but we don’t want the bugs biting while we are outside enjoying Mother Nature!

Insect Repellent
Here is an easy repellent to make that has a shelf life of around six months. Label jars “mosquito,” “tick,” etc. for quick identification.

10 to 25 drops essential oil
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (olive oil is fine)
1 tablespoon aloe vera gel (optional)

Combine the ingredients in a glass jar. Shake to blend. Dab a few drops on your skin or clothing.

Here are some suggestions for your choice of essential oils:

Bug Repellent Essential Oils 
Caution: Pregnant women should consult with their doctors before using.

Ticks First Choice: Rose Geranium 
Other: Palmerosa, Bay Leaves, Eucalyptus, European Pennyroyal
Lavender, Tickweed (American pennyroyal)

Mosquitoes: Pennyroyal, lemon balm (citronella), thyme, lavender

Blackflies: Sassafras, lavender, eucalyptus, pennyroyal, cedar, lemon balm (citronella), peppermint

Head Lice: Tea tree, rosemary, lavender, eucalyptus, rose geranium

Fleas: Orange oil

A note about wasps and yellow jackets: Don’t wear perfume, hair spray, or scented
deodorant. Avoid wearing bright colored clothing.

 

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Caterpillars
Author: Sue
•7:40 AM

Well I was just sent a great picture of a caterpillar which I wanted to share with you all. We don't know what kind he is but he sure is beautiful! Too bad they feed on all our plants! So now I want to know how everyone deals with caterpillars in their gardens
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Evil Weevil!
Author: Sue
•8:42 AM

Just in ... my friend Craig just sent me this picture of these nasty weevils attacking his garden!
So now I need your help. Send me your tips on how to get rid of them!
Great picture by the way! Thank you for sending it.
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