Past Tulare Tips

Tulare SD TipsLink to Current Month’s Tulare SD Tips

June Tulare Tips

Local channels for the Tulare SD area via internet! Works on phone, laptop, or pc. If you don’t have cable or your satellite or cable TV package doesn’t include local channels, you can access them through the internet. Locast.org is a non-profit that can provide channels like KELO, KSFY, KDLT, PBS Kids, SDPB, and several other channels via their app. Search Locast.org in your app store including Roku channels and Amazon app store. You do need to create a login. Once installed and opened, you can go to cities and change from Sioux Falls to Rapid City in case you are looking for West River weather, news, or sports info. Use the same login for other devices.

For Roku users: Go to Streaming Channels (on left, up 2 buttons from Home) then arrow to the right and select Search Channels and install locast.org which will require to enter an email address and to create a password. Be sure not to use a password that is used for anything else! Write it down and leave by TV for a while. Maybe move the Locast.org channel up to where your most popular Roku channels are.

Heads up: Since locast.org is a non-profit, they can only exist through donations. They suggest a $5 donation per month to help them stay in existence, but comes out to $5.50. If you do not signup for the monthly $5.50 payment, there will be occasional reminders at random times that donations are needed. These reminders could happen during a program you are watching, so can be a problem. Once you see a reminder, you will have to manually go back to your channel from the channel guide to return to what you were watching. Maybe try it for a month to see quality and content and put up with the reminders, then decide if the access is worth a monthly donation of $5.50. It is best to setup $5.50 monthly payments rather than pay a larger amount thinking it will cover several months. Billing will show Sports Fans Coalition. It is a new feature for Tulare South Dakota people, so let us know if you see any problems via our Tulare.town Contact page.

March Tulare Tip:

This Tulare Tip affects everyone in Tulare SD in one way or another.

Wondering what our South Dakota legislature worked on for 2019? Here is a link to all the House and Senate bills and resolutions. Each bill will have a brief description. You can click the link next to the individual bill to see its detailed wording and legislative actions. 2019 South Dakota Legislative Bills

Once you go to a bill’s page, you will see the legislative actions on the bill with dates. If reading this after March 29, 2019, you can look at the last item to see if the Governor signed it into law.

To see the bill’s detailed wording: Scroll to the bottom of the bill page and click Enrolled under the HTML version. If there is not an Enrolled option, the bill may not have been passed along the way. You can read the initial bill wording by clicking Printed.

Watch legislators in action. You can watch hour long recaps for each week’s South Dakota legislative session on SDPB Statehouse. 2019 is considered Season 37. Normally there are 8 or 9 recaps in a season.

July Tulare Tip:

New South Dakota Laws as of July 1st 2018! Use this State of South Dakota link to see what was signed into law. Most go into effect July 1st.

Watch Tulare Venture cable on your computer from anywhere there’s internet!
Follow these simple registration instructions from this link. You will need your Venture account number and last name on account when setting up your login for WatchTVAnywhere. Depending on the channel, you may have to login a second time (once at WatchTVAnywhere.com and again on the channel site. Some people tell their browser to remember this login, so it is easy to enter when needed. If you are using an internet TV device such as Roku, you may need to follow the instructions on your tv screen that will tell you to go to the channel website and enter the code you see on the tv, then it will ask you for the login. Some channels will require that you update the login once per month.

Program your Tulare Venture TV remote!  Follow these pdf instructions on Venture’s site.

Tulare Venture TV Schedule! Venture TV in Tulare You may want to use the Customize Your Listings link at the top of the page, but it may be able to detect your location automatically. Choose the Venture Comm Gettysburg Digital option.

