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Karen, desperate to save her flowers asks how to deal with hungry rabbits that find her flowers quite tasty.

Nothing is more disheartening that to look at how well your flowers are doing just before you go to bed and then wake up to find that rabbits have chewed up everything and stripped the bark from most of your shrubs before leaving.

We haven’t run into to this yet as we live in the middle of our city, but if we see deer here every once in a while it won’t surprise me to see a few bunnies around.

I will give you a couple of cheap alternatives to rabbit repellents which tend to be expensive.

1. Ammonia sprayed around the perimeter at dusk will keep them away.

2. Make a pepper spray using cayenne pepper and water. I used the same thing to get my son’s dog to stop digging up the yard.

You may have to do this periodically as the old rabbits may learn to stay away but the newest once still need to be taught a lesson.

You would expect a natural insecticide to be perfectly safe for people and pets. The truth is that some cause irritations or burns or are even toxic to humans and animals. If you are going to use a natural insecticide, you should be aware of whether it causes problems beyond the pest.

Rotenone is a natural insecticide. It is made from derris plant roots. While it is fairly safe for people, it does harm fish. If you use it, you should take precautions to keep it away from water where you have fish. Rotenone is somewhat toxic to warm-blooded animals. It is even somewhat toxic to humans. You should therefore protect yourself during application of the natural insecticide. The good news is that it doesn’t affect the safety of vegetables grown using it.

A natural insecticide that causes eye and respiratory irritations is Sabadillia. Although it causes discomfort, it is not toxic. However, you should take care not to breathe it in when using it. A mask should be worn.

Dried peppers can be ground and mixed with water to make a spray. This is used as a natural insecticide. However, it too can cause eye and respiratory irritation. The crucial time to be concerned is when you are grinding the peppers.

Termite control products that contain nicotine sulfates are actually more toxic to mammals than synthetic products are. These natural insecticides should be used with caution by an experienced exterminator. Some people use nicotine either in a commercially made product or they make it on their own from tobacco leaves. They use this natural insecticide for many different insects. The trouble is that it is toxic to people. You can’t breathe the vapors. You’ll want to avoid letting it touch your skin.

On the other hand, many a natural insecticide is completely harmless to people and pets. Boric acid is so safe that it can be used in areas where children play. It is toxic only to insects. Diatomaceous Earth is a very popular natural insecticide that is safe for all mammals, including people. Bacillus thurengiensis, Bt, is safe for use on plants as well. It does not harm humans or animals.

Orange, lime, and grapefruit oils are being developed as products to be used as natural insecticides in Third World countries. They are very good at killing many different insects. At the same time, they are completely non-toxic to humans. The natural insecticide from the neem tree is not just non-toxic. It has actually been used as an antiseptic. It has also been used by herbalists to treat many diseases. It has been used for over forty years.

If you use a natural insecticide that contains harmful ingredients, you need to be sure to use it properly. If it is a commercial preparation, follow instructions on the label and use in recommended amounts. It is also important to be aware of how long you need to wait between use of the product and harvesting the crop.

Some kinds of natural insecticide are harmful to people and/or pets. Some are not. The key is to know which natural insecticide you are dealing with. Then, be sure you know everything about it.

Because our new home is an older home we do have a few problems and some pest control issues but we knew the going into this. I am semi-retired from the brick and mortar world so I have more time to spend on projects that will make our new to us home a lot nicer.

We have about 6 big ant hills that really look aweful and mess up the appearance of our lawn and they are even in the area we have chosen for our new backyard garden. We need exterminators that will clean them out once and for all. Hopefully we get this taken care of before they all start marching into our house.

Our house seem to be fine at this point and of most pest, we think. We do have an old garage that has seen better days and has a lot of what looks like wood rott but we might be looking at a termite problem. I am not an expert by any means so that is when I call in the experts. While they are here they will check out our house to make sure all is well in here.

A few other pest control places you can check out, depending on where you live are:

Portland Pest Control and Washington Pest Control

Some people have the mistaken idea that all insects are bad. An abnormal paranoia of anything that creeps and crawls or slithers can sell a lot of chemicals and natural insecticides. The market feeds off people’s fear of insects. Parents teach their children to be leery of insects. While it’s true that there are many insects that can cause harm, they usually do so as a way to protect themselves and preserve their species.

