What if we, homesteaders, landowners, and herb gardeners, became the sustainable change, and tossed the notion of the ideal lawn right out to the curb with the lawnmower? That’s right, when you plant a wildflower lawn, or let it pop up naturally, you will no longer need a mower. You can replace it with a scythe.

Soon you will be back in the land of hand tools, as you swap your lawn for a lush wildflower meadow that invites birds, bees, snakes, and insects you have never met before, right into your backyard.

Benefits of Wildflower Lawns

Protection of Biodiversity

As opposed to a few species in a lawn, you can grow many in a wildflower meadow. It all depends on your location, soil type, amount of sun and shade, but any number of plants past 20, and you are onto something good. Surpass 30 species and your new lawn is just about as diverse as it can get. The real challenge comes in identifying the many plants common to a wildflower lawn.

Here are some perennial plants to consider adding to your wildflower lawn to get you started:

• Butterfly weed – Asclepias tuberosa
• Queen of the Prairie – Filipendula rubra venusta
• Black Eyed Susan – Rudbeckia sp.
• Bloody Cranesbill or Hardy Geranium – Geranium sanguineum
• Echinacea – Echinacea purpurea
• Lupines – Lupinus perennis
• Daisies – Leucanthemum superbum

Plant a diversity of native wildflower seeds that are region-specific, and expect nothing. Some seeds may sit for longer than you would like, others will come up unexpectedly, whether they have been sitting dormant in the soil, or brought in by birds and other critters from distant lands.

Attract Pollinators

If you have an orchard on, or nearby, your homestead, likely you’ll be interested in beekeeping. You’ll also know that bee populations are in decline, you may have even heard about Colony Collapse Disorder. It is very real and very frightening, but there is something we can do about it: plant flowers, whole yards, and meadows of them, as we diversify the species that are in them.

See, all of these benefits of wildflower lawns flow into and out of each other. One simply serves to enhance the next, and it shows just how much the life cycle of a lawn is very one-sided. Who does it serve, other than your bare feet? Naturally, a grass lawn is better than bare soil, yet the earth desires to be covered in richness. To have luxurious richness, we need to attract pollinators and go full circle.

Wildlife Haven

If you wish for your lawn to provide a natural habitat for others, be ready to welcome larks, robins, warblers, finches, and even barn owls to your wildflower haven. Winged insects will fly in by the hundreds to take refuge from the stark, short-grass landscape that surrounds them, just as bees will find a diverse assortment of pollen to help them through the hardship of following the one-time blossom of mass agriculture.

But, it is not just about the bees, you’ll also be hosting moths, wasps, beetles, hoverflies, and bumblebees. All of these beneficial insects are essential if we aspire to have a bountiful crop of just about anything, and the more, the better. Rather than sticking to the concept of a conventional lawn, which feeds not more than grubs and acts as a habitat loss for all living creatures, invest in a wildflower lawn and you too will hear hedgehogs nibbling on fallen fruit during the night. On occasion, you may even see bats flying overhead, while out on your refreshing evening stroll.

Natural Beauty

As much as our eyes enjoy sameness, they also crave distraction. A wildflower lawn gives you a feast for the senses and so much more. Flowers will randomly pop up with their own variations of color. Large blossoms will stand proudly in the sun, while others will remain hidden underneath the layers, shyly hanging out and attracting pollinators.

The summer breeze will gently release the scents of blossoms, combining the fragrance of different species together. The fall winds will softly rattle the dry stalks of plants, and in winter, it will be the perfect backdrop for watching rabbits hop through your yard. Spring, of course, is where it all begins again, as the lawn turns from shades of tawny brown to hues of green, yellow, and purple.

Opportunities for Education and Recreation

A flourishing wildflower lawn has diversity in all shapes, sizes, and colors. It is the perfect place for the artist or the hidden painter in you. A wildflower meadow can also gain from the keen eye of a photographer, who, in turn, will educate onlookers with the help of a macro lens about the diversity of species and how magnificent our natural reality is.

Homeschoolers can also benefit from visiting such diverse lawnscapes, as they learn to identify new plants, butterflies, and insects, delving deeper into what it means to live with nature, not above it. Draw, sketch, get down on your knees and discover what is crawling all around. Then get familiar with easy to forage plants that can be made into herbal teas and healing salves: plantain, borage, dandelion, chicory, chamomile, poppy, and more.

Low Maintenance

Easy maintenance and low cost go hand in hand. Meadows are naturally drought tolerant, so there will be no more watering. Once they are established, they can take care of themselves, providing their own seeds—which means low input from you.

All you have to do is scythe it, or mow at the highest level your mower will allow, as little as twice a year. What to do with all that leftover grass and wildflower stems? We suggest you let it dry out sufficiently, as in making hay, and use it in your no-dig garden. Letting the grass grow long, is a win-win situation. The bees benefit from a diversity of pollen for much of the summer, and your garden gets mulched with it when the flowers are done.

Another benefit of wildflower lawns is that they will grow in nearly any type of soil, even nutrient-deficient areas. Leave it to nature and the worms will come in and restore the soil as the land becomes less and less disturbed.

Wildflower Lawns Promote Sustainability

Whereas a typical lawn has shallow roots, a meadow has a variety of root types that dig deep into the ground, bringing essential nutrients to the top of the soil. Once you learn to read your weeds as soil indicators, you’ll discover that they are actually beneficial next to the garden, as many insects prefer to dine on what grows wild.

It can also be said that wildflower lawns are beneficial in raising air quality, as they remove a range of pollutants from the air. Wildflower lawns also have amazing potential for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. As we face a changing climate, any way and everywhere we can sequester carbon is a good place and time to do it.

When you factor in the reduced mowing time (even just once or twice a season!) and the removal of herbicides and pesticides to maintain your flourishing space, this will also reduce greenhouse gas emissions and water pollution associated with having a “lawn”.

A Place of Tranquility

Earthing and forest bathing are two wonderful ways to restore and relax in nature; wildflower meadows are the next best thing. If you only have a small plot of land, you can create a wildflower oasis with little effort. Take out your wooden stool, early in the morning or close to sunset, and sit among the waving flowers and the buzzing/chirping insects. Feel, as you are, one with nature.

Green spaces provide long-term joy and wonderful benefits for our mental health, one only needs to feel it, breathe it in, and release it back out to believe it.

Are you ready to give up your lawn and return your land back to Mother Nature? She needs all the wildflowers and trees she can receive as we face an uncertain climate in the future. Who knows, you may even decide to allow your homestead to become a Certified Wildlife Habitat as you silently, and beautifully, prove that lawns, and traditional lawn care, are definitely a thing of the past.

The post 8 Benefits of Wildflower Lawns appeared first on Homestead.org.

In 1985, my family moved to a small farm in Sharpsburg, Maryland. The wooden-frame house was built sometime around the turn of the 20th century, and I’m guessing it was about this time that the owners planted sugar maple trees around the front and sides of the house. We moved there in August when the daytime temps were in the 90s, yet there was no need for air conditioning. The large canopies of the maple trees blocked the sunlight and kept the house cool all summer.

(We were sad to lose one of the maples to a lightning strike one summer, and years later, we lost another one that had begun to crack and break up from old age. The trunk on that one was as wide as our front door, and some of the lower limbs were a foot in diameter. We got several cords of firewood out of the wood, which kept our wood stove fed for a couple of winters.)A good landscaping plan can make a home significantly more energy-efficient. Strategically placed trees and shrubs can do double duty, providing cooling shade in summer and insulation against heat loss in winter. According to the U.S Department of Energy, properly selected, placed, and maintained landscaping can reduce household energy bills by as much as 25 percent. While landscaping can involve a significant expenditure up front, it will pay for itself over the long haul in lower energy bills.

Landscaping strategies for conserving energy depend largely on where you live. The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, shown below, divides North America into 11 planting zones to help homeowners determine the best landscaping choices for their region. Each growing zone is 10°F warmer (or colder) in an average winter than the adjacent zone. If you see a recommended hardiness zone in a gardening catalog or plant description, chances are it refers to this map.

Create an Effective Windbreak to Reduce Winter Heating Costs

Landscape windbreaks, such as a row of trees or a hedge, are commonly dense evergreen trees and shrubs. A row or hedge of evergreens is preferable to deciduous trees for blocking the wind because their mature heights in relation to typical home heights are ideal for wind blockage. They are also dense enough to stop most of the wind and have foliage that extends to the ground. In addition to planting banks of large trees and shrubs, planting smaller shrubs next to a home further reduces the impact of wind. The figure below illustrates a typical plan for windbreaks.

Plant Deciduous Trees Around the House to Reduce Summer Cooling Costs

When the summer sun beats down on your home, blasting the air conditioner or running ceiling fans are the only ways to cool your house. Fans don’t use much electricity, particularly if set to a low speed, but they just move the air around rather than cool it. Air conditioning, on the other hand, uses a lot of electricity. If you’re like me and want to run the air conditioning as little as possible, a good landscaping plan can, over time, help to lower summer cooling costs. The cooling provided by an even partially-shaded house means a lower energy footprint and more green in your wallet.

Trees planted on the west and south sides of the house provide the greatest savings since they provide shade from the afternoon’s hottest summer sunlight. Deciduous trees are better than non-deciduous (evergreens) trees, as they will lose their leaves in the fall and allow what sunshine there is to effectively do the opposite and provide more warmth to the home. Be sure to plant trees that are tall enough to shade the roof, windows, and walls for the months of June, July, and August.

The ideal shade tree is 25- to 50-feet tall with a big canopy. A tree that size will partially shade the roof of a one-story home, but will not reach an unmanageable size. As a general rule of thumb, large trees should not be placed closer than 15 feet from the foundation so the roots won’t cause a problem with the foundation. Keep in mind how big the trees will get at maturity so they will be properly spaced and provide the desired shade.

Smaller trees and shrubs also have a role to play in energy conservation. They can be planted closer to the house than tall trees to shade east- and west-facing walls and windows in the morning and afternoon when the sun is lower. Spreading evergreen shrubs with dense foliage, such as yews or junipers, planted close to the house, can fill in rapidly to shade walls and windows (as a bonus, these shrubs can provide sheltering places for birds in harsh weather or a quick place to hide from aerial predators.) In wet and humid areas, avoid planting up against the house so air can circulate freely. Check with your local extension office or garden center before buying a landscape shrub for advice on species that are invasive or prone to serious pest or disease problems in your area.

The high cost of home heating and air conditioning is pushing more homeowners to explore ways to reduce home energy use. Outdoor landscape plants—which help control erosion and are pleasing in themselves—can play a large part in controlling household energy use. For that reason, it’s important to consider the entire landscape plan in relation to energy conservation on the homestead.

The post Eco-Landscaping Can Trim Home Energy Costs appeared first on Homestead.org.

