Eggshells as Organic Pest Control - Get Busy Gardening 2K+ The flea beetles have been worse than ever this summer, and the Japanese beetles are no fun either. On top of that, the slugs have been turning my hostas into swiss cheese. (Ahhh, the joys of gardening) I need all the help I can get fighting these and other pests in the garden. There is a well known organic pesticide called diatomaceous earth, which is basically the fossilized remains of creatures that are ground into a fine powder. This works as an organic pesticide because it gets under the shells of beetles and acts like bits of glass to cut them up and kill them. Snails and slugs will also die if they slink across it, and it works as a deterrent. I eat a lot of eggs, so I have plenty of eggshells. Eggshells as organic pest control: Allow the eggshells to dry out before crushing them. Grind the eggshells into a powder using a food processor or coffee grinder. The coffee grinder does a great job of grinding the eggshells into a powder. You can’t beat free organic pest control.
* Maria's Self *: DIY Toilet Bombs - Deodorize & Kill Bacteria! Just Drop One in the Bowl;-))) Remember I told you in my previous post that the next product in my store will be an "outside the box" one? Well, you've been warned;-))) I came up with the idea of Toilet Bombs a few months ago. At first I thought it would be embarrassing to make a post about them but I fell so much in love with these toilet bombs that I just HAD to share the idea with you - I'm seriously addicted! When I drop them in the toilet bowl they start fizzing (= exploding;-) and not only do they smell amazing they also deodorize, kill the bacteria (including the odor-causing ones!) and keep the bowl clean. WHAT I USE: (for approx. 24 bombs) --1 1/3 cup Baking Soda - amazing for all-natural cleaning AND deodorizing! --1/2 cup Citric Acid - (low-strength acid that exists naturally in fruits like lemons & oranges) - used in many kitchen & bathroom cleaners for its cleaning, whitening & deodorizing properties About me: Find this post helpful?
HOW TO PROPAGATE THE SAFFRON CROCUS Although found in the bulb section of most plant retailers come autumn, the saffron crocus actually grows from compressed underground stems known as corms. These specialised stems come complete with dormant buds, each one capable of growing into a genetically identical plant. Each year one new corm will grow on top of the old one, together with some smaller ones which will grow from the base of the plant. These smaller juvenile corms are known as cormels. Their resemblance to a typical bulb is so similar that the difference isn't particularly important until you come to vegetatively propagate from it. If you originally grew your crocus from pre-packed corms, you will be able to lift these after three years growth for propagation, breaking off these smaller outer corms away from the mother plant. The first technique is the simplest involving the removal of the main stem.
13 Natural Ways To Keep Mosquitoes Away Want to be notified each time we publish a new blog post? Then make sure you like Natural Living Ideas on Facebook here where we share not only our blog posts, but the best natural living ideas from around the web. I’m sure everyone reading this right now has experienced the redness, the swelling and the uncontrollable itching that comes with a mosquito bite. It’s enough to ruin any barbecue or picnic! Many people turn to store bought insect repellents to keep mosquitoes away, but these insect repellents often contain a toxic pesticide that is dangerous to human health. Heavy exposure to DEET has been linked to memory loss, headache, weakness, fatigue, muscle and joint pain, tremors and shortness of breath in humans and is particularly toxic to children. Needless to say, this is a pesticide we do NOT want to be using – especially when there are so many more effective ways to keep mosquitoes away using natural remedies and ingredients. Homemade Citronella Candles A Few Drops Of Lavender
PlantVillage | Avocado: Diseases and Pests, Description, Uses, Propagation Algal leaf spot Alga Cephaleuros virescens Symptoms Raised, orange-red spots on both upper and lower surfaces of leaves; spots may coalesce to form irregularly shaped patches; spots may also be present on twigs and branches; when the surface of the spot is scraped away, a gray to dark necrotic crust is visible Comments Disease affects many fruit trees in the tropics; infection is unsightly but often harmless Management Ensure that trees are properly pruned and fertilized to promote vigor; remove all weeds from around tree bases; employ a wider tree spacing to increase air circulation around the trees; badly infested trees can be treated with copper containing fungicides Anthracnose Fungus Glomerella cingulata Chlorotic and necrotic spots; dead leaf tip; defoliation; brown or purple lesions on new shoots Spores spread by rain splash; high moisture and warm temperatures encourage spread Avocado thrips Insect Scirtothrips perseae Bacterial soft rot Bacteria Erwinia herbicolaErwinia carotovora