Does the South Dakota State Treasurer Owe you Money Tip: Use this link or visit sdtreasurer.gov to check if you or a relative are on the list! Usually you can just enter a last name without the town or zipcode, then read through the names and locations to find yourself or a relative. You should be able to recognize the past address and probably the company the money is from. You may have to look at more than one screen of results or change the number of results to display. Property can range from small to large, but will show if under or over $100. There are instructions for submitting a claim. If you have lived in another state, you may want to check that state too! You can use unclaimed.org to search any state. You may also want to look at some of the tools on this usa.gov web page for bonds purchased after 1974, tax refunds, pension funds, bank failures, SEC investor repayment, FHA mortgage insurance refunds, and Dept. of Labor unpaid wages. Always beware of scammers that require money to process your claim! The government will not call you. Always make sure you are on a legitimate website! For example, before proceeding with a claim revisit the website by typing in sdtreasurer.gov or unclaimed.org instead of using a link or Google search link. Always be careful offering personal information until you know for sure who you are talking to!

Have An Idea For This Page or Website? Use the Tulare.Town page on the menu to send us a suggestion. We can even setup a new individual block for your local organization or business for free! Tulare.town had 905 devices in the last 12 months viewing this local information!  If the info will regularly change, we can give a login to easily change your block as often as you like. We also need help watching for links that do not work! Use the same page above to let us know.

March Tulare Tip:

Here is a tip about Tulare SD’s most intelligent pheasant.  Tulare's Smartest Pheasant

He can read your thoughts !

What, you don’t believe that ?

  1. Choose a random two digit number (e.g. 28).
  2. Add the two digits (2+8=10).
  3. Subtract the result from the number (28-10=18).
  4. Remember the result (18).
  5. Continue

December Tulare Tip:

Weatherbird:  There are many different birds that can be seen in Tulare SD. Many are seasonal. One small bird that can be found in Tulare during the winter is the dark eyed junco. It is about the size of a sparrow. The male is gray to dark gray on the top half and white on the bottom. Females have more brown coloring and can be mistaken for a sparrow at a distance. It has been said that when the dark eyed juncos show up in quantities in the fall that winter is about to hit and stay. It is also known to be somewhat like a groundhog and predict spring when they leave Tulare. The dark eyed junco breeds in Canada, but migrates south to Tulare when winter approaches. The opposite happens in the spring.

Tulare SD

Before winter hits, a few early dark eyed juncos will hang out with sparrows and other small birds. They benefit from the other birds’ sentries that watch for danger. Although the dark eyed junco can be found at bird feeders around Tulare, they prefer to eat from the ground like bluejays, so will dive to the ground in groups after sparrows and other birds knock bird feed from the feeder to the ground.  

There are many different bird varieties that can be seen at bird feeders during December in Tulare and this part of South Dakota. There is probably a greater variety if you live on the edge of town, especially to the west. In the middle of town, it is common to see bluejays, house finches, common redpolls, house sparrows, white breasted nuthatches, pine siskins, American goldfinches, downy woodpeckers, hairy woodpeckers, red shafted northern flickers, black and white warblers, and many other varieties near a bird feeder. Sometimes the grackle that looks like a blackbird will invade Tulare in quantities as early as December.

Update: Now into February, only a few junkos have been seen at the bird feeder. The smaller quantity this year could be for different reasons. North of us may have had a more mild winter overall than normal. We have had less snowfall, so the junkos are able to feed in fields, but are here. They may have just missed the Tulare SD bird feeders this winter, but are in the area. Or overall, we are having a more mild winter for snowfall and temperature. Watch the quantity of dark eyed junkos every winter to see if they are really weatherbirds!

May Tulare Tip:

Topic almost as controversial as politics and religion:  There are many different perspectives when it comes to lawn-care and dealing with weeds! Most of it is probably affected by ability, time available, and priorities. Some mow down to the dirt to keep weeds from being seen. Some use herbicides or weed and feed (which might be harmful to pregnancies and young children). Some think the weeds and grass just need mowed, because the lawn will look good at a distance for a couple days. Some use all sorts of lawn chemicals and water, water, water. Here is another popular view:

Many believe the goal is to get grass roots as deep as possible. Deep grass roots reduce the need for water between rains because grass can reach water further down. Deep grass roots create a healthy lawn to naturally squeeze out weeds.

