Category: Home & Garden

A Florida neighborhood is beginning to look a lot like one of those terrifying scenes from the classic Alfred Hitchcock thriller ‘The Birds.’

That’s because hundreds of black vultures are invading the neighborhood, damaging the roofs they walk on and blocking sidewalks with their large, extended wings, according to CBS affiliate WKMG.

Residents think the vulture invasion is due to development encroaching on the birds’ previous habitat.

“It sounds like there are rocks being dropped on our rooftop,” a resident of the neighborhood told WKMG. He estimates 200 to 300 vultures live around the small subdivision.

Residents say the birds have been very destructive.  One resident said he has replaced his pool screen three times because the vultures sharp talons tear it to shreds.

Vultures are state and federally protected as a migratory bird, so they can’t be hurt or killed without a federal permit from the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says if vultures are damaging property, they can be scared away with Pyrotechnics.

When neighborhood residents went to their homeowners’ association management company requesting it hire a wildlife control service to take care of the birds, it said removing the birds was not its responsibility.

“We certainly sympathize with the homeowners most adversely impacted by this phenomenon as these folks are our fellow neighbors, and began investigating options to address the problem,” officials with the Tudor Grove at Timber Springs Homeowners Association said in a statement to WKMG.

The HOA board members claim they contacted a biologist and after learning decoy deterrents might not be a guaranteed solution, decided against the effort.

The board president also told WKMG the HOA is “not responsible for the removal of any natural nuisances.”

Residents disagree and still think the HOA should help maintain the value of the homes and solve the issue.

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Summer is here in the Northern Hemisphere, which means your indoor cat might begin to crave a little fresh air and freedom. But what if you live near a busy road? If the outdoors around your area just isn’t suited for roaming? Well, the solution is clear. You need to build a cat patio.

‘Catios’ are all the rage at the moment, with Seattle-based business Catio Spaces leading the way. They have created downloadable designs that are easy to build using basic materials and can be installed next to a window, on a deck, or in a backyard.

The way that some people have built their catios are as impressive as they are inspiring. These cat owners have taken a simple concept and turned it into a super cozy space for their feline friend, and for some designs at least, themselves too!

Do you have an indoor cat? Would you consider building a catio, to give your kitty a bit of the outdoors in safety, and the chance to dream of the life of a hunter? Scroll down below to check out Bored Panda’s favorite examples, and let us know what you think in the comments!

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Summer isn’t here officially until the end of June but that doesn’t mean we can’t pretend. Most schools are out for vacation, the weather is perfect for swimming, and temperatures are rising. Of course, that also means that mosquitoes are coming out to enjoy their favorite time of year.

Most people have an unpleasant reaction to mosquito bites. This can include pain, redness, itching, and inflammation at the site of a bug bite. But for some people, getting a mosquito bite is much worse. “Skeeter syndrome” is a rare allergic reaction to mosquito bites. Those that have it can experience unbearable itching, pain, swelling, redness, and even scarring at the site.

Thankfully, most people don’t have such a severe reaction. But even if you aren’t allergic to mosquitoes, you probably want to avoid them as much as possible.

Bug spray has been proven to be safe and effective against most mosquito bites. However, there are some easy ways that you can make your yard a safe haven from mosquitoes — and make yourself less of a target.

If you’re planning on spending a lot of time outside this summer, make sure you keep yourself safe with these handy tips for avoiding itchy bites.

1. Wear light shades like yellow and white.

2. Fortify your clothes.

3. Protect your feet.

4. Don’t indulge in beer.

5. Make your garden into a mosquito-repelling sanctuary.

6. Choose your perfume with care.

7. Keep standing water out of your yard.

8. Wear loose clothing.

9. Swat them away.

10. Keeps fans running.

11. Use candles.

12. Embrace natural predators.

13. Apply bug repellent the right way.

14. Burn citronella candles.

15. Set out bowls of used coffee grounds.

16. Use mosquito curtains.

17. Light a fire.

18. Use garlic.

19. Go the herbal route.

20. Put in a Cadaga tree.

21. Use a mosquito misting system.

22. Install a koi pond.

23. Buy some mosquito coils.

24. Plant some catnip.

25. Drop a couple of pounds.

26. Don’t use bug zappers.

27. Burn some thyme.

28. Mind your timing.

29. Don’t do exercises outside.

30. Use bug lights.

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It always amazes me the way nature takes care of things in her own time, and her own way. If people only stopped taking control and started listening to her, we’d see the beauty of these interactions take place. Utilizing plants that attract dragonflies for mosquito control, for instance, is one such example. 

I grew up in a place that danced with hundreds of dragonflies, and was always taken aback at how effective they were at controlling the mosquito populations. Every evening in the warmer months, when bugs very evidently started to get worse, swarms of dragonflies would populate the skies and scoop up the bugs in a matter of minutes. 

