Backyard Style - Outdoor, Backyard Pond and BirdingSunday, July 27, 2008 Espoma Organic Plant Foods - Benefits of Phosphate- CLICK HERE! Espoma Rock Phosphate is a natural way to supply phosphate to your plants and flowers. The potential and occurrence for phosphorus deficiency is second only to nitrogen in plants and flowers. A couple quick facts about phosphate in gardening:
Phosphorus plays a vital role in energy transfer, photosynthesis, nutrient transport, sugar metabolism, plant genetics, cell division and as a structural component of the plant. So no wonder professional agriculturists and garden hobbyists both consider phosphate to be so important. Crops with adequate phosphorus show steady vigorous growth and earlier maturity. This means larger fruits and vegetables in the fall. Earlier maturing crops are less susceptible to summer drought, disease infection and frost. Espoma® Rock Phosphate is the finest, highest grade, all natural rock phosphate available. It is far superior in total phosphate content to all other natural forms of rock phosphate including black and colloidal rock phosphate. Organic source of phosphorus & micronutrients. Rock phosphate contains 32% total phosphate (P2O5). Phosphorus is an essential nutrient required by plants that is primarily responsible for healthy root development and fruit and flower production. In addition, rock phosphate is rich in minor elements such as boron, zinc, nickel and iodine which plants need in small amounts for optimum growth.Long term, slow-release feeding, Rock Phosphate becomes naturally available as the plant needs it. Plant roots give off carbon dioxide and certain organic acids which react with the rock phosphate in the soil, making it available for plant use. Because Espoma® Rock Phosphate is ground to a fine powder, a sufficient part of it is immediately available to the plant because the particles are so tiny that the organic acids and carbon dioxide produced by the plant roots and bacteria in the soil can break them down quickly. Spend $75.00 on plant food this week and save $5.00 with coupon code: googlerocks Labels: Espoma Organic Plant Food
Monday, July 21, 2008 Sonic Pest Chasers - Do they work?- CLICK HERE! The short answer is YES, sonic Pest Chasers work to repel rodents and NO, sonic Pest Chasers do not work to repel insects. In fact, the US Government has ruled that ultra-sonic product devices are NOT proven to repel insects. Ultrasound repels rodents by subjecting them to auditory stress. In terms of humans, it is like a continuous scratching of a chalkboard with your finger nails. Very simply, ultrasound hurts rodent's ears. Sonic pest chasing devices use a classic animal behavior modification technique. Unlike traps and poisons, ultrasound does not kill rodents. The Pest Chasing units have the ability to provide long-term reductions in rodent populations by creating a "rodent-unfriendly" environment that discourages rodent infestations. Unfortunately, if you have pet rodents of any kind - you can not use pest chasers in the same room as your pet! Rodent pets include mice, rats, hamsters, guinea pigs, ferrets, and squirrels. Never install an ultrasonic pest chasing device in a room that is inhabited by rodent pets. The sound will cause your pet severe auditory stress. The ultra sonic devices can't go through walls .. but better save than sorry. Keep your pets a couple rooms away! Sonic pest chasers will not work effectively outside - although some manufacturers have developed squirrel chasers that work on this theory that can keep squirrels away from bird feeders. The PestChaser emits high frequency ultrasonic sound waves between 32 and 62 kHz to create an acoustically hostile environment that repels rodents from sound-protected rooms. It's kinder than traps, safer than poisons, and completely inaudible to people and non-rodent pets. Unlike traps and poisons, the PestChaser minimizes human contact with disease-bearing rodents (no dead rodents to dispose of). It is very important to note when thinking of purchasing an ultrasonic pest chaser the following SCIENTIFIC facts:
Given this information, How can an ultrasonic device situated in a room repel rodents inside a wall? NO Can an ultrasonic device situated in one room repel rodents in other rooms? NO Therefore .. you need to get a device per room. Labels: Pest Control
