How To Grow Fruits All-Year Round in Your Backyard

April 25, 2016

Due to its many health advantages, having at least one serving of fruit during every meal is a must. However, not a lot of people have the access to fresh fruits every single day, all throughout the year.

Many believe that tending to a fruit garden helps provide all the fresh fruits you and your family need plus more. For one, growing fruits in the backyard gives you more control over the chemicals that touch your produce so you know that the one that gets into your table is safe. In addition, growing a garden also encourages more physical activity in one’s daily routine.

Fortunately, it isn’t as intimidating to grow backyard fruit trees and plants as what most people would think. In fact, you can grow them even with limited space, time or energy. Pots and vertical spaces can become your best friend and, once established, these plants should start providing a bountiful harvest every year.
So, how do you start with growing a fruit garden?

The best thing to do is to first figure out which fruit would grow best in the region you are in. Some plants could only tolerate certain types of climate and soil. There is even a best season to grow them although many can survive the winter months as long as they are wrapped or kept indoors. Knowing how much sunlight they need (full sun or partial shade) is also important in making sure that your plants grow well.

Beyond growing fruits, a good farmer should also know how to store their harvest properly so they can last long. Of course, it is great to share or even sell the produce but, for personal consumption, the guide below will tell you how long some fruits last inside a refrigerator or a freezer.

See? Planting fruits does not have to be that hard. As long as you have the right knowledge, starting your garden should be a breeze.

How to grow fruit all year round by team at Happy to Survive.

Lisa Farland is a content writer in Happy to Survive – a blog that will help you thrive and survive, and offers articles about preparedness, and off-the-grid, self-reliant living. Lisa is an avid minimalist camper, prepper and survivalist.

Log Home Plans: 40 Totally Free DIY Log Cabin Floor Plans

October 1, 2015

A log cabin or log home is not only a versatile, endearing and cost effective living solution, it is also a great way of creating your very own retreat (especially with these free log home plans!) that you can pick up and place in a wide range of spaces, providing they have the capacity to accommodate your new it of course! See down below for the free log cabin floor plans.

Utilising traditional building methods, the art of constructing your very own DIY log cabin requires implementing unique, artisan skills that call upon a whole host of natural materials.

But best of all, log cabins are relatively simple to construct yourself, providing you have the appropriate tools, quality materials, manpower and of course, knowledge and some DIY log home plans (which we can help to provide). Trust us, there’s no better way to embrace sustainable living!

When constructing a log home from scratch, it’s important that you follow (and stick to) step-by-step instructions that detail and outline how to create a structurally sound DIY cabin, allowing you to create your perfect log home that is able to withstand the harshest environments. After all, it’s paramount that your DIY log cabin is safe, sturdy and resistant.

So here, we’ve compiled a list of some of the best DIY log cabin plans available online, demonstrating every step of the production process, from start to finish. Outlining clear and concise construction methods, the plans will allow you to create a durable, rigid and accessible log cabin that is able to accommodate your exact requirements.

But, before you go any further, it’s important that you understand exactly what you want to get out of your DIY cabin. Log cabins, like any structural living space, come in all shapes and sizes. From intimate spaces through to cabins that are able to accommodate large groups, there are lots of options to choose from! Oh, and you’ll be amazed at the wealth of facilities, home comforts and unique features available.

Of course, this also means that when it comes to building your DIY cabin, difficulty levels vary and, although many are relatively simple to construct, others are far more complex requiring specialist skills and expertise.

So ask yourself, what will you use your log cabin it for? How often do you plan to use it? What type of environment will your log cabin call home? All of these factors will have an impact on your choice of design. After all, if you only plan to use your log cabin a few times a year, a more basic design may suit your needs better as opposed to a cabin that you plan to use every weekend, or every day!

Once you’ve made up your mind, the next step is to get building. Here are some of the best DIY log home plans that are available online, and best of all, they’re all free! So why pay someone else to build your log cabin when you can do it yourself?

Two bedroom contemporary log home with loft and basement

If you’re looking to create a spacious, family log cabin, then this two-floor two bedroom contemporary cabin, with loft space and basement, then these are the log home plans you’ve been looking for.

Offering ample storage, living and practical space, this accommodating cabin features a master bedroom, and an additional bedroom space that lends itself perfectly to being used a guest bedroom or a space for your little one.

Also featuring all the facilities that you would expect to find in a liveable home, this plan also features adequate kitchen, dining, laundry and living room space – making it ideal for entertaining or kicking back and relaxing.

But this design’s standout features have to be its loft space and outdoor porch area. The loft space offers more than enough room to store away sports equipment, your seasonal clothing and anything else that can leave your home feeling cluttered and unorganised. The outdoor porch area is also a great addition to this cabin, providing the perfect area to soak up the summer sunshine or snuggle around a roaring fire during the colder months.

You can download these free log floor plans here: http://www.todaysplans.net/CabinsAndSheds-Cabin1.pdf

One bedroom concrete block cabin loft and porch

I know – these are supposed to be log cabin plans, but this is concrete block cabin is another option to add to the mix.

Although this attractive one bedroom concrete block cabin loft and porch only offers one bedroom, it is perfectly equipped to accommodate larger family gatherings.

Offering a large family room, bathroom and dinette, this log cabin is great for accommodating short breaks and longer stays, it would also make a great family home for couples.

The addition of the covered porch also adds another dimension to this cabin, providing the ideal spot to kick back and relax season to season. You also don’t have to worry about storage, as it comes complete with a spacious loft space that will easily accommodate mass storage.

You can download the free cabin floor plans here: http://www.todaysplans.net/CabinsAndSheds-Cabin3.pdf

Log cabin plans for an“A” Frame cabin

This two-story “A” frame cabin house comes complete with two spacious bedrooms, a large living/dining room, a balcony and porch, as well as an accommodating kitchen and bathroom.

Offering a distinct rustic feel, this charming build is bursting with character, and will enable you to create a space that is finished to highest standards. Featuring durable wood flooring and a sturdy ladder that takes you up to the second floor, the frame of this log cabin is typical of many traditional structures.

You can download the free log home plans for this cabin here: http://www.lsuagcenter.com/NR/rdonlyres/AFC60E41-A8F6-4C45-ABE3-5D34AD0679B9/15503/24AFrameCabin.pdf

1 Bedroom Guest House

A log cabin lends itself perfectly to creating a guesthouse that is inviting, comfortable and bursting with character, especially if you are pushed for space in your home. Obviously, if you entertain guests on a regular basis, a guesthouse also offers far more privacy and space than guest bedrooms inside your home.