Once again, there are differing opinions to get deep grass roots. Probably the most popular opinion is to set the mower height to allow taller grass, so there is more leaf to benefit from photosynthesis and less soil compaction, which promotes and maintains deeper roots. As temps get hotter and less frequent rain, then adjust the height up a notch to be even taller. Some use winter fertilizer in the fall right before winter so the roots are deep before going dormant, which will give the roots an extra head start the next spring. Some water in the spring to get the roots established if there isn’t regular spring rains. Some use a touted super grass seed designed for South Dakota that naturally develops deep roots.

Will lawn products still need to be used with deep grass roots? Possibly. The winter fertilizer used in the fall might be needed to get deep roots more established. If the lawn is allowed to get overgrown or has been extremely short, some types of weeds can get established. If not digging weeds, a weed and feed might be needed to give the grass a chance to crowd out the weeds. An expensive crab grass preventer might have to be used in early spring if crab grass was seen the previous fall. If bagging grass year after year in South Dakota, fertilizer may be needed in the spring and fall.

General Tips:

  • If keeping grass at a taller height, rainy periods or vacations may allow the grass to get extremely tall. Don’t cut more than 1/3 of a grass blade off at a time to keep the grass healthy. It may take a couple mowings at incremental heights to get back down to the desired height. First use a high setting, then a second mowing back at the normal height a day or two later. Using incremented steps with very tall grass will also allow faster mowing, prevent mower clogging, and prevent grass clumps that kill grass. For push mowers with tall grass, two mowings will take the same time as a single lower setting mowing, plus less energy.
  • Cutting down to the crown near the soil will kill the grass, so re-seeding will be necessary!
  • Keep mower blade sharp so the grass is not torn. Grass will look greener with a sharp blade.
  • Change directions when moving so the grass doesn’t get trained to lean. You may have to do the perimeter the same direction each time, but alternate the rest of the yard. Upright grass blades will have more photosynthesis benefits.
  • A light watering right after mowing will make the lawn temporarily look nicer for company or a bbq. It is also good to water lightly afterward if you mowed when humidity is extremely low. Avoid watering when there is direct hot weather sunlight on the grass though.
  • If using fertilizer, and especially weed and feed, apply in the early morning when there is dew so it sticks to grass. Otherwise, lightly water first.
  • Water in the early morning to prevent disease or water burns. Night watering allows the water to stay on the grass blade too long. A hot weather sun can be magnified through water droplets.
  • Fall is usually the best time to re-seed.
  • Larger pets may require regular lawn watering to dilute the nitrate burns. If you have a pet, it is good to understand pet safety and lawn care. Make sure to read labels on lawn care products!

February Tulare Tip:

Does the South Dakota State Treasurer Owe you Money Tip: Almost $400 million is being held by the State Treasurer’s Unclaimed Property Division. Use this link or visit sdtreasurer.gov to check if you or a relative are on the list! Usually you can just enter a last name without the town or zipcode, then read through the names and locations to find yourself or a relative. You should be able to recognize the past address and probably the company the money is from. You may have to look at more than one screen of results or change the number of results to display. Property can range from small to large, but will show if under or over $100. There are instructions for submitting a claim.

If you have lived in another state, you may want to check that state too! You can use unclaimed.org to search any state.

You may also want to look at some of the tools on this usa.gov website for bonds purchased after 1974, tax refunds, pension funds, bank failures, SEC investor repayment, FHA mortgage insurance refunds, and Dept. of Labor unpaid wages.

Always beware of scammers that require money to process your claim! The government will not call you. Always make sure you are on a legitimate website! For example, before proceeding with a claim revisit the website by typing in sdtreasurer.gov or unclaimed.org instead of using a link or Google search link. Always be careful offering personal information to prove who you are! 

November Tulare Tip:

Venture Cable TV Tip: If you have had Venture cable tv in Tulare for quite a while, chances are it was installed when you had an older tv. If you have since upgraded to a flat screen tv, you may find some channels, especially Fox channels, do not completely show the full content on the screen. For example if watching the Fox Sports channel, you might not be able to see the score box on the edge of the screen. Adjusting your flat screen tv settings does not help!

Here’s what you do: While your tv is on, press the Menu button on the Venture remote (not the tv remote). Arrow down to Settings, then arrow right to Display and press OK. Then arrow down to TV Type and if it says 4×3, that is your problem. Right arrow and it will change it to 16×9. Arrow down to Save and press OK. Done! You will now be able to see the cutoff info such as scores on Fox channels!

