| How to Get Rid of Deer Posted: 21 Dec 2018 04:00 PM PST Bambi isn't so cute when he's munching on the plants in your garden. Deer are notorious for damaging trees, shrubs, and other plants, and they especially love the well-fertilized and lush growth of gardens and landscaping beds in most developed areas. By using a combination of strategies, including loud noises and smelly scents, you can get rid of those cute but pesky whitetails and even prevent them from coming back. EditScaring Away Deer - Use flashing lights or loud noises to startle deer. Blow a horn or whistle or blink a flashlight if you see deer in your yard. You can also get sensors that emit high-pitched noises when they detect movement. Keep in mind you will need to change your method at least every 3 weeks as deer will quickly adjust to any 1 method.[1]
- For example, if you're using a whistle, after 3 weeks, switch to the flashlight.
- Try hanging old CDs or aluminum foil from trees or shrubs. The flashing lights from the CDs and rustling noise of the foil help deter deer.
- Wind chimes rattling in the breeze or a flashy garden accessory with moving parts like a pinwheel are both decorative ways to keep deer away.
- Set up a motion-activated sprinkler system that will spray deer. These sprinklers go off when they detect any movement, like a deer stepping into your garden. Place them anywhere you don't want deer. However, the sprinklers only work in the warmer summer months because they'll freeze up in the winter.[2]
- Look for a sprinkler with an infrared sensor that will detect motion at night, too.
- Move your sprinkler around every couple of weeks so the deer don't become used to it or learn how to avoid it.
- Let your dog out in the yard or set up a dog decoy if you don't have a pet. Deer are afraid of predators like dogs and are likely to steer clear if they suspect one is nearby. Keep Fido outside more often or stake a silhouette of a dog in the yard. Even the decoy will frighten deer.[3]
- Scattering dog hair on the ground around specific plants and trees or around the perimeter of your garden gives off the scent of a predator to deer, scaring them off.
- Decoys of any predators, like owls, coyotes, or hawks, will work. You can buy decoys that move, too, which are even more effective.
- Keep your dog's safety in mind. Don't leave your dog outside if it's raining or really cold. Smaller dogs shouldn't be left unsupervised for long periods of time, either, if there are birds of prey in your area.
EditRepelling Deer with Scents - Hang bars of biodegradable soap from trees you don't want to get eaten. Wrap a bar of soap in burlap and tie it to a tree branch in the backyard. The tallow in the soap is unappealing to deers' noses.[4]
- Stronger scents are more effective in deterring deer. Just avoid soap with coconut oil, which can attract deer.
- If you don't like the look of soap hanging in the trees, sprinkle soap shavings around the base of plants or trees instead.
- Spray a commercially prepared repellent on plants the deer have targeted. Choose from odor sprays or taste sprays. Odor sprays can be sprayed over a larger area, like around the border of your yard. Taste sprays, on the other hand, are applied to a single plant, tree, or shrub. The liquid tastes and smells bad to deer, so they stop eating the plant.[5]
- Check to make sure the product is safe to use for vegetable and fruit bearing plants if you are using it on a garden or fruit trees.
- Spray it at night when you aren't in the yard so you don't have to be around the odor.
- Spread coyote urine so that deer think a predator is nearby. Buy the urine from an online retailer and spray it in any areas you want to keep deer away from. Keep in mind that a little goes a long way. For example, just 2 to 3 drops on 1 plant is enough.[6]
- You can also get urine granules that you sprinkle onto the soil.
- Bobcat urine is a common alternative to coyote urine because bobcats are another predator of deer.
- Apply an egg spray to make plants smell unappealing. Beat 3 eggs with of water in a mixing bowl. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle, and spray the plants every 30 days or after it rains. The sulfur from the egg smells like rotting meat, which the deer associate with predators.[7]
- Spray the plants on a dry day so the mixture sticks better to the leaves.
