Dog Friendly Yard: Mosquito Prevention


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Mosquitoes in our yards and gardens are more than just a nuisance. In many states, the deadly West Nile Virus is proving to be the latest threat posed by these pesty creatures. The key to controlling mosquitoes is in controlling their breeding places.

Mosquitoes lay up to 250 eggs at a time in still water, which will hatch in 7 to 10 days. If standing water is eliminated weekly, many mosquitoes will be kept from breeding in the first place.

Follow these tips to protect your pet and family:

* Remember to use dog heartworm preventive. Heartworm prevention is a prescription tablet given once monthly. It’s easy and safe to give, in fact most dogs take it as a treat. Heartworms are transmitted by mosquitoes, which are especially bad this year.

* While there have been very few cases of West Nile Virus reported in canines, it’s still wise to observe the following precautions suggested by the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC). These tips can help safeguard human family members too.

* Keep pets indoors as much as possible at dawn, dusk and early evening when mosquitoes are most active.

* Eliminate areas of standing water that can serve as breeding grounds for mosquitoes, and remember to recheck after each rainfall.

* Change any outdoor water bowls at least once a day to prevent mosquitoes from using them to lay their eggs.

* The APCC does not recommend the use of mosquito control products that contain DEET. Dogs and cats are extremely sensitive to DEET and may develop neurological problems if a product formulated with DEET is applied to them.

* Some topical flea and tick control products for dogs such as Frontline and K9 Advantix contain mosquito repellent. You can order them at a discounted price by clicking on our sponsor’s banners.

* Avoid using pest control products with concentrated essential oils such as tea tree, pennyroyal and d-limonine. These concentrates have caused weakness, paralysis, liver problems and seizures in pets, plus their effectiveness is not proven.

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Dog Friendly Garden: Worm Composting

Worms and CompostingWorm Composting is an important element of a dog friendly garden. It’s easy, eco-friendly and very rewarding! Given the right environment and a little routine attention, a handful of worms will rapidly multiply and digest your kitchen scraps faster than any other composting method available.

You can compost your food scraps with worms and reduce the volume of your household garbage by as much as 25%. Your plants will be eternally grateful for this organic treat. It’s especially a neat, environmentally friendly thing to do as a family. Best of all, young boys think it’s REALLY COOL!

Things I’ve Learned About Worm Composters -

1. Any gardener knows that worms are a sign of nutrient-rich soil. Worms are important members of the gardening team, breaking down organic matter into compost. It only makes sense that a worm composter (or worm composting kit) is a great way to speed up the composting process.

2. Like regular compost bins, worm composters are receptacles for kitchen scraps that will eventually decompose. Worm composting bins are specially designed self-contained systems where worms can eat and live while converting your kitchen scraps (and even recyclable paper) into the best, nutrient rich compost for your flowers, plants and vegetables.

3. Best of all, worm composting is virtually odorless! You don’t even need to banish your worm compost bin to the yard; you can keep it in your basement, your laundry room, even your kitchen!

Find affordable worm compost bins, rain barrels and much more green stuff here – Shop now!

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Book Review: “Dog Friendly Gardens, Garden Friendly Dogs” by Cheryl S. Smith

Dog Friendly Gardens Book

Dog Friendly Gardens is one of the few books written on the topic of creating a garden that both you and your pet will love. Every part of this well-written book shows you how garden design and traditional gardening tasks can blend harmoniously with dog ownership. Just like a dog can be trained to respect your indoor living space, he/she can also be trained to respect the garden and its many features.

In this easy to follow, full-color paperback book Dog Friendly Gardens details how to design your yard with the dog in mind by observing dog behavior. The author describes materials that work well with dogs as well as plant selections that can withstand even the most energetic canine. She also explains how to have a lush green lawn without harmful chemicals and offers tips for growing fruit and veggies for the entire family, including the dog! You will learn how the breed of dog (or mix of breeds) can affect garden behavior and how to avoid dog-garden conflict by good garden design and positive dog training. Boundary training, outdoor equipment, and directing digging and elimination to appropriate areas – are all covered in this useful book.

Dog Friendly Gardens not only offers down-to-earth, dog-friendly (and garden-friendly!) advice, it contains lovely, inspirational photos of pooches enjoying their yards. Suggestions on garden design, plant choice, and easy maintenance planning help readers get the most enjoyment out of both their gardens and their dog friends. The book also offers great tips on teaching your dog acceptable garden etiquette — welcome advice from an author who is also a dog trainer.

I highly recommend Dog Friendly Gardens, Garden Friendly Dogs by Cheryl S. Smith. Cheryl is the author of nine books and numerous articles on the subject of dogs and gardens. She also lectures extensively on both subjects nationally and internationally. She is a member of the Dog Writers Association, Association of Pet Dog Training, and Garden Writers Association.

You can order this interesting and resourceful book here: Dog Friendly Gardens

“Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend. Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read.”- Groucho Marx

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