Homesteaders

[Molpet]

Well my taters are wilting. What's up with that? A blight? What do I do? Will it hit all my taters?

How do I get rid of these ground hornets? They're still there and I need them gone. I sprayed them with Sevin and last night with a hornet spray. They are nastier than an ex wife and nearly as hard to kill. Though their sting doesn't hurt as bad.

I will spray them again with the hornet spray. Not my ex wives the hornets.

Would it be good to dig up the rhubarb and replant it with new soil in the bed or should I just leave it? I kinda think it's too low in the bed and that part does get flooded when it rains heavy. Though it sure ain't gonna happen this year.

one of my turkeys stirred up a nest of German yellow jackets in the old compost pile.. he was running in circles yelping and in a panic.. the rest of the turkeys and the chickens all ran out of there...so much for the birds eating them.
I just read that pouring a gallon of vinegar down the hole, after dark (well protected) should do the trick... they usually have 2 exit holes per nest, but I don't see another.
I'll let you know if that works.... if they don't get me first LOL

 

[rancher hicks]

My rhubarb floods every spring and never has a problem. It is in the lowest piece of ground around here. BUT I am on sand.


I think if you wait until it gets 40 below then bust the hornet nest up they will go away....


I have gotten 3 inches of rain in the last 4 hours.

That would be fine except they are near my tomatoes and I need to work near there.

one of my turkeys stirred up a nest of German yellow jackets in the old compost pile.. he was running in circles yelping and in a panic.. the rest of the turkeys and the chickens all ran out of there...so much for the birds eating them.
I just read that pouring a gallon of vinegar down the hole, after dark (well protected) should do the trick... they usually have 2 exit holes per nest, but I don't see another.
I'll let you know if that works.... if they don't get me first LOL

Well I must confess I did go out there a night with a head lamp on and there are christmas lights around my garden. Dummy me poked the nest to spray but didn't turn off the lights and I got stung again. Last night the head light was off and sprayed hornet spray. I sprayed with the hose at watering time and they are still there. I will be spraying hornet spray again tonight.

Perhaps you can spray the vinegar.

 

[duluthralphie]

I have searched the web for a solution to the bee problem...I found this it should work...






But if you see this really close up, forget the weapon and run!

 

[GardenNut]

I have searched the web for a solution to the bee problem...I found this it should work... But if you see this really close up, forget the weapon and run!

that torch would work well for my neighbor's two barking beagles. In Korea, it's called Kay-go-gee. Good luck with those hornets!

 

[abigalerose]

Everyone! I would like your input on something. I want to live off grid someday, well not completely off grid, but just do a little self sustaining and some off grid-ish things. And I was just doing some daydreaming about my long term goals, and since I'm living pretty cheap right now (live on parents land, only bill is the electric bill) and I have a full time job, I decided to start saving all my money, and I already have a decent nest egg anyways, sorry off topic, so back to daydreaming. For years I've trying to decide on what kind of house, camper, tiny house, shipping container, regular house, (brief consideration of a yurt), etc. but haven't really been able to decide, well today I decided. Once I save up and buy some land (15 acres +) I want a grain silo house, they're super cute, fairly cheap, and I even found a layout I liked today. But I don't want JUST a grain silo house, I want to put the kitchen, living room, bathroom, and possibly a loft in the silo, and then I want to... bolt? a shipping container onto it, and join it with a little door and put a bedroom or two in the container, and THEN I would like to bury the container, because I think a grain silo house with a nice grassy hill and some flowers behind it would look better than one with a big ugly shipping container behind it. And I thought, I should just put some solar panels behind the silo on the "hill", so I can get rid of the electricity bill, plus I'll have a well, so no water bill, and upon watching "Homestead Rescue", I decided I might like to incorporate an underground tubing natural heating/cooling system, that way I don't have to try and run an air conditioner with solar panels. Also, as an added bonus, the bedroom would double as a tornado shelter

So, maybe this sounds like a crazy plan, but does anyone think it's doable?
Oh, and who knows of a cheap/diy way to insulate a house?

 

[lcertuche]

It sounds pretty pricey to do all those things, but what the heck it's your money. I like the idea of having a buried bedroom for the tornados, cool nights, etc. It's good that you've been able to save money. I am renting a lovely 3+ acres in the country, but it is still a rental and that means anything I want to do on the property needs to be cleared by the landlord. Enjoy dreaming, working on and living in you eventual homestead. Rolled insulation is still probably the cheapest.