- Use a spray made with diluted hot sauce to irritate deer. Combine equal parts hot sauce and water in a spray bottle and shake thoroughly before applying to plants or tree leaves. The capsicum from the peppers in the hot sauces tastes bad to the deer, causing them to stop eating the plant.[8]
- Adjust the ratio of hot sauce to water however you'd like. The more hot sauce you include, the stronger the repellent will be.
EditPreventing Deer from Returning - Build a fence at least around your property to keep deer out. Most deer cannot jump higher than this. Deer are also more hesitant to jump over a fence if they don't know what's on the other side so a stockade-style fence works best. Make sure there are no gaps that a deer could squeeze through.[9]
- A double fence also deters deer. They don't like to be trapped or enclosed, so two fences built about apart will prevent deer from jumping.
- If you don't want a fence around your entire yard, just fence in the plants or shrubs you want protected from the deer.
- A tall hedge or row of dense shrubs can act as a natural fence.
- Avoid planting smooth and tender plants that deer love to eat. Deer enjoy things that are flavorful, sweet, or high in protein. Some of their favorite foods include fruit trees and bushes, bean or pea plants, English ivy, and pansies. The more of these plants you have, the more likely you are to attract deer.[10]
- Other flowering plants that deer like are roses, azaleas, chrysanthemums, and clematis.
- If you do want to plant these things, keep them close to the house so you can keep tabs on them.
- Plant deer-resistant plants around vegetation the deer are targeting. Deer are very sensitive to tastes and textures. They dislike plants that are hairy or furry, prickly, or strongly aromatic. Keep deer away from more delicious plants by surrounding them with these less appealing plants.[11]
- Examples of deer-resistant plants include foxgloves, black-eyed susans, carnations, poppies, lavender, and evergreens.
- Place pots of fragrant herbs like thyme or rosemary around your yard to repel deer.
- Remove bird feeders from your yard, at least at night. Bird seed or corn that you place out for other animals will also draw deer to your property. If you don't want to get rid of your bird feeders completely, put them inside in the evening and then take them back out in the morning since deer most commonly eat at night.[12]
- Another option is to place a mesh cage around the bird feeder or hang it high enough that a deer standing on its hind legs can't reach it.
- If you don't want to give up the flowers you love, build a fence around your garden or put mesh around the plants.
- Predator urine is one of the most effective deer repellents.
- Deer can learn your strategies and adapt quickly. Switch up your methods often.
- Solid fences or thick boxwood hedges that deer can't see through are best at preventing them from trying to jump over.
- Always spray repellent when it's dry outside so the repellent sticks to the plants and trees.
- Reapply repellent whenever it rains.
- Most deer repellents have a very foul odor. Spray them at night so you don't have to be around them as much.
- Make sure any repellents you use are safe for pets. Otherwise, keep your pets out of the yard.
- Deer are wild animals and can attack people. Never charge at a deer or try to catch it with your bare hands.
- Some repellents can be poisonous. Don't use them on fruit or vegetable plants that you'll be eating.
EditSources and Citations EditQuick Summary
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| How to Care for Your Pool While It Snows Posted: 21 Dec 2018 08:00 AM PST Freezing water could spell danger to your home swimming pool in more ways than one. Closing your pool properly during the winter can save you a lot of work when the time comes to open the swimming pool for the summer. EditPreparing the pool for winter - Turn off the pool heater before you begin.
- Remove all pool accessories. Take away the stairs, ladders, rafts, toys and other items and store them properly.
- Winterize your pool pump and water lines. If you have an above-ground pool, you likely can thoroughly drain your pump and store it in a protected shelter. Remove the flexible water hoses and cap the water line openings to prevent drainage.
- Chemically balance the pool water. Starting the winter with the proper chemicals helps to protect your pool from scale (hard water buildup) and corrosion. Test and adjust the pH, calcium hardness, chlorine and total alkalinity levels as necessary.
- Shock the water. Add a shock product, following the product instructions to determine the proper amount according to the pool size. Shocking raises the chlorine levels.
- Run the filter. Allow the pump and filter to run for several hours – a minimum of eight to 12 if possible.