Utilizing dragonflies for mosquito control is natures way of telling us she’s got this. Only when we start intervening with harmful chemicals (like bug sprays and mosquito coils), will we do more harm than good.

Dragonflies for Mosquito Control

Dragonflies are some of the best predators to keep mosquito populations low. Not only do they scavenge the skies in adulthood, but they eat large numbers of mosquito larvae in their larval form (which happens in the water). 

One study found that dragonfly larvae could play a significant role in the regulation of mosquito populations (1). While they are most effective in their larval stage, adult dragonflies can still eat up to 100, if not many more, mosquitoes per day. 

Not only do dragonflies control mosquito populations – they help control other bugs, too, like midges. 

10 Plants That Attract Dragonflies for Mosquito Control

Attracting dragonflies to your garden and backyard requires planting a diverse array of plants. Planting trees and shrubs around the perimeter of the yard will provide adequate hiding spots for young dragonflies. Blooming plants also attract pollinators (like butterflies, beetles, wasps, moths and other small flying insects) that dragonflies love to prey on. Water plants that grow near and within ponds are also highly sought out by dragonflies, but only if you’re willing to sacrifice a part of your yard with a pond (which wouldn’t be too bad, would it?). 

Land Plants

While building a backyard pond is the best way to attract dragonflies as they mate and lay their eggs in water, you can still attract dragonflies through other means. Planting flowers that attract prey for dragonflies will bring them to your garden indirectly. Here are five plants you can grow to attract more dragonflies into your backyard. 

1. Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)

Black-eyed susans attract butterflies and other pollinators – a popular choice of the dragonfly (unfortunately so, but everyone has to eat!). These bright yellow wildflowers typically live for around two years in climates that remain warm for most of the year, and will die off once winter hits in cooler climates. They adapt well to nearly every type of soil and require full sunlight and regular watering to bloom.

2. Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

A cousin of the better-known common milkweed, swamp milkweed produces attractive white and pink flowers that come back every year (it’s a perennial!). They flowers are very showy and good for attracting dragonfly prey like butterflies, wasps and bees. As the name suggests, this plant grows best in moist, wetland areas. It likes wet, clay soil, but also prefers full sun. 

3. Joe-Pye Weed (Eupatorium purpureum)

This attractive plant produces pale pink-purple flowers that last from mid-summer through fall. It attracts multitudes of butterflies and other pollinators like bees, which dragonflies love. These plants reach a height of anywhere between 3 and 12 feet, so they’re perfect for dragonflies that like tall perches. The flowers also come with a light vanilla fragrance that becomes more intense when crushed (who doesn’t want a yard that smells like vanilla?!). These plants grow in full or partial sunlight and occur naturally in moist woods or meadows. The dried roots and flowers of the Joe Pye weed can also be used to make a diuretic tea. 

4. Meadow Sage (Salvia marcus)

Meadow sage is a beautiful perennial with eye-catching purple flowers that attract butterflies and other small insects. This flower loves full sun, but it can also do well in partial shade. The best growing location receives morning sun and afternoon shade. Once established, this plant does not need a lot of water. In fact, it can handle pretty well in drought conditions, but if scarcity of water does become a thing, make sure you give it a sip at least once a day. 

5. White Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

This graceful perennial wildflower produces an abundance of huge, flat clusters about 5 inches across, packed with 20-25 creamy-white flowers. Their fern-like foliage is disease-resistant, and they attract bugs like butterflies and tiny parasitic wasps that dragonflies love. This plant thrives in full sun, in average, dry to medium moisture, well-drained soils. The flower is loved by many, as it helps brighten the garden throughout summer. Plus, it’s easy to grow, so you don’t need a green thumb!

Pond/Shoreline Plants

Incorporating a pond into your backyard is also a good idea if you want dragonflies to return to your side of the neighborhood. Dragonflies spend two months to several years underwater, and water is a place they will return to time and time again. If you provide water, dragonflies will come to hunt, reproduce, perch, and play. 

Aside from the water-dwelling plants listed below, you should also provide rocks around the pond, and around your garden in general. Rocks provide hiding place for dragonfly larvae as they grow and develop under water. While you’re waiting for plants to grow tall enough for dragonflies to perch on, you can place sticks around your pond. This will give them somewhere to land and take a rest. You can use sticks from nearby trees, or bamboo stakes for plants and vegetables. 

Here are five plants that can be grown in and around ponds or other bodies of water to attract dragonflies to live a more permanent lifestyle in your yard. 