Don't forget to check out zoning laws before you buy. Some places discourage things like living in a shipping container or using composting toilets. I use to live in a community where you couldn't park a truck, boat, or trailer in the front or side yards. Actually check it out and don't just believe what someone may says. Mention your future plans to your realtor because they have a better idea of where to look. Also 15 acres are a lot. Here where I live 5 acres would be plenty to do anything I'd care to do with gardening, animals, etc. Remember the bigger the place the more taxes you will pay.

 

[abigalerose]

I figured the start up cost might be a little high, but in the long run it should be wayy cheaper to maintain than if I had regular electricity, heat and air, etc. and I would assume actually building the structure would be cheaper, or at least the same as building a normal house, right?
I would do just 5 acres, but there's some stuff I want to do with horses, plus I'll have a couple cows, so I have to have more than that, but since I'm not trying to be 100% self sustaining I'm not too worried about extra taxes and stuff. But yeah, checking on what's allowed has been at the top of my list ever since I found out some places have restrictions, about 6 years ago my parents bought some land in a different town, and if you owned a camper, and I mean for recreational use and not living, you weren't even allowed to park it on your land, it also had rules where you couldn't build any metal buildings, and you couldn't have goats. I think that's crazy, you pay thousands of dollars for land and it's your land, you should be able to do what you want with it. Anyways, this won't be happening for quite some time so I've got a while to work out all the kinks

 

[duluthralphie]

I figured the start up cost might be a little high, but in the long run it should be wayy cheaper to maintain than if I had regular electricity, heat and air, etc. and I would assume actually building the structure would be cheaper, or at least the same as building a normal house, right?
I would do just 5 acres, but there's some stuff I want to do with horses, plus I'll have a couple cows, so I have to have more than that, but since I'm not trying to be 100% self sustaining I'm not too worried about extra taxes and stuff. But yeah, checking on what's allowed has been at the top of my list ever since I found out some places have restrictions, about 6 years ago my parents bought some land in a different town, and if you owned a camper, and I mean for recreational use and not living, you weren't even allowed to park it on your land, it also had rules where you couldn't build any metal buildings, and you couldn't have goats. I think that's crazy, you pay thousands of dollars for land and it's your land, you should be able to do what you want with it. Anyways, this won't be happening for quite some time so I've got a while to work out all the kinks

Where are you looking to live?

To me 15 acres to do what you want would not be enough. Everything you dream of doing would be "illegal" here. You might want to consider 40 acre parcels instead of smaller one. Many times 40 acres is not a lot more than 5-15 acres.

So much of what you said will depend on your state and local laws and regulations. I cannot imagine anywhere allowing an underground bedroom, with no egress windows. When going underground do not forget Radon radiation.

Good luck on your plans.

Why did you discount the Yurt?

 

[rancher hicks]

These are my thoughts:

1. Get it in writing. Renting is iffy at best. We rented and I worked to have a garden, digging and clearing etc.etc. and the landlord sold the house and I left the best garden of tomatoes I've ever had. Please Read "House Calls" by Edith Lank and see the troubles that can occur. DO NOT TRUST ANYONE'S WORD. Folks don't live forever and people change their minds. GET IT IN WRITING!

These are just some of the questions she's gotten asked: My son and his girlfriend bought a place and now their split up. Does he have to pay even though he doesn't live there? I put my sons name on my deed and now he is making me move out. My parents left us the house but my brother lives there and doesn't pay rent can we make him move? I co-signed a mortgage for my kid and now they've moved to another state, do I have to pay? I've been living in my parents house and made all these improvements. They died and now my siblings want me to sell, how can I get my money back that I paid to keep it up? My mother said she was going to give me the house but she died without a will and now my brother who lives in another state wants me to sell the house and give him half. And so it goes. GET IT IN WRITING. Trust no one.

I've painted places and then bam! you gotta move. Never again. I had dogs at one place and bam! you gotta move and the new place won't allow dogs. This after the landlord paid to have my previous place burned down. Long story on that one.

