| How to Make Hummingbird Food Posted: 19 Jun 2020 05:00 PM PDT We can all admit it--hummingbirds are magical creatures. They seemingly dance on the air, zipping around like tiny cheetahs with wings. Attract these beauties by hanging your own feeder filled with homemade hummingbird food. Follow these steps to tempt those little birds to stay awhile in your backyard. [Edit]Making Hummingbird Nectar - Make a rich sugar solution to attract hummingbirds to your yard. The sugary sweet mixture will encourage visiting hummingbirds to stay in the area. High-energy food is also important for hummingbirds in the spring because it helps to replenish the energy reserves that hummingbirds use up during migration.
- Avoid buying nutrient-enhanced hummingbird nectar. It will cost you money that you don't need to spend, and the hummingbirds won't really benefit either. Hummingbirds get all of the nutrients they need from natural flower nectar and the insects that they eat--the sugar mixture you are providing is a quick pick-me-up for them (similar to a cup of coffee for us) when they are flying around and feeling tired.[1]
- Mix a solution of 1 part white, granulated sugar, and 4 parts warm water. Stir the mixture until the sugar is completely dissolved. Cane sugar is a sucrose that falls into the carbohydrate family. Carbs are easily digested and give the hummingbirds the immediate energy they need to keep those little wings flapping.
- Boil the sugar water for 1 to 2 minutes. Boiling the mixture will slow down any bacterial growth that may occur. Boiling the water will also get rid of any extra chlorine that might be in your tap water (which in turn could harm the little hummers.)[2] It is not necessary to boil the solution if you are only making a small amount of food for immediate use.
- If you do not boil the mixture, you will need to change the food every 1 to 2 days or else bacteria may grow in the mixture that could harm the hummingbirds.
- Do not add any dye to the food. Though hummingbirds are attracted to the color red, red dyes have been known to harm hummingbirds. Natural hummingbird food (nectar) is odorless and clear--there is no need to add dye to your homemade hummer food.[3]
- Store the hummingbird food until you are ready to use it. Keep the food in the refrigerator. If you make a large batch of the food, you can keep the extra amount in the fridge until your feeder is empty. This will save you time when refilling your feeder.
- Pick the right feeder. Red feeders are the best because the color red attracts hummingbirds. You should hang your feeder in a shady spot if possible because the nectar will stay fresh longer when it is in the shade. Hang your feeder in your garden if you have one. Hang your feeder near a window (but far out of the reach of cats) to be able to enjoy these beautiful little birds.
- Some hummingbird enthusiasts say that you should only hang a feeder near a window if you have cut-outs of birds on the glass so as to keep the hummingbirds from flying into the glass and potentially injuring themselves.[4]
[Edit]Preventing Mold and Fermentation - Know that your food can cause harm if left to ferment or mold. When your sugar mixture turns cloudy, it needs to be replaced. Yeasts eat sugar, causing fermentation that could potentially harm a hummingbird. A warm, sugary mixture is also a great place for mold and bacteria to grow.
- Check your feeder for black mold as often as you can. If possible, check your feeder every other day. Keeping an eye on your feeder will keep any harm from coming to the hummingbirds. If you find mold, mix ¼ cup of bleach in a gallon of water. Soak the feeder for an hour in this bleach mixture. Scrub any mold off and then rinse the feeder thoroughly before refilling it.[5]
- Clean your feeder before your refill it. Flush the feeder with hot tap water. Do not use soap--hummingbirds do not like the taste that soap leaves behind and will avoid your feeder if it has soap residue.
- Change the food in the feeders regularly. Be aware that the amount of time you can leave hummingbird food outside depends on the temperature in which the feeder is hung in.
- If temperatures are 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit (21 to 26 C), change the food every 5 to 6 days.
- When temperatures are 81 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit (27 to 30 C), change the food every 2 to 4 days.
- If the thermometer tops 91 degrees Fahrenheit (32 C), change the food daily.
[Edit]Giving Your Nectar a Boost - Decide on the potency of the food. Decrease the amount of sugar concentration in the food after a couple of weeks. Doing this will increase the activity at your feeder. One part sugar to five parts water or one part sugar to four parts water will dilute the mixture. When the mixture is more diluted, the hummingbirds have to come back more often. [6]
- Do not make the mixture any weaker than 1 part sugar to 5 parts water. If the food has less sugar than this, the hummingbirds will expend more energy flying to and from the feeder than they will be able to replenish by eating the food.
