Quakies

To many people, moths remain a rather mysterious insect. Most of a moth’s actions – its flight through the dark night air, spurred on by the light of the moon or a distant star; its mating habits, etc. – go largely unnoticed by humans. Only when the bug infringes on our lives do we pay it much heed. Light a candle in a dark room and any moths in the vicinity will be drawn perilously close to the flame. Often, they will catch fire and die.

In some cases, moths can create a nuisance – although they do it in an indirect way. Clothes moths are attracted to wool and other organic fabrics. To them, these articles of clothing present a chance to tuck in for a hearty meal. A few decades ago, many organic fabrics were treated with an insecticide. These days most people handle their organic insect control in another way – combining effective repellent with dependable traps.

As any proud homeowner will attest, it takes hard work and dedication to get your lawn and garden up to snuff after a long winter. When the snow melts, there’s an abundance of debris to be raked and cleared away. Flower beds must be dug and fresh bulbs planted. With all these tasks and more vying for your attention, it’s easy to forget about the importance of pruning your trees.

The aesthetic advantages of pruning are obvious, but there are significant health and safety benefits to the practice as well. Reduce the likelihood of falling branches and limbs causing injury to you and your family members by getting out the gardening tools and eliminating the dead patches of trees. Trimming dead branches promotes healthy growth in the future. Lush, green trees and shrubs should be the centerpiece of your well-manicured yard.

There are few sights more tragic than a lovely suburban home that’s marred by an ugly, brown lawn. Effective lawn care can be complicated, as there are numerous environmental factors in play. It’s not always enough to supplement grass with high-quality fertilizers, nor to keep the surface free and clear of leaves and other debris. If compacted soil is preventing vital nutrients from flowing to the grass roots, aeration is the only solution.

Lawn aeration is a method of puncturing the lawn’s surface, thereby allowing the soil to shift. This process boosts oxygen levels in the soil, which benefits grass roots and increases the likelihood of facilitating a lustrous lawn. Spading forks may be used as aeration tools, but they can be time consuming and detrimental to the back. Lawn aerator shoes, on the other hand, are fun and easy to use – just walk up and down the length of the lawn, aerating as you go.

Humid areas are veritable havens for mosquitoes, much to the chagrin of their human neighbors. The familiar “slap, itch, repeat” grows tiresome well before summer begins to wane. Still, it would be a shame to forsake an opportunity to enjoy the outdoors just because the bugs are bugging you. Insect repellent offers an obvious answer to the threat posed by blood-thirsty mosquitoes.

Unfortunately, some bug repellents have proven detrimental to personal health as well as the environment. Products that feature DEET have been shown to pollute local water sources, killing coldwater fish. Additionally, DEET can be harmful or irritating to the skin. An organic insect killer is just as effective as traditional insect repellent, but without the various health risks. These products effectively deter mosquitoes, fleas, ticks and gnats.