pest Archives - Tammie's Take~

7 Tips to Make Your Garden Pet-Friendly

Reviews · May 14, 2018

If you like gardening and you have pets, the two can come in the way of each other, as dogs love to dig and cats often nibble at plants, especially young kitties. And if you have bunnies, your vegetable garden is never safe from them! So, how do you counter this? With the help of the following seven tips, of course.

Make Sure All Your Plants are Safe

You may not appreciate your baby plant being chewed by your dog, but pets are always going to be a priority over any plant, so make sure that whatever you do have growing in your garden is safe for your pets. Check out this list of poisonous plants to avoid poisoning your pets.

Flowing Water

Flowing water is safer to drink and swim in for pets than stagnant water, as stagnant water might also be the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes and other pests. Even if you don’t have flowing water in your garden, do make sure that there are at least one or more bowls full of fresh water in the garden for your pets to quench their thirsts.

Protective Fencing

If you have pet rabbits, they will inevitably be attracted towards your plants, and that does not bode well for your garden, of course! In order to prevent this from happening, put fences around your vegetable patch or any other section of the garden that has young plants growing in it.

Divert the Digs

Dogs cannot and should not be stopped from digging because it’s in their nature to do so. Therefore, the best way to counter this is to divert their digging tendencies away from your plants. Make a sandy area in your garden, put some small rocks in there and just bury a few doggy toys in the ground to make the place seem ideal for digging.

Opt for Natural Pesticides

Pesticides are poison and they are best avoided, but if you don’t use any, it will result in your garden being infested by insects, weeds, and other pests that can ruin your plants in mere days. So, the solution lies in using natural, safe pesticides over chemical products that can harm pets, children, and even adults.

Small Cedar Mulch is Puppy Safe

Small cedar chips make for good mulch and won’t hurt your dog’s skin or paws if they decide to spend time playing in the mulch! Chewing is a bad idea though since that can lead to toxic reactions when consumed in large amounts.

Edging Protects Your Plants from Pets

A combination of edging and clicker training will teach your dog the concept of boundaries and being creatures of habit, they will always respect that boundary between your backyard and your garden bed.

For more advice on all things related to gardening, pest control, farming and landscaping, head over to Love Back Yard. You would be surprised how much an expert source of knowledge, guidance, and information can help you get the best out of your gardening endeavors.

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Get Your Home Ready for the Summer Season

Reviews · May 12, 2018

As you’re making plans for the upcoming summer season, be sure you schedule some time to get your home in order. Summer home maintenance might not be as enjoyable as planning a vacation, but tips for a summer-ready home can save you time and money, time and money you’d likely rather spend on more enjoyable endeavors. Ready to learn?

Take Care of Your HVAC System

One of the first things to do is give your HVAC system a checkup and tuneup, if necessary. This means cleaning or replacing your filters, depending on what kind they are, cleaning debris from the vents and exhausts as well as testing your unit to make sure it’s in working order. The summer season is also a good time to call a professional out to your home to visually inspect and maintain your HVAC system to ensure it’s fully operational and that there aren’t any minor problems to tend to.

Clean Off Your Walkway

Have a professional pressure wash your walkways and driveway to get rid of grit and grime that’s accumulated, which improves its appearance and allows surfaces to last longer. As you’re washing, keep a close eye out for cracked or broken pavers and bricks. You can flip them over if you like, replace them or use masonry filler to address bothersome cracks. Just make sure the filler is the same color as your pavers or bricks.

Tend to Your Carbon Monoxide and Smoke Detectors

Check all the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in your home, making sure they all have fresh batteries and that they actually work. You’ll want to place carbon monoxide detectors close to bedrooms, mainly because the odorless gas is most potent while we’re sleeping. Besides bedrooms, other recommended areas of the home that need carbon monoxide detectors include the living room, kitchen and near the furnace. As for smoke detectors, position them close to the kitchen, near bedrooms and on every level of your home. To save money and keep your home from looking like a carbon monoxide and smoke detector museum, know that there are combination detectors you can buy.

Check Your Windows

You’re likely to crank up the air conditioning in the summer, and cooled air can escape through any gaps that exist in your windows. Use caulk to take care of any gaps in your window frames, making sure you inspect the weatherstripping to see that it’s in good condition. Opening and closing your windows a few times is also a good idea to ensure they’re fully operational. Make arrangements to replace faulty windows with ones that are more energy efficient. Not only are new windows a good way to keep your heating and cooling costs low, they can also boost the overall value of your home should you decide to put it on the market in the future.

Finally, washing your windows this summer is also a good idea. When you do wash your windows, it’s best to use a squeegee and tend to them on a cloudy day to lower the potential for unsightly leftover streaks.

Prepare Your Home Against Bug Invasions

Bugs also make vacation plans during the summer, and they might see your home as the perfect getaway destination. Hang up the “no vacancy” sign by checking all doors and windows for leaks, much like you would to prevent drafts and a loss of heated or cooled air. Spraying pesticides outside your home and along baseboards and windows as well as doors is also recommended. You may want to reach out to a pest control service for professional help, which is a good idea if you’ve had problems with bugs in the past.

Make home maintenance a priority this summer season. Your property is sure to look and function better for your efforts.