- You want to make the food strong enough that you do not constantly have to fill the feeders, but not so strong that the birds visit infrequently and you don't get to see them. Making food that is incredibly high in sugar will give the hummingbirds a high amount of energy, allowing them to go longer before eating again (so they won't be visiting your feeder as much.)
- Plant flowers that hummingbirds like. If you have tried different mixtures but there are still no hummingbirds using your feeder, plant flowers that will attract hummingbirds.
- Here are plants that hummingbirds like[7]: Bee Balm, Phlox, Lupine, Hollyhock, Red-Hot Poker, Columbine, Coral Bells, Foxglove, Cardinal Flower, Lantana, Salvia, Butterfly Bush, Rose of Sharon, Trumpet Vine, Trumpet Honeysuckle, Crossvine, Carolina Jessamine, Indian Pink (Spigelia).
- If the hummingbirds are not eating all of the food before it goes bad, only fill the feeder part way to avoid having to keep throwing the food out.
- Do not use honey, powered sugar, brown sugar, artificial sweeteners or any other type of sweetener or sugar substitute. The chemical makeup of other sweeteners is not the same and does not meet the nutritional needs of hummingbirds. Some of these sweeteners could cause hummingbirds to sicken or die.
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Dye Crocs Shoes Posted: 19 Jun 2020 09:00 AM PDT Crocs are a convenient and comfortable brand of foam rubber shoes, but painting and customizing them can be a little tricky. Fabric dye won't stick to the foam rubber material very well and spray paint will crack and break over a short period of time. The best way to dye your Crocs a different color is to use a process known as hydro-dipping, or water transfer painting. To do this, you need a large plastic bucket and 1-4 colors of acrylic or latex spray paint. It won't take you more than 15-30 minutes of work to create a beautiful pair of custom Crocs. [Edit]Prepping Your Crocs - Use a pair of white Crocs for the best results. You can dye any pair of Crocs, but the colors are going to pop out more if they're applied to a pair of white Crocs. In addition, this process may leave small areas unpainted and the white foam rubber will provide a more neutral background color for your design.
- Tape off any areas you don't want to paint with masking tape. You don't have to dye every part of your shoe if you don't want to. Many people leave the soles of the shoes unpainted or cover up the portion of rubber around the heel. Use strips of masking tape to cover any areas that you want to keep clean.[1]
- If you want to protect the buttons on the strap where they attach to your shoe, put a piece of masking tape over them. Then, use a utility knife to cut around each button. Pull off the excess tape to leave the 2 smaller pieces behind.
- Clean the areas that you're going to paint with a moist paper towel. Grab a baby wipe or run a paper towel under a stream of water for 1 second. Then, scrub every surface that isn't covered in masking tape. Rub the foam rubber back-and-forth for 30-45 seconds to remove any surface dirt or dust.[2]
- Let your shoes air dry or rub them dry with a clean towel.
[Edit]Filling the Bin with Your Paints - Go outside and fill a plastic bin with water. Get a plastic bin that is at least twice as big as your Crocs and deep enough to submerge them completely. You can't realistically do this inside without getting paint and water all over the place, so take your bin out outside. Fill your plastic container 4/5 of the way with lukewarm water.[3]
- You need a little room at the top of the bin. When you submerge your shoe, it will displace some of your water. If the bucket is too full, some of the water and paint will spill over.
- Plastic storage bins are usually perfect for this since they're easy to clean when you're done and can usually hold a lot of water.
- Apply spray paint to the surface of the water. You must use standard acrylic or latex spray paint to do this. Grab your first can of paint and shake it for 5-10 seconds until you hear the ball rattling inside. Then, hold the can at 45-degree angle and hold the nozzle away from the water. Spray the middle of the water for 5-10 seconds to cover the upper layer of water in paint.[4]
- You don't need a dust mask or respirator since you're doing this outside, but you can wear one if the paint fumes tend to bother you.