Friday, July 18, 2008 Escape from the Backyard - About Dog GPS Locators- CLICK HERE! Global Positioning Systems. They are cropping up everywhere and making our lives easy, safer and more convenient. There isn't a person that I know that hasn't raved about a new GPS product. Most notably are the car GPS systems - but as you know there is much more out there and much more to come. If you are a pet owner, I am sure that you guessed that GPS locators for dogs would be coming soon - but the part that I DIDN'T guess was the ease of use of some of the systems and the way they are incorporated with an excellent online account experience and great customer support. We carry the PetSafe system and we have heard nothing but great reviews from anyone that has had experience with it. The PetSafe® GPS Locator collar is a powerful tool that helps you find your lost pet using assisted global positioning system (AGPS) tracking and two-way wireless technology. APGS is just GPS with a friendly person and technology helping you out. This GPS system has simple-to-understand features and a dedicated live support team standing by 24/7/365. Petsafe makes it easy for you to pinpoint the location of your roaming pet so you can bring him back home quickly and efficiently - without too many tears shed. The "Home Zone" is the key to how this innovative system works. You establish a Home Zone in a 3 step quick process. Once you've established that Home Zone™ area for your dog, the system will notify you (through any methods that you choose) whenever he crosses the Home Zone boundaries. You will get an escape alert via phone, email or text message if your pet goes outside without your permission. At that point, call PetSafe. A PetSafe Customer Care Specialist will walk you through recoving your pet. You get the peace of mind that comes from always knowing where your dog is and service that keeps the recovery process fast and easy. Best of all, the PetSafe GPS Locator comes with a money-back guarantee. If Labels: GPS Dog Locator
Friday, July 11, 2008 No More Geese! - Liquid Fence Goose Repellent- CLICK HERE! Smile and scoop up your last Goose turd. Goose, Duck and Turkey habitat can be greatly reduced with Liquid Fence's ingenius product. In a nutshell, the way that Goose Repellent works is that it makes the food supply ( where you apply it) very undesirable to geese, turkeys and ducks. They hate it! In essense, this safely contaminates the geese and duck food source. Take away the food source and those ducks and geese will migrate right out of the area to find food somewhere else. And you will be left with a doo doo free backyard, pond or lawn. Although we love animals and birds here at BackyardStyle - we are also aware of the damage that geese and duck can do to your home and yard. They can damage grass and other vegetation, pollute ponds, and spread disease. Geese can actually endanger both children and adults with aggressive, nasty behavior. Geese generally nest on shorelines, ponds, islands, man-made structures, golf courses and even in pools. If an area provides a water source, cover for a the geese nest and a good place for the bird to have a lookout, it is likely a goose will build its home there. Geese are also attracted to lawns with short, mowed grass. If the geese are migrating to your home - Liquid Fence Geese Repellent will do the job! Liquid Fence Coupon: Save $5.00 on any Liquid Fence order that totals more than $75 with coupon code: rachels5 Labels: Pest Control
Friday, July 4, 2008 Happy 4th of July! - Keep the Mosquitos at Bay this Weekend- CLICK HERE! Our featured product this July 4th is Natural Mosquito Repellant by St. Gabriel Labs. St. Gabriels Organics (best known for thier Milky Spore products) has created a Natural Mosquito Repellant that contains Garlic Juice, Citronella, White Pepper, Potassium Sorbate and Molasses to repel mosquitos effectively and naturally. It works on Gnats, Fleas and Ticks for up to four weeks. Each bottle (with hose-end sprayer) will cover 5,000 square feet. One of the most interesting articles on mosquitos that we have read recently is the recent news on how UK scientists are genetically modifying mosquitos to become Malaria resistant. Malaria kills nearly three million people worldwide every year, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa. Millions of bed nets have been handed out, and villages across the continent have been doused with insecticide. But those measures haven't put a significant dent in malaria cases. Mosquitoes bred to be immune to malaria could break the disease's transmission cycle. But some experts fear these supermosquitoes would upset the ecosystem. This is an interesting approach to a problem that is growing. Here is a great video on the topic: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/06/080620-mosquito-video-ap.html Happy 4th to everyone! Labels: Mosquito Control
