Pests | NonStop Natural

All We Want for Christmas is a Backyard Bat House (Not Kidding!)

November 24, 2016 by Tammy Robinson Leave a Comment

You might have seen these strange looking boxes on Pinterest or Facebook and wondered what kind of strange bird used such a flat house? Then you looked closer and realized they were bat houses. As in HOUSES for BATS!

Perhaps you never thought about a bat house as a Christmas gift, but perhaps you should!

Don’t freak out! Bats are nothing like they are portrayed in the movies. They aren’t dangerous, they won’t get caught in your hair, and they are super good for you and your family. Seriously, they are. Keep reading.

Why Bats Are SO Important

Most people are not aware that bats eat upwards of 1,000 insects each night (depending on the species, of course, some eat much more). This means fewer mosquitoes, no-see-ums, and other biting insects.

This means that, not only can we use fewer insecticides or insect repellants, bats can help to prevent the diseases that these biting insects can pass along. Fewer bugs and less disease, wow. That sounds like a bargain, doesn’t it?

Bats are also, depending on the ecosystem, important for the pollination of plants. In fact, some plants are entirely dependent on bats to either pollinate their flowers or spread their seeds. Some plants that depend on bats would be dates, figs, mangoes, and bananas.

Still other bats eat the insects that tend to damage crops. That means by letting bats do our work for us, we can use fewer pesticides on our food. Everyone would agree that this is a good thing!

Bats are also considered to be “indicator species”. This means that changes in bat populations can predict changes in aspects of biodiversity.

By the way, let’s not forget about bat poop, which is called guano. This is super beneficial for plants. You can find bat guano for sale in almost every nursery in the world. Bat guano contains tons of potassium, nitrogen, and phosphates, which plants love.

Last but not least, did you know that a compound extracted from bat saliva has been turned into an anticoagulant drug that is used on those who have suffered a stroke?

There are so many good things that bats can offer us!

OK, now you are saying “That’s fine, but why don’t they just find a nice cave or a tree trunk to sleep in?” Good question.

Why Bat Houses Are Important

Unfortunately, many natural bat habitats have been destroyed or access has been closed off. By putting up a few bat houses around your property, you can offer bats a safe place to sleep during the day and a nice place to raise their young. This also gives bats a better place to live that they will prefer to your attic! In turn, bats will keep your yard free from most insects and provide you with free fertilizer!

Contrary to popular belief, bats don’t carry rabies since they don’t come into contact with other mammals. They also won’t fly into your hair (unless you put your head directly under the box) and they won’t bother your kids or pets.

You can find tons of information about how to build your own bat house and where to place it, online. Or, if you aren’t the handy type, you can buy them premade.

Check out a short video of bats living inside a bat house, check out this short video

We hope you will consider putting up a bat house (or two) in your backyard.

Top 10 Little Known Uses for Diatomaceous Earth

November 10, 2016 by Tammy Robinson Leave a Comment

You might have heard plenty about using clay to help deep cleanse your skin, or using different types of mud, but have you heard about diatomaceous earth?

This is a simply amazing, completely natural substance that few people know about. Diatomaceous earth is actually a type of fossilized phytoplankton skeletons. This plankton is then ground into a powder form. The above picture is a super magnified view of DE. Pretty cool, right?

There are two types of DE, regular and food grade. Regular DE can be used in the garden to stop insects and ants from invading your home and garden by literally cutting their little feet and bodies to pieces as they pass over it. DE is almost as hard as a diamond, actually, although to humans, it feels like powder.

For use on the body and for consumption, always be certain that you are buying food grade DE. This ensures that it’s been sterilized.

Diatomaceous earth is rich in silica, which is what gives your skin and hair that beautiful shine. It also makes teeth, bones, and nails super hard.

Unlike clay, food grade DE can be consumed to work from the inside out to give you beautiful hair and skin.

Let’s take a look at the top 10 little known uses for DE and what it can mean to you!

Super Dandy Deodorizer

Although you might think that baking soda works pretty well to deodorize your fridge, freezer, and trash cans, but wait until you try DE! This must be the most deodorizing substance on the planet! Use it just like you would baking soda and you will notice the difference literally within an hour.

Perfect Pest Control

This natural product works on just about every crawling insect you can imagine. It’s safe, even if your dog licks it off the floor! You can use a makeup brush to drop it into corners, nooks, and small places you can’t otherwise reach. It kills spider, ticks, cockroaches, fleas, ants, and earwigs, just to name a few. However, unlike other substances, it’s harmless to humans and pets.

Tooth Whitener

Keep in mind that DE is very hard, so you only want to use just a sprinkle and only about once per week. However, when you follow this regimen, yellow or coffee stains simply come right off of your teeth, leaving you with a nice, white smile!

Face and Body Scrub

For a super exfoliant and face mask, you can’t beat DE. This natural substance also has minerals, including magnesium, copper, zinc, and calcium. Your skin absorbs what you put into it, so this is a great way to get some trace minerals, especially magnesium, which is hard to come by. Mix one tablespoon of DE with some honey and a few drops of water to make a terrific face or body scrub. You can even let it sit on your face for 10 or 15 minutes to let it draw out the impurities.

