Lots to get done this week

I have so much t o do I almost do not know where to start !

Dave is taking some time off (Wednesday through Sunday) so we can get some things wrapped up here for the season

We slaughtered our meat birds this Sunday and they are all wrapped up and in the freezer I think we have a few more to catch and slaughter

This week we need to fix the chicken yard so they stop escaping and catch the birds cut their flight feathers and get them in the chicken yard I think they will be happier to be in there now that the big meat birds are gone (well most of them)

Then putting the garden to bed or parts of it and picking things up around the property (the kids never seem to get that done)

and fixing windows and putting up the plastic around them for a few reasons

1) it helps with heating costs and keeps the drafts out

2) it keeps the lady bugs who are trying to find a winter home out of our house

we have those Asian lady bugs all over our property and when the sun shines on the south face of the house the lady bugs swarm and get in all the little cracks

I found a few non toxic ways to get rid of them

vacuuming I take the vacuum and clean the windows and ceiling and corners of the house as best as I can

We keep the windows closed tight even on the warm days and the doors too you would be amazed at the small spaces those bugs can get in
along with keeping the windows and doors closed we have to close up any cracks in the windows and doors I do this with very thick sheets of plastic and duct tape. I have seen these bugs squeeze their way UNDER poorly sealed tape so I am careful to get as much of it around the windows as possible

and finally I found these great white traps that are used for catching larger bugs these things can hold a mouse on it and are similar to fly paper only stronger

I hang that up by the light and at night watch the bugs get stuck to it a very satisfying feeling I must say!!

Why do I get so hyper about lady bugs??

well we get them so bad here that we will have them crawling in our bed ..flying around the Christmas tree ..and generally annoying us all winter long

so the best thing is to prevent them from getting in

if the swarm gets really bad once the windows are sealed on the outside I will use barn spray to get them away from the windows. I do not like using barn spray it is horribly toxic and just nasty stuff ..

so busy week

oh and making tomato sauce from the ripening tomatoes!