Natural Insect Control

Lavender Guinea freedigitalphotos.net

Around these parts, it's an inevitable part of spring and summer. Ticks, fleas, mosquitoes, buffalo gnats, just to name a few. For me, the ticks are the worst.  Especially the Lyme disease carrying Deer Ticks. It's impossible to walk out the door without finding one crawling on your skin. And if you go in the woods? You're guaranteed to come back in, crawling with ticks. DH and I have come out of the woods, with literally hundreds of ticks, the size of a pinhead crawling on our legs! Not a pretty sight!

Since our homestead is situated on a hill, surrounded in woods we have a lot of trouble with ticks. For this very reason, for the last couple of years I have been considering getting Guinea fowl. Guinea fowl are native to Africa but are commonly raised here in the U.S. for insect control on farms. Typically they are allowed to roam free during the day, then put in the coop at night. Since they like to roost in trees, this helps keep them from being preyed on my night predators, such as owls and racoons. (I had no idea owls would attack guineas!)

Guinea fowl will also alert you to any intruders onto the property, with their loud screeching. Because they can be so noisy, it's probably a good idea to listen to them to know if you (and your neighbors) can handle the noise!

In addition to their tick eating abilities, they also will supply you with tasty little eggs, and you can also eat the guinea fowl meat. I have read it is comparable to chicken and turkey, although personally I have not tried it.

I have been getting really excited about my newest poultry adventure! Because of their noise, and the close proximity of our chicken coop to the house, I am planning on building a small guinea coop to house them further away from our homes.

Since guinea keets (babies) are not available through hatcheries until May or so, I still have about a month of waiting before I can place my order. Patience is not my strong suit!

Does anyone have experience with guineas? I'm really curious to hear everyone's adventures with them!

 

 This post is linked to:

Frugally Sustainable

Your Green Resource

FarmGirl Friday Blog Hop

The Homestead Barn Hop #58

Teach Me Tuesday 

Country Garden Showcase

The Country Homemaker Hop

Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways #23

FarmGirl Fridays

Melatonin, A Natural Sleep Aid

I know this may be a bit ironic to write about this topic while it's a little after 2am, but I know a lot of people struggle with falling asleep and staying asleep. Since I started working 3rd shift over two years ago, I have had trouble sleeping on my nights off.

I waited to say anything to my doctor because I was afraid she would immediately put me on a prescription drug. Prescription drugs are useful in many situations, but I was hoping there would be a simpler answer.

Credit: Free photos from acobox.com

After over a year of simply sitting up at night surfing the computer, waiting to get sleepy, I finally asked my doctor, "What can I do to fall asleep? It's driving me crazy!" I was very happy with her answer, too. Instead of just writing me a prescription and sending me on my way, she told me to try melatonin. So, I picked up a bottle hesitantly, and tried it. And guess what? It worked!

Melatonin is a hormone that is naturally produced in your body, that helps you fall asleep. According to Melatonin FAQ, the pineal gland begins producing melatonin when it the body is exposed to darkness, and the production peaks around 2-4am.


Taking melatonin supplements has been found to help people that cannot sleep due to shift work or simply because their biological clock is not working as it should.


The recommended beginning dosage is about 1mg, although you may need to increase the dosage. In my personal experience, I have had to gradually increase my dosage from about 1mg to around 6mg to stay asleep through the night, over the course of about 6 months.

If you are having trouble falling asleep and staying asleep, talk to your doctor about this possible prescription alternative.

(It normally works too, I just have to remember to take it before bedtime, unlike tonight... ;)



Sources:
http://www.melatoninfaq.com/
http://www.sleepfoundation.org/article/sleep-topics/melatonin-and-sleep



The information provided here is for informational purposes only. Always consult your doctor before starting any new supplement.