Wild About Wild Life

Summer is just around the corner and so are the mosquitoes. You know, those pesky little boogers that show up at your BBQ functions and out door events that the bats rave over. You may not be able to totally rid your area of mosquitoes, even with the help of natural insect controllers such as birds and bats, but there are some preventive ideas to help control them.

One way to control mosquitoes around your neck of the woods, home and yard is to keep all containers and surfaces free of standing water. This includes, but is not limited to: wagons and other toys, old tires, rain barrels, wading pools, flat roof, saucers under potted plants and watering cans.

To help ward off mosquito bites, use an insect repellent that contains DEET, picaridin, or oil of eucalyptus.  AVOID spraying repellent directly on your face. Instead, spray your hands and run them carefully over your face, avoiding eyes and mouth. For safe use on babies and children, use DEET products with a concentration of no more than 30%.  AVOID DEET products on infants under 2 months of age, and do not use oil of eucalyptus on children under the age of 3.

Summer time is a great time for gardening, BBQ’s, birding, batting and other events, but we want to do it safely and carefully. So this summer, protect your family and friends in your outdoor activity, while still protecting the wonderful wildlife that is there for us to enjoy.

**For more information on how to house natural insect control in your area, simply visit: www.wildlife-houses.com

Special thanks to Washington Toxics Coalition, U.S. Centers for Disease control.

The first line of defense against mosquitos is to seal their point of entry. Mosquitos are most active in the early morning and early evening. They seek areas of still air because they are hampered by breezes. Close windows and doors on the side of your house which are opposite the breeze.

• The most important measure you can take is to remove standing water sources. Change birdbaths, wading pools and pet’s water bowl twice a week. Keep your eavestroughs clean and well-draining. Remove yard items that collect water.
• In a New England Journal of Medicine study, oil of eucalyptus at 30% concentration prevented mosquito bites for 120.1 minutes, while Bite Blocker with 2% soybean oil kept bites away for 96.4 minutes. (the eucalyptus oil must have a minimum of 70% cineole content, the active therapeutic ingredient.) Citronella, a common alternative to DEET, performed poorly, warding off bugs for only 20 minutes.
• If you’re using the barbeque, throw a bit of sage or rosemary on the coals to repel mosquitos.
• An effective natural bug repellent, mix one part garlic juice with 5 parts water in a small spray bottle. Shake well before using. Spray lightly on exposed body parts for an effective repellent lasting up to 5 – 6 hours. Strips of cotton cloth can also be dipped in this mixture and hung in areas, such as patios, as a localized deterrent.
• Neem oil is a natural vegetable oil extracted from the Neem tree in India. The leaves, seeds and seed oil of the Neem tree contain sallanin, a compound which has effective mosquito repelling properties. Neem oil is a natural product and is safe to use. Look for new Neem Oil-based commercial products on the market.
• ·  Planting marigolds around your yard works as a natural bug repellent because the flowers give off a fragrance bugs and flying insects do not like.

One of the best ways to get rid of pesky mosquitoes is to have an edible birdhouse or nest cavity which will house birds to eat up the mosquitoes. Bats are also natural insect controllers, and one bat can consume 1000 mosquitoes in one night and are harmless to human beings despite what you see in the movies or on TV…..

For more information on how you can house a natural mosquitoe controller, and NOW is the time to set them out, simply visit: www.wildlife-houses.com

The other day, I was asked the question about how an individual could rid his apartment complex of pesky roach infestation. Cockrach extermination, in the past, has typically been done by harsh chemicals, which can be harmful to domestic pets and loved ones.  Small children, pets, and even some adults can be adversely affected by harsh chemical agents, making the search for natural roach control a common endeavor. The individual was concerned about how to get rid of cockroaches without using harsh chemicals. This may be enlightening to you, if you or someone you know may be experiencing this problem and would like some organic, natural, proven,  alternatives to roach control.

