Get Rid of Fleas with Organic Pest Control

Ozzie July 2013

Ozzie August 2013

What pet owner hasn't worried once or twice that their beloved pet had developed fleas?  Worse yet, how many have worried that the fleas had spread to other parts of the house?  Luckily, there are numerous organic flea control remedies that can both keep fleas from infesting your home and can get rid of them once a pet has been infested.

Those with pets need to know that for every flea they find on their pet, there can be more than thirty more fleas somewhere in that pet’s environment.  Your pet can get fleas from being outdoors or can get fleas through contact with a visitor’s pet.  This is why its important to learn all about the organic flea repellent remedies available that will be both safe and effective on your pet.

Make sure you give your pet a bath and comb your pet on a regular basis.  Pets that already have fleas should be combed with a comb that’s been dipped in a glass of soapy water.  Organic repellents and deterrents include the use of citrus products.  For example, you can pour a cup of boiling water over an entire sliced lemon, including the skin.  Score the skin to release more citrus oil. Let the mixture soak and sponge it on the animal.  Believe it or not, it will kill fleas immediately.

Another organic pest control remedy involves using Brewer’s yeast and garlic, or apple cider vinegar in small amounts to the pet’s food.  This will repel fleas quite nicely. Cats, however, should not consume garlic. 
Topical organic remedies include cedar-based shampoo, cedar oil and sleeping mats that contain cedar chips.  Fleas do not like cedar of any kind and will be repelled from areas where you put it.  Other insects are repelled by organic cedar products as well.

In the horrible event that you find you've got fleas in your carpeting, you should first vacuum the entire carpet, paying special attention to low traffic areas. Seal the vacuum bag and get it out of there. Another organic method for getting rid of fleas is to obtain a wide, shallow pan, like a cake pan, and fill it half-full with soapy water.  Place the pan on the floor and shine a light over the area.  The fleas will jump up to the heat of the lamp and will land in the water and, because the water is soapy, the fleas will simply drown.  Do this for a few nights and it will make a big difference.

If you're desperate for a long-lasting organic and safe method of flea control in a room, purchase a non toxic flea trap.  Basically, you place a sticky pad under a grid on the plastic device and plug it into a regular light socket.  The light and heat from the device attracts fleas on a permanent basis from as far away as 25 feet.  The fleas jump up, fall through the grid and stick onto the sticky pad.  The sticky pad is easily replaceable when it is used up. 

Finally, the best organic flea control for outdoor use involves buying flea control nematodes (worms) that are 100% safe and can be spread throughout the lawn and garden.  These organic little creatures kill the flea larvae and pupae so that the fleas don't reach adulthood.  That way, your pets won't be bringing in fleas from your yard.  Flea control doesn't have to be complicated nor does it have to involve the use of toxic chemicals.  Your pets don't deserve the toxicity and neither do you.

article source: Hunting Camping Country Living

Tent Care and Cleaning

Let's face it, we all want to get our monies worth out of our camping tents and it can get expensive if you aren't taking care of it after each use. Here is some great information on how to care for your tent.....

Tent Care

1. After each trip, set up your tent outside on a clear day and let it air out.
2. While it is up, wipe both the inside and outside thoroughly with a damp sponge.
3. Store your tent only after it is completely dry.
4. Store your tent in a cool, dry place out of sunlight. High temperatures may disrupt the coatings.

Tent Pole Care

1. DO NOT allow the shock cord to snap the pole sections together, this can damage the poles.
2. Wipe poles with damp cloth to remove any saltwater, as saltwater can cause corrosion on the poles.
3. Store your poles only after they are completely dry.

Zipper Care

1. Keep loose threads trimmed.
2. Keep free from dirt.
3. Spray periodically with a non-greasy, non-staining silicone spray designed for fabrics.
4. To prevent salt water corrosion on zipper pulls, make sure you rinse with clear water after exposure.