- Add winterizing chemicals if preferred. Specially packaged pool chemicals for winter closing make it simple to add the included items according to the pool size. Broadcast these chemicals from the deep end or by walking around the pool.
EditCleaning the pool and gear - Clean the pool. Wipe down or brush the sides first and then the pool floor to loosen dirt, algae and other contaminants. Skim the surface of the water and vacuum the floor to remove the debris. When left in your pool, algae and other contaminants can stain the surfaces and leave lasting damage.
- Clean the pool equipment. Remove remaining chlorine from the chlorinator. Clean out the skimmer basket. Backwash or clean the filter to type: Both cartridge filters and D.E. grids – filters made with diatomaceous earth – can be flushed thoroughly with a garden hose fitted with a sprayer nozzle to create enough water pressure to remove contaminants. Sand filters, on the other hand, require backwashing according to the manufacturer's instructions.
EditDuring the snow season - Lower the water level. With above-ground pools, you must lower the water to allow you to remove the pump. Drain to below the return line, but never more than to prevent stress on the pool cover. To prevent structural damage, never completely empty your above-ground pool. It is important to keep about of water on top of the winter cover to prevent damages caused by wind. You can help secure your liner in place by using "quick clips"; as they are called; in order to hold your cover to the pool frame.
- Keep snow weight to a minimum. Snow and ice, if allowed to weigh on the pool's cover, will eventually damage it. As most pool covers are kept on by a cord that runs around the pool; excessive weight will cause the cover to stretch and the cord to tighten further. Don't let the pool cover get heavy. Depending on whether your pool is above-ground or below-ground, the damage caused by winter ice and snow accumulating on the surface differs:
- With an above ground swimming pool, the weight of snow or rain weighs down on the cover essentially pulling the walls of the pool in towards the center, potentially causing damage to the walls and / or top rails of your swimming pool.
- If you have an in-ground swimming pool, heavy snow or an excessive amount of rainwater can cause the safety cover anchors to pop out or damage the pools coping.
- Try your best to keep snow weight to a minimum. When it begins to accumulate, do either of the following:
- Immediately remove excess water from the top of your pool cover with a small electric pool-cover pump. You can use a Frisbee to keep the pump from sucking up leaves and other junk. It is also a good idea to keep leaves and other debris from weighing down your cover further. Remove them whenever necessary.
- If the accumulation of snow gets to a point where it might be too heavy for the cord to hold; simply cut the cord and let the cover fall. This is your last-step-scenario, of course. However, cleaning the pool from debris is easier than dealing with insurance companies.
- Prevent untreated water from entering your pool. Pool damage will occur when weight is added and allowing this to happen can displace water, thereby mixing non-chemically treated water in your pool.
- Take care to avoid water displacement. During the winter months, water displacement is a huge concern.
- Double check on the water level; especially before heavy snow events.
- Look under the cover and record the water level. If the level is lower than when you closed the pool then you will need to do some snow removal.
- Do not add water to a frozen pool. Getting the snow off the top is the best thing that you can do to save your pool.
- Let it be as much as possible. A frozen pool is better left alone. Unless it gets covered with a fresh layer of snow, in which case this is the best time to remove (see above). With the ice below, it should be easier to remove most of the snow. However, use utmost caution when getting snow off your pool.
- Do not risk walking atop the ice.
- To remove snow, gently use a long broom to push snow off the cover. Do not use anything with sharp edges such as a shovel, as this can cause damage to the winter pool cover.
- Use a roof rake to pull the snow off the top. If the snow is lightweight, even a leaf blower will serve the purpose.
EditCaring for the pool's drainage - Don't forget the skimmer drain. Remove snow from inside and on top of the drain, to keep it from cracking.
- Use pool antifreeze. For in-ground pools, either use pool antifreeze (not car antifreeze!) or blow out all valves and water lines with either a powerful reverse vacuum or an air compressor. You can also use both in combination, first blowing and then cycling antifreeze through the lines.
- To add antifreeze: Add the product as instructed and circulate at least two minutes or as directed.
- Plug all lines with special winterizing plugs.