North America is home to 47 species of bats. Most are insect-eaters, the exception being three species found in Arizona, California, and Texas that feed on nectar and pollen. Texas holds the title of “battiest” state in the union—32 bat species call the Lone Star State home at various times of the year. According to Bat Conservation International, bats make up about one-fifth of the world’s mammal population.

They are nocturnal, hunting in the dim hours between sunset and sunrise. Contrary to popular perception, bats are not blind. They can see, though most bat species use a form of sonar known as echolocation, a sensory system where they literally hear their way through the night sky, crying out through the darkness in high-pitched (ultrasonic) noises and listening for the echoes to return. The sound waves bounce off insects and solid objects and send back a “picture” of sorts that helps the bat navigate in the dark.

As the primary predators of night-flying insects, bats are critical to reducing insect pest populations, including those pesky mosquitoes that take some of the fun out of being outdoors in the summer, and bring us such mosquito-borne diseases as West Nile and Zika virus, among others. Bats on the homestead, and around the world, are part of a healthy ecosystem and integral to the balance of nature. Without them, we would be overrun with insect pests and forced to use more and stronger pesticides that also kill beneficial insects like bees, ladybugs, and dragonflies.

Brown and Red Bats

The most common of native North American species, the big brown bat, is found in every part of the country except for the southern portions of Florida and Texas. Russet to dark brown in color, this bat averages between four and five inches in length with a wingspan of about 13 inches. Their favorite roosts include attics, barns, bell towers, behind window shutters, and man-made bat houses. These efficient feeders prey on a wide variety of nocturnal insects including June bugs, flies, beetles, moths, and mosquitoes.

Little brown bats look a lot like big browns, but smaller, between three and three and a half inches long. Common throughout most of the country, they can be identified on the wing by their swift, erratic flight. They voraciously consume thousands of insects in one outing, eating as many as 1,000 insects in an hour! Mated females form maternity colonies inside abandoned buildings, hollow trees, rock crevices, or similar areas. Males and unmated females roost under shingles, the eaves of buildings, loose tree bark, and rock outcroppings.

Every summer, a small number of little brown bats take up residence in our porch eaves. Over the last few years, we let our property grow up to create a diversity of food, habitat, and cover to attract bats and other wildlife. Our neighbor’s pond helps to lure bats to the homestead by attracting many of the water-breeding insects on their menu. We embrace these insect-eating machines that spend their nightly forays dining on mosquitoes, stink bugs, moths, beetles, and a host of other insect pests. In fall, when the nights start getting colder and insects get hard to find, our furry visitors fly off to their winter hibernation site to wait for spring.

One of North America’s most colorful bats, the eastern red bat, ranges in color from rusty red to yellow-brown. Long, pointed ears and swift flight at low levels mark this bat as it forages for crickets, flies, beetles, and cicadas. They are known for congregating around corn cribs, where, much to the delight of farmers, they feast on grain moths. Red bats are found in wooded areas east of the Rocky Mountains from Canada to as far south as central Florida, roosting in trees where they resemble dead leaves or pine cones.

Free-tailed and Long-nosed Bats

The Mexican free-tailed bat is found at lower elevations throughout California, across southern Nevada, and southern Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and parts of Oklahoma. Colonies are also found throughout the southeastern U. S. from Mississippi down through Florida and over to South Carolina. Their colonies can number in the millions. Besides caves, free-tailed bats roost in culverts, old buildings, tunnels, and under bridges. With their long, narrow wings, Mexican free-tailed bats are speedsters in the bat world, designed for fast, long-distance flight. They get their name from their tail, which extends freely beyond the membrane connecting their tail to their hind legs.

When hungry free-tails come out at sundown, humans reap the benefit. In central Texas, for example, 100 million free-tailed bats emerge from Bracken Cave every night to cruise over lawns, gardens, farm fields, and orchards, gobbling up insect pests. According to Fran Hutchins, director of the Bracken Cave Preserve, “As the bats munch their way through nearly 300,000 pounds of bugs each and every night during the growing season, they provide a huge service to U.S. agricultural communities.” And that’s not all. Studies revealed that these free-tailed bats were eating 44 different agricultural pests, 20 of which are migratory, meaning that the bats are having an invisible effect, intercepting vast insect migrations from reaching downwind crop areas, places that may never see bats.

Long-nosed bats are a keystone species in the Sonoran Desert ecosystem of the southwestern U.S. The bat’s head shape and long tongue allow it to delve into flower blossoms and extract both pollen and nectar. As they travel from flower to flower, they transfer pollen that becomes attached to their bodies, which causes the plants to produce fruit. Worldwide, over 500 species of plants rely on bats for pollination, many of which we use for food and medicine. In addition, bees, moths, lizards, and many birds depend on plants pollinated by long-nosed bats, either for food or shelter. If they were to disappear, there would be a serious disruption to the region’s ecosystem.

Special Needs

Because bats have highly-specialized habitat requirements, they do not adjust well to environmental changes. Most produce only one offspring per breeding season, and they often live in large colonies that can be wiped out in a single catastrophe, leaving them extremely vulnerable to extinction. With many species suffering population declines due to loss of roosting habitat, loss of wetlands (which serve as insect-breeding grounds), and pesticide poisoning, homesteaders can do their part to encourage bats by making their landscape more bat-friendly.

Welcoming bats to the homestead will pay dividends in terms of organic pest control. These winged wonders play an important role in nature’s systems of checks and balances. In a healthy, diverse ecosystem, for every insect pest we might find, there is a natural predator. One of these is the silent hunter of the night, the underappreciated bat.

How You Can Help Bats on the Homestead

 As more and more land is gobbled up by development every day, bats are losing suitable habitat. People can help provide these useful creatures with places to live and feed by making a few adaptations to their landscape.

• Bats will live in man-made bat houses if they are placed on a south-facing structure away from natural predators. Bat houses and kits can be purchased online, or you can make your own using plans from Bat Conservation International.
• Bats prefer habitat with a mix of open and wooded areas. Plant a variety of perennials, herbs, and night-blooming flowers like moonflower, yucca, datura, evening primrose, cleome, nicotiana, night-blooming jessamine to lure nocturnal insects.
• Bats are drawn to aquatic areas, where insect populations tend to be greater. Adding a pond or wetland to your landscape will help to ensure lucrative foraging for bats. They will also make use of a birdbath.
• Avoid using pesticides that can harm nontarget organisms such as bats and other wildlife. Some pesticides are more “environmentally friendly” than others, and should be considered for sites where bats are known to forage.

Going Bats! The Benefits of Bat Houses on Your Homestead

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It occurred to me, as I was writing this, that maybe I should be writing under a nom de plume and not reveal my location.  You see, I work at a library where we perform a service that is illegal in Pennsylvania, Minnesota, and probably some other states. Luckily, we aren’t in those states… But you never know who’s gonna try to implement a law next.  It seems a library in Pennsylvania admitted to having a seed library and received a legal order to stop what they were doing.  No, we’re not talking about marijuana seeds or anything that controversial, just plain, old flower and vegetable seeds.

Legal Issues of Saving Seeds

While saving and sharing your seeds seems perfectly innocent, there are actually other libraries in the United States and other countries that have ended up in trouble with the law for such endeavors.

In 2014, a library in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania worked in partnership with the Cumberland County Commission for Women to start a seed library within their facility.  They obtained information from the Pennsylvania State Agricultural Extension office to start the program.  But then they received a letter from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture stating that they were in violation of the Seed Act of 2004.  Who knew!  First jaywalking and now this? 

But while this seems like a joking matter to some of us, the Department of Agriculture felt it was so serious that they sent a high-ranking official and lawyers to a meeting with the library.

When I first heard of this, my first thought was that this was some plot on behalf of the seed companies so that they wouldn’t lose money from so many people sharing seeds for free.  However, I found that the USDA’s fears are based on the idea of botanical bioterrorism!  And here I thought poison ivy and kudzu were the worst botanical terrorists there could be.  

The Seed Act of 2004 mainly focuses on the selling of seeds, but there is also a concern about seeds that might be purposely or accidentally mislabeled, the growth of invasive plant species, cross-pollination, and poisonous plants.

The Department of Agriculture told the Pennsylvania library director that the library staff would need to test each seed packet for germination and other information if they were to continue to provide the seeds.  The library ended up discontinuing its seed library and, instead, sponsoring seed swapping days in order to avoid any legal ramifications of actually being responsible for the seeds themselves.

Practically the same thing happened with a library in Minnesota, except there, the seed officials showed up in person.  Library staff there were also told they had to discontinue their seed library.

But good news folks!  If you don’t live in Pennsylvania, or Minnesota, there are lots of places in other states that seem to be getting away with having their own seed libraries.  Just check your state and local laws.  During the time of the problems in Pennsylvania and Minnesota, there were already at least 300 across the U.S., so it never occurred to them that it would be a problem.  To learn about your state’s seed laws, visit the American Seed Trade Association website.  The site features a map of all states, and when you click on a state you can read its own individual seed law and whatever restrictions there may be.

So, With All This Drama, What’s the Point of a Seed Library?    

Many gardeners are already ordering seeds and planning for spring.  And still, others are alloecwing a few of their plants from each crop go to seed instead of picking the fruits or veggies from them, then saving those seeds for next year.  Why bother when it might be easier to simply buy more seeds in the spring?  Well, other than saving money and a trip to the store, many feel there is more guarantee that seeds collected from plants that they already have and know are healthy, will also be healthier, and seeds adapted to their soil and climate, not to mention local pests, will be even more robust.

Our local library has taken this idea one step further by helping patrons share those healthy acclimated seeds.  Now the “book” library also contains a seed library made up of heirloom seeds that can be “checked out” by anybody who has a library card and signs up.   

As a way of getting started and enticing participation, our library gained donations of heirloom seeds from such companies as Baker Creek, Seed Savers Exchange (SSE), and Southern Exposure Seed Exchange (SESE).  The library now has over 100 varieties of heirloom seeds for vegetables, herbs, and flowers.  There is no charge for the seeds, but it is hoped that people will gather seeds from their crops at the end of the summer and donate some back to the library in order to continue the tradition.

The focus is on heirloom seeds because seeds of crossbred plants will not “remain true”, meaning that they won’t turn out the same as the original plant, but seeds from heirloom plants can be gathered and used from year to year.

Thus, while the seeds checked out this season will be heirloom varieties, they won’t be as adapted for this area yet.  The ones donated in future years will become more and more and hardy.     
Other reasons for seed libraries are to preserve seeds that have not been genetically modified, since there is growing concern about what effect GMO foods might have on our health, in addition to fears about its effects on the environment.

NOTE: I am using words such as “concern,” “theory,” “idea,” etc. in this discussion because I don’t feel that I have explored both sides of this highly-debated science extensively enough to feel confident about taking a side.  I’m just putting these ideas out there for your consideration.