- You can use a single color to dye your Crocs a different shade or use multiple cans of paint to create a unique pattern. If you want to dye your Crocs a solid color, spray your paint into the water for 30-40 seconds until the paint covers the entire surface of the water.
- Spray additional colors in the middle of the water if you want multiple colors. You can stick with a single color, but adding multiple shades of paint to the water will create a cool pattern on your shoes. You can use anywhere from 2-3 additional colors for this. Spray each color in the middle of your previous color for 5-10 seconds. Allow the paint to spread around in the water after you spray each layer.[5]
- The surface of the water should be completely covered with paint by the time you're done adding your paints.
- If you use more than 4 colors, the paint may begin to mix together in the water. The paints will stay separated if you use 4 or fewer, though.
- For a tie-dye look, use blue, red, yellow, and green. You can spray these colors in a circular pattern away from the center of the water to mix them together like a classic tie-dye shirt!
- Any color combination can work for this since the paint won't mix unless you use more than 4 colors. For a brighter combination, use a mixture of red, yellow, pink, and orange. For a cooler color combination, stick with darker colors like blue, purple, black, and green.
[Edit]Hydro-Dipping Your Shoes - Put gloves on and carefully lower your first Croc into water. Throw on some thick rubber gloves to keep the paint off of your hands. Then, grab your first Croc and hold it upside down at a 45-degree angle. Hold it by the edges of the sole. If you added masking tape to the shoe, hold it over the taped-off section. Slowly lower your shoe without changing the angle that you're holding it at. Continue to lower the shoe into the water until it is completely submerged.[6]
- If you don't want your fingers to block paint from getting on the shoe, tape a string to the sole of your shoe and lower it that way. The overall paint job may be a little inconsistent though if the shoe wobbles in the air as you lower it into the water.
- Brush the paint on top of the water away from the shoe and lift it out. Hold the shoe under the water for 5-10 seconds. The paint on the surface will catch on your shoe and there will be some open water surrounding your forearm. Use your free hand to keep this water clear as you slowly raise the shoe out of the water the same way you lowered it.[7]
- Repeat this process using the same colors with your second shoe. Set your dyed shoe aside. Grab your spray paint again and repeat the process by applying multiple colors to the water. You can use the same set of colors you used on the first shoe or mix it up a bit to create a truly unique pair. Dip this shoe into the water and pull it out the same way you covered the first shoe in paint.[8]
- Clean your bin with water and dish soap if you want to reuse it in the future. If some of the spray paint won't come off, use paint thinner to weaken it before scrubbing it off with a thick cloth.
- Let your shoes air dry for 24 hours. The wet spray paint will take quite some time to dry. If it's warm out and it isn't supposed to rain, leave your shoes outside. If it might rain or it's kind of cold out, set your shoes on top of a towel or plastic lid and take them inside. Wait at least 24 hours before touching your shoes.[9]
- Spray your shoes with a clear acrylic fixative to protect the paint from fading. Get a can of clear-coat aerosol fixative designed for acrylic paint. Take your shoes back outside it you were drying them indoors. Shake the can of fixative until you hear the ball rattling inside. Then, hold the nozzle away from the shoes and spray both of your Crocs in a thick layer of fixative. Wait 2-3 hours for the shoes to dry.[10]
- The fixative will keep the paint from chipping and fading over time.
- Read the label on a can of fixative to see if it will protect acrylic paints. Most clear-coat fixatives will work with acrylic.
- If you don't like the way your Crocs look when you pull them up form the water, you can simply brush the paint off by hand and try again. The paint won't harden until you let it air dry for a few hours.
- You can use acrylic paint to brush your name or add additional designs to the Crocs after you paint them.