- Finally, blow out the drain underneath the pool from the opposite end before capping. When bubbles appear, immediately cap the drain line. The vapor lock caused will prevent the drain from gathering water and freezing in harsh climates.
- Perform winter maintenance regularly and keep the cover free of all snow, water and debris that can and will cause damage to the cover and pool.When springtime comes and your pool water thaws you will be all set; knowing that your hard work and patience really paid off well.
EditThings You'll Need - Suitable winter pool cover
- Electric pool cover pump
- Frisbee
- Pool antifreeze
- Long broom
- Roof rake
EditRelated wikiHows
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| How to Make a Santa Hat Posted: 21 Dec 2018 12:00 AM PST Making your own Santa hat is easy and it'll be a lot nicer in quality than the ones sold by the dollar store. The most traditional hat is made out of velvet or faux fur, but you can make simpler ones out of paper. You can even make a mini Santa hat headband! EditSewing a Fabric Hat - Divide your head circumference by 2. Take a measuring tape, and wrap it around your head where you want the hat to sit. Take the measuring tape off, note your measurement, then divide it by 2.[1]
- For example, if your head circumference is , then your new measurement is .
- If you don't have a measuring tape, wrap a piece of string around your head, then hold it against a ruler.
- Draw a triangle on a sheet of paper based on your new measurement. The base of the triangle should be half of your head circumference. The height of the triangle should be whatever height you want the hat to be.[2]
- Drape a measuring tape across the top of your head. Decide where you want the tip of the hat to hang, then use that measurement for the height.
- For an adult hat, make it about tall. For a child's hat, make it about tall.[3]
- Draw a curve along the bottom edge of the triangle. Tie a pencil to a piece of string. Hold the end of the string at the tip of the triangle, then place the pencil at the bottom left corner of the triangle. Holding the string taut, swing the pencil towards the bottom right corner of the triangle, creating an arch.[4]
- You can also use a pen or marker instead of a pencil. If you have a compass, you can use that too.
- The curve needs to start at 1 corner and finish at the other. You want to end up with a triangle with a curved bottom.
- You can draw the curve by hand instead. It won't be as neat or precise, but it will do.
- Cut your pattern out, then trace it onto a piece of folded fabric. Fold a sheet of red fabric in half with the wrong side facing out. Place the pattern on top of the fabric, with 1 of the triangle's diagonal edges along the fold. Trace the triangle with a tailor's chalk or pen.[5]
- Great fabrics to use include: faux fur, velvet, fleece, flannel, and felt.
- Make sure that you are cutting along the curved line so that the triangle has a curved bottom edge and not a straight edge.
- Cut the pattern out adding a seam allowance. Because 1 of the diagonal edges is already along the fold, you only need to add seam allowances to the bottom curved edge and the other diagonal edge. This is important. If you don't add seam allowances, the hat will turn out too small.[6]
- Sew the edge using a straight stitch and a seam allowance. Start at the bottom of the triangle and finish at the top. Match the thread color to the fabric as closely as possible. If you need to, use sewing pins to hold the triangle together, but remember to take them out when you are done.
- It will be faster to do this on a sewing machine, but you can do it by hand. If you are using a sewing machine, backstitch when you start and finish sewing so that the stitches don't come undone.
- If you don't know how to sew, glue the seam together using hot glue or fabric glue.[7]
- Cut a strip of white faux fur for the trim. Cut a strip of white fuzzy fabric longer than your head circumference. You need to make the strip twice as wide as you want the trim to be, plus for the seam allowance. For example, if you want it to be wide, cut it wide.[8]
- White fur is the most popular, but you can use white felt or fleece as well.
- If you aren't sewing the hat, make the strip the same width that you want the trim to be. For example, if you want it to be wide, then cut it wide.
- Sew the ends of the fur with a straight stitch and a seam. Fold the fur trim in half with the wrong sides facing out. Make sure that the narrow edges match up, then sew across them using a straight stitch and a seam allowance. Use white thread for this.
