Keep Flies Away With One Simple Trick…It Really Works!

Keep flies away the natural way…

  

I recently saw a post on facebook about this trick…and I never thought about blogging about it until now, since so many people had never heard of this, I thought it would be worth sharing.

My wife’s family has been doing this for many years to control flies the natural way. I was skeptical until we tried it ourselves. It really does work. We would just put in 1 penny and sometimes a crumbled up piece of aluminum foil in a bag, filled it with water and then hung it by a tree, under a patio umbrella or wherever pesky flies would be. It definitely works!

Below are comments on this fly control idea.

Zip-lock water bags: #1 Says: I tried the zip lock bag and pennies this weekend. I have a horse trailer. The flies were bad while I was camping. I put the baggies with pennies above the door of the LQ. NOT ONE FLY came in the trailer.The horse trailer part had many. Not sure why it works but it does!

#2 Says:Fill a zip lock bag with water and 5 or 6 pennies and hang it in the problem area. In my case it was a particular window in my home. It had a slight passage way for insects. Every since I have done that, it has kept flies and wasps away. Some say that wasps and flies mistake the bag for some other insect nest and are threatened.

#3 Says:I swear by the plastic bag of water trick. I have them on porch and basement. We saw these in Northeast Mo. at an Amish grocery store& have used them since. They say it works because a fly sees a reflection& won’t come around.

#4 Says:Regarding the science behind zip log bags of water? My research found that the millions of molecules of water presents its own prism effect and given that flies have a lot of eyes, to them it’s like a zillion disco balls reflecting light, colors and movement in a dizzying manner. When you figure that flies are prey for many other bugs, animals, birds, etc., they simply won’t take the risk of being around that much perceived action. We went from hundreds of flies to seeing the occasional one, but he didn’t hang around long.

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Surterre Properties

Past President, Orange County Association of Realtors (949) 495-8600

Caruso’s Saturday Shot ~ When Life Gives You Lemons…

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!

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Past President, Orange County Association of Realtors (949) 495-8600

Caruso’s Green Thoughts ~ How do Plants Return After a Fire?

California has its dry spells and wild fires are a result.

 Did you ever wonder how plants return to an area that was burned out in a wild fire?

 Chaparral plants have actually adapted to infrequent fires. Some even require fire to re-sprout. The “yellow rock rose” seeds need 250 degrees of heat for 5+ minutes to germinate. You can only get that kind of heat from a fire! Some other species use chemicals leached from charred wood and smoke to stimulate seed growth.

 1 – 2 years after a fire: annuals flood a just scorched area.

3+ years after a fire: shrubs re-seed and re-sprout, but take a long time to grow.

 Mother Nature has her mysteries…

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Michael Caruso 949-495-8600 www.MichaelCarusoRealEstate.com

Caruso Never Sleeps ~ Fall Means Time to cut back Watering

Summer is over and I miss it already as the days grow shorter. Now we can be efficient with water usage. October, November and December are traditionally when Southern Californians waste most water. That is because while the weather remains relatively warm, many plants begin to go dormant and as a result they require far less water. Most people can reduce their water consumption 40% o 70% at this time of year and still have healthy plants. You can conserve thousands of gallons of water during these 3 months alone by:

1)      Cut down lawn watering to 2 days a week about 4 minutes per watering

2)      Plant more California-Friendly native plants – talk to your local nursery

3)      If you have a standard manual sprinkler timer, replace it with a smart timer that automatically adjusts your water with the weather…and you might get rebates from your water supply company too!

 And…Thank you for making me Your Orange County Real Estate Broker!

 Michael Caruso   949-495-8600   www.MichaelCarusoRealEstate.com

Caruso’s Green Tip of the Day!

 

Different plant types need differing amounts of water. Check your irrigation system to make sure your lawn is on a different sprinkler zone from your flowers and shrubs. And that’s your green tip of the day!

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Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CLHMS CRB CRS GREEN GRI

Past President, Orange County Association of Realtors (949) 753-7900

Caruso’s Earth Week ~ Conserve Water

 

 

In the United States we are lucky to have easy access to some of the safest treated water in the world – just by turning on the tap.

 

We wake up in the morning, take a shower, brush our teeth, grab a cup of coffee and head out for the day. Water is an important part of our daily lives and we use it for a wide variety of purposes but do we really understand how much we use? The average American family of four uses roughly 400 gallons of water per a day at home. Roughly 70 percent of this use occurs indoors. Nationally, outdoor water use accounts for 30 percent of household use yet can be much higher in drier parts of the country and in more water intensive landscapes. For example, the arid west has some of the highest per capita residential water use because of landscape irrigation. Annual precipitation can vary from less than one inch in Death Valley to as much as 100 inches along the north coast. To more water across the state, California relies heavily on water conveyance and storage systems such as the California State Water Project, which provides drinking water to nearly 2/3 of the states population. California’s water supply is becoming increasingly overtaxed. Each year, the state consumes 2 million more acre-feet of ground water than it recharges naturally.