[Edit]Things You'll Need - Crocs
- Plastic bin
- Water
- Rubber gloves
- Spray paint
- Fixative
- Paint thinner (optional)
- Masking tape (optional)
- Utility knife (optional)
[Edit]References |
| How to Level Ground for a Pool Posted: 19 Jun 2020 01:00 AM PDT An uneven surface can weaken or damage an above ground pool, so leveling the ground before installation is essential. Remove the sod, then check for levelness to identify slopes and high spots. Always dig out high patches instead of filling in lower areas. After you've leveled the ground, rake away debris, tamp the soil, then spread and tamp a layer of sand. [Edit]Leveling out a Cleared Spot - Check for levelness to identify high spots. The easiest way to check for levelness without special equipment is to look for them. Do a visual inspection to check for any spots that are higher or lower than the rest. After taking care of these areas, lay a wood plank across your work area. Zip tie a carpenter's level on top of the plank, and move the plank throughout the work area to test multiple spots.[1]
- Position the plank and level from the center of the work area to its edge, like a clock's hand. Check for levelness, then rotate the plank , like a clock hand moving from 2 o'clock to 4 o'clock. Proceed shifting the plank and checking levelness every 2 to 3 feet.
- Mark high patches with stakes. You might find that a wide patch of the work area is more or less level, but one edge of it slopes significantly. Place stakes or sticks at areas that slope or are off-grade. You'll need to dig away these area in order to create level ground for the pool.
- Dig away soil instead of building up low patches. Always dig away slopes and high spots to make them level with lower areas, even if it takes more work. If you fill in a patch with dirt or sand, the weight of the pool and water will compress it and cause problems in the future.[2]
- Use a spade or shovel to dig out high ground. Once you've identified your high spots, start shoveling away soil. Dump the soil in a wheelbarrow, then dispose of it, compost it, or use it for gardening projects, such as for potted plants or to adjust the grade elsewhere in your yard.[3]
- Rent a skid-steer loader for tougher jobs. Leveling a 5 or 10 degree slope and removing of soil by hand is doable. However, if you have to remove or more of soil across a wide area, you might need to rent heavy equipment. Skid-steer loaders usually require some training, so consult your rental equipment manager about meeting operation requirements.[4]
- If you're not confident about operating a skid-steer loader, consider hiring a professional to regrade the area. Look online to find a landscape architect or licensed contractor with grading experience.
- Check for levelness periodically to gauge your progress. Every now and then, lay the wood plank and carpenter's level onto your work surface. Continue digging and tracking your progress until you've leveled the entire work area.[5]
[Edit]Finishing off the Leveled Ground - Rake the area to remove rocks, branches, and other debris. Rake the area thoroughly after you've finished leveling. Sharp debris could puncture your pool's lining.[6]
- Tamp the soil. The soil needs to be firm in order to support the pool. After raking it clean, water the soil with a garden hose, then run a rolling tamper throughout the work area to compact the soil.[7]
- To compact the soil more effectively, run a soaker hose or sprinkler at low pressure for about an hour before you roll or tamp the area.
- You can rent a lawn roller at your local home improvement store. Typically, you can fill the drum with water to control its weight. Fill it up, then push it over the leveled ground to compact the soil.
- Spread and tamp a layer of sand over the area. Many pool manufacturers call for a layer of sand, but check your owner's manual to stay on the safe side. Lay out a layer of sand deep across the work area, then roll over it with the tamper.[8]
- If there are any areas that you need to level, use crushed limestone instead of sand.
- Order masonry sand from a home improvement store or pool retailer to ensure the grains are evenly sized and debris-free. The amount you'll need depends on the size of your pool. If your pool is in diameter, you'll need about a ton of sand, which can cost between $25 and $40 (US).
- Double check the sand for rocks, large grains, and other debris when you spread it.
- Treat the area with fungicide and herbicide. Since the area around the pool will constantly get wet, apply a fungicide before installing the pool.[9] In addition, applying an herbicide will ensure that no plants will sprout and damage your pool liner.[10]
- Application rates vary by chemical, so check how much area a product covers by volume. The amount you'll need also depends on your pool's area but, at most, you'd probably need each of ready to use fungicide and herbicide.[11]
- Make sure you use petroleum-free products. Ready to use products that don't require dilution are easier to use than concentrates that need to be mixed with water.
- Wait to install the pool until 2 weeks after applying fungicide or other chemicals.
- You can also place a tarp over the area to help protect the chemicals from moisture and sun while you work.
[Edit]Clearing Sod Before Leveling - Place plastic sheets over the area 2 weeks in advance to kill grass. Covering the grass with plastic sheets or tarps for a couple of weeks will kill the grass in the area. This will make it much easier to remove the sod. Place plastic sheets over the area where you will be installing the pool and weigh them down on the edges with heavy objects, such as rocks, bricks, or cinder blocks.