This spacious 1 bedroom guesthouse cabin will allow you to build a practical living solution that will make the ideal guesthouse.

Boasting a large spacious bedroom, a sizable main living area and bathroom, this plan will help you to build a practical living solution that is cost effective, durable and resilient. It can also easily be integrated into your property’s outdoor land. In fact many people position their guest cabins in their back yard! Of course, this set up is also perfect for other purposes, such as a cool hangout den for teenagers or a tranquil retreat for you to escape the chaos of the house from time to time.

Before embarking on any build, it’s also recommended to check your local building codes criteria!

You can download the free log cabin floor plans for this guest house here: http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/aben-plans/5185.pdf

Pole Cabin w/Plenum Heating Log Home Plans

This 24/32, two-bedroom wood frame cabin is plenum heated, making it perfect for building a comfortable, warm family home.

Attractive inside and out, this inviting cabin boasts all the everyday facilities that you would expect to find in your home.

Featuring two spacious bedroom areas, which could easily accommodate two single beds in each room, a simple yet functional bathroom suite, as well as a large kitchen/diner area, this plenum heated cabin is great for weekend and full-time living.

You can download the free log home floor plans here to create this build yourself: http://www.lsuagcenter.com/NR/rdonlyres/BCB7C088-B906-4FF0-BA7A-3E05753AC194/15591/5997PoleCabinWPlenumHeating.pdf

Tourist Log Cabin Floor Plans

Log cabin living is extremely appealing to tourists, as it not only gives them the opportunity to experience a new way of living, in new and exciting surroundings, it also offers a comfortable retreat for them to relax and unwind.

In recent years, tourist cabins have continued to increase in popularity and, in response to growing demands, they have become more accommodating and functional than ever before.

This open porch tourist cabin is small yet highly spacious, making it the ideal, intimate retreat for couples, or even solo visitors looking for a comfortable space to collect their thoughts.

These design plans show an open plan space that features ample room for a bed, bathroom and closet space. However, one of the main advantages of this particular cabin is that it has its very own large porch area, making it ideal for those who enjoy the outdoors.

You can download the free log cabin floor plans for this cabin here: http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/aben-plans/5184.pdf.

5 Room Log Cabin – Log Home Plans

Perfect for large families or group vacations, this spacious 5 room log cabin boasts 5 large bedroom areas that are all super comfortable and extremely spacious.

Bursting with the character you would expect to find in a traditional log cabin, this log cabin design features two bathrooms, a large kitchen and dining area, as well as a main living area with an open log fire – another dimension that creates a striking focal point.

Other interesting design elements include a cathedral ceiling over the living room, a large walk in closet, and an inviting porch area.

You can download the free log home plans for this cabin here: http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/aben-plans/5506.pdf

Buffalo Run Series – Cabin Floor Plans

This impressive family orientated cabin offers an inviting, functional and comfortable living solution that is perfect for everyday family living.

Boasting luxuries such as a large master suite, a huge kitchen and dining area, as well as spacious loft, this 3 bedroom log cabin features a total living area of 5714sq.ft – with the main living area being 3161 sq-ft and the loft and storage areas being 2553 sq.ft.

You can view/save/download the log home floor plans here: http://whispercreekloghomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/buffalorun_01.pdf

16 x 20 Cabin with Bunk Beds

This design features a 16×20 cabin that also accommodates 2 tier bunk beds.

Smaller than the other designs, this compact cabin provides ample home comforts, that make it a safe and reliable cabin, perfect for accommodating guests – particularly children who love the idea of sleeping in bunk beds!

Featuring a stove, wood flooring throughout, and a spacious living area, this cabin is great for overnight stays or short visits.

You can get the log cabin floor plans here: http://www.lsuagcenter.com/NR/rdonlyres/1741C101-A6C6-4C05-BF47-7B96E4B0F985/15610/600416X20Cabin.pdf

2 Bedroom, 1 Storey Log Home with Open Porch

This perfect family living solution features 2 large, spacious bedrooms with large closets, an inviting open porch and plenty of character.

With its 1 story design, this comfortable log cabin will open your eyes to compact yet spacious design that will give you everything that you need in a family home and more.

Boasting ample space to entertain and relax with family and friends, this endearing log cabin even features a large outdoor porch that is great for sitting out and relaxing on, whatever the season. Many people integrate a comfortable outdoor seating area into their design plans when building this log cabin, as a porch is often considered as an outdoor living extension of the home.

You can download or view these log home floor plans here: http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/aben-plans/5507.pdf

Community Log Cabin Plans

This community log cabin lend is perfect for hosting large group gatherings, activities and events.

Its huge assembly room is one of its main standout features, as it provides the perfect opportunity to hold large groups in one space – great if you run community focused events – its versatility shouldn’t be underestimated!

The community log cabin also features integrated storage space that is perfect for storing sports and activity equipment, props, and arts and crafts equipment. However, if you do not require this, the storage can also be taken down.

Other features of this community log cabin include a large kitchen area, bathroom, and even an office space – providing the ideal base to work from. But that’s not all, this cabin even accommodates a dressing room and cloak room, so it’s great for hosting theatre performances or assemblies.

You can view and download the log cabin floor plans for this community cabin here: http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/aben-plans/5602.pdf

30+ Different DIY Cabin Plans

Let’s get one thing out of the way quickly – the cabin in the photo above is not in the plans. It is the only nice looking newly built cabin, that I had permission to use! That said, don’t be put off for one moment as below you’ll be able to find 30 different sets of cabin build plans…

The list of plans below includes everything from small single room cabins, right through to full sized family home cabins. There’s also everything in between. Given that you can pay $100s for cabin build plans, this is a pretty cool resource. My recommendation is – if you see a cabin you like, download the build plans right away whilst they are free. It’s better to download the plans now, but never use them, rather than wish you’d downloaded them and not being able to find them in a year or so. Get them here: FREE: 30 Different Sets Of Cabin Build Plans

(Image from: Max Wolfe)

How To Build A 12×20 Foot Cabin For $2000

Want to build a low cost, quality cabin that would make accommodation for guests? Got a bit of land for your secret bug-out location which needs an affordable cabin? Answer yes to either of these questions, then you’ve come to the right place!