You will notice now if you use the Guide button on the Venture remote that you will see 5 rows of channel info instead of only 2-3 channels. If you happen to be at someone else’s house and notice they can only see 2-3 channels’ info when using their Guide button, they need to have their settings changed too.  

June Tulare Tip:

Mosquitoes around Tulare SD and Spink County: Along with spoiling your outdoor experience, mosquitoes are vectors for many diseases in the United States such as West Nile and Zika. Scratching bites can also lead to infection.

Newer research from Current Biology shows that mosquitoes detect the carbon dioxide (CO2) we exhale when they are further away (over 100 feet away). Once they get closer, they use vision to target the prey. Then within a few feet, they detect body heat. It would help us if we can mask the CO2, plus do things that make it harder for nearer mosquitoes to see us. There have been many theories and conjectures why mosquitoes pick on some people more than others. For example, some believe people with type A blood are less likely to have mosquitoes interested in the blood while people with type O are more likely. Some think drinking alcohol and wearing non-earth tone colors such as black and red attract mosquitoes. Some believe the individual scents that people carry, both natural and artificial, can attract or repel mosquitoes. Some of these theories may have some truth. Maybe some scents can mask the CO2. Maybe wearing earth tone colors helps hide us when they are closer.

How to protect yourself: Citronella candles and similar products may only work if you are almost sitting on the candle. Products such as Skin So Soft is reported to only work for 10 minutes. There has not been any scientific studies that show eating substances such as garlic and thiamine (B-1) will help, but have some benefit when used externally. Until recently, most people felt they needed an external Deet product to have the best protection, but along with being a skin irritant that should be washed off immediately when inside, Deet is still under scrutiny for other health problems. There are some good Deet-free products such as Coleman’s Skinsmart Deet-free Insect Repellent for $5-$10 that provides as good as Deet protection up to 8 hours from mosquitoes and ticks. Not all Deet-free products offer the same protection! A $25 bottle of permethrin can be sprayed on camping gear or up to four sets of outdoor clothing to repel and kill mosquitoes and ticks. It lasts up to a half dozen washings. Natural options: Many people feel using external creams or lotions that contain scents or oils from lemon eucalyptus, garlic, or vitamin B1 can give protection. Many people rub shea butter or a basil leaf on a bite to reduce itching and inflammation. Some people find relief from a bite within minutes by running a spoon under hot tap water, then press bottom of spoon against bite.

Protecting an area: The best portable solution is the $25 Thermacell device for 15 feet of protection. Using multiple devices can protect a larger picnic or backyard event. Butane and pad refills are needed for ongoing usage. Schedule activities that are near mosquito habitat (higher vegetation near water) for earlier in the day. If that cannot be done, maybe consider the Paul Harvey method (mentioned below) to prepare a picnic area, plus provide some personal protection products to people (mentioned above). Always point your tent or camper entrance toward the wind, because flying insects are attracted to the still air on the backside.

Protecting your yard: It makes the most sense to keep mosquitoes out of the range they can detect CO2. Most important, eliminate any standing water, even very small amounts like pet dishes, plant saucers, tires, tarp folds, uncovered boats, leaf piles, pop cans and anything that can catch sprinkler or rain water. It only takes a teaspoon of stagnant water! Use mosquito tablets called “dunks” for nearby ponds or ditches to kill larvae. Chemical products that are either granules or used with a water hose can be used for lawns, bushes, and gardens, but can kill butterflies and bees. Some products are extreme health hazards for the applicator if not following directions. A safer “green” option that doesn’t kill bees or butterflies is to use a garlic extract such as Mosquito Barrier mixed with water, then spray the yard and plants. Add canola oil if spraying standing water or ponds. A homemade solution mentioned years ago by Paul Harvey is to mix a large bottle of blue mouthwash, three cups of Epsom salt, and 36 ounces of stale beer, then spray the entire area where you want outdoor protection. It has been claimed to give several weeks of area protection from mosquitoes and other insects.

