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Ridding a garden of fungus requires you to take a number of important things into consideration, like the space in between plants. Rid a garden of fungus with help from a certified horticulturist in this free video clip.
If you're a gardener, then almost nothing may be more frustrating than trying to figure out which critter is digging up your landscape and feasting on the rewards of your hard work. Although moles, which are rodents, are blamed for quite a bit of damage, several other kinds of creatures may have more serious effects. Not surprisingly, most of those pesky critters are also rodents.
You'll be able to tell if your young magnolia is doing well by keeping an eye out for dead browning leaves. Learn how to tell if young magnolia is doing well with help from an experienced gardening expert in this free video clip.
A summer job or a part-time job during the school year are seen by many teens -- and parents -- as a rite of passage and a first step toward independence. In addition to the money, working during high school can benefit many teens. Teens who work learn a number of skills that serve them well later in life, such as discipline, customer service skills and money management. A job can also give a teen confidence and a sense of accomplishment. There can also be some disadvantages and some risks.
Learn about the differences between superchargers and turbochargers and get expert tips to help you pick the right set up for your vehicle.
Keeping deer and rabbits out of your garden isn't as hard as it might appear. Keep deer and rabbits out of the garden with help from an expert on green pest control in this free video clip.
One effective tool that can be used to keep squirrels out of your bird feeders is a little cayenne pepper. Keep squirrels out of bird feeders using cayenne pepper with help from an expert on green pest control in this free video clip.
Homemade squirrel repellent for the garden is easy to make and is just as effective as store bought items. Make homemade squirrel repellent for the garden with help from an expert on green pest control in this free video clip.
There are a few different things that you can use to effectively kill grubs and chinch bugs in your lawn. Find out what you can do to kill grubs and chinch bugs with help from an expert on green pest control in this free video clip.
Palm trees can add an air of tropical beauty to your landscape. Palm trees are generally easy to grow and tend to thrive in climates and soils suited to their individual needs. While cold weather is one of the main causes of palm tree death, damage to the bark of these trees can also cause the entire tree to die. Healing a gouge or scrape in a palm trunk requires prompt action to save the tree from further damage.
Aphids and thrips can plague both outdoor and indoor plants. Both feed by sucking the sap out of plant leaves and stems, resulting in weak, damaged foliage. Aphids have soft bodies and tend to congregate in large colonies on the underside of plant leaves. Winged thrips move from plant to plant, primarily feeding on new buds and unfurled leaves. Feeding damage isn't the only concern with these two pests, though; they can also spread disease as they feed. Similar control methods help get rid of both aphids and thrips.
Dish detergent insect spray for indoor houseplants is a lot easier to make than you might think. Make dish detergent insect spray for indoor houseplants with help from an expert on green pest control in this free video clip.
Two main types of pesticides are a broad spectrum pesticide and a selective pesticide. Learn about the difference between a broad spectrum pesticide and a selective pesticide with help from an expert on green pest control in this free video clip.
You can make certain pesticides right at home so long as you have the right tools. Learn about a homemade pesticide recipe for perennials with help from an expert on green pest control in this free video clip.
Home remedies can be a great way to control garden pests. Learn how to control garden pests with home remedies with help from an expert on green pest control in this free video clip.
Certain treatments are great for ridding an entire yard of mosquitoes. Learn about a treatment to rid a yard of mosquitoes with help from an expert on green pest control in this free video clip.
Spider mites are microscopic pests, usually red or black in color, that suck the juices from plant leaves, causing white spots to form on the greenery, and these mites have been known to attack citrus trees. Several remedies geared to rid your lemon tree of spider mites provide a safe way to keep your trees healthy without using harmful sprays and pesticides. Some of the natural remedies use common household items, making it easy to rid your plant of the troublesome pests.
Rabbits look cute and furry from a distance, but they can wreak havoc on your garden. If rabbits are attracted to your yard by red apple trees, they can do a lot more damage than simply eating fallen fruit. Keep rabbits out of your apples to protect the tree itself and remove the temptation to sample other garden bounty before you have the chance to enjoy it.
Alligators live in many of the Southeastern states, and due to population growth and habitat reduction, these scaly animals increasingly come into contact with people. Confrontation with an alligator is typically not dangerous or life-threatening, as gators don’t consider humans as tasty snacks. Regardless of whether you are in any real danger, seeing one of these 6-feet-long creatures crawl into your yard can be frightening.
Snails come out at night to feed on tender leaves and plant stems. You may never see the pests unless you visit your garden after the sun goes down, but their shiny slime trails are visible in the light of morning. Snail and slug damage looks similar and the pests require the same control methods. Begin implementing a snail management plan at the first symptoms of an infestation so they don't have a chance to destroy your cucumber crop.
Tomatoes are American gardeners' favorite vegetable. As it turns out, they are also the favorite of many different moth caterpillars. The most destructive of these is the tomato or tobacco hornworm (two closely related moth caterpillars). Other determined munchers include armyworms, cutworms and fruitworms. These caterpillars are often distinguished by their feeding habits. Treatment is similar in all cases of tomato-eating caterpillars, so the real key to control is detecting these insects before they infest or destroy your tomatoes.