Below is an excellent step-by-step tutorial showing how to build a 12×20 foot wood cabin for $2200. It is a full build tutorial with details, measurements, and materials. The cabin has a door and window at the front and double windows at the rear. The cabin is also wired for electricity with lighting and power points. Find out more: How To Build A 12×20 Foot Cabin For $2000

(Photo from: coolbeansbaby68 via Instrutcables)

Traditional Log Cabin Built For Less Than $500

$500 for a quality, traditional wood cabin, that’s crazy talk, right? Well, that is what I thought until I watched the video above which tells the story about this DIY log cabin and how it was built…

It really does emphasise the power of community, and roping in friends and family to help out on a project. Sure the cabin took eight months to build using free labour, but the whole project cost just $500. Seems an awesome trade-off to me. Watch the video and see what you think.

(Image from: OutsideFun1)

How To Build A House With No House Payments Or Utility Bills

No house payments and no utility bills, that’s the dream, right? Well, maybe that dream isn’t as far-fetched as you might think!

The video above shows how one guy built a cabin for $2000, drilled his own well and installed a solar power system which provides for all the electricity needs which cost an additional $3000. One thing to note is that the land he has, which is a little less than an acre, was gifted to him, although he does go on to say he has purchased similar plots of land for around $400. Finally, the last thing to note is that this video was uploaded in 2009, but even if you increase the costs in-line with today’s costs, this really is a great demonstration of what can be done with a minimal budget and a bit of hard work.

How To Build An Earthbag Roundhouse

A while back I did a post: How to Build an Earthbag Dome this was a windowless dome building which would make a great root cellar or storage shed. Today I am sharing a tutorial to build an earthbag roundhouse, complete with windows and doors.

This is very cheap and easy way to build a one room dwelling. The cost per sq foot of living space is just $11.50; anyone in the construction business knows that is crazy cheap….

The finished house looks beautiful, inside and out. The outside is plastered and whitewashed and it has a thatched roof, have a look and see how nice it looks. I can’t see why you couldn’t build several of these alongside each other to create a larger multi-room home. Check out the photo tutorial: How To Build An Earthbag Roundhouse

(Photo from: Owen Geiger via Instructables)

How To Build A Dirt Cheap House

If you have always dreamt of building your own house or bug-out house/retreat, but you have been put off by the high build costs etc, this could be right up your street…

The post below explains that by using, and knowing how to build with, locally available natural materials such as earth, small diameter wood, and straw, you can keep expenses to an absolute minimum. In fact, build costs can be as low as $10/sq. ft. With build costs this low, it opens the doors to the possibility of many more of us being able to build our own houses. Find out more: How To Build A Dirt Cheap House

(Photo from: Owen Geiger via Instructables)

Amazing Forest Home Built In 6 Weeks For $4,000

This might just be my favourite cabin ever! Can you imagine if this was your weekend and holiday retreat? It would be amazing, I feel less stressed just looking at the photo, let alone spending time there…

The cabin is absolutely beautiful inside and out (check out the sink!), and the crazy thing is that it was built in just six weeks for a budget of $4000. I wish I could share all the photos of the cabin here, so you can see how beautiful the inside of the cabin is, but I can’t. But if you click through to ‘Tree Hugger’ via the link below you can check out all of the awesome photos there. I love the hillside, treehouse style rear porch! See them here: Amazing Forest Home Built In 6 Weeks For $4,000

(Photo by: Herrle Custom Carpentry via Treehugger)

How To Get Rid Of Aphids On Plants Naturally & Organically

July 15, 2015

You’ve spent countless hours tirelessly tending to your garden. As spring approaches and your hard work pays off in brilliant blooms and luscious fruit, you begin to notice something sinister. What was once thriving, healthy plants are now giving way to the damages of an unknown source. Leaves turn yellow and foliage begins to adopt a strange, sticky substance. In all likelihood, you’re dealing with an aphid infestation.

Every gardener, either casual or professional, must hold a solid understanding of aphids. If unchecked, these tiny insects can completely destroy a once thriving garden. Stop wasting time, and the health of your plants. Continue reading to uncover vital information about aphids and how to get rid of aphids without the use of toxic, chemically-charged pesticides.

What Are Aphids? An Overview of These Annoying Pests

Aphids are officially defined as being soft-bodied insects identified by their long slender mouths. Their mouths are specially designed to penetrate the most tender parts of plants, such as stems and leaves, and suck out its fluids. Unfortunately, almost every plant species is vulnerable to one or more aphid species. Although there are many different type of aphids, the methods used to get rid of aphids is relatively universal.

The Physical Appearance of Aphids

Looking closely at an aphid, you’d notice it features a pear-shaped body highlighted by an antennae and long legs. Its coloration can vary from red, black, brown, yellow or green. The coloration of an aphid is based upon its species and the type of plant it feeds on. Several aphid species feature a woolly or waxy appearance. This appearance is due to a unique substance it secretes over the surface of its body.

In general, adult aphids are wingless insects; however, there are some species that feature small wings. The winged variety are typically found during spring and fall months. While it’s possible find only one or two aphids, the majority of these insects travel in dense colonies. These gatherings of aphids are generally found on the leaves and stems of plants, which make identifying them much easier than single bugs. A great way to identify an aphid is to disturb the plant. Unlike other pests, such as leafhoppers, aphids tend to stay still when disturbed, which actually makes it easier to remove or kill the aphids.

Life cycle of an aphid

The Life Cycle of an Aphid

Aphids produce many generations throughout a single year. Female aphids give birth to live offspring. The average female aphid can produce up to 12 newborns each day – all without mating. This asexual reproduction can result in a massive colony in a relative short amount of time. Aphid nymps molt, or shed their skin, four times before reaching adulthood. Unlike other pests, there is no pupal stage. In some species, the aphids produce an egg after mating. This occurs during late fall. Its purpose is to ensure the species survives during the harsh winter months as the shell provides extra insulation. These eggs are generally laid on perennial plants to survive the winter.

During warmer months, the molting stages are swift. In general, a nymph can pass through the four molting phases within seven to eight days. Since each adult aphid can produce an average of 80 nymphs within a week or so, aphid populations can swiftly grow out-of-control. This can be a serious problem for gardens and farms.

Damage Caused by Aphids

If you have low to moderate aphid populations in your garden, the damage caused to plants will likely go unnoticed. However, when a population grows large, the damage can be widespread and serious. Because both nymphs and adults feed on the juices of plants, the entire plant can be damaged by their presence. The most notable damage will be on new growth.

