DIY Raised Garden Beds

The time has come to share some of what we’ve been doing …

The temperatures here still seem to dip below freezing at night.  And our little sprouts are ready to be planted.  But they will fair far better in our mudroom than outside in the cold cold night air.  As we wait for the temperatures to rise so we can plant our little gems of goodness, we still have plenty of work ahead of us preparing the gardens.

This year we’ve chosen to do raised beds.  As the collector of fine junk and the purveyor of needless necessities, I have just such an item to meet the needs of these projects.

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Water Management

It would seem as though everything needs water to survive.  That includes the life of a mosquito or a midge. 

Standing water is a natural breeding ground for these little pests.  And these pests can have some deadly side effects if they aren’t controlled.

A mosquito develops from egg to adult in 30 days.  The eggs themselves hatch into larvae in just 7 days.

It’s VITAL that this life cycle be stopped dead in their tracks and proper water management can help take care of that. 

Cleaning water troughs and keeping the drinking water fresh and clean are key elements to keeping your livestock happy and above all healthy.

Remember that ounce of prevention?  Well it works here too. 

Make sure that your pasture, paddocks, corrals and stalls have proper drainage.  If not, it’s important to make sure you get this under control.  It’s a given that standing water will eventually become stagnant water after a while. 

If you have standing water and there is just no way to get rid of it until it evaporates see my article on insecticides.

♥HELPFUL HINTS

Mosquito rings (often referred to as donuts) kill larvae as well as adults in standing water.

 

Manure Management

Alright, I’m going to tell it like it is.  Everyone needs to learn to manage their………… manure! 😀

No matter how many horses or other livestock you have or where you live, manure management should be your #1 priority.  This is a natural breeding ground for flies, mosquitoes, gnats and bots.  Eliminate the breeding ground, annihilate the population.  Ok, that is hopeful thinking on my part as these little annoyances propagate faster than I can kill the little buggers.  But with proper care I can slow them to a more manageable capacity. 

This is a never-ending process and more so in the warmer months of the year.

 

Managing Flying Insects

Ok, contrary to the title of this post, I’m not actually going to talk about the life of any flying insects.  But more of an admittance of how annoying they are to us.  And the health hazards they pose to our livestock.

Flies and the like will manifest in or near any barn, corral or pasture area that maintains animals.  They can and WILL become a health hazard if measures are not taken to prevent them from… well… living.