6. Arrowhead (Sagittaria latifolia)

Arrowhead, or duck-potato, is a colony-forming, aquatic perennial, that rises above water level to a height of three feet. The leaves are arrowhead shaped, hence the name, and comes with tiny white flowers with yellow centers that grow from the top of the stem. This marsh plant is often used by adult dragonflies to hang out; they also work as egg-laying sites. The easiest way to plant an arrowhead is by using the tuber of the plant and pushing it into the underwater soil in spring (with the growing tip facing up). Since plants tend to float when you put them in the underwater soil, you have to figure out a way to weight them down (like with rocks). It’s okay if the leaves are completely submerged, as they will quickly grow to reach the surface.  

7. Wild Celery (Vallisneria americana)

Wild celery is a useful tape grass that provides excellent aquatic habitat for dragonflies. It is a fully submerged plant that will grow to the water surface, making it a great place for adult dragonflies to deposit their eggs onto. Being a submergent, wild celery needs to be planted where there will be at least 18 inches of water at all times. The sunlight will have to filter down to the tubers in the spring to germinate them. If you can get your hand on some wild celery tubers, place them in a cheesecloth with some mud or stones, and put them at the base of your pond. The mud and stones will help keep everything stuck to the bottom while the wild celery takes root. Be careful not to break off the sprouts on the tubers, and they will not re-sprout if broken off. 

8. Water Horsetail (Equisetum fluviatile)

Water horsetail is an emergent plant that is a combination of a submerged and floating plant. They are rooted on the pond floor, but they also feature stems that rise out of the water. Dragonfly larvae use water horsetail to make their way to the pond surface once they have reached their adult phase. Horsetails are grown from nursery plants, not seed. Plant horsetail rhizomes about two inches below the soil on the edge of your pond or water area. Once they are established, they can withstand short periods of dry weather. It is happy to grow in part shade or full sun. 

9. Cattail (Typha latifolia)

Cattails, or bull rushes, thrive in moist soil and do best in swampy marshy areas. They are used as areas for adult dragonflies to hang out, but they also work as egg-laying sites. Cattails thrive in bright locations, so avoid planting them in shady areas. As with most water plants, growing cattails from their rhizome is most effective. Plant some cattail rhizomes in your pond margin, and voila – you’ve got cattails! These plants are very hardy, so they’re fairly easy to transplant if you happen to find a few in a ditch somewhere and want to translocate them to the pond in your garden. 

10. Water Lily

Floating plants like water lilies make the perfect egg-laying spot for adult dragonflies. Water lilies can be grown from tubers planted in pots beneath the water’s surface. The plant will then send up stems with rounded leaves and star-shaped blossoms that float on the surface. Adding in rocks will help keep the plant submerged. 

Let me know if you’ve had success with attracting dragonflies to yor garden with these plants (or others) in the comment section below!

Homeowners in Minnesota can benefit financially if they forgo the grass and instead grow a lawn for bees.

State lawmakers have approved a new spending program that would set aside $900,000 annually to pay homeowners who replace traditional lawns with bee-friendly wildflowers, clover and native grasses, reports the Star Tribune. The spending plan has been sent to Gov. Tim Walz for his signature. The plan is an effort to help the state’s declining bee population.

Although the wildflowers and native grasses will benefit all species of bees, the hope is that the unmanicured lawns will specifically attract and help the rusty patched bumblebee. Once abundant across a wide swath of North America, the bee species (Bombus affinis) was formally listed as endangered in March 2017. The fuzzy, striped critters have suffered an 87% decline in population since the mid-1990s due to factors such as climate change, pesticide exposure, habitat loss, population fragmentation and diseases transmitted from infected commercial domesticated honeybees.

The program would cover up to 75% of the cost for homeowners who convert their lawns. According to the Star Tribune, it would cover up to 90% in areas targeted as “high potential” to support rusty patched bees.

How people can help

Some homeowners may consider it a weed, but clover is provides food for bees — and it’s good for the soil. (Photo: Grigorii Pisotsckii/Shutterstock)

“I have gotten a ton of e-mails and so much feedback from people who are interested in this,” said state Rep. Kelly Morrison, who introduced the bill in the House. “People are really thinking about how they can help.”

Morrison said she hopes the program will be ready by spring 2020. The state has not released details about how residents will be able to apply for consideration.

In the meantime (and if you don’t live in Minnesota), you can make your yard more attractive to bees by forgoing a chemical lawn service (which can kill pollinators), growing lots of different flowering plants and leaving a few small spots of bare soil for bees to nest.

If you can’t give up your whole lawn to clover and wildflowers because of pesky homeowner associations or other aesthetic reasons, at least try sneaking in a small undisturbed corner with tall grasses, sticks and general chaos. The bees will be happy and should move right in.

Mary Jo DiLonardo writes about everything from health to parenting — and anything that helps explain why her dog does what he does.