Many feel that GMO seeds will destroy the food chain because they often contain pest-control features which could result in the reduction of insects that are part of the food chain, thus diminishing that insect’s predators, and then the predator’s predators, and so on.  Then there is the fact that we rely on good insects, such as honey bees, to both fertilize our vegetables as well as produce honey; both are a part of our own food chain.

For some of us, money is the biggest factor.  Sometimes you don’t need all of those seeds they sell in those packets and the packets can be pretty expensive if you buy enough of them.  Why not share and share alike, so we all save a few pennies?

While genetically modified seeds are developed to yield the biggest and best fruits and vegetables, they are often hybrids, so the seeds of the plants they produce will often not remain true, meaning that your next crop won’t look the same as the previous one.  It will revert back to the original, lower-quality strain it was hybridized from.  There are also issues regarding the patents on the seeds.   
However, heirloom seeds saved at the end of each growing season and replanted the next year become acclimated to the same area year after year, and will become stronger and better each year.

Here is one more scary theory about GMOs.  Since most GMO crops are engineered to tolerate a certain type of herbicide, the weeds these are supposed to kill are building up a resistance to the herbicides and coming back bigger and stronger and then needing more toxic pesticides to kill them.  Wow, I guess when you think about how we develop vaccines for the flu each year and then have to create new versions because the disease mutates, it all makes sense.

Oh, the Stories We Hear at the Seed Library!   

Those who are interested in preserving heirloom seeds are often those who are interested in preserving history.  They may want to carry on their grandmother’s favorite rose or a treasured, old, apple tree from their parents’ homestead.  Maybe they feel those pumpkins grown from a specific strain of seeds are the secret ingredient to the wonderful pumpkin bread Mom made when they were young.

We’ve been hearing lots of stories from our patrons at the library who have brought seeds to share, and we’ve enjoyed their enthusiasm as they’ve told us how proud they are of the huge pumpkins they grow each year with their special, family seeds.  We’ve also been seeing a lot of young couples selecting seeds for their first home.  It is almost as if they are more than just seeds; they are hope and potential memories.

During the weeks following my father’s death, I spent a lot of time going through old framed pictures, documents, and photo albums at his house.  In one album, along with my grandmother’s passport from Hungary, which enabled her to enter the United States through Ellis Island in the early days, I also found a yellowed, letter-sized envelope labeled “Hungarian Paprika Seeds”, and within were folds of tissue paper with about a dozen dried seeds in each fold.

I imagined my grandmother coming to America to marry the man she had met when he visited his own relatives in Hungary a few months before.  Imagined her tucking envelopes of seeds into her suitcase so she could carry on her gardening tradition from the old country.  Then I wondered if those seeds would still be viable if they were really brought over in the 1920s.  Maybe they were sent over later.  Maybe she saved them from her own garden in America.  Nevertheless, as far as I could figure, they had to be at least 20 years old.

I decided to try putting a few in a wet paper towel and watching to see if they would germinate.  They did not.  But then I tossed some into several outdoor planters, and voila!  I started getting pretty, green plants that were quite healthy.  But I couldn’t stop asking myself, “Is it possible that seeds as old as 10 to 20 years would still grow?  Or did much fresher seeds somehow find themselves in an old photo album that hadn’t been looked through in years?”

My endless curiosity lead me to the internet in search of how old a seed can be and still be viable.  Apparently the oldest mature seed that has grown into a viable plant was a Judean date palm seed about 2,000 years old, recovered from excavations in Israel.  It was germinated in 2005.  Amazing!

Some seed companies that are capitalizing on the idea that we will eventually have some sort of apocalypse, either zombie or otherwise, sell “survival seeds” which they say can last up to ten years because they have been dried in a very precise way.  Drying methods do apparently make a difference.

Also, I found that germination is not an on/off state, as if all seeds in a pack go bad at once.  As seeds get older the percentage that germinate will start to drop off, and then at some point will fall to zero. 

Now that I think about it, I probably tossed a dozen of my grandmother’s paprika seeds into those pots and only got a few plants.

So, back to the companies selling seeds for the apocalypse.  These companies say that properly dried seeds still have a 50% germination rate after 15 years.  But then, how are you going to maintain a proper vegetable garden with zombies stomping through it all of the time?

The Science of Seed Saving 

According to information from a U.S. Department of Agriculture website, seed is best stored through the winter at 50 degrees and at 50 percent humidity.  A good way to store unused seed packets is to place them in a sealed jar with powdered milk or rice at the bottom to absorb moisture.  Store your seed jar in the refrigerator or a cool area such as a basement.

There is an excellent book on seed saving titled The Manual of Seed Saving: Harvesting, Storing and Sowing Techniques for Vegetables, Herbs and Fruits by Andrea Heistinger.  In it, she gives detailed collection and storage methods for seeds from different varieties of plants.

She explains how to set aside a few plants each year and let them go to seed, and then how to harvest the seeds.  How easy or hard it is to collect seeds depends on the particular plants you are collecting them from.  Some are as obvious as tearing a bean-like pod apart and skimming the seeds out, while others may require soaking until they ferment, or using a sifting device to separate them from the husks and hulls, or sometimes just a little breeze will do the job.

They separated wheat from the chaff in the early days by tossing it in the air so that the wheat seeds fell more heavily to the ground while the chaff (extra stuff), blew away in the wind.  This reminds me of a memorable scene in movie, but I can’t remember the name of the movie.  It was a beautiful scene: women wearing long skirts and white blouses with scarves on their heads, standing in front of a pretty red barn, tossing the wheat into the air, the chaff floating on the breeze, the sunset in the distance… What the heck was that movie?

But, seriously, seed libraries are awesome.  I’ve never felt like I could afford to buy very many packets of seeds, but now I can get them free and return a few at the end of the summer, though I’m not obligated to do so.  Everyone understands that it’s not always possible to save and return your seeds, especially in the first year. 

A Larger Seed Exchange 

In addition to small libraries like ours, where we might have 20-30 people borrowing and sharing seeds, there are also some very large, commercial-type seed-sharing businesses, like the ones that donated seeds for our library to get started.  Most of these offer opportunities to become involved in the saving and sharing process either through donations of money or seeds.  Others may purchase seeds from farmers, giving them an opportunity to make some extra money.

Southern Exposure Seed Exchange is able to operate on a larger scale without fear of government intervention because they store seeds in climate-controlled areas and they perform their own germination testing in order to ensure it meets both federal and Southern Exposure standards.  Test results are printed on the packet to help you determine planting density and quantity needed.

Southern Exposure is located on a 72-acre farm between Richmond and Charlottesville, Virginia, they work with over 50 small farms across the U.S. that provide the seeds, and they are always willing to take more.

“We’re always happy to talk to farmers who are interested in diversifying their income streams by growing seeds for us,” they state on their website.  “Despite working with many growers who come to us with little experience saving seed, we find that the seed we buy from them at the end of the season is more reliably true-to-type than the seed we buy wholesale.”

 Cha-ching! Sounds like opportunity knocking.

The post Check Out These Seeds! Grow Hardy Plants and Preserve the Food Chain with a Seed Library appeared first on Homestead.org.

Automotive Care

Natural Engine Degreaser:  Dissolve one-quarter cup of washing soda into one gallon of warm water, pour on engine areas that need degreasing.  Rinse thoroughly.  Excess should not be stored – discard all leftovers.

Battery Cleaner (Removes built-up acid):  Sprinkle baking soda on the battery terminals.  Spritz with water to dampen.  Let sit for about one hour.  Sponge off with water.  Air dry.

Winter Windshield Solution:  When you leave your car outside in winter, mix three parts vinegar to one part water and coat your windshield with the solution.  This will keep your windshield free of frost and ice.

Bathroom

Bathroom Mirrors:  Clean mirrors with rubbing alcohol to prevent fogging.

Bathtub Stains:  Scrub with a paste made from cream of tartar and hydrogen peroxide.

Drain Cleaner:  For slow drains, use this cleaner once a week to keep drains fresh and clog-free.  One-half cup of baking soda, one cup of white vinegar, with one gallon of boiling water.  Pour the baking soda down the drain, followed by the vinegar.  Allow the mixture to foam for several minutes before flushing the drain with boiling water.

Plumbing Fixtures:  To clean chrome, stainless steel, fiberglass, ceramic, porcelain, or enamel fixtures, dissolve two tablespoons of baking soda in one quart of water.  Wipe on fixtures, then rinse.

Remove hard lime deposits around faucets by covering the deposits with vinegar-soaked paper towels.  Leave the paper towels on for approximately one hour before cleaning.  Leaves chrome shiny and clean.

Scouring Bathroom Cleaner:   One-half cup liquid Castile soap, one teaspoon of Borax, two teaspoons of baking soda, one and three-quarters cup of very hot water, and four drops of essential oil of your choice.  Pour the water into a stainless steel mixing bowl and add the liquid soap.  Stir well, then add the dry ingredients.  Add the four drops of essential oil.  Stir until well blended.  Store in a squeeze bottle (old ketchup bottle works well) and stir or shake before using.  Store the cleaner in a cool, dry place.  Shelf life is three to four months.  If you have a stubborn stain on fiberglass or plastic surface, add a few drops of hydrogen peroxide to the mixture for extra stain-fighting power.

Shower Heads:

Metal – To remove mineral deposits that may be clogging your metal shower head, combine one-half cup of white vinegar with one quart of water.  Then completely submerge the shower head and boil fifteen minutes.

Plastic – Combine one pint white vinegar with one pint of hot water.  Completely submerge the shower head for one hour.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner:  (CAUTION!  If you do use bleach to clean your toilet bowl, never mix bleach with vinegar, toilet bowl cleaner, or ammonia.  The combination of bleach with any of these substances produces a toxic gas.)

Baking soda and vinegar – Sprinkle baking soda into the bowl, then drizzle with vinegar and scour with a toilet brush.  This combination both cleans and deodorizes.

Borax and Lemon Juice – For removing a stubborn stain, like toilet bowl ring, mix enough Borax and lemon juice into a paste cover the ring.  Flush toilet to wet the sides, then rub on paste.  Let sit for 2 hours and scrub thoroughly.  For less stubborn toilet bowl rings, sprinkle baking soda around the rim and scrub with a toilet brush.

Tub And Tile Cleaners:

Baking soda – Sprinkle baking soda like you would scouring powder.  Rub with a damp sponge.  Rinse thoroughly.

Vinegar and baking soda – To remove film buildup on bathtubs, apply vinegar full-strength to a sponge and wipe.  Next, use baking soda as you would scouring powder.  Rub with a damp sponge and rinse thoroughly with clean water.

Porcelain Cleaner:  To clean porcelain surfaces, rub with cream of tartar, sprinkled on a damp cloth.

Kitchen Cleaners

Baking Dishes:  Enamel, Ceramic or Glass – Soak in hot soapy water, then scour with salt or baking soda and rinse thoroughly.