Mildew Cleaning Tips

A musty odor, and/or small cross-shaped spots on the tent fabric indicate mildew formation. Mildew, a fungus spore, requires a dark, warm, moist environment to grow. Mildew uses the dirt and soil found on many tents as nutrients to grow and reproduce. This fungus actually penetrates the urethane coating of the tent fabric and grows between the tent fabric and coating, eventually lifting the coating from the fabric. Waterproofness is thus lost and the fabric is eventually destroyed.
Should mildew begin to form, immediate action can be taken to retard further growth. Wash the tent as instructed above. Next, sponge-wipe the tent with a dilute solution of McNett MiraZyme. Sponge over the affected areas and allow to air dry, out of direct sunlight, without rinsing. This will kill the mildew on the tent, and prevent it from getting worse, but it will not remove the mildew marks.

My Tent Smells

If your tent has developed a bad odor it is probably due to an advanced case of mildew, which can cause the urethane coating on tent fabric to break down and start to delaminate. Because of this, washing your tent can cause the deteriorated coating to peel off completely, so proceed with caution. Sponging the tent floor is likely to be the kindest way to clean your tent. If the mildew advances and the coating begins to peel, further measures can be taken to kill the fungus and retard the process. However, the damage that has already been done cannot be reversed. Prepare the following solution after washing the tent as previously instructed:

• 1 cup of salt
• 1 cup lemon juice (concentrated)
• 1 gallon hot water.

Rub the solution into visible mildew. Set up the tent with the affected areas facing the sun. Allow to dry. Once dry, remove all peeling coating. Apply a coat of McNett Tent Sure to the areas where the coating has peeled. This will help restore water repellency.

From: thecampingsource.com

Fishing - Blue Lake Eastern Washington

If you are looking for a new place to camp and fish try Blue Lake in Eastern Washington.

My cousin and I have stayed there a number of times and have always had a great time. The camping area is always packed in the summer months with lots of interesting people.
The trout fishing in the lake is very robust. One time we were trolling the shoreline near the highway just outside the drop off and four times we had double hookups which was really exciting. Then as we approached a point where we saw six or so bank fisherman that were trying their luck, we had the fifth double hookup, two 14" rainbows!
This was not pleasing to the bank fisherman who began to yell at us and a couple of them began to throw rocks at us. Then one of them cast out a large lead weight which landed in the boat next to me. I grabbed his line, cut the weight off and we waved good-bye and motored off.
We didn't think we had done anything wrong as we were well outside where they were casting out to, but they took offense to us both catching "their" fish. So lesson learned, stay out of range and share the lake.

Story by Tommy Headley

Possibly a World Record Fish

I just came across this news article and was so in aw of the size of this fish I just had to share. This man will surely have the best fish story to share with his friends and family for many years. Since it is not every day that you see one this big, it is good that he is donating it to a museum but it sure would have made a lot of fish and chips!

May 13, 2013

Record Fish: German Angler Lands 103-Pound Cod, Could Break World Record - 0

  

by Alex Robinson

Michael Eisele of Kiel Germany caught this enormous 103-pound cod while fishing off the coast of Norway. If the catch is approved by the International Game Fish Association, it will break the current world record (which has stood for 44 years) by about 5 pounds.

 Eisele battled the fish for half an hour before two of his friends finally helped him haul it into the boat, according to the Daily Mail. The cod measured more than 5 feet in length.

According to the Daily Mail: "I saw two red dots on the sonar-screen and it looked like a big one. So I concentrated from that moment on. It felt like ground contact. I took it very slowly and carefully. It took me more than half an hour to get the fish up. When we saw the fish my knees was starting shaking. It was so big … It was an indescribable feeling. It was fish of a lifetime."

Eisele is donating the cod to the Norwegian Fisheries Museum in Bergen which will mount and display the fish.

