Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Tips to Prevent Summer Pests

TO KEEP PESKY FLIES AWAY:
To prevent flies, keep kitchen garbage 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 sharp object. Flies will crawl in but cannot crawl out.

Scratch the skin of an orange or grapefruit and leave it out; the citrus acts as a repellent.

Hang muslin bags of cloves to repel flies.

Mint planted around the home or grown in pots indoors repels flies.

Basil plants help to repel flies.

Water potted plants from the bottom to produce a stronger scent.

Dried ground leaves of basil left in small bowls or hung in muslin bags are also effective.


DISCOURAGE MOSQUITOES:
For prevention, encourage natural predators such as dragonflies or praying mantises.

Eliminate pools of stagnant water.

Avoid wearing perfume, bright colors, flowery prints, and bright jewelry as these items attract mosquitoes.

Burn citronella candles to repel insects.

Plant tansy or basil around the patio and house to repel mosquitoes.

All well and good, now can anyone tell me how to discourage RABBITS from eating my garden and flowers??

12 comments:

  1. Any ideas on how to repel those asian beetles/ladybug looking things? They swarm into our screened balcony and it's so bad that we usually don't open the sliding glass door during the summer.

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  2. Wow, Cheryl. Thanks for all the tips. No self respecting fly would be caught dead *cough* up here in the freezing tundra. lol! Dragonflies are good luck.
    Nicole, I hate those beetles. They feel like a rock when they hit you in the head.

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  3. Thanks for the great tips! I really hate mosquitoes! Do you have a fence around your garden? I've heard that marigolds might keep them away but I don't know if that is true or not.

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  4. Anyone know how to get rid of camel crickets who have decided to make your bathroom their home?



    Oh, and I finally got me a copy of Wed Under Western Skies...can't wait to read it!

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  5. Awk! I HATE crickets! They freak me out--always have.

    Thanks for picking up WUWS!

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  6. Carol, our yard is fenced in, but it's no deterrence to the bunnies. I just poured blood meal around. They're supposed to hate that.

    A woman at the garden center told me to spread used cat litter around! Like that's going to happen!! Ugh!

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  7. Man, crickets freak me out, too. Are we related?

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  8. I don't like crickets...and the ones that have moved into my bathroom are camel crickets...so they are much larger than normal crickets and brown. At night they are the worse...hopping on you. :shudders:

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  9. We used to have a lot of rabbits in our yard but this year we have none. I think it's because we have new neighbors with an outside cat who is always in our yard.

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  10. LOL I wouldn't want to put down used cat litter either! I hope the blood meal works for you.

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