If you’re trying to determine whether or not your plants are being attacked by these creatures, check for the following:

Misshapen, stunted or yellowing leaves. If you notice this in your garden, make sure to check on the underside of leaves. This is where the majority of aphids hide.
Check the surface of leaves. A common sign of an aphid infestation is a film of sticky residue. This is caused by aphids sucking sap out of the plant. The waste of aphids, known as honeydew, is a sugary liquid. This secretion often attracts other insects, such as ants. Therefore, check plants to see if there’s an unusual amount of insect activity on or around its stem and leaves.
Check the branches and leaves of plants for a fungal growth. This growth, known as sooty mold, is a byproduct of the aphid secretions. When present, the leaves and branches of plants will appear black or discolored.
Review the shape and size of fruits and flowers. As an aphid feeds on these portions of a plant, their presence can cause the flowers and fruits of plants to become distorted.

Aphid infestation

The Results of Aphid Infestations

Because of the wide array of aphids, the results of an infestation can vary from plant-to-plant. Regardless of what species is attacking your garden, their presence always results in deteroration of plant health and vitality. The following are the most common results of an active aphid infestation:

As an aphid sucks the juices out of a plant, they are doing more than stealing its vitality. These creatures can be carriers to any virus the host plant may currently have. Therefore, when an aphid moves onto another plant, these viruses may be transmitted. Unfortunately, it only takes one aphid to transmit plant viruses. The resulting damage from a plant virus can be far more damaging than the results of an aphid infestation. This is a major concern for many gardeners, as an entire crop can be ruined by disease due to aphids.
As an infestation continues, the entire plant can stop growing. This can occur on almost any plant, such as zucchini, tomatoes, and pumpkins. Once the plant stops growing, and its leaves turn yellow, the yield will be significantly diminished.
In the most serious cases, aphids can attack plant roots. When this occurs, the entire plant may shrivel up and die. New growth and young plants are especially vulnerable to an aphid infestation. Therefore, you must enhance your focus on these plants.

How To Get Rid of Aphids: 10 Organic, All-Natural Aphid Treatments

For years, gardeners and farmers turned to chemically-rich pesticides to control aphid infestations. While this may have killed off these pests, it also damages the environment and can even alter the health of your plants. Because of this, turning to all-natural aphid control options is the recommended choice.

The following 10 all-natural aphid control measures are some of the most effective ways to eliminate these pests without harming your plants or the environment. Use a combination of several methods to ensure your plants remain healthy and aphid-free. You may also want to check out our post on companion plants too.

Method #1 | Physically Removing Aphids By Hand

As mentioned earlier, aphids tend to remain in place when disturbed. Therefore, it’s quite easy to simply remove these pests by hand. Put on a pair of gardening gloves. Inspect the entire plant, specifically the underside of leaves. If you spot an aphid, simply pinch it with your fingers and place in a plastic bag. Continue each day to keep an aphid infestation under control without the use of pesticides.

Method #2 | Repel Aphids With Neem Oil

Dilute pure neem oil in water and pour into a spray bottle. Thoroughly spray each plant, making sure to focus on areas where aphids enjoy hiding. The compounds within neem oil act as natural aphid repellents. This oil also repels other pests, such as cabbage worms, beetles, caterpillars and ants. Another added bonus: neem oil can also ward off a variety of fungal strains known to infect plants.

Method #3 | Kill Aphids With This Herbal Pesticide Treatment

In a small spray bottle, pour equal amounts of rosemary oil, clove oil, peppermint oil and thyme essential oil. Fill the rest of the bottle with water and shake well. Thoroughly spray an entire plant that’s infested with aphids. The active compounds within these essential oils kill adult aphids, nymphs and eggs. It also acts as a general insect repellent without damaging the integrity of your plants. However, always dilute these oils before applying. Non-diluted essential oils can burn delicate plants.

Blast aphids with a hose

Method #4 | Blast Aphids WIth A Garden Hose

Perhaps one of the easiest – and most efficient – ways to eliminate aphids from your plants is by simply spraying them with water. With a standard garden hose, thoroughly spray each plant. Make sure to pay special attention to the underside of leaves and to its stalk. It’s important to note that this method can damage young plants and new growth. However, in adult plants, it’s a safe way to eliminate aphids without the use of pesticides. In order for this method to remain effective, you must repeat on a regular basis.

Method #5 | How To Kill Aphids With Diatomaceous Earth

Diatomaceous Earth is an effective natural remedy for aphids. Spray your plants with water, then follow this by dusting a light coating of diatomaceous earth directly to plants. Make sure to apply this powder on the underside of leaves and along the base of plants. The compounds in D.E. penetrate the shell of aphids and dehydrate the bugs from the inside-out. As many farmers and gardeners already know, this is perhaps one of the most effective all-natural aphid control methods.

Aphid control with Lacewings

Method #6 | Lacewing Insects Love Eating Aphids

If you’re looking for a unique way to control aphids, then you may want to fight insects with insects. Lacewings have a unique appetite for aphids. These helpful insects aren’t harmful to your plants, but can offer great relief. You may purchase lacewing insects from many gardening supply stores. Place these eggs around plants and watch the aphid population soon go extinct.

Method #7 | Grow Aphid-Resistant Plants

Growing plants, such as catnip, oregano or garlic can be an effective means of work warding off aphids. The scent these plants give off are offensive to aphids. Many gardeners find entire infestations are warded off by simply growing these plants near other plants. You can also plant other herbs, such as clover, mint, dill and fennel.

Method #8 | Plant Onions in Garden

Growing onions near your garden naturally repel aphids. These insects dislike organic compounds, such as those found by onions. By growing onions within your garden, you’ll effectively discourage aphids from growing in and around your plants.

Method #9 | How To Kill Aphids With This Homemade Aphid Spray

If you need a powerful way to eliminate an entire aphid infestation, but wish to avoid chemical pesticides, create the following homemade spray. Its compounds effectively kill aphids.

- Warm 1 liter of water and pour into a spray bottle.
- Add a 1/8 of a teaspoon of gelatin into the bottle.
- Add 1/8 teaspoon of ground ginger.
- Thoroughly shake the bottle.
- Spray this mixture around the leave and stalks of plants.
- Repeat every other day until you see the aphids completely disappear.

Kill Aphids with garlic spray

Method #10 | Aphids Hate Garlic: Make This Garlic Spray

While planting garlic is a great way to ward off aphids, sometimes this isn’t enough. By making a homemade garlic spray, you can effectively thwart an aphid infestation. To make this spray, bring 5 cups of water to a rolling boil. Crush 5 cloves of garlic and add to the boiling water. Cover and allow the water to steep for 10 minutes. Remove the lead and allow the water to cool. Pour in a spray bottle, including the garlic cloves. Thoroughly spray each plant, making sure to pay attention to the underside of leaves and along the stalk. It’s best to do this in the evening before sunset.