 

California is also at high risk for drought than many other areas of the country and has experiences major drought events from 2007-2009, 1987-1992, & 1976-1977. During drought years, total precipitation can be less than half the annual average. Rainfall and snowfall can vary significantly not only from year to year but season to season as well. On average 75 percent of California annual precipitation occurs between November and march and peak agricultural and urban water use generally does not align with peak precipitation. California has long promoted water conservation as a means to preserve this precious resource as droughts and growing population continue to strain supplies.

 

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Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CLHMS CRB CRS GREEN GRI

Past President, Orange County Association of Realtors (949) 753-7900

 

Caruso’s Earth Week ~ Buying Green

 

 

 

 

I came upon a recent survey (The 2012 Cone Green Gap Trend Tracker) that found over three-quarters of people will stop buying a product if the company behind it exaggerates environmental claims.
 
The 2012 Cone Green Gap Trend Tracker also reveals a solid demand from Americans for companies to green up their act.
 
According to the survey report, American consumers expect companies to address the full environmental impact of a product’s lifecycle, including:
 
– impacts associated with manufacturing the product (90%)
– use of the product (88%)
– disposal of the product (89%)
 
An interesting point to emerge from the survey was a whopping 42% said the environmental impact of disposing of a product – whether it can be recycled, composted, returned etc. – is the most likely factor to influence their purchases.
 
Additionally, 73 percent of those surveyed want companies to include more environmental information on the packaging of a product so they can make better-informed purchase decisions; but for that information to be in easily-understood language.
 
8% of Americans said they consider the environment every time they shop, while 25% say they consider the planet regularly in shopping.

The report states 42% of Americans have been discouraged from buying green products in the belief they cost more than “traditional” ones. Other issues that stopped those participating in the survey from buying green products include:

– A lack of trust in the environmental benefits claimed – 27%
– The product is difficult to find – 23%
– The product was unattractive – 16%

Cost is understandable given the tough times many people are experiencing; but if a green product can save money in the long run – for example, like a home solar power system can – then 90% of consumers say this will motivate them to buy it.
 
While appearing quite demanding when it comes to green products, the American consumer is also generally realistic – and this is another reason why companies shouldn’t amp up their green claims (aka ‘greenwashing’). 75% said it is fine if a company is not environmentally perfect, as long as it is honest about its environmental efforts.
 
The 2012 Cone Green Gap Trend Tracker was based on the findings of an online survey conducted among a demographically representative sample of 1,019 USA adults.

 

 

 

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Call Today for More Info and our “Spring Thing….”

And thank you for making me Your Orange County Real Estate Connection.     

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Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CLHMS CRB CRS GREEN GRI

Past President, Orange County Association of Realtors (949) 753-7900

 

Caruso’s Earth Week ~ Save the Butterflies

 

Butterflies play a critical role in maintaining the health of our environment. They help pollinate fruits, flowers and vegetables; provide food for other animals; and enchant children and adults alike with their beauty and flight. But like many other creatures, more and more butterflies are becoming endangered as the wild places they inhabit are lost to development or as they fall victim to pesticides.

Here’s what you can do to help bring the butterflies back:

Garden for wildlife. Grow plants butterfly caterpillars like to eat. In many cases, these will be plants that are native to your region; they’ll attract native butterflies as well. Consult local gardening directories or contact your nearest agricultural extension agent for planting recommendations.

Choose nectar-rich plants. Fill your garden not only with plants caterpillars will want to eat, but also with those from which butterflies can drink. Options include buddleia, heliotrope, milkweed, mint, verbena, and zinnias.

Build a house. If your yard doesn’t provide enough dense foliage to allow butterflies to hibernate and nest, build them a box they can use that offers protection from predators and harsh weather. The interior walls of the box should be rough enough to allow butterflies to grab a foothold. Scatter small twigs and leaves inside to promote hibernation and egg laying, and include thin vertical slats on the front to allow the butterflies to enter and exit. Make sure the box is hung no more than four feet above the ground and has a south or southwest exposure.

Put out some water. A shallow dish or birdbath will provide the moisture butterflies need to thrive.

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Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CLHMS CRB CRS GREEN GRI

Past President, Orange County Association of Realtors (949) 753-7900

Stop the noise!

 

The effect of noise on humans

In humans, it’s been shown that exposure to moderately high levels of noise for an eight hour period can increase blood pressure and cause other cardiac issues – even if the person is not particularly consciously disturbed. Noise pollution can also cause gastric problems. Sometimes a person doesn’t even realize their body is stressed by noise until the noise is no longer present – they just feel a sudden sense of relief.

Exposure to excessively loud noise over long periods can also lead to partial deafness. Approximately 10 percent of people living in industrialized areas have substantial hearing loss and youngsters in the USA have an impaired hearing rate 250% higher than their parents and grandparents.

Noise also lies at the root of some violence – many assaults and murders can be attributed to a noise issue that spiralled out of control. Where noise is used to irritate or disrupt others, in my opinion it’s also a form of assault.

Do you know the effects noise has on the environment?