- Again, you can do this by hand or on a sewing machine. If you are using a sewing machine, remember to back stitch.
- Because of how short the ends of the fur trim are, you shouldn't have to use sewing pins. If you need to use them, however, remember to pull them out when you are done.
- Slide the trim over the bottom of the hat and sew it in place. Turn the hat right-side-out, but keep the fur turned inside-out. Slide the trim over the bottom of the hat, then sew along the bottom edge using a seam allowance. Use white or red thread and a straight stitch.[9]
- If you don't know how to sew, turn the trim right-side-out and slide it over the bottom edge of the trim. Glue it down with hot glue or fabric glue.[10]
- Make sure that the side seam on the fur trim matches up with the side seam on the hat.
- Fold the fur trim down, then fold and sew the raw edge into the hat. Keep the hat turned right-side-out. Pull the fur trim down to reveal the right side. Fold the trim in half by tucking the bottom raw edge into the hat. Sew the bottom raw edge to the inside seam. You can also glue it to the inside of the hat instead.[11]
- Skip this step if you glued the fur trim down.
- You can sew the fur by hand or on a sewing machine with a straight stitch. If you are using a sewing machine, remember to backstitch.
- Sew or glue a pompom to the tip. Buy a large pompom from the kids crafting section of a craft store. Secure it to the tip of your hat with hot glue or fabric glue; you can also sew it to the tip of the hat by hand.[12]
- If you can't find any pompoms, you can use a white cotton ball instead.
- Make a fur pompom for a fancier hat. Use a glass to trace a circle on a piece of white fur, then cut the circle out. Hand sew a straight or running stitch around the edges of the circle. Pull on the thread to gather the edges of the fabric and form a ball. Knot the thread, then sew or glue the ball to the hat.[13]
- You should either sew/glue a pompom or make a fur ball. Don't do both.
EditMaking a Paper Hat - Draw an wide semicircle on a sheet of red paper. Place a ruler along the bottom edge of your paper. Tie a pencil to a piece of string, then hold the end of the string against the paper at the mark. Hold the string taut and use the pencil to draw an arc from the mark to the mark.[14]
- You can make a smaller hat by making it wide instead.
- Cut the semicircle out with scissors. If you see any pencil marks, use an eraser to get rid of them. If you want to make a fancier felt hat, use the semicircle you just cut out to trace and cut another semicircle out of red felt.[15]
- Overlap the straight edges of the semicircle to make a cone. How much you overlap the straight edges depends on how big you need the hat to be. The more you overlap, the smaller the hat will turn out.[16]
- Test the hat against your head to see if it is the right size. Tighten or loosen the hat as needed.
- Staple or glue the hat shut. Once you are happy with the fit, take the hat off. Use a stapler to staple the seam of the hat down. You will need 1 staple near the top of the hat and 1 staple near the bottom. For a nicer finish, you can use glue or even a strip of double-sided tape.[17]
- You can use tacky glue, white school glue, or a glue stick, but you will need to pin the hat together while the glue dries. This can take anywhere from 15 to 20 minutes to a few hours.
- Glue cotton balls around the bottom edge of the hat. Tacky glue or white school glue will work just fine for this, but you can use a hot glue gun too. Glue the cotton balls close together so that you don't see any gaps.[18]
- Don't use white pompoms; they won't give you the right look.
- If you can't find cotton balls, cut a strip out of white felt, and use that instead.
- Glue a white cotton ball or a white pompom to the top of the hat. Place a large drop of hot glue, tacky glue, or white school glue on top of your hat. Next, press a white pompom or a cotton ball into the glue. Wait for the glue to dry before wearing the hat.[19]
- Hot glue will set within minutes. Tacky glue or white school glue will take a few hours.
EditCreating a Mini Headband Hat - Draw a semicircle on a sheet of red felt and cut it out. The semicircle needs to be twice as wide as you want your final hat to be. Something around would be ideal; this will give you a cute hat that's about tall.[20]
- Alternatively, use a bowl or plate to trace a full circle. Cut the circle out, then cut the circle in half.
