Effective Ways of Controlling Harmful Insects in Your Garden

Finding out that your beautiful garden is on the verge of becoming a playing ground of some really heinous, harmful insects is pretty upsetting, indeed. But fortunately, we are here to help you! Here is a list of ways you can employ to protect your garden from the unwelcome visitors.

1. Rescue!
   

   

   If flies are creating havoc in your garden space, try Rescue! It’s a non-toxic, throwaway fly trap that uses an organic attractant to trap flies in one of its two chambers. It is quick and simple to use fly traps. The first chamber is on the top, and it comes with a liquid fluid to drown the flies. The other chamber lies at the bottom and it traps the flies in a pouch. Once employed, Rescue can catch and kill more than 20,000 flies in a single go. Now, that’s pretty impressive, right?
2. Floating Row Covers
   One of the best methods to protect your garden from harmful insects such as aphids, flea beetles, cabbage maggots and tarnished plant bugs. These covers will not only protect your plants from these disgusting insects but also, from harsh weather. Buy the new type of covers available in the market and you won’t even have to remove them in the morning and then cover again in the evening. Just cover them once and your job is done!
3. Hoont Electronic Fly Zapper
   This powerful fly trap can be used indoors or outdoors, as per your requirement. The best part about this trap is that it doesn’t utilize any kind of poison or harmful chemicals. UV light bulbs attract the flies or any other insects to trap them inside its compartment, where they are electrocuted once and for all. It requires no upkeep whatsoever and covers a large area of up to 6000 square feet. Cleaning this product is not a hassle and it is safe to use as well since it comes with a wall mounting detachable chain. So, your kids or pets won’t be able to reach it.



4. Neem Oil
   Another very good and safe option for protecting your garden from harmful insects is neem oil. There are several neem oils available online that act as a 3-in-1 product. They protect your flowers, fruits, vegetables and ornamental plants from insects, fungal diseases and mites. Alternatively, you can buy pure neem oil and it’ll work just as good. You can put 2 oz oil to a gallon of water and then spray this mix on all your plants. This technique has been in use since ages and is still considered one of the best ways to keep your garden pest-free.
5. Victor M380 Fly Magnet Reusable Trap
   

   

   This fly-trap is one of the best-selling products you’ll find online when it comes to reusable fly traps. It utilizes a super effective, non-toxic attractant to catch the flies and other insects. It’s shiny, the diamond-shaped top cover also works as a decoy to trap insects inside. The product has one downside though – a somewhat strong odor! So, it is recommended to use it outdoors. But, since this fly trap is highly effective, a little bit of smell shouldn’t be a problem.

Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Tips

Instead of spending money on buying insect traps, you can create your own DIY traps at home, using basic kitchen ingredients. Here are two simple, but effective DIY traps you can make at home.

1. Apple Cider Vinegar Trap
   Simply put some apple cider vinegar into a bottle or a similar container and remove its cap. Now, cover its opening with a plastic sheet or cloth with a small hole in the middle. Insects (especially fruit flies) will get attracted to it and once inside the bottle, they’ll get trapped there forever.
2. Basil Leaves
   Basil smells delicious, right? But many insects find its odor extremely repugnant. So, whenever you are working on your kitchen counter, keep some fresh basil leaves nearby and magically, so many of your insect woes would simply disappear!

There are so many other ways to keep your garden safe and clean. But before picking a solution make sure it’s effective on the kind of infestation you are dealing with. Once you are sure about that, go ahead and make a choice. Happy gardening!

Designing a Kids’ Room from Start to Finish: How to Do It Like A Pro

If you have kids, you can’t avoid the inevitable forever: designing a bedroom for them that meets all their needs, stores all their stuff, and gives them space to do what they enjoy. Babies’ rooms are easy – paint the walls light blue or pink, grab a crib, some stuffed animals, and make room for lots of diapers! Kids, however, are a lot more complicated when it comes to their interior design needs because they want a say!

While kids aren’t the toughest audience to impress, there are some easy ways to avoid a design disaster. This is how to design a kid’s room like an absolute pro – from start to finish.

1. Choose carpet or hardwood.
   This choice may haunt you forever, so be careful. While most bedrooms have carpet floors, especially for kids to prevent slips, opting for a hardwood finish may save you a lot of time and stress in the long run. Hardwood floors hold less dust mites than carpet when it comes allergy season and are exponentially easier to clean. Instead of scrubbing a carpet floor with a brush (knowing you’ll never really get the mud stain out,) you can mop and go without leaving a trace.
2. Paint the walls.
   If your kids are old enough, let them pick the wall color to showcase their creativity, style, and make them proud to call their bedroom home. While dark colors like dark grey and deep blue should perhaps be avoided as to not risk making the room appear smaller, any other color can be a go, as long as you and your tot agree.
3. Set up furniture before decorations.
   You don’t want to be moving furniture to accommodate the placement of a picture frame, so opt for moving beds, chairs, desks, couches, etc…in first. Beds should be in a place where natural light can shine in and wake your child naturally. Desks should also be in a place easily accessible to light. Ask your child where he or she wants her furniture, as some kids would rather not have their bed near the scary-at-night-closet.



4. Decide on a bedspread.
   Once the furniture is set up, decide on a bedspread that accents the walls. Usually, you can decorate in a three-step method color-wise: pick a wall color, pick bedspread that has a color in it that matches walls, then make the other accent colors of the bedroom whatever remaining colors there are on the bedspread. This will make the room look cohesive and well-planned, even though implementing it is super easy!
5. Find décor that matches your bedspread’s accent colors.
   This is where you can really get creative with a child’s bedroom and make it all their own. While pictures of friends and family can easily adorn the walls for a cute look, opt for some unique decorations, too, like one of these custom neon signs for kids. Let your kids have a say in this part of the process, as they probably have some unique ideas of their own that they’d like to see brought to life in their bedroom.
6. Make sure the room is functional.
   While having completely clear floors may fit your dream aesthetic, it may not fit a child’s bedroom. Having bins and cubes throughout the room for toy storage is a must, or these items will simply end up all over the floor. Find cute storage bins from your local home stores that match the room’s accent colors, and they will fit in seamlessly while adding functional storage. Likewise, if your child needs a stepping stool to reach his or her bed or top shelves, provide one that matches the room and is always easily accessible for him or her to help her gain independence.
7. Get the thumbs-up from your kid when you’re done.
   Once all is said and done, getting the approval of your child is a must, so you know they are happy with their space. Asking them questions like this will also reinforce to them that their opinion matters, and that you value their input when it comes to big decisions that affect them. If there is anything (within reason) they’d like to change, go ahead and work with them to do it. Encourage them to keep adding to the room throughout the upcoming months with artwork to hang on the walls, DIY storage, etc… to encourage creativity and help them feel that the space is truly theirs.

Implement these strategies the next time it’s time to design a child’s bedroom, and you can’t fail. After all, a child’s room is all about possibility, experiences, and FUN! Make this experience a fun one with your kid and the room will show it.

Comment down below with your tips and tricks for designing a child’s room, along with which of these strategies you’re excited to implement in your own home!