(Images from: Alvesgaspar, Charlesjsharp, Pollinator & Lee Kindness )

The Rocket Stove Post: 6 & A Half DIY Tutorials With Videos

July 8, 2015

Very simple brick rocket stove

As you’ve arrived here, you will likely be well aware of the benefits of rocket stoves. If not, the bottom line is rocket stoves are extremely efficient stoves to cook with. They generate a huge amount of heat and require substantially less fuel to run. More heat from less fuel makes building a rocket stove an excellent option for anyone living off-the-grid, or for people that are concerned with emergency preparedness.

It seems that not a day goes by without a new DIY rocket stove tutorial appearing online. There are literally 100s of tutorials and videos! So, with so many about… How do you know where to look, and which rocket stoves to build? Well, within this guide you’ll find six (and a helpful half!) of the most popular rocket stoves you can make, complete with videos and written instructions.

Tutorial One: Tin Can Rocket Stove

Let’s start off with a fun tutorial that will come in handy should you ever find yourself somewhere unexpected with only a tin can and a few bits and pieces to cook with.

What you’ll need

A can with a lid
2 large cans (theses should be of the 28 oz variety)
A spare can
A little insulation (your loft won’t miss it!)
Tin snips (for cutting your cans and keeping those digits safe for the construction, cooking and eating stages!)
A marker pen to mark the cans and where you should be cutting them
A wire hanger (which makes the handle)
High heat spray paint (if you want to go all out)

Cooking on a tin can: Step by Step

Step One – Mark and cut the centre hole within the large can

You should use the lid from the smaller of the cans to do this, placing the hole with its bottom edge around 5cm from the bottom of the larger can.

Once done, you can go ahead and cut the hole out (be sure to remember your goggles and gloves for safety). Once the hole is cut, you should check out whether the small can fits inside.

Step Two – Mark and cut a hole within the inner can

Repeat this process with the inner can. You can even use the cut out circle from the large can to guide your margin and cutting efforts.

Step Three – Cut and Insert the last can

Now it’s time for the last can. First, cut one rim off so that it is an open can at one end. Then, go ahead and cut 1.5 inch tabs around the rim. With this now flexible end, insert it into the other smaller can’s hole (be sure that this can is already within the larger of the cans).

Step Four – Cut a lid

With the lid from the largest can, cut out a hole that covers all of the area surrounding the smaller can within it.

Step Five – Fill you can with insulation

Now, fill the can with insulation so that the space between the larger and smaller inner can is completely topped up and packed down. You should then fold down four tabs on the larger can, using a hammer if you need a little help.

Step Six – Add a shelf

Now it’s time to add a mini shelf within the can that pokes outwards from the larger can. Simply cut a rectangle from the metal scraps that you have, cut around an inch into each side and slide the shelf into its place, finally folding down its flaps for a secure fit.

Step Seven – The finishing lick of paint

To finish off your now great looking rocket stove, you can spray paint it black (being sure that the paint is special high heat paint). You may also wish to add that hanger handle by drilling two holes either side of the top of the can.

Now you’re all done and ready to go, so pop those twigs in so that they rest on your shelf and light it up!

Tutorial One And A Half: The World’s Smallest Rocket Stove

Ok, so this tutorial may be considered as a variation of the first, which is why it’s numbered as one and a half. This step by step set of instructions follows all of the steps that the first one does, however it’s on an altogether smaller scale and so the materials are different.

What you’ll need

Spray can for the larger of cans (such as a body spray can… however you must know how to cut these as they’re pressurised)
The inner cans are made from piping (you may need to hunt around to get the dimensions right, and use a material that isn’t too thick or that poorly convects heat)
Sand (this is in replacement for the insulation)

The World’s smallest rocket stove: Step by Step

Just follow all of the steps within tutorial one, but take a little more care as you’ll be working on a smaller scale. You can also skip the paint and handle step if you wish… this is really just for fun!

Tutorial Two: The DIY 6 Brick Dual Burner Rocket Stove

The first tutorial is perfect for those looking for something small and compact, but what if you want something more impressive, or that is capable of heating at least two pans at once? Well, luckily for you, we have a tutorial for a dual burning stove, and better yet, this tutorial requires just six bricks (as well as few other items as listed below) and a budget of $6!

What you’ll need

Four double breeze blocks
Two single breeze blocks
Two metal mounts from a stove

The DIY Dual Burner: Step by Step

Step One – Place the bricks

First, you need to place the double breeze block bricks into a rectangular shape, with the two middle ones lying flat against one another, and the other two stood upright at either end.

Then add the last two single breeze blocks with their open ends pointing upwards.

It’s important that the upper double breeze block, which sits directly underneath the two single breeze blocks, is seated with its open end underneath (pointing upwards). The breeze block that is then underneath is the other way around, allowing for you to place your wood in without it dropping, and thereby allowing for the heat to rise up into the single blocks.

Step Two – Add your wood

Add your wood into the central breeze block, this is done through the side as you’ll place your end breeze blocks with their open ends outwards. This then means that there’s no need to move the upper stoves… you can simply side feed and go!

Step Three – That’s it!

That’s all there is to it, so stick some food on the stove and get cooking!

Tutorial Three: The Rocket Stove Water Heater

This is a heater that works on little fuel (which can be as simple as a few sticks) and is more efficient than your average household water heater. This stove can accept up to 200 liters of water.

What you’ll need

18 matters of copper pipe
Oil barrel (44 gallons)
Ceramic or stone structure to create the stove itself

The Rocket Stove Water Heater: Step by step

Step One – Wind your copper coil and create the drum structure

The copper pipe is coiled through an oil barrel, leading from your cold water supply and outputting a warm water supply. This will be placed at the top of the stove structure.

Step Two – Create the ceramic bed base

Now it’s time to create the outer structure that will house the copper drum and burning structure. This can be constructed from ceramic or stone bed base.

That’s all there is to it! There may be only two steps however, but the construction of the ceramic outer casing may take a considerable amount of time.

Tutorial Four: A Simple 16 Brick Rocket Stove

Brick rocket stoves seem to be the most popular variety, so I wanted to give you a little choice as to which you opt for. Here, we take a look at a DIY rocket stove project that consists of smaller house bricks and that similarly comes in at a budget busting total of just $6.

What you’ll need

16 bricks
3 Patio blocks

A brick rocket stove: Step by step

Step One – Layout your patio blocks

This is so you have a level bottom layer upon which to build your stove

Step Two – Add the first layer of bricks

This should consist of 4.5 bricks, where three are lined up horizontally, and the 1.5 bricks form the end.