Camping Recipe - Cream of Chicken and Rice

Cook over open fire or on a grill

If you are looking for a simple, fast, hot, nutritious, easy clean up, One Pot Meals that tastes great - add this recipe to your camping menu.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 6-ounce can chicken (all white meat)
• 1 can Campbell's Cream of Chicken soup
• 1 1/4 cups Uncle Ben's Minute Rice

Preparation:

In a one-quart pot add the can of soup, one can of water, and the can of chicken. Stir while heating to a boil. Remove from heat, add the Minute rice and stir. Cover and let it sit for 5 minutes; uncover, stir and serve. Salt and pepper to taste. If you don't want to carry a can into the wilderness, substitute your favorite dry chicken soup mix and use 2 1/2 cups of water and 1 1/4 cups of minute rice.

Servings: 6

A camping recipe from Gary Totten.

Desert and Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep – Arizona

At their peak, North American bighorn sheep numbers were estimated at 2 million. Desert populations have since fallen to about 20,000 and Rocky Mountain populations are at about 45,000. Arizona’s bighorn population, consisting of both desert and Rocky Mountain races, is estimated at 6,000 animals. The causes for this decline, which occurred primarily between 1850 and 1900, were competition with livestock for food and water and exposure to livestock associated parasites and diseases.

On January 18, 1939, over 1,500,000 acres (6,100 km²) were set aside and a civilian conservation corps side camp was set up to develop high mountain waterholes for the sheep. The desert bighorn sheep is now the official mascot for the Arizona Boy Scouts.

Desert bighorns show considerable differentiation between the sexes. Adult males, rams, weigh between 160 and 200 pounds with a maximum weight of 225 pounds. Adult females, ewes, range from 75 to 130 pounds and average 110 pounds.

Rocky Mountain bighorn rams can weigh up to 340 pounds; the ewes are much smaller. A full grown male may stand over 3 feet tall at the shoulder.

For both desert and Rocky Mountain bighorn, the biggest visual difference between the sexes is the horns. Ewe horns are generally 10 to 13 inches long with a circumference of 5 to 6 inches. Ram horns may measure 30 to 40 inches along the outside curl with a basal circumference of 13 to 15 inches. The horn core is honeycombed with chambers, or sinuses, which reduce the weight of the skull.

Desert bighorn sheep are social, forming herds of eight to 10 individuals; sometimes herds of 100 are observed.

Rams battle to determine the dominant animal, which then gains possession of the ewes. Facing each other, rams charge head-on from distances of 20 ft (6.1 m) or more, crashing their massive horns together with tremendous impact, until one or the other ceases. Once the hierarchy is established, rams live in the same group with little further conflict.
Bighorn sheep have a life expectancy of 10 to 12 years, but can reach 17 or older.

Camping Recipe - Blueberry Maple Pancakes

Pancakes are a popular campsite breakfast. This is one version, which goes great with bacon or sausage and fruits. You'll need a 2-burner stove, a small pot, and either a big frying pan or a stove-top griddle.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 pint blueberries
• 1 pint maple syrup
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• pinch of salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• cooking oil

Preparation:

Pour maple syrup into pan and heat. Reserve 2 tablespoons for batter. Put half of the blueberries in the syrup to heat. When syrup begins to boil, mash the blueberries with the back of a spoon. Heat for another minute while mixing, and then set aside. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Mix milk, beaten egg, melted butter, 2 tablespoons maple syrup and remaining blueberries in another bowl. Pour dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix thoroughly. Pour 1/4 cup of batter onto hot, greased skillet or griddle. Cook until golden brown, flip and cook other side the same way. Serve with blueberry maple syrup, bacon or sausage, and a cup of hot coffee.

Servings: 12 pancakes

Note: This recipe was from David Sweet

Deception Pass State Park, Outdoor Enthusiasts Playground - Whidbey Island Washington

Washington's most spectacular state park, Deception Pass (5 star rated) is a showcase for all the elements that make the Northwest magic: sprawling saltwater beaches, jutting cliffs, deep forest, freshwater lakes and absolutely amazing views. The bridge alone is impressive, but there is so much more Deception Pass has to offer, such as boating, kayaking, salt and freshwater swimming, picnicking, camping, saltwater fishing, trout fishing, fly-fishing and miles upon miles of hiking trails.