Basic Kitchen Cleaner:  Keep a bottle of vinegar within easy reach.  When your stove, countertops, walls, or anything else becomes spattered with grease, spray and wipe clean with a dry rag.  Vinegar cuts the grease and leaves a nice shine, and has antibacterial properties.

Coffee/Tea Stains:  To remove coffee stains from cups or counters, rub with baking soda paste.

Dishes:

Use liquid or powdered soap instead of detergents, which are petroleum-based.  In dishwashers, use equal parts Borax and washing soda.

Use baking soda and liquid soap.

Drinking Glasses:

Occasionally soak drinking glasses in a solution of vinegar and water to really get them clean.  Makes them sparkle!

When a quick dip for crystal glassware is needed, prepare a solution of baking soda in tepid-cool water (one level teaspoon to one quart) and brush with a soft toothbrush.  Very good for glass coffee makers and thermos jugs too.

Dishwasher Detergent:  Mix two tablespoons of baking soda with two tablespoons of Borax, put the mixture in the dishwasher.

Dishwashing Liquid:  This inexpensive soap does not suds-up very much, but it cleans so well!  Use with hot water.  Do not use it in automatic dishwashers.  One-fourth cup of soap flakes, two cups of hot water, one-fourth cup of glycerin, and one-half teaspoon of lemon essential oil.  In a bowl, combine soap flakes and water and stir until the soap is dissolved.  Cool to luke-warm.  Stir in the glycerin and the essential oil, leave to cool.  As it cools, it will form a loose gel.  Stir with a fork and break up the gel and then pour into a narrow-necked bottle.  An old shampoo bottle makes an excellent container. To use, squirt three teaspoonfuls into hot running water.

Oven Cleaners:

The first step is prevention.  Put a sheet of aluminum foil on the floor of the oven, underneath but not touching the heating element.

Clean up the spill as soon as it occurs.

While the oven is still warm, sprinkle salt or baking soda on the spill.  If the spill is completely dry, wet the spill lightly before sprinkling on salt.  When the oven cools, scrape away the spill and wash the area clean.

Baking soda, water, salt, and vegetable oil-based liquid soap.  Sprinkle water on oven bottom.  Cover with baking soda.  Let sit overnight.  Wipe off and apply liquid soap with scouring pad.  Rinse.

Retard grease buildup in your oven by dampening your cleaning rag in vinegar and water before wiping out your oven.

Sprinkle/spray water followed by a layer of baking soda.  Rub gently with a very fine steel wool pad for tough spots.  Wipe off scum with dry paper towels or sponge.  Rinse well and wipe dry

Two tablespoons vegetable oil-based liquid soap, two tablespoons Borax: mix the soap and Borax in a spray bottle.  Fill the bottle with hot water and shake well.  Spray on oven and leave for twenty minutes.  Scrub off.

Refrigerators:

To clean exterior and interior walls, dissolve two tablespoons of baking soda in one quart of warm water and wipe all surfaces.  For stubborn spots, rub with baking soda paste.  Be sure to rinse with a clean, wet cloth. This works well on other enamel-finished appliances as well.

To clean interior fixtures, such as vegetable bins and shelves, wash in hot soapy water, rinse well and dry.

Spot-free Dishwasher Rinse:  Add one cup of white vinegar to the rinse compartment of your automatic dishwasher.   Wash dishes as usual

When cleaning stainless steel countertops, ranges or sinks, use club soda.  You can buy a small bottle of generic or store-brand club soda.  It cleans like a charm and dries to a gleam without streaks or spots.  Don’t throw away flat club soda; even flat, it still works to clean stainless steel or spots spilled on the carpet.

Laundry Cleaners

All-purpose Laundry Soap:  One-half cup of baking soda, one-half cup of powered Castile soap, one-fourth cup of washing soda (sodium carbonate), one-fourth cup of Borax, and four drops essential oil of choice.  Mix all the dry ingredients together.  If you are going to add an essential oil, divide the dry soap mixture into four equal parts.  Add one drop essential oil to one part soap, and put through a hand sifter to mix.  Repeat with each of the four parts.  Mix the parts back together and put the entire mixture through the sifter one or two more times.  Store in a tightly closed container and let sit for a few days before using so the essential oils can permeate the mixture.  Add about one-half cup of this soap to a load of laundry as you would with any commercial detergent. (Shelf life: twelve months.) Note: To remove extra-heavy odors from clothes and soften them as well, add one-half cup baking soda to the rinse water.

Bleach Alternative:  Add one cup of hydrogen peroxide to the wash cycle after washing machine has filled with water.

Fabric Softener:  Use vinegar as a natural fabric softener.  This can be especially helpful for families who have sensitive skin. Add one-half cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle in place of commercial fabric softener.  Vinegar has the added benefit of breaking down laundry detergent more effectively (a plus when you have a family member whose skin detects every trace of detergent).

Hard-water Gel Fabric Soap:  Two cups soap flakes, one and one-half cups of Borax, one-half cup of glycerin, and two teaspoons essential oil, either lavender, lemon, or eucalyptus.  In a medium saucepan, stir together the soap flakes, Borax, and water.  Heat slowly and stir until the mixture is clear.  Add the glycerin and set aside to cool.  When cool, add the essential oil and stir thoroughly.  Pour into a mason jar or other container and cover until needed.  To use, add one cup of gel per load of clothes, making sure the soap is dissolved well before adding clothes to the water.  This gel works best with warm water, or dissolve it in a quart of warm water before adding it to the wash water.

Oil Stains:   To remove oil stains from clothing, rub white chalk over the oil stain before washing.

Whitener:  Hard water minerals can turn your clothes grey and dull.  If you have hard water, add one-half cup of white vinegar to your rinse cycle.

Miscellaneous Products

Air Freshener:  Vinegar and baking soda are great room fresheners.  Vinegar deodorizes, while baking soda absorbs odors.  A simple recipe of one teaspoon baking soda, one teaspoon vinegar (or lemon juice) and two cups hot water in a spray bottle can be spritzed in the air to remove odors.

Candles/Wax:  Sponge with a piece of cotton dipped in rubbing alcohol.

Carpet Cleaner:  Sprinkle carpet with two parts cornmeal and one part Borax, leave on one hour, then vacuum thoroughly.  For small spills, clean with white vinegar and soapy water.

Decals/Gummed Labels/Price Tag Remover:  Use vinegar.  To remove non-slip appliqués and strips from bathtubs, saturate a cloth or sponge and squeeze hot vinegar over decals.  Vinegar also removes stick-on hooks from painted walls.  Saturate a cloth or sponge with vinegar and squeeze the liquid behind the hook so that the vinegar comes in contact with the adhesive.  In addition, vinegar can be used to remove price labels and other decals from glass, wood, and china.  Paint the label or decal with several coats of white vinegar.  Give the vinegar time to soak in and after several minutes the decal can be rubbed off (NOTE: Use these methods only on washable surfaces and washable paint).

Eyeglass Cleaner:  Mix eight ounces of ammonia with 32 ounces of rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle.  Spray eyeglasses and rub clean with a soft cloth

Furniture Polish:  Mix one part white vinegar together with three parts olive oil in a bottle.  Shake well before using.  The vinegar will pull the dirt out of the wood, and the oil will lubricate the wood, preventing from drying out.

Glue:  Never run out of glue again, make your own by combining three tablespoons of cornstarch with four tablespoons of cold water and make a smooth paste.  Stir paste into two cups of boiling water, continue to stir until mixture becomes translucent.  Use when cold.

Grease Cutters: Use lemon juice, vinegar, or sprinkle with Borax and scrub with a scrub brush.

One-half teaspoon of washing soda, one-half teaspoon of vegetable oil-based liquid soap, three tablespoons of vinegar, and two cups hot water.  Mix in spray bottle, spray and scrub, wipe clean.

Ink Stains:  Use a non-aerosol hairspray to remove ink stains.

Jewelry Cleaner:  Baking soda is safe and effective when it comes to cleaning jewelry.  Use a paste of baking soda and peroxide to clean build-up and dirt off or your jewelry.  It gets rid of dirt, grime and body oils to leave your jewelry shining and looking new.

Metal Cleaner:  Clean copper, brass, pewter, or bronze easily with a simple mixture.  Dissolve one teaspoon of salt in one cup of vinegar, add enough flour to make a paste.  Apply the paste to the metal and allow it to sit for fifteen minutes to one hour.  Rinse with warm water and polish dry.

Paintbrushes:  Soften hard paintbrushes in hot vinegar for a few minutes.  Then wash paintbrush in soap and warm water and let air-dry.

Polished Wood Furniture:  To remove a watermark mix a few flicks of ash with olive oil, rub it in and leave for thirty minutes, then buff with a soft cloth; a mixture of salt and vegetable oil, left on for an hour, then removed and rubbed with a soft cloth, also helps remove marks.  Remove sticky marks with a little vinegar and water, then apply some beeswax or linseed oil.

Rust Remover:  Sprinkle a little bit of salt on the rust, squeeze a lime over the salt until it is nicely soaked in lime juice. Leave the mixture on for two or three hours.  Use the leftover rind as a handy scrubber.  Rust is gone

Silver Cleaner:  Aluminum pan, boiling water, one tablespoon of baking soda, and one tablespoon of salt.  Bring this mixture to boil in the pan.  Drop your flatware into it as it boils, doing only a few pieces at a time.  Let them boil for three minutes, then take them out and let them drain on a soft cloth, drying them to a shine with a second cloth.  Do not overcrowd the pot–it can be confusing to remember which pieces have already done their three minutes and which ones still have time to go; also, it can lower the temperature of the liquid, thereby lowering its efficiency.  Intricately patterned or pieces that are glued should probably be cleaned with a commercial cleaner.  A minute layer of the silver is removed each time you use this method, however, the conventional method of polishing silver rubs off the same small layer.

Silver Polish:  If you have a small job, the best silver polish is white toothpaste.  Dab some on your finger, and rub into the tarnish.  For bigger pieces, use baking soda and a clean, damp sponge.  Make a paste of baking soda and water.  Scoop the paste onto the sponge, and rub the paste into the silver.  Rinse with hot water and polish dry with a soft, clean cloth.  For badly tarnished silver, leave the baking soda paste on the silver for an hour or so, before cleaning off with the help of the sponge and hot water.

Concrete Grease Spot Remover:  To remove grease from concrete flooring sprinkle dry cement over grease. Allow it to absorb the grease, then sweep up.

Streak-free Glass Cleaner:  Combine one-quarter cup vinegar, one tablespoon cornstarch, one quart warm water.  Mix the ingredients and pour into a spray bottle and spray on.  Wipe dry with crumpled newspaper, buff to a shine.

Tar Remover:  Food grade linseed oil.  Wet rag with linseed oil and rub hard.

Vinegar:  Paint adheres better to galvanized metal that has been wiped with vinegar.