February Tulare Tip:

How did Tulare get its name? Charles (C.H.) Prior was the railroad superintendent for the region at the time of naming the community. This regional superintendent would have been involved in naming. A common theory is while riding the train to Tulare or while passing Tulare, Prior encountered two men entertaining the passengers with tall tales. He was so amused by the time he reached his destination, he decided to call the town site “Tulare” after the “two liars.”

Why further research is needed: Most, if not all, of the “railroad named” townships were named before there were even railroad lines. The naming normally occurred when platting (surveying/mapping). The story of the train ride where C.H. Prior overheard two liars while going by Tulare seems very unlikely. Naming of Tulare would have been more likely during the platting when Prior was evaluating the best town site locations. The “two liars” theory could still have been an influence to Prior, but would have been the platting crew instead of while on a train. Still, this leaves room to wonder if any of this particular theory is how Tulare got its name.

Many of the towns that were platted/planned were named for investors in the railroad (many with English Isles backgrounds) or related somehow to the railroad superintendent or president of the Milwaukee Railroad (Prior or Mitchell). For example, Alexander Mitchell was from Aberdeenshire Scotland. Charles C.H. Prior was from Woonsocket RI. G.W. Sanborn was the assistant superintendent. A theory that might break from the naming of other local towns/railroad sidings would be the terrain. At the time of platting Tulare, there wouldn’t have been as many trees, so the sloughs with cattails and tule would have seemed very thick around Tulare. A marsh with substantial tule was known as a “tulare”.

Extracts from Charles Prior’s diary are available at the Minnesota Historical Society Library in St. Paul. It might offer more insight about Tulare and the towns around us.

December Tulare Tip:

Many families have unique holiday food traditions. One popular tradition is oyster stew! It is an easy to fix, low cost addition to holiday festivities.

Needed:

  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • dash of hot pepper sauce
  • 1 pint shucked oysters or 2-3 cans of oysters undrained
  • 1/4 cup margarine or butter
  • 1 quart scalded milk
  • oyster crackers (or regular crackers if necessary)

Blend flour, seasonings, and 2 tablespoons water in a large pot (minimum of 3 quarts). Add undrained oysters and butter. Simmer over very low heat 3 to 4 minutes until edges of oysters curl. Stir very carefully to not break up oysters. Add hot milk. Remove from heat and cover. Let stand 15 minutes. Reheat briefly before serving. Top servings with butter. Have oyster crackers and pepper available.

Depending on how many oysters you like and how many you need to serve, you can increase the milk to 2-3  quarts and add a 3rd can of oysters. Scalded milk is prepared by putting in a separate pan and heated until it is JUST before it starts to boil (bubbles forms on top). Immediately remove from heat. Add hot milk when directed.

Often the milk pan needs soaked before cleaning to make it easier to remove scalded residue. Oyster stew is fantastic for leftovers. Just reheat until hot.

October Tulare Tip:

Climate Change In Our Homes: Since several energy crises over the last five decades, there has been a push by both the consumer and government to make our homes energy efficient. Everybody wants to reduce energy consumption to reduce utility bills and fossil fuel usage. However, the impact of this trend may have created a major health threat!

New homes are required to have much more insulation than ever before. New homes use energy efficient thermal windows. Older homes are improved with insulation and new windows. We as a nation are basically making our homes airtight! That may sound good, but the problem is that people are not educated to the effects of indoor pollution and toxins that can no longer escape.

Chemicals, mold spores, carbon monoxide, toxins from older building materials, radon, ozone, and many other bad things cannot escape the home as much as in the old days. A new phrase called “sick building syndrome” is becoming more common. There needs to be a two prong approach to fixing this problem. Educate young and old on how to prevent negative impacts to the home environment, plus implement methods to clean the air in the home.

There is not enough room to cover everything in this month’s tip, but here are a few issues to hopefully encourage further learning.