Step Three – Add the second layer of bricks

Now you want to arrange the second layer a little differently, being sure to leave the middle section empty.

Step Four – Add the third layer

Now you can add the third layer, leaving only the middle empty.

Step five – Add the fourth and final layer

Add the final layer, replicating the third layer.

Step Six – Add a single brick to below the side hole

This will serve as your fuel feeder.

Step Seven – You’re all done

Now it’s time to feed the fire and get to cooking. The total build time of this particular stove is then less than 20 minutes. To finish off the fire so that you can warm water you simply add a metal grid, or a stove metal mount.

Tutorial Five: The single-pot rocket stove

For those looking for a rocket stove that can accommodate a large vat or liquid with ease, this single-pot rocket stove tutorial is perfect. What’s more, with materials that should be readily available, and a design that is based upon an insulated rocket reflow combustion chamber to increase combustion and reduce smoke, this is one tutorial that features easily sourced materials, easy to follow instructions and a stove that provides superior performance.

It has much in common with many of the other tutorials that you’ll find here however, as only the tips of the wood burn, thus allowing for optimal performance. So then, now that you’re sold on the idea, let’s get started.

What you’ll need

Sheet metal or a 5 litre metal can
Water, Clay, Sawdust – To make the light weight bricks required for the inner structure
Wooden Mold
One reasonably sized clay brick
Vermiculite or perlite
Cement

The single-pot rocket stove: Step by Step

Step One – Create your light weight bricks from the Water, Clay and Sawdust

The light weight bricks that make up the inner combustible stove are perfect for a rocket stove as they have better draft and higher combustion temperatures, which decreases the emission from burning biomass.

To make them you mix the clay and sawdust first, kneading the sawdust and clay together; once well mixed add in the water gradually and continue to mix the ingredients. You should stop adding water when the consistency is rough, relatively stiff and without lumps.

The recipe will need to be fine-tuned as according to the sawdust that you are using. However generally speaking the following measurements tend to work well with most sawdust types.

500g Sawdust
1200g Water
900g Clay

The bricks should be fired at around 1000 Celsius, which should create bricks with an optimum density of 0.6g/cc (perfect for our purposes, and at this density the bricks themselves will float in water).

You will need to create a wooden mould to shape your bricks (and wet the wood so that they slip out of the bottom easily). The brick is removed later once the consistency has hardened.

Step Two – Create the combustion chamber

Once all of your bricks are ready it’s time to begin work on the combustion chamber. This should begin by two clay bricks being placed adjacent to one another, with a normal, heavier brick between them placed at what will be the back of the chamber. This creates a ‘U’ shape.

Build up the chamber from here by adding three levels of brick total with no openings (this brings your chamber to around 30cm high).

Step Three – Add the cylinder by placing it over the combustion chamber

The sheet metal cylinder has a square hole cut into the bottom, do that it lines up with the entrance of the combustion chamber. For now you can temporarily fill up the cylinder’s entrance with a brick.

Step Four – Add the cement between the cylinder and the combustion camber

Fill up your cylinder with cement, leaving the middle section within the combustion chamber open.

Step Five – Add three metal bars in a triangle shape

Adding three metal bars into your cylinder can serve as a built in pot rest. To make these secure you can drill six holes in total into the cylinder, ready to accept the melt bars. This metal to metal contact upon which your pot will be placed additionally benefits from the natural convection of the sheet metal. Just be sure to leave a 12mm gap between the metal bars and the combustion chamber.

Step Six – Consider a pot skirt for super quick cooking

To make your rocket stove even more efficient you can add a stove skirt, which simple lengthens the height of the metal cylinder, allowing for the heat to run past the sides of the pot.

Tutorial Six: Rocket Stove For Indoor Heating

(There is no video for this rocket stove, but click here is the original blog post with full instructions.)

This final tutorial is for those who may be more advanced with DIY skills, as well as being pretty handy with a welding torch. It creates an impressive indoor rocket stove that looks more akin to a home heating system.

What you’ll need

An old electric hot water tank (or, for an easy life you may consider using a steel drum)
3″ diameter steel pipe
4″x4″ square tubing
Flat steel plate

* All of the above each had around 1/8″ wall thickness, which may be thicker than necessary.

Flexible Aluminium tubing (e.g. dryer ducking)

The ultimate rocket stove for indoor heating: Step by Step

Step One – Attach the dryer ducting to a chimney for testing purposes

Step Two – Cut the water tank tube so it is able to accept the combusted chamber and chimney

The chimney should already have a square end that is welded on, which will be the part inserted into the hot water tank

Step Three – Weld the chimney into the inside of the hot water tank

Before being able to do this, you’ll obviously need to cut the end off of the tank. You can also place a block of wood underneath the chimney to keep it in place for welding.

Step Four – Once the welding is complete and cooled you can spray your tank

If you do spray your tank use black, as this absorbs and retains heat better. You should also ensure that you’re using a high heat performance spray paint.

Step Five – Weld the lid back on

You can cover over any messy welding with a nice silver sheet metal ring.

Step Six – Attach the dryer ducting to the square that now juts out from the tank

Step Seven – You may finally want to think about adding a vented removable screen to the end of the combustion chamber

This will stop any sparks from flying off of the wood and into your room (this step is actually pretty essential).

If you enjoyed this post, you might be interested in our rocket mass heater post too!

(Image from: wsssst)

5 Moonshine Recipes You’ll Be Over-The-Moon About!

July 8, 2015

So you’re looking for some moonshine recipes? That’s quite understandable as there are few things as enjoyable as creating the perfect moonshine, particularly when you’ve waited for the mash to ripen into something truly delicious. What’s more, with so many moonshine recipes out there, you can be spoilt for choice as to what to create next. With this in mind, we’ve collated some of our favourite recipes. Happy mashing people!

Important note: Distilling alcohol is illegal in the US unless you have a fuel alcohol or a distilled spirit plant permit. Be sure to review your state/country laws on distilling alcohol.

Moonshine Recipes

Southern Whiskey Moonshine Recipe

This special moonshine has the distinct taste of the south and makes for a real kicker for those looking for something more potent.

