Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Question of the Day!

  Hello and Good Afternoon to all!

  Last night after reading my first post, I thought of something. A while back, our pit bull decided she was going to dig by our tree in the yard. At first I thought nothing of it other than "great, another hole to fill" lol. After a bit of watching her, while enjoying my coffee, I realized she was after something in the dirt. When she was finally done, she pulled a large metal dish from the dirt. She brought it to the back door where I was standing, set it right next to her food dish (which was full) and sat down, as if to say "this one is empty, fill it up!" lol.

  As we all know, dogs do some pretty strange and weird things. My question of the day for you the reader is, what strange thing has your dog dug up or brought to you that was out of the normal?

  Please leave your dogs icky and weird finds below in the comments! :)

Monday, June 11, 2012

The "OMG!!" Bug and it's pesky friend, the termite!

  Hello again to all readers! How are you enjoying the summer weather? I hope you all are finding it comfortable because I sure am not lol. The air conditioning sure makes it a lot more appealing. Bring on the freeze!! Agree with me don't you? Its funny how we all want it then we decide its time for it to go away lol. Anyway, on with the blog right?

  Today when I woke up I began contemplating my blog for the day while eating my breakfast (oatmeal and strawberries! yummy!). After a while I realized the usual routine, aka a scream in the house and an "OMG BUG!" had not been done for the last few days. Reason for that is, a week or two ago I had noticed there were termites eating through my fence posts in my rose bed. My immediate reaction of course, EXTERMINATE! lol. The last thing anyone wants is a huge termite infestation! I am pretty sure though that its a total opposite reaction for the terminix guy though lol. He gets paid for it, so for him its probably a "yay!".

  After my discovery of these termites and their damage done, I quickly hopped into the car and drove to my local home depot ( a yay! for any guy who likes tools and hardware stores lol). While trying to fight my urge to buy the entire store, I found what I now find to be a wonderful spray. It is however, on the not so harmless and some what pricey side (17 dollars!) lol. But never the less, it works! It is Bayer Advanced Carpenter Ant & Termite Killer Plus. Its a concentrate, so you would have to buy your own sprayer but you would be saving in the long term of things by using a concentrate and mixing it yourself.

  Its not too complicated for the average person like me, so I know you could do it! Just patience and perseverance along with following lots of instructions! lol. Your going to need a lot of it for a vermin like these! It's been a few days here and I have yet to see one again near my garden or by the fence posts. These pesky buggers like to hide deep within the wood and down below the surface of the ground. That being said, you will probably have to do quite a bit of digging around to locate and eradicate them also, like I did. Pain in the rear huh? But in the long run, it is well worth the hard work. If all else fails, call the exterminator! lol.

  Another advantage to this spray is the fact that it works on many other pesky bugs, including wasps, and my most pesky one of all, roaches! Yes I said it, Roaches! Also known around here as, Japanese Water Beatles or "OMG BUG!!!" lol. These things seem to burst out of the woodwork no matter where you live. They are one of the most pesky bugs I have ever encountered and hard to get rid of. The morning after I had gone on my "extermination rampage" with the termites, I walked out to a surprise while getting my morning newspaper. I found about twenty or more dead roaches by the sidewalk.

  Now I know most of you at this point, are either cringing at this or probably saying "ew ew ewww" but, I was excited! I had finally found something they apparently could not withstand. I have checked everywhere for them. For those of you who do not know this type, it is an outdoor type mainly and only occasionally it is found indoors. They love cool damp areas near gardens and piping under the home, sometimes even under planters, even your dogs house! lol. None the less, they are still a pesky bug lol.

  We have been lucky and prepared enough to keep these numbers outside, and out of the home. They are invasive and can bring all kinds of disease, along with being a problem for people with asthma! If you have them or see one, get to work immediately! They breed and spread quickly, so what started as a small amount, can turn to a huge infestation. For these guys, there are plenty of house hold items and home made sprays that can help indoors, if you do not want to use poisons.

  For instance, my girlfriend found out 409 kills them and quickly! She did not just spray it though, she drowned it! lol. Soap and water will also do the trick. The reason for this is that the soap in the water suffocates them, making them an easy target for the shoe or even killing them after a few seconds! Beware though, this bug can revive even after being sprayed and slowed down! So use that shoe or newspaper! lol. Don't be afraid! Squish it!! lol. Well, that pretty much sums up what I have to say. I hope you enjoyed your read and found this useful. If you have any questions, feel free to comment and ask! :)

SQUISH IT! SQUISH IT GOOD! lol



 

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Is your dog digging to the other side of the world?

   Hello Everyone! This is my first time blogging and I am not so sure about how to start this all so here goes! I figured for my first time I would share a little part of a recent question I was asked. As a dog owner myself I know how annoying it can be when your dog decides to go crazy on a mission to the other side of the planet, right in the middle of your garden or yard. First of all, what on earth are they digging for??? Certainly not anything we would want lol. Secondly, why is it always in the garden??

   Here is your answer to both questions. In my experience dogs dig for a few different reasons and one is mainly to stay cool in the heat of summertime. Often your garden or flower bed is moist and cool under the topsoil, providing a nice soft and cool bed for them to relax in. The other reason they could be digging is pent up energy. Dogs will do lots of different things to vent that energy and one way they seem to love to do it, is by digging. For example, Our pit bull will dig to the other side of the world if shes frustrated about something, has not been played with, or had the proper amount of love she would like. So chances are if your dog is digging, your dog may also be upset with you lol.

  With all of that being said, there is most of your solution to stop it. You would need to find out exactly what is upsetting your pet and causing the behavior. That in itself is key. Another way to solve this behavior would be to watch the dog's behavior and where it is circling or going in your garden before it digs. When it does this, catch it in the act and firmly tell it no! Don't be afraid to show that dominant voice! lol. When the dog realizes it has done wrong it will most likely stop and tuck its tail for that moment. After it has done that and has responded to you, you can reward it with a nice and tasty treat!

  In the end of things it takes a lot of persistence and may take some time. Dogs are smart and at times a bit stubborn, so it may take a while but they will learn. Remember to be patient! The reward to you will be a wonderful pet that you have bonded with even more, and your beautiful garden will thrive without expensive items to protect it from a crazed mutt.