2. READ, READ, READ. Buying land? Watch your mineral rights, water rights, lumber rights, right of access. Once read were folks complained after realizing the neighbors had written rights to fish in their pond. Cut across their land, the gas company owned rights to drill. etc. etc. READ, READ, READ.

3. Check building codes and zoning. That land across the road, might be in a different town or have different zoning. Don't take someone's word for it. EVEN THE REALTOR. When we bought this house we found out AT THE CLOSING the house sat right on the property line. No footage at all. We were able to buy the 100' lot nextdoor.

4. Discuss your plans with the town. No one lives 100% off the grid. You can get pretty close though. I'm getting ready to get rid of my incubator since I've got 22 chicks so far from broody hens and still have two hens on eggs. Plan on a broody house just for hatching chicks. Remember you don't have to use it if you've got it, but if you don't have it, you can't use it. What happens if you NEED that water or gas or electricity? You need to sell and there are no hooks ups. You limit your buyer pool if there are no utilities.

5. These preppers are not thinking clearly. This world is not going to be destroyed. Close but not 100%.

When I watch these shows I wonder what they're thinking. One guy is driving his SUV behind a plow to get to his snowed in container. I'm thinking, in the event of a disaster, does he think there will be a plow to lead him to his hole in the ground?

In another article the guy buys a container and buries it. There was just one BIG problem. There was only one entrance. Even animals know enough to have an escape route. I wonder of these folks with shelters how they plan to get out if there is no one on the outside to rescue them? Maybe some of these disaster movies would help with ideas of what to expect and how to solve some problems. Can you set a broken leg, how long does penecillin last?

Too, a guy spends thousands only to later learn he has cancer. Cancer is an expensive disease to have. DW got diagnosed and we know. Not as bad as some folks but expensive. How's the health insurance. DW got an infection and a nurse had to come everyday. $125. a day.

6. What about a spouse? Mom and dad might be okay with some folks but what happens if you bring home a person of the same sex, or different color or just someone they don't like? Even on this forum folks have said they hate me because I don't agree with the same sex thing. Mind you I don't treat gay folks badly or am not nice to them etc. etc. I wouldn't not deal with a gay person who showed up to buy chickens or chicks but that doesn't matter to some folks. I have family that is gay but no matter. Chris was the first to show up when DW got sick, don't think you're going to treat her badly when I'm around. If you don't agree with someone's point of view? You're dirt. Parents and relatives get all weird like that. Don't even get me started on politics. So sometimes it's better to have the land, house, etc. etc. in your name before investing money and hard work into it.

7. PLAN, PLAN, PLAN. Write it down. It's been advised to design and plan your garden and some folks do, but don't write out a long and short term plan of what they want and how they plan to get it. What about those parents? Who is going to care for them when they can't take care of themselves? What about you and yours? Some bridges you know you will come to, so you don't have to wait to plan how you will cross them. Understand?
We're older now and we've lost a few friends. Who will bring you food or take you to the doctors if you can't take yourself. If you're lucky you will get old.

8. Every single article or book you read on Homesteading is written by someone who gets PAID to do so. That's where they get money to hire people to dig that well or set those fence posts or build that shed. Right now I need money to hire a second set of hands. My adult children don't have my dream. They have their own. As far as I can tell, I'm the only one who gives away chickens and chicks. Not many here do.
I was reading a homesteading book and liking it til I read the author owed people money. How's your credit? You may need a short term loan and how will you pay it back?
Are you a friendly sort? Some folks aren't and won't talk to you.

Finally, I've made enemies here because I tell it like it is. Folks come on, "I got chickens and something ate them. AGAIN!" They did no research, talked to no one about husbandry. A word we need to see more of here. They get chickens and haven't checked zoning, codes or any of that.

So please do your research FIRST. Your dreams are possible but you need to be flexible and have a plan. All these obstacles I've mentioned are overcomeable and you CAN do it. Don't be discouraged, just prepared. We're here for you.

I wish us all well,

Rancher, to old for somethings, Hicks.


OOOHHHHH storm coming through and we're getting rain. We needed some rain, just not to much.

 

[rancher hicks]

I have searched the web for a solution to the bee problem...I found this it should work...






But if you see this really close up, forget the weapon and run!

I think I got them. Poked around last night but didn't see anyone come out. I will be careful though.