Intense Hair Nourishment

Studies have found that women who consume more silica had thicker, stronger hair. Well, who doesn’t want more of that?! Mix one teaspoon of DE (food grade only) in 8 ounces of water and drink about 30 minutes after every meal.

Kill Those Garden Uglies

To break the life cycle of fleas (because they love to hang out and breed in the garden), as well as kill beetles, squash bugs, slugs, spiders, and other creepy crawlies, you can use child and pet safe DE. Simply dust the plant and ground with DE. Cover for one day so it affects the bugs you want to kill, but doesn’t hurt bees or butterflies. Then uncover and rinse. Repeat every 2 weeks for 2 months to break the life cycle of fleas.

Kills Bedbugs

Although you can buy products that contain DE, many of those products contain other substances. You can try plain DE first, by dusting or blowing it around the frame of the bed and on the mattress. Check out this video for more info on how to use DE effectively.

A Prepper’s Delight

If you are a prepper and you want to protect your stored grain, beans, or seeds from insects, you can safely add some DE (food grade only, of course!) to instantly kill insects who invade your supply. You can also sprinkle it around the area and try to kill them before they ever get to make entry.

Improves Bones and Joints

Studies show that silica is very beneficial to bones, joints, and connective tissue. This would make DE an outstanding addition to any arthritis or osteoporosis treatment plan. Speak with your doctor for the correct dosage for your situation.

Amazingly Absorbent

DE can absorb more than 1.1 times its weight in liquids. This makes it perfect for your kitty litter box, the bottom of trashcans, even for spills in the kitchen, such as oil. Speaking of oil put a pan of this under your car to absorb all those little leaks and drips cars can leave behind.

Regular DE can be dangerous if you breathe in the dust. Actually, any dust can cause breathing problems, so you should always use food grade DE and wear a mask, just to be on the safe side. Otherwise, DE is completely harmless to humans and pets.

Do you use DE at your home? Tell us how you like to use it in your neck of the woods.

Top 7 Reasons Mosquitoes are Super Turned On by YOU

July 28, 2016 by Tammy Robinson Leave a Comment

If you are a mosquito magnet, you know who you are! Are you the person who comes back from a friends BBQ with 20 bites, while your friend has 1? Why is it that mosquitoes appear to really be attracted to some people more than others? Is it your good looks? Your charm? Your beer??

Keep reading, there is actually some science to be found regarding these little suckers and why they choose YOU.

It’s In Your Blood

While you might have heard some anecdotal stories about how some people just have “sweeter” blood, the truth is that your blood type does seem to make a difference. One study found that those who have type O blood ( the most common type, of course) tend to be a favorite with those nighttime vampires. While type O isn’t necessarily “sweeter” than other blood types, it does contain a particular sugar that mosquitoes seem to find super tasty. However, we can guarantee you that if you and your type A friends hit up the woodlands this weekend, the mosquitoes will have no problem making you dinner if there are no type O’s around.

It’s Really IS Your Beer

You thought we were kidding about that one, didn’t you? Well, in one study ( a very small one, yes, we know) found that those who drank just 350ml of beer found themselves in mosquito hell. Now we realize that the scientists didn’t indicate that the amount of ethanol in your sweat was the factor, they simply noted that those who drank beer, even tiny amounts, had far more mosquitoes on their skin than those who choose to be the designated driver.

It’s the Way You Breathe

One of the ways we attract mosquitoes is by breathing. While there isn’t much you can do about breathing, you should note that one study found that people who exhaled more heavily (such as those who are angry or those who were dancing) tended to get bit a whole lot more than those who avoided becoming mouth breathers. Those pesky little buggers find you via carbon dioxide. The more you expel, the easier you are to find.

It’s Your Sweat

Those annoying little bloodsuckers not only seek out carbon dioxide, the smell of your blood, and the smell of your beer, but they are also on the lookout for something called lactic acid. The type of mosquitoes which carry Zika and yellow fever are much more attracted to those who have more lactic acid on their skin. This would make even type A’s milk drinkers more attractive! An increase in body temperature, such as would occur when you are exercising or dancing, puts this substance on your skin. You might as well ring the dinner bell!

It’s Your Belly, Ladies

We mean your baby bump. Why is it that a mosquito seems to be able to find a pregnant woman from two miles away?? In this case, it’s several reasons. One study found that in the last trimester, women exhaled 21 percent more air than non-pregnant females. Another reason is that being preggo increases the blood flow to your skin, which makes you warmer than others. Since these vampires are heat seeking missiles, is it any wonder that they can pick a pregnant woman out of a crowd?

It’s Your Wardrobe

While smell has a lot to do with how mosquitoes choose their victims, they have pretty good eyesight as well. Mosquitoes are fairly visual creatures, especially in the early afternoon. For some reason, they like darker colors, such as black, navy blue, and red. Try the Madonna routine go “like a virgin” – wear white.

It’s Your Skin

Last, but certainly not least, according to some research studies, the type and amount of bacteria on your skin can act like a beacon to these blood sucking pests. Our skin is literally a hive of microscopic life. Certain types of bacteria can make a pretty distinct and attractive aroma, at least to mosquitoes. This explains why some types of mosquitoes tend to bite ankles and feet, which tend to be pretty ripe when speaking of bacteria and odor. Take a shower just before you head outside and scrub off that party of bacteria before they open the door to your mosquito buddies.