Ingredients that you’ll need

¼ of Corn syrup (per 1 1/2 gallons of water)
Water
One cup of honey (per every ten gallon batch)
1 – 3 ozs yeast (per ten gallons of mash)

Equipment that you’ll need

Sauce pan
Hydrometer
Food safe fermentation bucket

Southern Whiskey moonshine: Step by step

Step One – Add between 1 and 3 ounces of yeast for every ten gallon batch

Step Two – Heat up around a quarter of your water and then stir in the corn syrup, followed by the honey

You’re aiming for heat of between 120 and 130 degrees (a temperature which will melt your corn syrup).

Step Three – Pour the mixture into the fermenter and finish with cool water, until it reaches 80 degrees.

Step Four – Take a hydrometer reading

To give you an idea about this, you should have had a reading of about 60 to 65, and you shouldn’t exceed a reading of 70.

Step Five – Add in your yeast (being sure to read the instructions on the packet)

Step Six – Leave for between 6 and 14 days for fermentation to take place – then you’re ready to serve.

How To Make Apple Pie Moonshine Recipe Infographic

How To Make Apple Pie Moonshine Recipe

This recipe has to be one of the most popular around and there are all sorts of variations on it; however, this seems to be one of the most common moonshine recipes (although you’re free to experiment as you wish with the various flavours).

Oh, and did we mention that this particular recipe is ready within 1 hour and 10 minutes? Making it perfect for those who get a little impatient awaiting fruit fermentation.

Ingredients that you’ll need

2 Cups of white sugar
2 Cups of brown sugar
1 Gallon of apple juice
4 Cinnamon sticks, or more to taste
1 Pinch apple pie spice
1 (750 ml) bottle 190 proof grain alcohol
1 Gallon apple cider
1 (750 ml) bottle vodka

Equipment that you’ll need

Large pot for the stove
Glass jars

Apple Pie moonshine: Step by step

Step One – Mix together the apple juice, apple cider, white sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon sticks, placing them all into a large pot upon the stove. You should bring this almost to boiling point.

Then, cover the pot with a lid and allow the mixture to simmer for approximately 1 hour before removing it from the stove and leaving it to cooling completely down.

Step Two – Add the grain alcohol and vodka syrup to the mix and stir. At this point you can also remove the cinnamon sticks.

Step Three- Serve up!

That’s all there is to it, you can now serve this up into glass jars or bottles and enjoy the fruits of your labour!

Store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to drink it. I think apple pie is the king of all moonshine recipes, but that’s my personal preference!

The best image I could find to represent the Black Beard’s moonshine recipe…

How To Make Black Beard’s Rum Moonshine Recipe

This is one of the best moonshine recipes for the rum lovers, although you do need to be a little patient with it as it can take up to 14 days to ferment.

Ingredients that you’ll need

2 Pounds of brown sugar (for each gallon of water)
1 Cup of honey (for every ten gallon batch of the mixture)
Water
1 – 3 ozs yeast (per ten gallons of match)

Equipment that you’ll need

Sauce pan
Hydrometer
Food safe fermentation bucket

Black Beard’s Rum moonshine: Step by step

Step One – Begin by heating up a quarter of your water to around 120 degrees

At this point it will be hot enough to melt the sugar, so add this in and stir. After the sugar, you can add the honey.

Step Two – Pour the mix into your fermenter

Add cool water, according to the measurements above, to cool the mixture to 80 degrees.

Step Three – Take a hydrometer reading and adjust if necessary

To give you an idea about this you should have had a reading of about 90, and you shouldn’t exceed a reading of 100.

Step Four – Add your yeast into the mix as per the packet instructions

Step Five – Leave for between 6 and 14 days to ferment, then serve.

Watermelon-peach moonshine brandy – oh yeah!

How To Make Watermelon-Peach Moonshine Brandy Recipe

Coming in at a five week fermentation time, this moonshine recipe is the longest of the moonshine recipes listed here. However, with the sweetness of a watermelon, the bitterness of the lime, and an alcohol punch to finish, this is one moonshine recipe that is well worth waiting for.

Ingredients that you’ll need

1 ¼ of a large watermelon
1 ¼ Cup chopped golden raisins
15 limes (you’ll need these to be juiced as we aren’t using the pulp or the zest)
25 Cups of sugar
Water (to make 5 gallons)
Either wine or distillers yeast
10 peaches

Equipment that you’ll need

Sauce pan
Hydrometer
Food safe fermentation bucket
Large bowl

Watermelon-peach moonshine brandy: Step by step

Step One – Juice the watermelons and peaches

You should save the leftover pulp in a sauce pan.

Step Two – Boil up the pulp with five quarts of water for around 30 minutes

Once boiled, strain off the pulp and then add water to the extracted juice.

Step Three – Cool your mixture down to around lukewarm temperature

You should then add in the water to make up a five gallon mix in total.

Step Four – Add in the remaining ingredients, asides from the yeast, to the fermentation bucket

Cover over the mix with a cloth and leave to stand for 24 hours.

Step Five – After 24 hours add in the yeast

Step Six – Stir the mixture daily over the course of a week and strain off the raisins

Step Seven – Add a fermenting trap and leave to rest for 4 weeks before serving.

How To Make Rye Whiskey Moonshine Recipe

Ingredients that you’ll need

7 pounds of Rye
2 Pounds of Barley
1 Pound of Malt
6 Gallons of water
1 oz of Yeast
1 gram of ammonium-floride

Equipment that you’ll need

Sauce pan
Food safe fermentation device
Large bowl
Pillowcase

Rye Whiskey moonshine: Step by step

Step One – Heat the water to 70 degrees, then mix in the malt and the grain

Step Two – Stir the mixture, slowly raising the temperature by approximately 5 degrees every 2 minutes, until it reaches 160 degrees

Step Three –Keeping the mixture at 160 degrees, stir it constantly for 2 to 3 hours. This will convert the starch into fermentable sugar and dextrin

Step Four – Filter off the liquid, place it into your fermentation device, and allow it to cool to between 70 and 80 degrees

Step Five – Once the mixture has cooled, add 3 grams of yeast followed by 1 gram of ammonium-floride to prevent secondary fermentation. Stir the liquid for 1 minute, then cover and seal with an airlock.

Step Six – Leave for 5 – 7 days to ferment, then pour in to a container, filtering through a pillowcase to remove any remaining solids.

You’re going to need lots of strawberries to make this strawberry moonshine recipe!

How To Make Strawberry Moonshine Recipe

Strawberries are one of the first fruits to ripen during the summer months, so it only seems right that there should be plenty of moonshine recipes made from them. So, here’s a quick and easy moonshine recipe that is deliciously sweet (you’ll need to pay attention to the instructions however, as otherwise you could just end up with one large mushy strawberry mess on your hands!).