Cleaning the air: Most will approach it by focusing on fresh air intake and/or air filtration. For air filtration, people can focus on a couple different areas. People with forced air heat and air conditioning can focus on using better rated filters that are replaced more often. All types of homes consider air purifiers, but ones that use replaceable filters are more expensive to maintain. Many consider ionic air purifiers instead, but most of these produce ozone, which is one of the nastiest pollutants when in the air we breath. It is probably safer to buy the purifiers that require a replaceable HEPA rated filter until you can find an ionic purifier that doesn’t produce ozone. In quantities, ozone can cause chest pains, coughing, shortness of breath, throat irritation, and worsening of respiratory illnesses such as asthma and allergies. It can even cause lung damage, plus lower the ability to fight respiratory infections in healthy people. Another approach is to make sure the home uses an outside the home air intake for furnaces and air conditioners. This will cycle new outside air into the home. Most furnaces are installed for a cold air intake from outside the home, but is optional on most air conditioners.

Prevent Indoor Pollution: Since homes are more airtight than ever, it is important to understand what can cause problems.  There could be an untold number of situations where people or circumstances mix or burn chemicals in a house. For example, mixing ammonia with bleach might seem like a good idea to really clean a toilet in a small bathroom, but will produce deadly chlorimine vapor. A person might not even know they are mixing bleach with ammonia. For example, ammonia can be found at the bottom of diaper pails and cat litter boxes, so using a little bleach to soak either could create chloramine vapor. Mixing bleach with something that has acid in it can produce chlorine gas, which is also deadly. A person might not think about all the different things that are acids, so using bleach to sterilize when cleaning might seem like a good idea. For example, drain cleaners, toilet bowl cleaners, lime and calcium cleaners, vinegar, automatic dishwasher soaps are just a few things that have acid. At least these gas examples really smell bad, so people know they need fresh air. Breathing these gases even in small amounts might be bad for people with preexisting breathing problems. Bleach and other chemicals should be locked away from children until they are educated. Children might try to clean up an accident or impress Mom by helping with cleaning.

There are issues specific to South Dakota other than mold, carbon monoxide, and old building materials. Uranium and thorium eventually decay and form radium. When radium is exposed to oxygen, it becomes radon gas. Much of eastern South Dakota had glaciers go over it, which may be why eastern South Dakota is on the EPA radon map. We don’t have it as bad as Iowa and southeastern Pennsylvania, but can still be a problem almost anywhere in eastern South Dakota. PDF doc of South Dakota EPA radon information   Radon causes lung cancer and other problems. Radon can come up through the ground and enter houses through cracks in the foundation, especially basements. In eastern South Dakota, many low laying homes have sump pump holes in their basement to pump down the ground water level under the house. These are just holes in the basement floor to a small well. There is no barrier to ground gases. A person can get a onetime test kit or a more expensive ongoing short term and long term detector. The EPA considers an area high risk if equal or greater than 4 pCi/L. Different rooms in the house can vary. Different times of the year can also vary.

There is much to learn about this newer problem of airtight homes that is plaguing us. It is preventable through education. It will also cause an awareness of related issues. For example, most carbon monoxide deaths are not from furnaces, but from generators and lawn mowers. Knowing that might cause one to also be more careful in the garage or shed or how close to run equipment next to a home window, vent or door.

July Tulare Tip:

West Nile virus: Almost any species of bird can carry the virus. Normally, mosquitoes bite an infected bird, then bite a human afterward to transmit to the human. Symptoms usually appear 3-15 days after infection and last 3-4 days. The most common symptoms are fever, headache, malaise, other flu-like symptoms, and rarely serious meningitis type symptoms. Most infected people have no symptoms at all. Humans cannot infect another human, but there are rare exceptions. Historical data shows human infections spike in July through September.

CDC West Nile Symptoms  West Nile Activity

Mosquitoes around Tulare SD and Spink County: Newer research from Current Biology shows that mosquitoes detect the carbon dioxide (CO2) we exhale when they are further away (over 100 feet away). Once they get closer, they use vision to target the prey. Then within a few feet, they detect body heat. It would help us if we can mask the CO2, plus do things that make it harder for nearer mosquitoes to see us. There have been many theories and conjectures why mosquitoes pick on some people more than others. For example, some believe people with type A blood are less likely to have mosquitoes interested in the blood while people with type O are more likely. Some think drinking alcohol and wearing non-earth tone colors such as black and red attract mosquitoes. Some believe the individual scents that people carry, both natural and artificial, can attract or repel mosquitoes. Some of these theories may have some truth. Maybe some scents can mask the CO2. Maybe wearing earth tone colors helps hide us when they are closer.

