pond in progress started 4/21/10

[addy1]

They are partial to white colors (in the fall) we put a light silver/cream siding on our house when we redid it. They love the color. My neighbors are a gray color, they get some but nothing like what we do. I spray all entries to the house, door frames, window frames they crawl across it and die. A few still make it into the house, they head for the big sun windows, they crawl on them and die. The one thing I aggressively kill.

If we ever get attacked by them I would need the info. I'll let ya know when and if that ever happens. Hopefully it never will!

 

[j.w]

Well then guess we picked a good choice in paint colors for our house. Paint is medium gray w/ black trim!

 

[CountryEscape]

Around here, people keep calling the Asian Lady Bugs "stink bugs", because they also stink really bad if you get them on your hand. It is their defense. They ALSO try to come into the house in the fall, and are attracted to white or light colored houses. I guess the common denominator is "Asian". The common lady bug is more or less becoming extinct because of this Asian one. The Asian one is larger and stinks, the other one ... can't remember last time I saw a REAL lady bug ... is smaller and cute. The Asian lady bug beetles will bite if they get on you, too. In the fall, my former husband would complain if they were building a new log home. On a subfloor, with the sun shining and warming it up, they would be EVERYWHERE. They would land on your shoulder, and if they got to your neck, bite it and then stink up your clothes and skin, too. I don't have very many here. I use Home Defense. It can be used inside and outside, and I spray all the way around windows and doors and frames in and out, and that kills them before they get inside. Love that stuff, not dangerous to dogs and cats, and dries quickly, with no odor. Oh, and it's less than $10 for RTU gallon! :blueflower:

 

[j.w]

Funny CE you say that you love that stuff...................at that price you would have it to use as a nice perfume for life and no bugs ever on you :blueflower:

 

[CountryEscape]

Haha, well it works so well, I love that it does! It's probably like what Addy uses, same results. I like anything that keeps the spiders from coming into my house and I only have to spray it twice a year, spring and fall, and only in the fall because of the lady bug beetles that stink. Good lady bugs NEVER tried to come into the house.

 

[addy1]

The I stuff I use seems to last a few years. The inside windows I sprayed last year, not this year and the stinkers are falling off with their feet in the air! Love to see that posture. Then all you need to do is sweep them up. Luckily we are on the downhill slope of them coming in, these few cold nights have driven them into hiding. Now you NEVER bring a box or anything in from outside, garage, anywhere without shaking things out, cause stinkers will be hiding it it.

They also crawl in around your car doors. I found around 50 one year in the yukon around the door seals.................they died lol

 

[addy1]

I told the fish warm weather is coming again, even if briefly, 25 degrees above normal!





Find missy!



Aww there she is!



She wants warm to come



Her favorite toy, we play chase two to three times a day around the couch





Sunrise as we take off for our cccccccccooooooooooollllllllllllllldddddddddddddd walk!

 

[CountryEscape]

Gorgeous sunrise, Addy! And, what is Missy's favorite toy? It looks like a stuffed toy that I have to keep up high, as my Boston loves to shred anything with stuffing. :blueflower: The dogs are getting stuffingless toys with squeakers for Christmas. I predict by Dec. 26, none of them will have squeakers in them any more. Not sure if she doesn't like the sound, hurts her ears, or if she just has the challenge to "kill it". LOL

 

[addy1]

It is a 3 dollar brown beaver from petsmart, stuffed. She picks it up and just looks at me, if I ignore her she puts it down and growls, if I still ignore her she comes over, bumps me with her nose, next she bites my toes. That is the hint you are to chase me while I carry my toy and do it now.

The squeakers are surviving her so far. She shreds tp rolls, paper towels, sticks. We give her peanuts in the shell and she actually cracks them to get the nut out. She only gets a few.

We have a pile of toys for her, she does rotate but always comes back to the beaver.

We give her good for you teeth treats find them buried in the couches under pillows everywhere.

She is such a joy!

We usually leave the house around sunrise for our walk, if it is in the teens I wait until it warms a little to take her walking. She gets to wear her sock coat, a small coat from petsmart then a fluffy sweater over that, then she is warm enough.

 

[j.w]

She looks like a roly poly 3 times the size she really is snow pup w/ all that warm protective clothing :biggrin:

 

[addy1]

51today out for our walk in just a long sleeve shirt, she was in just a light jacket. She was dancing down the road, she much prefers not having all that bulky stuff on.

 

[j.w]

Bright sun,clear skis now, who would think snow was on the way? I think they are pulling our leg again!
Have camera handy and will report back if it happens. The way they are talking I better be quick getting a photo before it all disappears

 

[CountryEscape]

We are under flood watches, which will turn into warnings on Sat./Sun. I believe. Supposed to get 2-3" of rain, and maybe thunderstorms. OMG, in December? That may be a first for me! But, I love all the changes. Goldfish pond almost completely thawed off, koi pond still working on it. Should get all the ice melted in this warm weather, staying around 45 tonight, and in the 50's again tomorrow. I hate that possibility of snow and freezing rain in north central IL this weekend. I know lots of people have Christmas gatherings, so be careful! Christmas get togethers can be repeated. Stay safe everyone.

 

[j.w]

Ok down to 30F snow temps so let the snow begin..........come on you can do it!

 

[addy1]

The pond was a nice, I have not run for 5.5 months greenish, algae growing color when we got home. So even though we have a possibility of 4 inches of snow coming tomorrow eve I turned on the pump. 60 today, then down back up to the high 50's by thursday, so why not lol. And if something goes wrong I can yank the pump real quick (external)
Long story short could not see the bottom of the pond at all, turned on the pump, within 6 hours water looks crystal clear! Just love my bog!

The birds are happy they have a place to bath and drink, the bog plants are happy, they were starting to grow. I am happy, no broken pipes, even ones with a little water in them over winter.