- Remove sod after rain or a thorough watering. If the site isn't already clear, you'll have to remove the grass before leveling the ground. The day after heavy rain is a great time to cut sod. If no rain is in the forecast, water the work area well in the days before you remove the grass. Dry sod is harder to remove.[12]
- While you don't want to cut dry sod, don't use a power sod cutter if the soil is soaked.
- Rent a sod cutter to make the job easier. While you can remove sod manually, a sod cutter is your best option for larger areas of turf. You can rent a power sod cutter at your local home improvement store.[13]
- Before you use a sod cutter, make sure the area is clear of sprinklers, hoses, toys, and other potential hazards. Cable wires, landscape lighting wires, and sprinkler pipes may also be just below the sod, so watch for these.
- Read your user manual and consult your store's equipment manager for your specific machine's operating instructions.
- Use a grub hoe if you don't want to rent equipment. If you don't want to deal with power equipment, you can just put in a little elbow grease. Start by scoring the sod with a spade to divide it into sections, then use your hoe and shovel to dig out each section. Remove at least of the work area's surface.[14]
- Recruit some friends or family to help make the job go faster. If necessary, you can bribe them with pool time!
- Roll up and dispose of your sod. A power cutter removes sod in sections that you can roll up and transfer to a wheelbarrow or lawn bags. Removing sod manually is messier, and you'll need to shovel the sod into your receptacle. When you're finished, you can leave lawn bags on the curb for pickup or add the sod (or a portion of it) to your compost heap.
- If you used a power cutter and your rolls of sod are in good shape, you could lay it down on a bare patch elsewhere in your yard. Water the bare patch well, fertilize it, and add compost if the soil needs conditioning. Then lay down the sod, and water it daily for 1 to 2 weeks.
[Edit]Choosing a Good Site Beforehand - Check your local building codes. Choose the flattest spot possible, but make sure you comply with local codes. Check if your pool needs to be a minimum distance from property lines, septic tanks, and roads.[15]
- Contact your local recorder's or assessor's office if you need to find your property lines.
- Run an online search or look for applicable codes on your city's, state's, or province's government website.
- If you have a homeowner's association, it's also wise to check its bylaws.
- Make sure your pool is not close to an easement or setback where workers might need to access power or other utility lines.
- Check to see if your pool might be in a conservation area if your property borders a forest.
- Avoid underground utility lines and overhead power cables. If you're not sure where your gas lines and other underground cables are, call your utility company. In addition, make sure your spot isn't under power cables.[16]
- Stay away from trees and stumps. If your pool is under a tree, more leaves and bugs will fall into it. Aside from being unsightly, debris could affect the pool's chemistry and make it harder to maintain. Further, trees' root systems could get in the way of leveling the site, and even if the tree is a stump it will be difficult to remove.[17]
- Setting your pool beyond a tree's farthest branches should be a far enough distance if the tree is established. For younger trees, you can calculate the size of the root system to be on the safe side. Younger trees have thirstier roots, which could extend up to 38 times the trunk diameter. If a young tree's trunk is across, its roots could extend over .[18]
- Most older trees' root systems only extend about as far as its canopy.
- Consider the drainage in the area. It is important to make sure that the area where you want to put the pool has good drainage, or you could end up with a swamp in your backyard. Pay attention to how well the water drains after a heavy rain. If possible, avoid areas that stay waterlogged for long periods, or you can divert the water before putting in the pool.
- Mark off an area with a diameter larger than your pool. Once you've chosen a suitable spot, place a stake in the ground at its center. Divide your pool's diameter by 2 to find its radius, then add to the radius. Cut a string to that length, tie it to the stake, and use it to trace the circumference of your work area. Mark the area with stakes or chalk.[19]
- If your pool is shaped like an oval, use a measuring tape to trace its dimensions onto your work area. Remember to make your perimeter longer than your pool on all sides.
[Edit]Things You'll Need - Level
- Wood plank
- Measuring tape
- Lawn stakes
- Grub hoe
- Spade
- Shovel
- Wheelbarrow
- Rake
- Sod cutter (optional)
- Lawn roller
- Herbicide and fungicide
- Sand
[Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
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