• Purchase a gecko or two and give them free reign of your home while your infestation persists. They are natural predators of cockroaches of all varieties and will tirelessly hunt down and eventually eradicate your problem. At first you won’t even know they are there, but when food sources become scarce, you’ll notice your gecko making more frequent appearances out in the open.
• Set Out a Mixture of Baking Soda and Sugar. Cockroaches have a very high acid content in their stomachs. When they ingest the sugar, and the baking soda along with it, the subsequent reaction between the soda and their natural make-up results in death.
• Mix Up a Non-Toxic Bait. Also taking advantage of the adverse effects of baking soda, mix up a dough made of baking soda, bacon grease, minced onions, sugar and flour. The bait is easier to distribute and cleaner than the above mentioned strategy, with the same deadly results.
• Try Boric Acid. Boric acid isn’t non-toxic, but it isn’t as volatile as most insecticides, either. You can purchase it as a powder that you sprinkle in areas where you suspect roaches are congregating. It’s not exactly organic roach control, but your roaches in house will get the boric acid on their exoskeletons through contact, after which the acid eats away at them until they die. You can also make Boric Acid-based bait, similar to the baking soda bait listed above, though be sure to keep pets and children away from any area where boric acid is used.

Besides the above mentioned natural roach control methods, other things you might try include spreading diatomacious earth, using epsom salts as poisonous bait, and placing bay leaves in cupboards, pantries and other areas as a repellent. Of course none of these methods will work, if you do not keep a clean house. As Jimmy Walker once said, “Cockroaches are the cleanest insect I know…….because you always find them in the bathtub.”

*For more information on natural insect and pest control, using natures own creatures, visit: www.wildlife-houses.com !

Here is an interesting article on how home pesticides are linked to childhood cancers. More and more often people tend to be getting away from chemicals and going the natural route. Your natural pesticides and insecticides are offered by nature itself, with birds and bats. If you are of the same mindset, maybe you might want to consider a bird or bat box for your yard to help control the insect and pest population in yer neck of the woods. Consider this as you read this article.

Previous studies in agricultural areas of the US have shown strong associations between pesticides and childhood cancers but this is the first research conducted in a large, urban area to look at the connection. The study, conducted between January of 2005 and January of 2008, involved 41 pairs of children with ALL and their mothers and a control group of 41 matched pairs of healthy children and their mothers. The volunteer research subjects were all from Lombardi and Children’s National Medical Center and lived in the Washington metropolitan area.urine of more than half of all the participants, but levels of two common OP metabolites, diethylthiophosphate (DETP) and diethyldithiophosphate (DEDTP), were significantly higher in the children who suffered from cancer. What’s more, the mothers who participated in the study filled out questionnaires that revealed more moms whose kids had cancer used pesticides (33 percent) than did the mothers in the control group (14 percent) whose youngsters were cancer-free.health and for the health of their children. For example, NaturalNews has previously reported on the link between residential pesticides and childhood brain cancer (http://www.naturalnews.com/026155_p…), and the strong association between a serious pre-cancerous blood condition and exposure to pesticides (http://www.naturalnews.com/026626_p…).

Urine samples collected from the children and their mothers were analyzed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to look for metabolites that provide evidence of household pesticide exposure. Specifically, the scientists were looking for metabolites associated with the pesticides known by their chemical name as organophosphates (OP). The researchers found evidence of the pesticides in the

“We know pesticides — sprays, strips, or ‘bombs,’ are found in at least 85 percent of households, but obviously not all the children in these homes develop cancer. What this study suggests is an association between pesticide exposure and the development of childhood ALL, but this isn’t a cause-and-effect finding,” the study’s lead investigator, Offie Soldin, PhD, an epidemiologist at Lombardi, said in a statement to the media. “Future research would help us understand the exact role of pesticides in the development of cancer. We hypothesize that pre-natal exposure coupled with genetic susceptibility or an additional environmental insult after birth could be to blame.”

While the scientists aren’t ready to flat out say pesticides cause cancer, when you look at the big picture and see what is already known about the havoc pesticides appear to cause in the human body, it makes sense for parents and parents-to-be to ditch pesticides — for their own  health and for the health of their children. For example, NaturalNews has previously reported on the link between residential pesticides and childhood brain cancer (http://www.naturalnews.com/026155_p…), and the strong association between a serious pre-cancerous blood condition and exposure to pesticides (http://www.naturalnews.com/026626_p…).

(Special thanks to naturalnews.com for the article)

For more information on how you can aquire a bird or bat house for your yard to help the fight against chemical pesticides, visit us as:  www.wildlife-houses.com