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Archive through July 15, 2008

Reality TVClubHouse Discussions: General Discussions ARCHIVES: Jan ~ Apr 2009: Home and Garden: Random Questions: Archive through July 15, 2008 users admin

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Colordeagua
Member

10-25-2003

Wednesday, March 19, 2008 - 8:23 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Colordeagua a private message Print Post    
Julieboo, rain, snow, and sleet forecasted for Friday.

Csnog
Member

07-18-2002

Friday, April 04, 2008 - 11:57 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Csnog a private message Print Post    
Silicone spray works best. WD 40 attracts dirt.

Clean your track with greased lightning then spray on the silicone. Do the same with your garage door.

Kc103
Member

07-13-2004

Monday, May 26, 2008 - 8:13 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Kc103 a private message Print Post    
I have been having a problem with a number of stray cats making their yard my home these days. They have been digging up my lawn, nesting in my flower beds and pooping in different spots of course. I have nothing against animals, but not being a pet owner myself, I really don't want these strays ruining my yard when I always try to keep it up nice. This is the first year I've ever had this problem.

Is there some safe way that I can deter these cats from coming into my yard? If anyone has any ideas or solutions to this type of problem, I'd appreciate any advice on what to do. Thanks!

Cinnamongirl
Member

01-10-2001

Tuesday, May 27, 2008 - 9:53 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Cinnamongirl a private message Print Post    
Well, you could go with a motion sensor sprinkler. Cats certainly hate water and it'll water your plants in the process :-)

Or I've heard of used coffee grounds...sprinkle in flower beds and cats apparently hate it.

Urgrace
Member

08-19-2000

Tuesday, May 27, 2008 - 2:50 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Urgrace a private message Print Post    
Kc103, There is a coyote or fox spray that will keep them out. I've been having the same problem with stray cats, and rude neighbors who walk their dogs and don't clean up after them.

Escapee
Member

06-15-2004

Tuesday, May 27, 2008 - 2:58 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Escapee a private message Print Post    
My own cat won't stop crapping in my garden bark. Will coffee grounds hurt my flowers?

Kc103
Member

07-13-2004

Tuesday, May 27, 2008 - 3:48 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Kc103 a private message Print Post    
Thanks for the ideas. Urgrace, have you tried any of that spray. If so, any luck with it working?

Racsan
Member

04-09-2004

Tuesday, May 27, 2008 - 9:25 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Racsan a private message Print Post    
Actually coffee grounds are good for flower and vegetable gardens.

Skootz
Member

07-23-2003

Wednesday, May 28, 2008 - 3:54 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Skootz a private message Print Post    
I am going to try the coffee grounds, I know it is excellent for your flowers and if it keeps the darned cats out...all the better!

Urgrace
Member

08-19-2000

Wednesday, May 28, 2008 - 5:48 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Urgrace a private message Print Post    
Coffee grounds are a great compost for your flowers.

Kc103, I just got some, so I'll let you know how it works here. I'm going to use it on the perimeter of the yard. You see, I was afraid to use it, because Jujukitty has decided that she won't stay in the house and flies out the door every time it's opened and won't let me catch her. She comes to the back door after dark for her evening meal, then does her best to sneak by us the next time the door is opened. She's good at it too, because she is all black and not easily seen. I was afraid, because I don't want her scared away from the yard! <double dilemna>

Boberg
Member

10-04-2002

Wednesday, May 28, 2008 - 7:31 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Boberg a private message Print Post    
My mom swears that if you sprinkle SNUFF around in your flowerbed/garden, cats won't go there. I have never tried it but it can't hurt and might help.

Hukdonreality
Member

09-29-2003

Thursday, May 29, 2008 - 4:36 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Hukdonreality a private message Print Post    
A little late to this party, but cats will not go into a flower bed if there are mothballs in it. There is also a product, dried blood, that repels them. The problem with both is that they smell kinda nasty on rainy days. I've used both, and they do work. Mothballs were the easiest and weren't messy. I just put them throughout the mulch so I didn't have to look at little white balls all over my flowerbeds. The neighborhood cats found someone else's flowerbeds to poop in, and for the last 2 years I haven't had to put anything on them at all!

Kc103
Member

07-13-2004

Thursday, May 29, 2008 - 8:41 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Kc103 a private message Print Post    
Urgrace, yes..please let me know if you have any success with that.

Hukd, I'm going to try your idea for now. I do have some mothballs and will put them out this weekend.

Thanks everyone!

Redpen
Member

07-24-2003

Saturday, June 21, 2008 - 7:58 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Redpen a private message Print Post    
Has anyone used LED replacement bulbs in fixtures requiring MR16 GU10 halogens? I'm thinking of using them in my kitchen and dining room. The halogen bulbs cost about $4 each. The LED version runs about $14, but should last up to 10 years they say.