Vinegar of the Four Thieves:  Place a small handful each of dried lavender, rosemary, sage, rue, and mint in a large jar, and cover completely with organic apple cider vinegar.  Cover tightly and let sit for six weeks.  Strain into a spray bottle.  Whereas no home can be made to be sterile, spray the powerfully antiseptic Vinegar of Four Thieves recipe in areas of concern, such as on cutting boards and door knobs, always making sure to avoid your eyes.

Vinyl Cleaner:  One teaspoon to one-fourth cup of washing soda, and one cup boiling water.  Dissolve the washing soda in the boiling water.  Apply with sponge, wipe off with a damp cloth.

The post Natural Alternatives to Costly, Chemical, Household Products appeared first on Homestead.org.

This article explores trapping from a conservation-focused perspective, showing how regulated trapping supports ecological balance, safeguards homesteads, and contributes to healthier habitats. By combining insights from wildlife agencies with hands-on experience, I aim to provide readers with a grounded understanding of how trappers fit into the modern ecological food web and how anyone interested can responsibly get started.

Conservationists: Stewards of the Natural World

Some people think that protecting natural resources means not using them at all, but Aldo Leopold (the father of wildlife management) points out that when we begin to see ourselves as part of the ecological food web, we begin to use our resources with discretion. We must be active participants in the ecosystem, not just watchful observers.

How does using natural resources, such as fur-bearing animals, contribute to conservation? Hunters and trappers follow regulations designed to maintain the environment’s carrying capacity, which is the maximum population size that a particular environment can sustain at its lowest level of food available. Every fur-bearing animal has a certain season when it can be harvested, which takes breeding habits into account, as well as a bag limit that determines how many can be harvested from an area. This protects wildlife from being overharvested, while also limiting how large their populations can grow. These regulations protect both humans and animals from unnecessary interactions in urban areas.

A Trapper’s Impact

I was drawn to trapping because it is such an effective way to manage and diversify the native habitat that surrounds our homestead. I get to be a steward of the natural world by taking inventory of the plant and animal species that we share land with through my daily observations. We do our best to diversify the native plant and animal species that encompass our acreage because a diverse ecosystem is a resilient one. If there is an abundance of raccoons and skunks on our property, we see a decline in the number of wild turkeys. On the flip side, if there aren’t any turkey-eating predators at all, turkeys can damage neighboring crop fields.

Recent studies show that raccoon pressure and the benefits of removal are site-specific. Raccoon densities in rural habitats can range from roughly 2 to 5 raccoons per km², so not every landscape needs intense removal. Focused removal at vulnerable sites has produced dramatic short-term results (for example, sea-turtle nest depredation on Panther Key dropped from ~76–100% to 0% after removals). However, benefits can decline after 2–3 years as animals immigrate or other predators fill the niche, so trapping should be paired with habitat adjustments and continued monitoring. Finally, most published removal experiments have been done on conservation sites rather than generic homesteads, so private-landowners should proceed cautiously, keep good records, and adapt practices to local conditions.

Someone could argue that nature has systems in place to keep animal populations in check through starvation, disease, or predation. However, there has never been a time in our history when we didn’t utilize animals as natural resources, so do we really know if nature would just balance itself out? The problem with this line of thinking is that it suggests we are not part of the ecological food web. Trappers do not seek to remove all predators from an area—we know there must be a healthy ratio of predator to prey species.

An example of trappers bringing balance back to an ecosystem was a fox-trapping management plan in eastern North Dakota and eastern South Dakota. Several foxes were removed from these areas, which restored the dwindling duck population. Ducks are considered ground-nesting birds, making them easy targets for predators like foxes and raccoons in the spring.

Regulated Trapping and Animal Welfare

To become a trapper, it’s important to understand the complexities of the ecosystem. Trapping has an ugly past—overharvesting, no concern for animal welfare, and greed—but today’s trappers are required to take an educational course to learn regulations before they can obtain a license. There are strict rules in place that determine which types of traps can be used on land or water to reduce the number of non-target animals being trapped. The traps of today are designed to hold the animal in place, unharmed, so they can either be dispatched or released. Trappers must also check their land sets daily to limit how long an animal is held in the trap.

So, if federal and state agencies highly regulate trapping, why do we do it? There’s very little money to be made through trapping, so most participants are not driven by greed. For most of us, it’s an instinctive urge to be connected to the land around us, and we feel a responsibility to help conserve our natural resources—even if that means following strict regulations.

How Does Trapping Benefit the Homestead?

We’ve all heard the advice to plant flowers to attract pollinators to the garden, but not as many people talk about the benefits of diversifying animal species around the homestead. Removing a few predators (raccoons, skunks, foxes, or coyotes) every year improves the biodiversity of prey species such as ground-nesting turtles, birds, and rabbits. Improving biodiversity benefits the functionality of the ecosystem through pollination, nutrient cycling, and decomposition. It also improves an ecosystem’s resilience to withstand disturbances such as disease outbreaks or climate change.

Animals such as beaver, raccoon, and muskrat can be delicious when properly prepared, but the less desirable animals can be fed to chickens or pigs to diversify their nutrient intake. In the winter, when bugs are unavailable to our chickens, we feed them the remains of the seemingly healthy fur-bearing animals we harvest as an alternative protein source.

Wild-harvested fur has become a desirable textile again due to its sustainability. Unlike polyester, it breaks down and decomposes when discarded, and it is considered a renewable resource. Strict trapping regulations are in place and regularly updated to protect this resource from becoming threatened.

How to Obtain a Trapping License

Trapping is one of those skills that less than one percent of the population participates in, but those who have this skill are usually eager to pass along their knowledge. Finding a local mentor who is willing to let you ride along on their trapline is a priceless form of education. You will still need to take a trapper’s education course provided by your state’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR). You will learn the rules and regulations of your state to be eligible to purchase a license. It varies by state, but you must have a license to trap any animal on your property.

Use a search engine to find the closest DNR office and sign up for the in-person class. In most states, you can also sign up for an online class, but many students in the class I took said it was very difficult compared to learning in person. Doing the in-person class also allows trappers to connect with each other and trade tips and tricks to enhance their skills. Trapper’s Education will walk you through the basic equipment permitted in your state. Trap types and sizes vary, and if you’re ever in doubt, call your local conservation warden. They would rather spend their time educating people about legal equipment than issuing citations.

Scouting for Sign

Prepping for the opening day of trapping season in the fall begins long beforehand with scouting for animal sign. It starts by knowing the food web and taking notes of areas with natural food sources for target animals. This involves learning how to identify native plant species, which helps determine what prey species are present and, in turn, what predators are nearby. For example, an open, sunny location is a great place for berries to grow, and raccoons love berries. It also helps to learn how to identify animal scat and tracks so you don’t have to guess about which animals are in the area. We usually know where we will build our trapline long before the season starts, which saves time in the long run.

When we know which animals we will target through year-round scouting, we build our trapping tool bag accordingly. Animals of the canine species are the hardest to trap, and many seasoned trappers suggest starting with raccoons because they are so abundant. This helps build confidence on the trapline before pursuing other animals.

Raccoons are opportunistic omnivores—they will eat berries, nuts, small mammals, frogs, fish, and even trash. A raccoon track is comparable to a tiny human hand; it has five sausage-shaped toes on each foot, connected to a C-shaped palm pad. Their scat is cylindrical in shape, has broken or blunted ends, and is usually dark in color. In the fall, you might observe bits of undigested food in it, such as berry seeds.

What’s in a Raccoon Trapper’s Tool Bag?

A typical raccoon trapper’s tool bag consists of (but is not limited to): dog-proof coon traps (DP coon traps), J-hooks with a J-hook tool (to attach the anchoring system), an anchoring system, bait (cat food or a piece of donut), a stake driver (to pound the anchoring system in place), hammer, and gloves. You could use a live trap as well, but I have found it impossible to keep my chickens out of them. The dog-proof coon traps are perfect in almost any scenario.

You can get DP coon traps at most feed supply stores, but there are also small business trapping suppliers such as Hoosier Trapping Supply, Minnesota Trapline Products, and F & T Fur Harvester’s Trading Post. The benefit of ordering through a small trapping supplier is that their employees are trappers and can help answer your questions. There is always the option of finding used traps through word of mouth or an online marketplace. Going this route can also help build connections with experienced trappers in your area—you may learn a thing or two.

How to Make a Set

Trappers follow many rules, but one of the simplest is to set on animal sign. This increases your odds of catching your target animal because many will revisit the same places if they’ve found food there. If you can find a path they use, set your trap nearby. Pack some bait, such as cat food or a sweet treat, in the bottom of the dog-proof coon trap, drive the anchoring system into the ground, and pull up to lock it in place and test for security. Next, set the trap either with your hands or by placing it on the ground and using your foot to squeeze the trigger so it locks in place. Point the opening in the direction that raccoons will see it. The trap has a trigger system that is set off when they try to pull the bait out of the tube. After your first successful catch, repack the trap with bait and set it again. Raccoons live in groups, so chances are you’ll catch a few more in the same spot.

A Few Closing Thoughts

The largest hurdle for trapping acceptance is a lack of information. I still see people on social media arguing that it’s necessary to trap and kill coyotes because they will eat all your livestock, but that approach generally closes the door to understanding. Leading with fact rather than emotion seems to be the best approach.

When you become a trapper, you have a responsibility to maintain a respectable image in the public eye for the sake of all trappers. This means understanding your critical role in the ecological food web, knowing your state’s regulations and adhering to them, and obtaining your license before you begin your trapping journey.

The post Raccoon Trapping for Beginners appeared first on Homestead.org.

As we’ve developed the landscape, we’ve also dramatically altered the path those raindrops take.  Now they fall on roofs, continue over driveways and lawns, down sidewalks, streets, and other impervious surfaces. Rain becomes runoff, picking up pollutants like grease, oil, pesticides, fertilizers, and pet waste along the way before entering storm drains that lead to nearby bodies of water. The toxic buildup harms aquatic life and animals that visit for a drink and creates challenges for water treatment facilities.

Storm runoff can also erode landscapes and contribute to flooding. While rainstorms may not seem like they’re producing a lot of water, according to a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources factsheet, an inch of rain on 1,000 square feet is approximately 600 gallons of water.  Instead of letting the rainwater go to waste, why not trap the water with a rain garden and grow something that beautifies your landscape and helps keep your local waterways cleaner in the process?

The Solution for Slowing and Filtering Storm Runoff: a Rain Garden

According to the Pittsburgh-based Green Building Alliance, the concept of rain gardens originated in 1990 in Prince George’s County, Maryland, where a developer designed a nature-based system that mimics naturally occurring water filtration. Each home in the subdivision had a 300- to 400-square-foot rain garden. The project showed immediate results in reducing stormwater runoff. Since then, rain gardens have gained popularity and remain one of the most effective and inexpensive ways to restore the natural water process.