Wednesday, July 2, 2008 How to Attract Birds to Your Yard- CLICK HERE! Did you know that wild bird feeding is the 2nd largest outdoor recreational hobby in the USA. (The first is gardening). Over 85 million people feed birds annually in the USA. The term "Birders" is used for people who feed birds. Why are there over 85 million birders in the USA? Well, there are some great reasons why people feed birds. The first reason being that wild birds are a great natural way of keeping insects under control because the wild birds eat large quantities of insects. Think -- no pesticides needed, only wild birds needed. A second is is that birds are a great decoration to your yard. The variety of species and colors can brighten your yard and become part of the landscaping. The beautiful sounds of the different birds is entertaining. A third and very important reason it that feeding wild birds makes us feel good. In cold weather, it is a great feeling to know that you are nourishing the birds. In the hard winters, you could actually save the lives of birds by feeding them. The final reason is that wild bird feeding is an inexpensive hobby compared to other hobbies. Before you get started, it is important to understand wild birds' habits and needs so that you can help them thrive. Like humans, wild birds need food, water, and shelter. 1 . Food Birds eat insects, spiders, grubs and worms, soft fruits and berries, tree sap, flower nectar, leaves and grass, and nuts . However, the birds that Birders primarily want to attract to their yards are seed or suet eaters. 2. Water Birds need water to survive. A strategically placed birdbath or small pool can attract a greater variety of birds. 3. Shelter Birds need protective cover. By flying, birds can escape an attack. Birds are most vulnerable when they are "grounded" to rest, feed or nest. Therefore, protective cover can be a plant or tree cover, or rocky ledges. 4. A Place to Raise Their Young The nesting and raising of the young is exciting and educational for you and your children/grandchildren. Birdhouses, nests and nesting holes, and birdhouses are are places birds can rest and raise their young. Things to consider when starting to feed birds: 1. Location of Feeders Of course, you want to be able to see the birds, but remember most birds will not go to a feeder that is too close to your house or to close to their predators. 2. Height of Feeders Just as important as the feeder location is the height of the feeder. Feeders placed at different heights will get you a large variety of birds coming to feed. You can start with suet feeders mounted on tree trucks, and remember to vary the heights. You can include a platform feeder placed 4 1/2 to 5 feet above the ground, and a couple of tube or Nugget feeders hung by wires between 5 - 8 feet off the ground. 3. Feeder Placement Should Vary If you are able have 2 or 3 different bird feeding areas keep them about 50 feet apart. If you place the feeding stations around different vegetation and at different heights, you will attract a greater variety of birds. You need to keep winter in mind, so remember birds favor the most sheltered locations out of the freezing wind. You do not want to move feeders around when the seasons change. 4. Protect the Feeding Stations from Predators. Squirrels, cats and nuisance birds, like Starlings need to be kept away from the feeders. Feeding stations are not just attractive to birds, but nuisance birds (like Starlings), squirrels, and cats. The easiest way to get started is to start with suet feeders. Suet is one of the top three foods to feed wild birds. Since birds have very high metabolic rates, birds will consume 1/4 to 1/3 their body weight worth of food a day! C&S Suet offers a variety of suet, mixed with the highest quality grains, fruits, nuts, and flavored pellets providing the high caloric energy source birds require. The traditional suet feeder is a vinyl coated wire cage suet feeder. They are inexpensive and durable. The cage may be hung from branches, tree trunks, or hooks. Suet will attract a great variety of birds, including chickadees, northern flickers, downy, hairy, red-bellied, and woodpeckers, nuthatches, wrens, warblers, thrushes, brown thrashers, blue jays, orioles, and bluebirds. The EZ Fill Bottom Suet Feeder will hols 3 suet cakes. It has a convenient feed level indicator that comes out of the roof to let you know how much suet cake is left C&S Suet flavors are available in a variety of flavors and "No Melt" delights. Ingredients vary from peanuts to papaya, hot pepper to almond, berry to cherry, and raisin to insect. There are even special blends for Oriole andWoodpecker. Suet feeding is the easiest way to get started with your feeding. Feeding suet is an easy way for you to become a Birder! Labels: bird feeding, CS, Pine Tree Farms Suet
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