Ingredients that you’ll need

1 to 3 pounds of Cane sugar
2 Packets of bread yeast
20 pounds of Strawberries
1.5 pounds of Raisins

Equipment that you’ll need

1 Airlock
Cutting Board and knife
Blender
Funnel
Large auto-siphon (this really needs to be a minimum 1/2″ tube)
Copper immersion chiller
Hotplate
Large stock pot
Large spoon or paddle
2 Fermentation buckets (obviously these need to be food safe)
Mesh strainer
Refractometer
Thermometer

Strawberry moonshine: Step by step

Step One – Rinse off all of your strawberries.

It’s advisable that you use a high pressure hose for this, as it can knock away wild yeast and bacteria which can otherwise taint the taste of the moonshine.

Step Two – Cut all of the tops off the strawberries and throw them away.

Be careful not to miss any of the leaves as these will make the moonshine taste bitter.

Step Three – Check your strawberry batches carefully for any mouldy or rotten fruit. If you find any, discard them straight away as they could contaminate the mash

Step Four – Use only the strawberries that are ripe and un-ruined.

Place them into a blender and create a puree by lightly blending them together. You should take care not to blend them too much however as you don’t want a consistency that is too thin and difficult to separate.

Step Five – Add in your raisins and blend them until they are within the mixture.

Step Six – Pour your mixture into a sanitized bucket (it makes things a lot easier if you use one with a scale on the side)

Step Seven – Once you’ve mixed all of your strawberries and have a total of 2.5 gallons of puree, you can transfer it over to a stainless steel boil kettle.

Step Eight – Mix in 3 gallons of water, making the mixture up to a total of 5.5 gallons.

Step Nine – Use your brix refractometer

To determine the alcohol content of the mixture, you should take a brix reading. To do this, use a small pipette to suck up some of the mixture, this is then placed on a glass plate on the Brix refractometer. You finally view the reading by looking into the contraption’s sight.

Step Ten – Knowing your ideal alcohol measurements

You should really look towards an 8% reading, going any higher than this can result in moonshine that tastes too yeasty. However as this leads to a relatively low gravity reading (where low is considered as less than 15 brix / 1.061 Gravity) cane sugar will need to be added to sweeten the mix.

Step Eleven – If necessary add the cane sugar

For this amount of mixture a measures of 4 pounds of cane sugar should sweeten the moonshine up.

Step Twelve – Stir the mixture once more and take a brix reading to ensure that the gravity has come down

You should now be aiming for a Brix reading of 14 and a gravity reading of 1.055.

Step Thirteen – Cover over and heat to 160 degrees Fahrenheit

Step Fourteen – Cool the mixture down in an immersion chiller

Step Fifteen – When waiting for the mixture to cool you can begin to make the yeast

Use the instructions on your yeast packet for guidance

Step Sixteen – Once cooled to 70 degree Fahrenheit move the mix to your fermentation bucket and add the yeast

Step Seventeen – Cover over and add an air lock.

The temperature where your bucket is stored should be around 70 degrees, leaving it for around a week.

Step Eighteen – Siphon off your mix and run it through a strainer

In doing so you can separate the pulp out and throw it away. You should then add only the strained juice to the still, ignoring any settled yeast that may have formed at the bottom of the barrel.

Step Nineteen – Undertake a spirit run

Distil the product from the stripping run, you should use a low heat for this and run the distiller at a slow rate (this should result in the mixture dripping rather flowing). To ensure this goes as it should you should create at minimum 200 ml fore shots cut, and healthy heads and tails cuts, being sure to save only the best part of the middle of the run for the hearts.

Step Twenty – Serve up!

Serve up your moonshine in glasses filled with fresh, chopped strawberries!

(Images from: Dominic Lockyer, Adam Barhan, Harsha K R & Pixabay)

Protect Your Farm Or Homestead With Barn Cats

May 9, 2015

For thousands of years, our feline friends have made their mark within civilization. Whether revered as mystical creatures or adored for their fun-loving attitudes, there’s no denying the importance of cats in one fashion or another. However, as you set out to cultivate a successful homestead you may be surprised these four-legged family members provide more than hours of entertainment. In fact, these common household pets directly influence the success of many homesteads throughout the world.

As you’ve likely already discovered, many rural environments are inhabited by rats, field mice, moles, ground squirrels and many other rodents capable of completely ruining gardens, livestock feed and your own food stores. Along with wrecking havoc on the productivity of your garden, many rodents carry disease within their fecal matter, which can prove disastrous for your family’s health or the vitality of your livestock. Therefore, one of the most important steps in fostering a healthy and fruitful homestead is reducing the proliferation of these pests.

Rodent Control Without Harmful Chemicals

One of the most popular methods of eliminating rodents is through poisonings and other toxic chemicals. With its effectiveness comes real danger. From accidental livestock poisoning to introducing inorganic compounds into the environment, commercial rodent control methods are costly and environmentally harmful.

A Natural – And Adorable – Pest Control Method

Instead of relying on the aforementioned compounds and chemicals, the most effective way to keep the rodent population throughout your homestead under control is through barn cats. While you may think barn cats are a special breed of felines, they can be almost any domesticated cat. The best part? Barn cats are practically self-sufficient. Many thrive on eating the rodents they kill and enjoy a happy life as they’re capable of connecting with their instincts.

Tips for Raising Barn Cats

The following five tips are fundamental tips to raising healthy and happy barn cats:

It Starts With a Kitten – When it comes to barn cats, it’s important to cultivate a deep bond to ensure they do not wander away. Therefore, many homesteading professionals recommend raising them from kittens.
Mamma Barn Cat – While some cats have stronger instincts than others, the most successful barn cats are born and partially raised by a mother barn cat. If you can, connect with a local farmer or other homesteader for a genuine barn cat. If not, you may end up with lazy housecats who simply enjoy the freedom of sleeping in piles of hay.
Foster Their Boundaries – During the first several weeks, make sure to keep the cats in a secured area. Keep a litter box and food in their sleeping quarters to secure this area as their home. After several weeks of being secured in a barn stall, they’ll know where home is.
Feed Your Cats – While some cats live solely off their prey, do not allow this to be their sole food source. Provide your cats with food each day. This ensures they remain healthy while further solidifying their home boundaries.
Maintain Cat Health – Do not simply throw a few cats in a barn and call it a day. Make sure to vaccinate all cats, especially for rabies. Barn cats should be dewormed and taken to the vet every few months to ensure they’re healthy and happy. Additionally to keep your cats flea free, see our post on flea home remedies.