A rain garden is a shallow vegetated basin located in well-draining ground, usually on a slope. When filled with deep-rooted, moisture-loving plants, it is designed to intercept and temporarily capture stormwater runoff and snowmelt from roofs and non-porous surfaces, such as driveways and patios. The rain garden allows the water to percolate slowly into the soil, while the plants work to absorb contaminants before it reaches groundwater aquifers.

With some basic tools, a bit of planning, and a weekend or two of work, you can turn a water-logged area of your yard into a beautiful and eco-friendly asset. A rain garden can be as simple as adding plants to help absorb the water in a low spot where stormwater from your yard or downspouts can percolate down through the soil, rather than leave your property as runoff.  During a storm, the rain garden fills with water that slowly seeps into the ground, allowing the soil and plant roots to filter and remove surface pollutants. It is not a mosquito attractant. The water is soaked up within 24 hours, which is not long enough for mosquitoes to complete their breeding cycle.

Choosing the Location

Rain gardens can be located near the house to catch runoff from the roof,  or a low spot farther out into the property that collects water from the lawn, roof, or driveway. Keep in mind that they should be located at least 10 feet from the house (so infiltrating water can’t seep into the foundation) on a gentle slope where water tends to collect. When considering placement and design of your rain garden, consider how the rain garden can be integrated into existing and future landscaping, outdoor gathering spaces, or children’s play areas. Choose an area that receives full or partial sun to grow healthy plants and help evaporate standing water.

Getting Down to Work

The depression should ideally be at least four inches below the turf level of your lawn. If you are unsure about what could be below the area where you plan to dig, call 811  to request that the approximate location of buried utilities be marked with paint or flags so that you don’t unintentionally dig into one! There is no charge for this public service, and skipping it could be a costly mistake! Outline the shape of the garden using spray paint or a garden hose. The depth of the garden is important. Since they do not hold water or pool it for more than several hours after a storm, digging a flat depression 4 to 8 inches deeper than the surrounding ground will be enough to catch the water and allow it to trickle down into the soil. The steeper your yard’s existing slope, the bigger the flow of unabsorbed water, so the garden’s bottom will need to be deeper to compensate.  If the slope is less than 4 percent slope, the depth should be 4 inches; 5 to 7 percent slope, the depth should be 6 inches; and 8 to 12 percent slope, the depth should be 8 inches. There are many websites that delve deeper into the details, should you need them.

There is no “right” size or shape—you can start small and expand it over time. While digging the rain garden, pile the dirt around the edge where the berm will be. (The berm is a low “wall” around three sides of the rain garden that holds the water in during a storm.) On a steeper lawn, the lower part of the rain garden can be filled in with soil from the uphill half; extra soil might need to be brought in for the berm.

You can plant a rain garden anytime, but keep in mind that planting during the dry season will make frequent watering essential until the young plants are established. Adding compost and sand to the soil will increase its ability to absorb water. The type of alteration to the soil depends on the current soil type, so it’s a good idea to obtain a soil test. (Collect a soil sample and send it to a local soil testing lab or your county extension office. Make sure to follow their instructions for sampling and submission to get accurate results.) Native plants are the best choice for rain gardens. They are hardy and have adapted to your region’s climate, soil type, and growing conditions. Consult your local nursery or county extension office to find out which native shrubs, perennials, and flowers are best for your area. When choosing plants, consider height, space requirements at maturity, and color. Keep in mind that a diversity of plants is pleasing to the eye, beneficial to wildlife, and creates a strong root system that will resist erosion and inhibit weed growth.

Rain Gardens Are Low Maintenance

When native plants are used, your rain garden will not require pesticides or fertilizer. During the first or second year, occasional watering may be necessary, particularly during periods of low rainfall. Likewise, some weeding might be needed, but once the plants take hold and grow, they will eventually out-compete the weeds. Once the plants are well established, your rain garden can be maintained with little effort. Like any garden, it can be dynamic as you add new plants or remove plants that don’t do well. In my area, deer are a major problem, so plants need to be deer resistant.

By reducing stormwater runoff, rain gardens can play a valuable role in preventing flooding, reducing erosion, filtering pollutants out of the water, and allowing more water to soak into underground aquifers. As an added bonus, rain gardens provide native habitat for birds, butterflies, and beneficial insects, and food for pollinators. They also provide shade for turtles, toads, and rabbits. But most of all, in creating a rain garden, you will be playing an active role in lessening the impact of the storm runoff generated by your house, carport/garage, driveway, and sheds.

Our Earth provides us with water. It’s our responsibility to protect and preserve all natural resources for current and future generations. Our actions, no matter how seemingly small, have an impact on the delicate balance of ecosystems and the overall health of the Earth.

For Further Reading

Rain Gardens: A How-To Manual for Homeowners – Comprehensive, 32-page how-to manual.

National Audubon Society Native Plants Database – An excellent source to find native plants suitable to your region’s climate.

The post Rain Gardens Enhance Your Landscape and Improve Water Quality appeared first on Homestead.org.

These instructions are based on the Kenyan top-bar hive popularised by Phil Chandler of Biobees.  This is a basic guide with a few suggestions of “upgrades” and really is a woodworking project of the simplest kind.

Build List

Sides: wooden planks or boards or 25mm thick (1”), 300mm wide (~12”) which can be formed from two 150mm or three 300mm and 1220mm long (48”).  915mm (36”) is an option but if you are in any way successful you will wish you had built a bigger one.

Ends: wooden planks or boards or 25mm thick (1”), 300mm wide (~12”, formed as above), 450mm long (~17 ¾“).

Legs (if wanted): four 100mm x 50mm (4” x 2”) at a length comfortable to you.  Approx.  800mm (31 ½”) works for me.

Top bars: 430mm x 38mm x 25mm (17” x 1 ½” x 1”)

Mesh floor: Mesh with gaps of ~2 mm (8 holes per linear inch).  Stainless steel options are available from custom wire-mesh suppliers specifically for top-bar hives at around £25 for 5 (~$42) already cut to size.  Alternatively, aluminium craft mesh can work well at a lower cost, though it is less badger resistant.  (Although a mesh is recommended some prefer just using a solid floor in which case ignore.  The “ecofloor” which is growing in popularity also does not require the mesh).

Winter floor: 1220mm x 180mm x 25mm (48” x 7” x 1”)

Follower boards: three plywood or wooden boards attached to top bar.  A board 890mm x 280mm (35” x 11”) will make three follower boards.

Roof: 50mm x 50mm (2” x 2″).  I recommend making this on the hive so the lengths are based on what is required for a snug fit.  Approximately two 505mm and two 1220mm.  25mm x 50mm (1” x 2”) is acceptable depending in preference and local weather conditions.