Mud is a big problem for any homeowner who cares about their yard, but it is especially troublesome for chicken owners. A muddy chicken yard often leads to negative consequences, including muddy chickens, extra flies and health concerns. Keeping your chicken yard dry is not always an easy task, particularly in rainy climates, but putting forth the extra effort to keep it as dry as possible leads to healthier, happier chickens.
Rabbits are among a gardener's worst enemies and difficult to keep out of the garden. These cute, fuzzy creatures reproduce explosively, voraciously eat tender plants and often manage to find their way under hastily constructed fences. Fortunately, many ways exist to deter rabbits, including special techniques for building rabbit-proof fences and habitat modification. Many organic compounds can frighten rabbits away. When all else fails, live trapping can be an option for rabbit eradication, provided there is a suitable place to release them.
Spider mites are tiny pests that can infest plants both indoors and out. They are very small, almost invisible to the naked eye, but they can cause a tremendous amount of damage once they take hold of a plant. They make little webs between the leaves that look like spider webs, which is what gives them their name, and suck the sap from the leaves. Although they infest many kinds of plants, there are a few plants they avoid. These will usually not only repel spider mites from themselves, but they will keep the pests away from nearby plants as…
If you set your houseplants outside during the summer, they may become infested with pests. Gall forming nematodes, and to a lesser extent eriophyid mites, can cause serious damage to houseplants. The galls — which are abnormal growths — are unsightly and may affect the health of the plants.
Several species of large-leaved plants are commonly called elephant's ear, including Alosia and Xanthosoma sagittifolium. All are members of the Araceae family and have similar cultural needs. Prized for the enormous leaves that grow up to 3 feet long, elephant ear plants make attractive additions to the yard in hot climates, and are grown as houseplants or annuals in cooler regions. Leaf-feeding insects can significantly damage foliage and mar the plant's beauty.
Though the top of its shiny, spotted shell gives the Tiger Cowrie snail an inviting appearance, the Indio-Pacific native mollusk also sports tiny nail-sharp spikes meant to keep predators at bay. Like turtles, snails do not shed their shells but retreat inside them for protection. Getting the 3-inch creature to poke its head out can involve methods from enticement to intimidation. You may find one tactic successful, or you may need to combine strategies to get the snail out of its shell. Because the Tiger Cowrie is a nocturnal species, you may find it more amenable to movement with the…
To get Cricket's WAP settings on your Verizon Droid phone, you must obtain the settings from Cricket directly. WAP refers to "Wireless Access Point," or "Access Point Name," and is the data used to connect your Droid phone to Cricket's Internet service. You must contact a Cricket customer service agent to get the WAP settings.
Beetle larvae, called grubs, live in the soil and feed on different types of plant matter. Harmful grubs attack plant roots and sometimes the stems, leaves and fruit of the plant. White grubs prefer decaying organic matter, so these organisms are often found in compost piles. Grubs gain access to planter boxes via two methods. The beetles either lay their eggs in the box or the potting soil mixture was previously infested with the pests.
There are certain types of pests that absolutely love to call your pantry "home." Identify pantry pests with help from the operator of a pest control business in this free video clip.
Keeping your lawn healthy will also improve its appearance. If you're planting a new lawn, be sure to visit your local gardening center or do research to determine the best grass species for your climate and soil. Whether your lawn is new or established, you should also obtain a soil analysis from a nearby university extension once a year in order to determine your soil's nutrient profile and determine whether you need to use fertilizers and other soil amendments.
Yellow jackets are a species of predatory social wasps that feed on other insects and on found food. They are particularly troublesome when they live in areas frequented by humans because of their habit of swarming out to aggressively defend their nest when it is disturbed. They also are persistent and pugnacious around food sources they find, particularly sweets and meats. You can take several approaches against yellow jackets.
Although oxalis, (Oxalis corniculata), also known as wood sorrel, looks similar to clover, oxalis grows from roots that look like small, white radishes. Oxalis blooms may be purple, yellow or white, depending on the variety. Each flower contains a seed pod that when ripe, can burst and expel the sticky seeds several feet. New oxalis plants also grow from stems that grow on the surface of the ground. Because oxalis is a perennial plant that returns every year, controlling an infestation in your lawn is a difficult task that requires persistence.
"Limbo" is a darkly stylized platform game available from the Xbox LIVE Arcade and PlayStation Store for the PS3. In the game, the player guides the young nameless hero through a frightening and dangerous world filled with traps, dead ends and a giant spider. The mind-controlling nematodes in "Limbo" are one of the most difficult challenges in the game because they latch onto the character's head and force him to relentlessly walk right into the game's obstacles.
Plants and insects are a common theme for kindergarten classrooms, as they tend to capture the imagination of many young students. While other elements of science and nature are hard for children to grasp, everyday plants and insects are more accessible to the kindergarten set. Use songs, books and crafts to familiarize students with insects and plants, and then help them to use their new found knowledge when touching and looking at real plants and insects inside and outside the classroom.