The Burlap Bag - High Quality Handmade Goods Shop - Austin Texas December 20, 2011 by Lauren (Check out our new ONLINE SHOP for The Burlap Bag!!) We have two cats. They get stanky. And I refused to buy air fresheners. It turns out I already had everything I needed for a homemade and EASY air freshener! What you need: A container (we used these) Baking sodaEssential oil Foil (or a lid you want to ruin and poke holes in) This gets really complicated so pay attention…. 1. Oh. Well, add a lid if you want. Seriously the easiest thing I’ve ever done. Done. Follow us for instagram for updates! (p.s. we’ve had a lot of people email us asking where to get those jars! Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
Pest News - Agriculture and Natural Resources Blogs Adult spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula). Source The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture recently reported the first detection of yet another invasive hemipteran pest in the US. An exotic pest known as the spotted lanternfly, Lycorma delicatula (White) was recently detected in Berks County, PA. Origin and distribution Spotted lanternfly is native to China and is present in Southeast Asia. Host range Spotted lanternfly feeds on a variety of host plants including fruit trees, ornamental trees, woody trees, and vines. Biology Eggs are laid on tree trunks in ootheca (egg case) in groups of 30-50 and are covered in a yellowish brown waxy deposit. Damage Adults and nymphs feed on phloem tissues of foliage and young stems with their piercing and sucking mouthparts and excrete large quantities of liquid. Management Neonicotinoids, pyrethrins, and organophosphates are among the chemical insecticides effective against spotted lanternfly. Adults:
Homemade Dishwasher Detergent Its Frugal Friday! This recipe is so stinking frugal, so easy its crazy, and you have to try it! It takes about 2 minutes, costs about $0.65 to make, and should last about 100 loads. That’s not even a penny a load! Homemade Dishwasher Detergent 2 cups Borax 2 cups washing soda 4 packets of sugar free lemonade Kool-aid (or you can use citric acid) Mix all ingredients together and keep in some kind of container. or just an empty detergent box you have.To use: Place 1 Tbs in the pre-wash (open cup) and 1 Tbs in the main wash (closed cup). The original recipe says to use white vinegar for the rinse aid, but when I did this it made all my dishes smell like vinegar which isn’t too pleasant. Since the holidays are coming up around the corner I will share my frugal Christmas ideas on Fridays. I party here…
Applied Biological Control Research: Trioza (Hemiptera: Psylloidea: Triozidae) Trioza species (Hemiptera: Psylloidea: Triozidae) attacking Avocado Leaves Prepared by Mark Hoddle, Extension Specialist and Director of Center for Invasive Species Research mark.hoddle@ucr.edu Four species of Trioza are currently known to attack avocado foliage and nymphal feeding causes some form of leaf deformation. Trioza anceps Tuthill is associated with avocados throughout Mexico and Central America. All four Trioza spp. appear to have an extremely restricted host range and have only been recorded from leaves of avocados (Persea americana). Trioza species have been found on smuggled avocado plants intercepted in San Antonio and Brownsville in Texas, and San Diego in California (Texas and California are states in the USA) (Hollis and Martin 1997). Around 58 species of psyllids (~2% of described species) are associated with host plants in the Lauraceae, the plant family to which avocados belong. Adult Trioza. Trioza nymphs. Ebeling, W. 1950.
How to Make Homemade Peppermint Extract Part of the reason that I decided to grow mint this year was so that I could try making my own peppermint extract. Jesse and I are pretty much obsessed with mint (especially mint plus chocolate) so we go through a lot of mint extract. Even though I buy my extracts through Azure Standard, they’re not exactly cheap, so making my own seemed like a great way to save some money. I finally got down to it last weekend. How to Make Peppermint Extract I did a quick Google search and found a multitude of recipes, all of which followed the same basic outline. Harvest a bunch of mint leaves from your mint plant. Harvested mint leaves Remove mint leaves from stalks (if applicable) and pack leaves into a measuring cup to determine how much mint you have. Mint leaves ready to be rinsed Rinse mint leaves with water, then squeeze leaves in your hands to bruise the leaves before placing them into a clean glass jar. Cover your jar with a lid and allow to steep for about a month in a cool, dark place.