Sundries: Wood screws, nails, waterproof wood-glue, M8 nuts and bolts for leg attachment.  Raw linseed oil and beeswax for weatherproofing.

~~~~~~~~~~

Top bars are the de facto top of the hive.  When making top bars it is important to include a comb guide of some kind.  This tells the bees where they should be building their comb otherwise they will build it across the top bars sticking them together and making it impossible for you to get them apart and get at the honey.

There are lots of ways to do this and I have given an example of four in the picture below:

1.  My preferred method, and the one championed by Phil Chandler (of Biobees fame), is using a wooden strip either a half round or triangle.  These are easily made with a table-saw or band-saw if you have one.  Nail along the middle of the top bar and rub with beeswax as a primer.  The bees like to attach to the lowest point so will, in theory, follow the line of the dowel.

2.  The method named by Wyatt Mangum (author of 200 Top-bar Hives) as the gold standard for keeping straight comb.  You buy standard wax foundation and cut into thin strips.  You then melt the bottom edge of the strips to the top-bar (a soldering iron works a treat).  This is made easier if you can cut a groove into the top bar first.  This is a very quick way of doing lots of top-bars but has the drawback of you having to buy something!  There is also a small danger that the bees will not initially reinforce the join to the top-bar making it more likely to break off if you handle it wrong.

3.  The simplest method, but probably the least reliable for straight comb.  Cut a groove, melt some wax, poor it in.  Done!

4.  A variation on 1, if you can’t/don’t want to cut dowel strips, glue some lolly-sticks (popsicle-sticks) in place and then rub beeswax on them.  If you really are making this hive with minimal tools and want the lowest-tech option, McCartney Taylor (Founder of “Learning Beekeeping” on YouTube) uses pieces of string soaked in beeswax and tacked onto the top-bar in a straight line.  No power tools required.  I haven’t tried this myself but it seems to be successful for him.  It may seem like I have spent a disproportionate amount of time on the top-bars, but, to the bees, this IS the hive.  The rest is weather-proofing.  This is the part the bees attach comb to and live on.  If there is a problem in the rest of the hive (provided the bees survive) you can lift out the top bars with the comb and bees in place and put them in another box.  Straight comb makes your life easier, and correctly spaced comb makes the bees life easier.

I have listed 38mm (1 ½“) as the top-bar width but some people use 34mm or 36mm and use 6mm spacers in honey areas so the bees can make that comb wider.  This depends partially on preference and partially on type of bee.  I recommend starting with 38mm (1 ½“) and working it out from there.

Follower boards are required to enable you to section off the colony into a smaller area of your top-bar hive.  This means they do not have to heat the entire hive all the time, and it also allows you to make splits or maintain more than one colony in the same hive.  Follower boards can also be used to adapt entrances, add feeders, and in a full hive, it may be the only bar you can remove.  The follower board is essentially a top-bar with a board the exact internal dimensions of your hive attached.  This can be made most easily by using a piece of plywood, or by fixing planks of wood together to provide a sufficiently wide board.  Using an 280mm (11”) wide board/sheet, measure alternating 381mm (15”) and 127mm (5”) (see illustration below).  Then cut along the diagonals and you have a board roughly the internal dimensions of your hive.  This can then be attached to a top bar.

The bottom will likely need some trimming to size (especially with a mesh bottom).  Depending on the boards your hive is made from (my first was reclaimed timber and not particularly straight), your follower board may or may not fit well.  It is important the follower board fits snugly, but do NOT panic!  There is quite often some gapping, this is normal.  I make up for this by placing a tape “skirt” around the edges, helping plug the gaps.  I know other horizontal-hive beekeepers who use a piece of corrugated cardboard, slightly larger than the follower board, stuck behind to deal with this issue.  If you’re keeping more than one colony in a hive, it is best to have two follower boards in between them.

By making the follower boards first you can now flip them upside down and use them as a jig for putting together your hive.  Lay your hive sides on follower boards and you have the dimensions you require.  You can now place your end board in place and screw them on.  This provides the correct gap for the top bars to be flush with the top of the hive end (see below).

The bottom will likely need some trimming to size (especially with a mesh bottom).  Depending on the boards your hive is made from (my first was reclaimed timber and not particularly straight), your follower board may or may not fit well.  It is important the follower board fits snugly, but do NOT panic!  There is quite often some gapping, this is normal.  I make up for this by placing a tape “skirt” around the edges, helping plug the gaps.  I know other horizontal-hive beekeepers who use a piece of corrugated cardboard, slightly larger than the follower board, stuck behind to deal with this issue.  If you’re keeping more than one colony in a hive, it is best to have two follower boards in between them.

By making the follower boards first you can now flip them upside down and use them as a jig for putting together your hive.  Lay your hive sides on follower boards and you have the dimensions you require.  You can now place your end board in place and screw them on.  This provides the correct gap for the top bars to be flush with the top of the hive end (see below).

Placing hive sides onto follower boards to attach ends gives correct top-bar spacing for the ends.

Once the ends are in place you can attach your mesh bottom by simply screwing into place.  The slant on the board give a convex shape to the mesh which can allow a tighter fit for the follower boards and a small air gap between the mesh and the winter bottom.  If you prefer to go with the solid bottom it would be worth planning the slant to give a flat level edge to receive the solid bottom and provide a snugger fit and better heat retention.

 Legs are not essential and some people choose to build a hive without legs.  This is useful if you are intending to build separate hive stands, allowing you to move hives between them.  The aforementioned Wyatt Magnum has hive stands the height of his truck’s flatbed so he can easily slide them on or off between the stands.  However, for most home-hivers who are keeping their hives in permanent locations, fitting legs is the sensible option.  These can be any length that is comfortable for you.  I have made them so they are the right height for a wheelchair.  I generally make them around 900mm long (~35 ½“) for me (I am 6’ 1” tall), but then I have also just cut a piece of wood I had into four equals lengths.  The legs also form the ledge on which the lid/roof rests, so, fitting them equally is important.

I fit the legs so that, once fitted, the ledge created to receive the roof frame is 25-30mm (1 3/16“) from the top of the hive end.  This is best achieved by standing the hive on its end (as shown in the previous picture) and clamping both legs into position.  Next, drill two holes for each to receive your M8 bolts.  The top bolt will go through into the hive, the lower bolt will go through the hive end outside the hive (see below).  Once fitted, cut the leg tops level, and its ready to receive the roof frame.

Roofing the top-bar hive is really where you can get creative, should you want to.  As I said, the top bars are the de facto top of the hive.  The roof is just a weather cover so can be as simple or elaborate as you want.  Having said that, there are quite a few advantages to doing a little more work at this point.  To make the rectangular roof frame, I measure each hive end and cut the end parts of the frame to fit, plus an additional 5mm clearance (just over 1/8“).  So, the ends are 450mm (width of hive end) + 5mm = 455mm.  But do put the lengths on the hive and mark the “actual” size then add 5mm.  If you then flip the hive over and rest the legs on these lengths you can then easily screw the front and back of the roof frame into place.  This ensures that if your wood isn’t completely straight, or your cuts aren’t square you still have a roof that a) you can get on and off of the hive, and b) will keep the weather out, but stay on when it’s windy.

At this point, if you want to, you can screw a panel to the roof frame.  Either a piece of ply, political signage, or some corrugated tin.  Since the legs on which the roof frame will rest is 25-30mm down (1 – 1 3/16”) using 50mm x 50mm timber (2” x 2”) gives you sufficient clearance above the top-bars to fit a piece of insulation to stop both loss of heat and heat gain.

The sun on a flat roof in hot climates may well result in comb collapse without a piece of insulation.  My preference is to pitch the roof.  This isn’t a lot more work and creates a much more weather proof design.  The pitch provides an air gap as insulation, a place to put additional insulation in the winter, and a place for a top-bar feeder.  In my part of the world it can also get very windy.  A pitched roof is much less likely to blow off in the wind and will also reduce the chances of the hive blowing over (in the same way a spoiler pushes the back-end of your car down).

It is very easy to provide a pitch for your roof.  All you need is a piece of 100mm x 25mm (4” x 1”), you then cut it the length of your hive end and draw two diagonal lines from the bottom corner to the top middle of the board giving you two right-angle triangles and a large isosceles triangle (see diagram).  Cut along these lines you have one pitched end, and by fixing the two right-angle triangles together you get the other pitched end.

Glue and nail these to the end of the roof frame and you can use either a panel on each side, or I use feather-edge fencing strips as they are cheap and easily replaced.  I now also place hinges on the roof to make things a little easier but this is another optional extra.

That is your hive finished except for one very important thing: your bees need a way in!  The entrance is another part that can be as complicated or simple as you like.  By far the easiest entrance is just drilling three 25mm (1”) holes in the hive body 25mm (1”) above the hive floor.  These can be in the end or in the side depending on preference.  I have switched entirely to end entrances as this means for my long hives I can have one colony in each end, making in-hive splits easier.

There many and more entrance variations, I mostly now use periscope entrances.  This is an entrance by which the bees enter low on the outside and emerge high on the inside.  This has advantages in heat retention, reducing wind cooling the hive, making the hive more defendable to wasps and the like, and potentially reducing mite-drop from brood onto entering bees.  The periscope entrance can be most easily achieved by simply placing a follower board on the inside with three more drilled at the top.  This has the added advantage of giving you access to the front of the colony when you want it, without having to move all the top bars along beforehand.

All that is left is a coating of weatherproofing.  Many people use standard wood preservers but the preferred method by the natural beekeeping community is using raw linseed oil with beeswax melted into it (approx. 10:1 raw linseed oil to beeswax ratio).  Make sure you do not add this to the inside of the hive (the bees will weatherproof that for you).  A few coats of this and you are good to go, hive finished and ready to receive bees (see “Bees for Free!” for a how to).

References and Links:

Wyatt Mangum’s website: http://www.tbhsbywam.com/

Phil Chandler’s site and hive plans: http://www.biobees.com/build-a-beehive-free-plans.php

Michael Bush’s Site and hive plans: http://www.bushfarms.com/beestopbarhives.htm

McCartney Taylor’s website and youtube guides: http://learningbeekeeping.com/beekeeping-articles/top-bar-hive-design-plans/

The post Budget Backyard Bee Box appeared first on Homestead.org.

Beeswax is made by bees as a building material to form the hive structure known as the honeycomb. That honeycomb produces many pounds of useful beeswax. Honeycomb is a luxurious yellow or brown color; every hive will contain several sheets of this beeswax comb. If you raise your own bees, then you can easily harvest your own beeswax to use around the homestead. But if you do not raise them yourself, then you can purchase beeswax from a beekeeper or a commercial outlet. When purchasing commercially, note that beeswax can be bought in yellow, white, or bleached shades. Regardless of where you get it, the possibilities for using beeswax around the homestead are almost limitless.

Beeswax is commonly used in many body care products since it provides a safeguard against irritants while still allowing the skin to breathe. It also has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral benefits, which makes it useful in treating skin irritations. One of the most common uses for beeswax is lip balm. It is a simple item to make at home and it also saves money otherwise spent buying organic brands at the store. The cost to make it is pennies per container. You can make DIY beeswax lip balm using beeswax, coconut oil, and a butter such as shea, cocoa, or mango. It can be flavored with several flavor choices; just pick your favorite essential oil for flavor.

Homemade Beeswax Lip Balm

• 1 T. beeswax
• 2 T. butter
• 2 T. coconut oil
• 20 drops essential oil

Melt all the beeswax, butter, and coconut oil in a double boiler. Add and stir in your essential oils, then carefully pour into your small lip tubes or tin. Beeswax is extremely flammable; never use it over an open flame, always use a double boiler and never leave the heat on while away from it. Beeswax has a high melting point and can take a while to fully melt, so be patient.

Homemade Beeswax Lotion Bar

Another handy body aid made with beeswax is a lotion bar. A lotion bar is a solid bar of hand lotion, just rub the bar between your hands until it’s warm, then rub it on your skin like lotion. You will need a mold to make your lotion bar; a cupcake mold works great! Make your own with this easy lotion bar recipe:

• 3.5 oz. olive oil
• 3.5 oz. shea butter
• 2.5 oz. yellow beeswax
• 30 drops essential oil or fragrance oil

Combine the olive oil and yellow beeswax in your double boiler, or if you’d like you can use a microwave and a glass measuring cup. If using the microwave, heat using 30-60 second bursts until the beeswax is fully melted. Once melted, use caution for it will be extremely hot. Add your choice of essential oil or fragrance, stir then pour into the mold, let it sit, and when it is solid and cooled, remove it from the mold and keep it in a jar, tin, or baggie, and in a cool place.

Using Beeswax in Salves and Ointments

Salves and ointments are other great provisions that you can make using beeswax, and they can be a lifesaver on the homestead. Salves and ointments are made using beeswax as the stabilizing agent. Some examples of this are drawing salve, itch relievers, sore muscle rubs, and even a diaper rash ointment. One of the most used salves on our homestead is the drawing salve. It’s great for splinters and stings. You can find several various recipes for salves with beeswax on the internet. All will involve melting beeswax with a herb-infused oil, and essential oils.