In nature, noise causes many adverse effects on animals and even plants – here are some examples i have gathered through the internet:

• Birds in a city need to call longer and louder than their country counterparts
• Birds that rely on hearing to help locate prey are seriously disadvantaged by industrial noise
• Noise disturbs feeding and breeding patterns of some animals and has been identified as a contributing factor of the extinction of some species. 
• Aircraft noise and sonic booms have been implicated as a cause of lowered reproduction in a variety of animals.
• Military sonar has been responsible for the deaths of possibly thousands of dolphins and whales.
• Even outboard motor noise can confuse some whales and dolphins.
• In dairy cows, excessive noise reduces feed consumption, milk yield, and rate of milk release
• Noise causes increased incidence of miscarriages in caribou
• Intense noise can affect growth of chickens and egg production
• Canaries can suffer hearing damage at relatively low decibel levels if the noise is sustained
• Noise has also been shown to have a detrimental effect on the reproduction of some plants through interfering with pollinator or seed spreading activity.
• Traffic noise could be hampering the reproductive process of frogs in metropolitan areas by drowning out the mating calls of males.
• When squid, octopus and cuttlefish are subjected to low frequency sound, sever lesions can develop in their auditory structures

Imagine a world without noise

Ever wondered how much quieter the world would be if every single combustion engine was switched off and all electrical equipment shut down for a few minutes simultaneously. After all, noise doesn’t really disappear, like all energy it just changes form or dissipates. Given this, even if you’re out in the middle of nowhere, does the sum total of all the human-generated noise in the world still affect that area? Finding easily accessible quiet places, really quiet places, where the only noises are those of nature, is becoming increasingly difficult.

Noise is very much underrated when it comes to environmental issues. We have our “turn out the lights” days, “don’t drive” days – I’d love to see a “no noise” hour initiative. Unfortunately, most people don’t know what quiet is  and if we don’t teach our children, they will never appreciate the concept of a noise-free experience.

Our usual reaction to dealing with noise is to add more noise – for example, turning up the TV or yelling. We simply don’t know what we’re blocking out, and what we don’t know, we don’t miss.

Playing your part in reducing noise

Noise is something we can all do something about; whether it’s fixing a faulty muffler on your car, turning down our music a little so our neighbors don’t have to listen to it  or making the effort when out in the wild not to yell and shout unnecessarily. Here are some other tips for noise reduction:

• Cell phones ringing annoy the hell out of many people – keeps yours to the lowest level practicable
• If you have to raise your voice to have a conversation, something is wrong; so see what noise sources around in your immediate environment that you have control over.
• Discourage your dogs from barking unnecessarily for extended periods. Barking dogs feature heavily in disputes between neighbors.
• Institute a quiet time in your household’s routine
• Make special efforts to keep noise to a minimum at night and early in the morning as these are times when people are trying to unwind or sleep
• Believe me, very few people want to hear your music, no matter how cool you think it is. There’s other ways to make social statements that are likely more effective and will have a more positive response 🙂
• If you do want to turn your stereo up; ensure the doors and windows are closed and reduce the bass levels as bass travels even through brick walls quite easily.
• If your lifestyle is a particularly rowdy one, consider planting more shrubs and trees around your property. Not only will this reduce noise affecting your neighbors, you’ll provide shelter and food for animals and also play a part in greenhouse gas reduction.

 

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Call Today for More Info and our “Spring Thing….”

And thank you for making me Your Orange County Real Estate Connection.     

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Best regards,

Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CLHMS CRB CRS GREEN GRI

Past President, Orange County Association of Realtors (949) 753-7900

     

      

 

 

Caruso Never Sleeps ~ Spring Forward to Water Efficiency

 

As winter begins its transition to spring, the weather will soon become warmer and our water habits will start to change. It’s natural for MNWD customers to use more water in the warm spring and summer months, but it remains critical all year long to use only the water you need. Follow these four simple steps this spring to become more efficient with your water use:

 

1.)    Tune-up your sprinklers: Make sure your timer is set to only water a maximum of three days per week, replace any broken sprinkler heads and adjust the spray so there is n overlap or watering of your patio or sidewalk.

2.)    Add California-Friendly plants to your garden: As you begin to replant this year’s garden, make sure to add in California-Friendly flowers and shrubs. These plants come in a wide variety of attractive colors and sizes and use very little water.

3.)    Check for leaks as part of your spring cleaning: Make sure to look for leaks inside and outside of your home as your spruce things up for the warmer months ahead. One leaky toilet can waste enough water to fill several swimming pools!

4.)    Apply for rebates: MNWD offers rebates for the purchase of a wide variety of water-efficient products. Visit www.MNWD.com to learn more.

 

We Are Now Accepting Qualified Listings

Now providing “Short Sale Services”

Call Today for More Info and our “Spring Thing….”

And thank you for making me Your Orange County Real Estate Connection.     

www.MichaelCarusoRealEstate.com

Best regards,

Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CLHMS CRB CRS GREEN GRI

Past President, Orange County Association of Realtors (949) 753-7900