 It's hard to imagine Deception Pass without the bridge. But until 1935, the gap between Fidalgo Island and Whidbey Island could only be crossed by boat. Whidbey Island residents had called for construction of the bridge to Fidalgo Island since the 1890's. After years of broken promises and two vetoes, a bill was finally passed and construction of the bridge began in August 1934. Construction took just under 12 months. The bridge was dedicated on July 31st, 1935. Today, roughly 15,000 cars cross the bridge each day.

Deception Pass State Park is a 4,134 acre marine and camping park with 77,000 feet of saltwater shoreline, and 33,900 feet of freshwater shoreline on three lakes. The park is outstanding for breath-taking views, old-growth forests and abundant wildlife. Deception Pass has three campgrounds to choose from, and three primitive boater-only campgrounds as well. Camping is very popular here, especially in the summer months.

Bowman Bay Campground is a more intimate campground, with only 20 sites, all located fairly close to the beach and is open seasonally. There is a large grassy field and a small playground along the south end of the bay. The trails in this area are among the most scenic in the entire park. Hikes to Lottie Bay, Lighthouse Point and Rosario Beach are short but rewarding, and offer spectacular views of Puget Sound, Deception Pass and the San Juan Islands. With sandy beaches, covered picnic shelters, a one lane boat ramp, camping and hiking trails, Bowman Bay is an ideal starting point for exploration and adventure at Deception Pass.

Cranberry Lake Campground is hidden in the old growth forest between North Beach, West Beach and Cranberry Lake on Whidbey Island. With 234 campsites, it is the largest campground at Deception Pass and is open seasonally. During the summer, Cranberry Lake is a popular location for swimming, boating and fishing. There is a sandy beach with an enclosed swimming area on the west side of the lake and water temperatures are typically between 55 and 60 degrees (much warmer than the ocean waters to the west).  A seasonally operated concession stand rents paddle boats at the west end of the lake. On the east side of the lake, there is a long wooden dock and several covered kitchen shelters built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930's.

Quarry Pond Campground is open year round. There are 61 sites, 54 hookup and 7 standard sites. There is also a kitchen shelter and gazebo in the middle of the campground. Quarry Pond, one acre in size, is a pleasant rock-rimmed pond near the campground. Goose Rock, the highest point on Whidbey Island, rises to the north of the campground.

If you plan on camping or are only on a day trip be sure and take a walk out on Deception Pass Bridge, which spans one of the most treacherous saltwater channels in the Northwest. The total length is 1,487 feet (Canoe Pass span: 511 feet, Deception Pass span: 976 feet). The height is approx. 180 feet from the water, depending on the tides. The road width is 22 feet with 3 feet of sidewalk on each side. It is a spectacular, heart pounding experience.

Camping reservations and directions contact: www.parks.wa.gov

Camping Tip - Keeping your Food Cool

Milk, cheese, meats and some other foods should stay cold until you cook them or eat them, or else they can make you very sick. Most of your drinks and fruits don't have to necessarily stay cold but they taste better when they are cold. If you are planning on smores make sure to keep your chocolate bars cool or you will end up with a pile of melted chocolate if they are in the car too long or sit out in the sun at camp.

I recommend, if you have the space to bring one, that you have a separate ice chest filled with ice, it will keep longer if you aren't in and out of it on a regular basis as you would your food ice chest. If you pack your ice in a freezer bag, it will last longer. If you do the same with your spare ice you can just take out a few bags at a time as needed. You can also make ice in freezer bags at home to take with you.

Once you get to your campsite, you might be able to use natural refrigeration to keep some of your foods cool. If you are near a lake or stream that's not to deep or too swift, you can bundle up your fruit (packed tightly in Ziploc bags or small containers) and put them in a plastic grocery bag or small bucket and set them in a shallow spot in the water. Make sure you carefully seal your items so that they will not get wet as most rivers and lakes carry bacteria. Fruits that can be peeled (bananas, oranges, etc.) should be OK as you would not eat the peel, but never eat anything that directly touches the water. You can also do this with drinks to keep them cold. Make sure you tie your items to a rope around a tree or a big rock so they don't end up down stream.