- Use red sparkly felt for a fancier touch!
- Overlap the straight edges of the semicircle to make a cone. How much you overlap the edges by does not really matter as long as it is a cone shape. This hat will be too small to fit over your head like a normal hat anyway; you will be placing it on top of a headband instead![21]
- If you are using glittery felt, make sure that the glittery side is facing out.
- Hot glue the seams down. Once you are happy with the shape of your cone, pull the edge away and draw a line of hot glue down it. Quickly press the edge back against the cone, and hold it there until the glue sets. This should only take a few minutes.[22]
- You can also use tacky glue or fabric glue, but you'll have to pin the felt until the glue sets. Fabric glue will take about 15 to 20 minutes while tacky glue will take several hours.
- Trace the base of the cone onto red felt, then cut the circle out. Place your cone on top of a sheet of matching red felt. Trace around the base of the cone using a marker, then cut the circle out. You will use this for the bottom of the cone so that you can adhere it to the headband.[23]
- Cut just inside the lines that you drew, otherwise the circle will end up too big.
- Cut 2 slits into the red felt circle for the headband. Measure the width of your headband first. Next, cut a vertical slit into the left side of your felt circle, about from the edge. Cut another matching slit on the right side of the circle, also from the edge.[24]
- Adding slits to the circle will allow you to slide it around on the headband and change its position. It is better than just gluing it on.
- Glue the circle to the bottom of the cone. You can do this with hot glue, tacky glue, or fabric glue. Place the glue around the edges of the felt circle, then press them against the inside edges of the cone. You will have a slide seam along the inside edge, which is fine.[25]
- If you are using hot glue, work at a time, or the glue will set too fast.
- If you are using fabric glue or tacky glue, pin the felt while it dries.
- If some of the circle sticks out from under the edge of the cone, trim it off.
- Cut a strip of white faux fur for the brim of your hat. Wrap a measuring tape around the base of your cone to get the circumference, then cut a strip of white fur according to that measurement. Make the fur strip about wide.[26]
- You can find white fur in the kids' crafting section of a craft store. If the fur is too long, cut it shorter with scissors.
- If you can't find white fur, you can use white felt instead.
- Glue the white fur strip to the bottom edge of your cone. You can do this with hot glue, fabric glue, or tacky glue. If you are using hot glue, squeeze the glue out at a time before pressing the fur into it. If you squeeze too much glue out at once, it will set before you finish adding the fur.[27]
- Again, if you use tacky glue or fabric glue, you will need to pin the fur until it sets.
- Glue a pompom to the top of the hat. Buy a pack of small white pompoms from the kids' crafting section of a craft store. Glue the pompom to the tip of the hat, then let the glue set. Hot glue will work the best for this, but you can use fabric glue too.[28]
- Tacky glue is not recommended because it takes too long to dry and the pompom may slide around as it dries. You won't have this issue with fabric glue because it is so thick and dries fast.
- If you can't find pompoms, try a cotton ball instead.
- Slide the hat onto a headband through the slits. Push the end of the headband into the left slit, then keep pushing it until it comes out of the right slit. Slide the hat around on the headband into your desired position. You can make it sit right on top of the headband or at a slight angle.[29]
- Finished!
- Your Santa hat does not have to be red and white.
- Turn it into an elf hat by using green felt or fleece instead of red, and red felt or fleece instead of faux fur.
EditThings You'll Need EditSewing a Fabric Hat - Red fabric (felt, fleece, fur, etc.)
- White faux fur
- Fabric scissors
- Measuring tape
- White pompom (optional)
- Needle
- White thread
- Red thread
- Sewing machine
- Sewing pins
- Pencil
- String
- Scrap paper
- Tailor's chalk or pen
EditMaking a Paper Hat - Red paper
- White cotton balls
- Hot glue or tacky glue
- Pencil
- String
EditCreating a Mini Headband Hat - Red felt
- White faux fur
- White pompoms
- Hot glue
- Headband
- Scissors
- Marker
EditRelated wikiHows EditSources and Citations
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