Beeswax salve even works for the armpits in the way of natural deodorant. Chemical-free deodorant is especially critical for women because the lymph nodes in the armpits help to eliminate toxins in the breast tissue. Many store-bought deodorants contain chemicals that mimic natural hormones and have been linked to breast cancer. You can find a ton of homemade deodorant recipes on the internet, however simple is often better, so try this one to start. Remember this is not an antiperspirant, it is a deodorant.

Chemical-free Deodorant

• 3/4 oz. beeswax
• 2 oz. coconut oil
• 3/4 oz. shea butter
• 2 T. baking soda
• 2 T. corn starch
• 1/4 c. arrowroot powder
• 10-20 drops tea tree oil (you can also add another 10-20 of any other essential oil for fragrance)

Melt the beeswax, coconut oil, and shea butter, remove from it from heat. Add baking soda, corn starch, and arrowroot powder. Stir it until smooth, then add tea tree and essential oils. Pour into either a used empty deodorant container or new ones if you choose.

DIY Beeswax Mustache Wax

Men aren’t to be left out of the great body products that can be made from beeswax: you can also make mustache wax and hair pomades. Beeswax is great for moisturizing dry hair, maintaining dreadlocks, and as wax control for beards or mustaches. If you are searching for an easy mustache wax, try this. You will need:

• Beeswax
• Coconut oil
• Essential oil of choice
• Tins for storage

Take equal parts beeswax and coconut oil, melt them together, stir, then remove the mixture from heat and add a few drops of essential oil. Pour into the tins, let it harden and you have a beeswax-based ‘stache wax!

Using Beeswax Around the Homestead

Beeswax isn’t just for the body: its benefits extend to food preservation as well, still bringing great health benefits with it. One wonderful fact about beeswax is that it is totally edible! After all, it is what we press to get the honey. Therefore, it’s a great alternative for some other food-related tasks.

Beeswax is a great way to grease your pans and cookie sheets. Keep a block or chunk of beeswax in the kitchen to use when you want to grease something. Warm the sheet in the oven, then rub it down with the beeswax. The warmth will soften the beeswax and allow it to coat the pan. If you repeat this every time you use the pan, eventually it will take on a permanent coat of wax, eliminating the need to grease it every time.

Reusable Food Wrap

A reusable food wrap can also be made from beeswax. There are commercial versions of this available, but you can make your own without a lot of effort. Beeswax food wraps are eco-friendly and better for your health than plastic wrap.  You can reuse them time and time again; just rinse clean with cold water and mild soap. Don’t use hot water, as that would melt the wax! Choose a material that is 100% cotton and thin, cut the size and shape you want. Supplies needed are:

• Beeswax pellets or shredded form
• Cotton material
• Parchment paper
• Cookie sheet
• Paintbrush (that you don’t mind saving to use again or discarding it)

Use parchment paper to line the cookie sheet and place the fabric on top of the parchment paper. If your fabric is one-sided, place the patterned side facedown. (Use a new piece of parchment paper each time you make another wrap.) Evenly dispense a generous amount of beeswax pellets all over the fabric. Make sure to get pellets near the edges also. Heat the sheet in the oven for about 4-8 minutes.

When the beeswax is completely melted, take the tray out and use a paintbrush to spread the wax evenly over the entire fabric. Remove the fabric from the baking sheet and hang it to dry. When using it, the warmth from your hand will help form the cloth into the shape you need. When refrigerated it forms a firm cover to protect your leftovers with. Use the food wrap to cover bowls and plates, wrap sandwiches, snacks, or bread. Why not make a few sheets and give them as a gift to a friend?

Do you make your own cheese? Many homesteaders make a lot of cheeses and beeswax is a great natural cover for cheeses and easy to use because of its low melting point. Make sure the cheese is dry so the beeswax will adhere and use it as you would any other cheese wax.

When it comes to canning, beeswax has been the main choice for hundreds of years to prevent jam spoilage. Simply melt it and pour it over the top of jams and jellies.

DIY Beeswax Furniture Polish

Several household chores can be managed with ease by simply using beeswax. The common chore in every home of using furniture polish to maintain your wood furniture can be done with a beeswax polish you make yourself. A simple combination of:

• 4 T. beeswax
• 1 c. jojoba oil
• 4 drops eucalyptus oil
• 4 drops lemon oil

Melt the beeswax and stir in oils, pour it into a pint-sized mason jar. Let it cool for a couple of hours, then keep the jar sealed when not in use. Use a soft cloth to apply polish in small amounts to the surfaces of your wooden furniture, then buff the polish to a shine with another clean, soft cloth.

Do you use hand saw often? Rub some beeswax on the saw teeth, and it will cut through wood more easily. The same principle applies for nails and screws: rub a little beeswax on and they will go into the wood much easier, with less chance of splitting the wood.

Beeswax can also keep your granite and concrete countertops shiny. Just take warmed beeswax and rub it in, allow it to dry, and then wipe down the counter to remove any excess. The beeswax also helps to prevent staining.

Waterproofing with Beeswax

Do you have leather items or shoes and boots that could use waterproofing? Beeswax can do this for you. Simply rub beeswax all over the leather surface and then use a blow dryer or heat gun to melt the beeswax. Let it stand until dry; now it’s ready to go out in the weather.

Do those shoes and boots need a polish as well as waterproofing? Once again it is beeswax to the rescue! All that you need  to make your own polish is:

• 2 T. white beeswax (Note: White beeswax is preferred to allow color pigment)
• 1/2 c. olive oil
• A small tin or storage jar
• 1/2 t. oxide pigment powder (optional, for color)

Combine the olive oil and beeswax in a double boiler or microwave, once it is a blended liquid, add the pigment and stir until smooth. Pour the liquid into your tin or jar and let it solidify. Now it is ready to use!

Caring for Cast Iron with Beeswax

When applied to cast iron pans, hand tools, and shovels beeswax can help prevent rust. Seasoning cast iron cookware with beeswax is all-natural and edible as well as a great way to waterproof, helping to prevent that dreaded rust. Beeswax hardens better at room temperature than oils so you won’t get that sticky residue that sometimes happens with oil either. Here is how to treat cast iron cookware with beeswax:

• First, clean the pan using salt and a stiff brush, steel wool, or plain soap and water. Rinse well with hot water. Dry thoroughly with a towel.
• Heat the pan up a bit to get out any extra water.
• Sprinkle in some beeswax just enough so you can spread it around as it melts.
• Take a paper towel and push the wax all over the pan, bottom too.
• Place the pan in a 400-degree oven for around 30 minutes to an hour. It will make smoke as the wax is burned off, so have ventilation.
• It is finished when most of the wax is gone and the pan has a dry-shiny appearance.

Homemade Beeswax Candles

Considering all the ways of using beeswax around the homestead, the best-known use has to be candlemaking. Beeswax makes great candles because they emit negative ions when burned, which means they reduce dust, dander, and mold that float in the air we breathe. They actually work to purify the air instead of polluting it as other wax candles do!

Container candles are simple to make with beeswax; just make sure your container can handle the heat. A good choice for this would be canning jars or metal tins. You can purchase wicks that have a metal tab on the bottom that will stick to the container with a dab of hot glue. When the wick is secure, pour in the melted wax and place a clothespin across the top of the jar to keep the wick straight. Allow it to cure for a couple of days, then trim the wick to about 1/4 inch above the wax. When lighting your candle, direct the flame at the wick’s base so that some of the wax melts and is drawn up into the wick—this will help it burn correctly. Never leave a candle unattended.

Beeswax has so much to offer; it has even more than what could be listed in this article, so take some time to do even more research for yourself. I am sure that you will find beeswax to be a boundless help to have around any homestead. It even has a very long shelf life, making it the perfect tool for those who desire to be more self-sufficient. As a natural product, beeswax is safe when used for most purposes around any homestead. However, keep in mind that even though beeswax is considered to be safe when used in most conditions, including skin applications, it is always wise to consult with your doctor if you have any preexisting conditions or concerns. That way, you can truly enjoy using this sweet and wonderful tool!

Many of the items used in this article can be found at Amazon.com.  Purchases made through this link help pay for content on Homestead.org.

You might also enjoy “Natural Alternatives to Costly, Chemical, Household Products“.

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Let’s examine the praying mantis’ weapon arsenal from top to bottom to see all the benefits it can provide.

• On its head are two large dome-shaped eyes that almost cover the entire head region. They are supported by the neck which can swivel the head nearly 360◦. This allows the mantis to see prey approaching from the sides, ahead, and behind all at the same time.
• Their unique, short forearms look as if they are in prayer when, in fact, they are in a tucked position to aid in hiding from prey, as well as protecting their main weapons from damage. The undersides of the forearms have a feathery appearance but don’t be fooled, these sections are lined with sharp spikes to allow the mantis to get a fatal grip on its meal. She uses no venom to kill her prey, instead, the mantis grabs her food lightning fast—faster than the human eye can see. Then, turning it headfirst, the meal is devoured with their powerful jaws. This places hard-shelled beetles on the mantis menu where other predatory insects would be outclassed.
• Their long, thin, stick-like body can turn various colors allowing the hunter to blend completely into the background of its surroundings—a great advantage for a surprise attack. This is a deadly situation for bean beetles and butterflies; they get eaten before they can even lay their eggs.
• Where praying mantises don’t have ears as we would recognize them, they do have a sensory organ in their chest to allow them to hear the echolocation of bats. This allows the mantis to hunt at night with a lesser chance of becoming bat food. Many stem-eating bugs, such as caterpillars, beetles, and especially earwigs and slugs, feed at night and hide during the day. Instead of enjoying a late-night snack, they become the mantis’ snack instead.
• Both males and females have wings, female mantis seldom uses hers except to escape danger. Whereas the male mantis depends on his wings to get him from one female to another for mating. This brings us to an interesting part of the praying mantis life cycle. Mating is risky business in the world of the praying mantis, for the female will not hesitate to turn her mate into a meal after completing the copulation, thereby supplying the female with a burst of protein and amino acids to help her eggs have a higher hatching rate. If he lives through the mating, he flies away to find another female.

A point could be made that praying mantises do not know the difference between good bugs and pests. When praying mantises hatch out of their egg case, they are a tiny army of eating machines that are not dependent on flowers and pollen for their food. The hungry tiny mantises are instead ready to devour grubs, aphids, and egg-laying moths to name just a few. Knowing they will enjoy clearing your plants of the insects such as nasty Japanese beetles is a reason to dance. Especially in your rose gardens.

Watch Out for Native Praying Mantis Imposters

The Chinese praying mantis is an invasive species that was introduced to the United States in 1896 as pest control to eliminate the gypsy moth. Sadly—as is usually the case when outside species are brought into an environment—what sounded like a good idea goes very wrong.

The Chinese praying mantis (Tenodera sinensis)is larger and stronger than the U.S. native Carolina mantis (Stagmomantis Carolina). These differences make competing for food very one-sided. The establishment of the Chinese mantis for over 100 years has allowed it to be on the top of the food chain.  Although there is a small population of true Carolina mantis still in the wild, in many places the native mantis no longer exists.

Homesteaders and gardeners alike will want to familiarize themselves with the differences between the Carolina mantis and the Chinese mantis to ensure they’re not introducing a harmful invasive species to their piece of land.

Introducing Praying Mantis on the Homestead

So how do you introduce praying mantis to your gardens? There are many internet gardening, seed, and supply sites that mail order. This makes ordering praying mantis is simple and affordable.

Since the egg cases come ready to hatch, you need to have a plan already in place before they arrive. Having them hatch inside your house or car is not a good experience.

Here are some hints to make your new recruits happy in their new home:

• The temperatures need to be above freezing both the day and night, so, don’t order your egg cases too early. To find out when your last frost dates are in your area, the Farmer’s Almanac, seed catalog, and USDA weather sites are good places to start.
• Be sure the leaves on the plants you want your praying mantises to hunt on and around are open. They need shelter and concealment from their prey, as well as from predators.
• As the baby mantises shed their exoskeleton and grow to adult size, the number of bugs they eat also increases. The mature strength of the jaws allows them to chomp through hard-shelled beetles that some other beneficial bugs are unable to eat. This doesn’t mean you, the gardener, are at any risk; you, of course, don’t look like food to a praying mantis.

As late autumn comes and the last of the leaves fall to the ground, the praying mantis changes focus from eating to mating. After mating, the female will wrap the moist egg sac on a small branch or twig and these egg cases will harden into a durable material that will protect them through the winter.  Although the lives of the adult mantis are now over, their young will be ready to hatch a new generation again in the next year.

This year, don’t let all your hard work be munched away one bite at a time. Introduce these predators into your gardens and know they are busy devouring problem insects such as leaf-, stem-, and bloom-eating insects. Introducing praying mantis on your homestead will save your gardens while actually helping the environment.

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