Attacking all insects is irrational. It would cause a huge imbalance in nature if we didn’t have insects. It’s even necessary to feed off the predatory insects to keep the insect population under control.

If you need to attack insects, at least do nature the justice of attacking the ones that are only a threat to you or your plants’ survival or health. People who are allergic to certain insects have little choice but to rid their homes and property of them. A wasp or bee sting could put some people in the hospital.

Some insects that are beneficial and do not cause harm to us will cause harm in some form to our plants. Butterflies are beautiful creatures, but gardeners and fruit crop growers may not appreciate their caterpillars! Beneficial insects that don’t hurt us or our crops are ladybugs and some species of wasps. Honeybees can sting when threatened, but without honeybees, our honey supply would suffer. People aren’t the only ones who benefit from honey. Insects and other animals benefit as well.

If you must attack insects, natural insecticides can be safer for our environment than the chemical poisons that line the shelves of our stores. Natural insecticides are made from oils, flowers, seeds, and sometimes even bacteria.

Neem comes from the Indian lilac tree. It prevents feeding and is a growth regulator. Pyrethrum is one of the most popular natural insecticides for attacking insects. It is used to paralyze and must be applied directly. It’s contained in many pet shampoos for flea and tick control. Nicotine is well known as a tobacco product, seen mostly in a negative light because of the harm it causes lungs when smoked. It can also help control some insects. Rotenone and sabadilla dust can be considered exotic natural insecticides because they are made from plants that exist in other countries. Sabadilla can wreak havoc on a honeybee population, though, and is a short-term insecticide.

Boric acid has been used for many years to help control nasty little roaches. Ants have been an age-old problem because of their ability to bite and take over our kitchens. Wasps that do sting cause allergic reactions, fear in small children and many adults because of their aggressive nature. People usually use some form of spray to attack them so they don’t have to get too close and risk their painful stings. They’ve been attacked by hairsprays and soap solutions.

People who live in rural areas can be quite creative in their attempts to attack insects with homemade insecticides. Some say cinnamon placed around a central air unit can keep the ants from entering and invading the points used to help run the units. Whatever your preferred method of attack, please be sure to use caution and consideration.

Regarded as one of the most highly regarded herbs in the Asian hemisphere, ginseng has gained wide popularity in promoting long health and preventing such conditions as: depression, diabetes, fatigue, inflammation, nausea, tumors, pulmonary problems, vomiting, anxiety, stress, and ulcers. This is one powerful herb! It has also been used in the treatment of cancer, anemia, insomnia, shock, radiation, environmental toxins, and chronic illness. It increases the appetite as well as energy; eases childbirth and increases infertility in women. What is so interesting about this herb is that is contains anti-aging properties, such as anti-oxidants.

Moreover, ginseng’s effect on the immune system has been studied for it efficacy in preventing colds, flu, and some forms of cancer. Recent studies have determined that ginseng lowers blood levels of both sugar and cholesterol and may help in the treatment of Type II diabetes. Other studies reveal that a combination of ginseng and ginkgo biloba increase memory. While the components in ginseng promote the growth of blood vessels, this could be effective in treating injuries.

Additionally, the range of effects from the use of ginseng reveals it has an influence on the central nervous system, cellular aging, internal organs, metabolism, blood pressure, and appears to relieve stress. Specific to stress reduction, which is caused by the adrenal glands secreting hormones used to ward off both physical and emotional stress, it is believed that ginseng is responsible for fighting such stress. More importantly, ginseng has been reported to prolong survival time during cardiac arrests. Not only does it prevent diseases including cancer, diabetes, hypertension and impotence, but it aids in their treatment as well.

Ginseng is also one of the few herbs that have shown promise in the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome. While this condition has puzzled physicians for decades, there is no accepted treatment for the overwhelming fatigue that typifies this condition. However, those suffering from CFS often report an improvement in their symptoms after taking regular ginseng supplements.

Ginseng is one of the most widely available of all herbal supplements, and one of the most commercially produced. It is important, therefore, for those shopping for a ginseng supplement to choose one made with the highest quality ingredients. It is also important to look for a ginseng supplement which has been processed as little as possible, as excessive processing is thought to reduce the effectiveness of this herbal product.