Although fungus gnats are harmless to humans, large congregations of the little flies can become annoying, especially when they start drowning in drinks and getting into food. Their larvae also cause damage to the roots of potted plants. Fungus gnats are not at all robust though, and it controlling them is usually a straightforward process, using items you already have in your home.
Fungus gnats are tiny, dark, flying insects that resemble mosquitoes. These insects live in soil where they eat decaying organic matter. They also feed on old, soft vegetables, such as potatoes and over-ripe fruit in kitchens and pantries. Due to their small size, fungus gnats find their way indoors easily through the window screens. These insects are also a problem on vegetable and fruit plants in greenhouses, and indoor plants such as ornamental fruit trees. You can get rid of these insects and prevent them from coming back with a few simple techniques.
Fungus gnats are flying insects that damage plants. These small insects look like mosquitoes and lay eggs in potting soil or plant debris. When the eggs hatch, the larvae feed on the roots, stunting plant growth. Because both adult gnats and larvae spread disease, control methods -- such as using natural pesticides -- are often implemented.
Sugar and borax make great bait for those pesky ants that won't seem to go away. Use sugar and borax as ant bait with help from the operator of a pest control business in this free video clip.
The common lemon helps organic gardeners and environmentally conscious families in countless ways. As a household cleaner, lemon juice substitutes for harsh window and counter cleaners. As a repellent, lemons have their place in fighting home and garden pests. Because lemon juice and lemon rinds each boast useful applications for pest control, think twice before discarding the fruit after using its peel or juice for cooking and cleaning.
Desert roses, or Adenium obesum, originated in Arabia and Africa and typically winter well in USDA hardiness zones 11 and 12. This low-maintenance plant bears grayish-green leaves and white, rose or pink flowers that bloom in the summer. Although a desert rose isn't associated with any serious disease or pest problems, aphids and spider mites sometimes infest this plant.
Homeowners, particularly gardeners, are frequently plagued by animals that dig in the yard. These animals can ruin flower beds, vegetable gardens and lawns. Many kinds of animals dig in yards, including stray dogs, rabbits, gophers and badgers. The only way to stop this is to add deterrents to make the yard undesirable. Even then, a few animals may sneak in occasionally. Keep up with the deterrents to continue discouraging new animals from finding your yard.
Keep your rabbits safe from predators such as snakes using barrier methods and the snake's sense of smell against it. These are the best ways to keep them away from your hutches and off your property, without moving the hutches indoors or using chemical liquid snake deterrents. Chemical deterrents can leach into the ground and affect plants and water sources, so use these as a last resort.
Ornamental orange trees bear fruit just as edible orange trees do, but they are primarily grown for their foliage, flowers, ornamental fruit color and smaller sizes. They make good patio plants for container culture or good landscape specimen or hedge plants. As common members in the Rue plant family, sharing the genus Citrus, ornamental orange trees are susceptible to the same pests as are edible orange trees, according to Purdue University.
Fungus gnats are persistent insects that are drawn to moisture on and around various plants. Unlike some other gnats, fungus gnats leave a discharge on plants and fruits. This discharge can turn to mold and eventually kill the plant. Plants that grow fruits such as strawberries are also susceptible to these annoying insects. The mold growth can ruin your strawberries. Left untreated the gnats will multiply and spread to other plants and fruits.
Weeds are also called pest grasses. They compete with turf lawns for water, nutrients and sun and can quickly choke lawns if left unchecked. Identifying pest grasses is the first step in knowing how to control them, and it helps gardeners to establish an ongoing maintenance plan. Weeds are categorized by three types: grassy, broadleaf and sedges. Identification considers form, growth habit, growth season, flowers and seedpods. Correct identification is important because herbicides formulated for one type of weed may be ineffective on another type.
In an effort to create sustainable products that will not eventually clutter up landfills, companies manufacture a wide range of biodegradable items. Among these are biodegradable shoes -- made of "green" plastic, canvas and cork -- which break down once buried and exposed to the microbes in the soil. Some of these shoes even include seeds hidden inside, so once they are buried in a garden, they will sprout into flowers.
Pigeons are often more of a problem than other birds because they don't migrate and produce several broods a year. Once they start nesting, they may remain a nuisance for weeks or months at a time. The birds will nest on any ledge that's at least 2 inches wide. Their droppings can carry diseases, are unsightly and acidic, damaging some types of equipment. Because the birds are habituated to life around humans, noise and activity do little to dislodge them. Seal your roof in the fall to avoid working in dangerous winter conditions and before spring and summer nesting periods.
Although rattlesnakes are important to the ecosystem, they're usually unwelcome in yards. If rattlesnakes are common in your area, use several methods to keep them away from your home. Before you go out snake hunting, familiarize yourself with the distinguishing physical characteristics of common snakes in your area. Harmless snake species actually help your yard and garden.
A crow's foot texture is a standard decorative technique used on drywall and created with drywall joint compound, called mud. If you don't want to use a brush to create it, or find using a decorative brush arduous, you can use a crow's foot roller to put the decorative pattern on your wall. The crow's foot roller is a semi-firm roller that has the pattern carved out of the surface. You first thin the drywall mud with a bit of water, then apply it as you would heavy paint, using the roller. You can apply the crow's foot texture, which…