Last, try and find a shaded area at your campsite for your coolers so the sun is not beating down right on them.

Eat safe!

Thunder while Fishing - Blue Lake, Washington

One year while camping at Blue Lake in Eastern Washington, my cousin and I were fishing for trout early in the morning. It was a perfect day, clear blue sky, not a cloud to be seen. The sun had just come up over the hills and we had just put our tackle back into the water and settled in to start trolling.

Then, all of a sudden we hear thunder, only it doesn't stop. We looked at each other, then to the hills and the lake thinking this might actually be an earthquake. But to our surprise there were no waves on the lake but rather a perfect calm. No shaking in the hills, no rocks falling. We looked at each other again and I said "What the heck is this?" Then we saw them, Harley Davidson motorcycles coming through the valley 2 x 2. We stood up in the boat and counted 140 of them, what an awesome sight and even more an awesome sound as there was only peaceful nature sounds prior to their thunder.
Oh, and by the way, as we were so mesmerized by what we were seeing and hearing, I had a nice 16" rainbow trout on the line and didn't even realize it!

Tales by Tommy Headley

You can visit Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife for licensing & permits, fish limits and directions to beautiful Blue Lake, Grant County Washington

Camping Recipe - Muffin Tin Eggs

Muffin Tin Eggs

This is a fun way to make eggs for a bunch of people at the same time, fried or scrambled, or make eggs for some people in a muffin tin and pancakes for others in the skillet. 

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

6 strips of bacon

6 eggs

You will also need:

Muffin tin

Preparation:

1. Cut each strip of bacon in half, making 12 pieces total.

2. Put 2 pieces of bacon into the bottom of each of the 6 muffin tin cups in a cross, making a little bacon "basket."

3. Place the muffin tin on the grill over the campfire and cook the bacon until done to your liking.

4. Crack an egg into each cup on top of the hot, cooked bacon and cook more until the eggs are done.

Note: This recipe was found in "The Real Family Camping Cookbook" 2nd Edition

Camping/Boating "Horror" story - Lake Kachess, Washington

One camping adventure at majestic Lake Kachess in Cle Elum, Washington......
It was a semi nice weekend, but Washington is known for rain and cold weather even in the summer. We decided to take out the boat for a while on the lake which is just off the camp grounds. This lake has a beautiful background of mountains and trees with two creeks/little rivers running into it.
We were having a great time with taking turns in the boat since there were too many of us to all go at once. It was our last run and my husband Tommy, daughter Ashley (about 11 at the time) and myself went out. The others had gone back to the camp grounds by now. We were having a great time and suddenly the boat died, I MEAN DIED, DEAD!! We weren't out of gas it just stopped running, and there we were stranded. Of course we were way down at the other end of the lake where there weren't any other boats around us so we couldn't get anyone's attention for help. Mind you we are in a 17 ft Bayliner, not just a little row boat.
We were somewhat in a panic because we were drifting way down near the end of the lake to nowhere land.

We had a couple of oars so we started to paddle the boat the best we could to try and get to the shoreline. After a really long time, because it isn't very easy rowing a 17 ft Bayliner, we were getting a little closer to shore. We were still at the far end of the lake away from anyone and not even close to the boat launch area. My husband finally decided to jump in the freezing cold lake and try and pull the boat while my daughter and I kept trying to paddle with the oars. We finally made it to the shoreline enough that my husband could touch bottom. There were lots of branches, big tree limbs, and stumps that he could not see in the water so he was tripping, going under water and he was getting scratched and cut up on his legs, arms, face and everywhere.
After, I don't even know how long it was, but a very long time, we made it back to the boat launch area. We had quite the story to tell the other's when we returned to our camp, and went through a lot of first aid supplies patching up my husband. To this day we still aren't certain what the cause was but needless to say we did not take the boat out again the rest of our trip.
Camping and boating can be a really fun thing to do, but just a little tip...check your boat out really good before hand and make sure to have a cell phone with you or you might end up with a "horror" story like this one!!