Has anyone tried this? Are the replacements bright enough?

Rissa
Member

03-20-2006

Sunday, June 22, 2008 - 5:55 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Rissa a private message Print Post    
I have a question that most of you will probably think is just.. mean. LOL The neighbors whose house backs onto ours has a HUGE (3 feet by 2 feet) platform nailed to our common fence near the top (maybe 3-4 inches). On this platform she pours pounds of birdseed. It not only attracts every bird in the county but also squirrels and mice. She also has bird fountains around her yard. I am sure she thinks this is wonderful as she has no children, no pets and nothing in her yard but grass and a couple huge trees... BUT, we have an in-ground pool at the back of our yard surrounded by a concrete deck. The birds are crapping on the deck, in the pool. The crap is attracting bugs, the seeds are attracting mice and is piling so high on the ground on her side that they literally pour through the fence slats onto our side and into our pool. I am tired of having to pull dead mice from our pool filter. Not to mention that the squirrels and the birds on the fence are driving my dogs CRAZY and I have alrdy had to stop them from *playing* with a dead mouse once this year!! It really is turning into a health issue as much as an inconvenience.

The same neighbor has a beautiful HUGE tree that grows over our fence and we have a professional company come in each spring and prune it back to the fence line. I love this tree, we just clean up the part on our property but she stands in her back yard right by the fence and glares at our *guys* the whole time they are there. So I am thinking that asking her to dismantle her bird feeders wouldn't go well. LOLOL

Anyone know how to repel birds? (there.. took long enough but that's the question). The only thing I can think of is a plastic owl. Do they really work, is there anything better?

Skootz
Member

07-23-2003

Sunday, June 22, 2008 - 7:02 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Skootz a private message Print Post    
Here are a couple of sites you can check out Rissa

Site 1

Site 2

Hope this helps

Rissa
Member

03-20-2006

Sunday, June 22, 2008 - 9:12 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Rissa a private message Print Post    
Thank you Skootz. A guy a couple houses down the street has the spkr playing owl sounds for hours every night. A little loud but soothing although it doesn't seem to work very well so I think I will try the simple first... will try to find that fright-eyes ball to tie in my tree. Neighbor isn't going to like me for it but like I said... it's becoming a health issue. Will also get a couple outdoor sonic thingies for the mice. We lived on an acreage before and I know those work really well as long as you can aim them in the general direction. Thanks again for the ideas.

Babyruth
Member

07-19-2001

Wednesday, July 09, 2008 - 11:37 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Babyruth a private message Print Post    
Q: Does anyone know if the dry Swiffer sheets are biodegradable?

I just found out that WET Swiffers are not-biodegradable, they and their chemicals sit in landfills for eons like disposable diapers. So, I'm not using them anymore. But I'd still use the dry/dusting sheets if ok.

Heyltslori
Moderator

09-15-2001

Thursday, July 10, 2008 - 6:52 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Heyltslori a private message Print Post    
Babyruth, according to THIS they are not biodegradable.

Babyruth
Member

07-19-2001

Thursday, July 10, 2008 - 8:04 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Babyruth a private message Print Post    
Wow, thanks Lori for finding that for me! You're a peach!

Guess I'll go back to the ol' dry mop.

Babyruth
Member

07-19-2001

Thursday, July 10, 2008 - 8:10 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Babyruth a private message Print Post    
Huk'd, mothballs are poisonous to cats!

LINK

Curlyq
Member

07-10-2002

Sunday, July 13, 2008 - 5:34 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Curlyq a private message Print Post    
I have a question I hope someone here can answer. I'm about to put vinyl planks in my bedroom, and at the doorway where it meets the tiled hall I need a transition strip. The strip we got from Lowe's seems to be for accommodating a 5/8" tile height, but our tile only sits 1/2" above the subfloor. Won't this mean there'll be a 1/8" gap under the strip on the tile side? Did we just buy the wrong thing, or am I supposed to fill that gap in with something?

Dipo
Member

04-23-2002

Monday, July 14, 2008 - 11:29 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Dipo a private message Print Post    
That does mean there will be a gap, can you get one that is only a half inch? I don't think an 1/8" of caulk would make you happy.

Hukdonreality
Member

09-29-2003

Monday, July 14, 2008 - 11:38 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Hukdonreality a private message Print Post    
Lol, first time I've been back here in a while...I got the mothball suggestion from the same internet where you found that it would kill cats. Go figure! Oh well, at least they worked around my house and we didn't find any dead cats!

Curlyq
Member

07-10-2002

Tuesday, July 15, 2008 - 6:29 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Curlyq a private message Print Post    
Thanks, Dipo. I'm going to have to try to find something else. I had the same thought about caulking and would not be happy doing that.