How to protect yourself: Citronella candles and similar products may only work if you are almost sitting on the candle. Products such as Skin So Soft is reported to only work for 10 minutes. There has not been any scientific studies that show eating substances such as garlic and thiamine (B-1) will help, but have some benefit when used externally. Until recently, most people felt they needed an external Deet product to have the best protection, but along with being a skin irritant that should be washed off immediately when inside, Deet is still under scrutiny for other health problems. There are some good Deet-free products such as Coleman’s Skinsmart Deet-free Insect Repellent for $5-$10 that provides as good as Deet protection up to 8 hours from mosquitoes and ticks. Not all Deet-free products offer the same protection! A $25 bottle of permethrin can be sprayed on camping gear or up to four sets of outdoor clothing to repel and kill mosquitoes and ticks. It lasts up to a half dozen washings. Natural options: Many people feel using external creams or lotions that contain scents or oils from lemon eucalyptus, garlic, or vitamin B1 can give protection. Many people rub shea butter or a basil leaf on a bite to reduce itching and inflammation.

Protecting an area: The best portable solution is the $25 Thermacell device for 15 feet of protection. Using multiple devices can protect a larger picnic or backyard event. Butane and pad refills are needed for ongoing usage. Schedule activities that are near mosquito habitat (higher vegetation near water) for earlier in the day. If that cannot be done, maybe consider the Paul Harvey method (mentioned below) to prepare a picnic area, plus provide some personal protection products to people (mentioned above). Always point your tent or camper entrance toward the wind, because flying insects are attracted to the still air on the backside.

Protecting your yard: It makes the most sense to keep mosquitoes out of the range they can detect CO2. Most important, eliminate any standing water, even very small amounts like pet dishes, plant saucers, tires, tarp folds, uncovered boats, leaf piles, pop cans and anything that can catch sprinkler or rain water. It only takes a teaspoon of stagnant water! Use mosquito tablets called “dunks” for nearby ponds or ditches to kill larvae. Chemical products that are either granules or used with a water hose can be used for lawns, bushes, and gardens, but can kill butterflies and bees. Some products are extreme health hazards for the applicator if not following directions. A safer “green” option that doesn’t kill bees or butterflies is to use a garlic extract such as Mosquito Barrier mixed with water, then spray the yard and plants. Add canola oil if spraying standing water or ponds. A homemade solution mentioned years ago by Paul Harvey is to mix a large bottle of blue mouthwash, three cups of Epsom salt, and 36 ounces of stale beer, then spray the entire area where you want outdoor protection. It has been claimed to give several weeks of area protection from mosquitoes and other insects.

June Tulare Tip:

Garden secrets, safe weed killer, and pet spots!

Want larger pepper, tomato, and rose plants? Put a tablespoon of Epsom salt (magnesium) in a spray bottle with water, then squirt directly on the entire plant including leaves, flowers, and stem. This can be done every other week to double the size of plants, increase fruit, and improve taste. Larger stalks will support more fruit and keep them off the ground. Plants still need traditional fertilizer such as Miracle Grow.

Want something safer than Roundup? Mix two cups of Epsom salt with a gallon of vinegar, then add a half cup of liquid dish soap. Spray on weeds. Although it can damage grass if too much spray gets on the grass, this mixture works better than Roundup for spot killing weeds in a lawn, because it is less potent than Roundup. More Epsom salt tips for the garden. An alternative is to put a pinch of lawn weed and feed directly on the weed. The fertilizer will help the grass fill in where the weed was. Make sure to wash your hands!

Tomato fertilizer: Fertilizers such as regular Miracle Grow contain nitrogen. Nitrogen encourages leaf growth, which discourages fruit growth. Use a fertilizer low in nitrogen designed for tomatoes.

Pet spots? Pet spots are high nitrogen, especially from pets with protein in their diet. Normal lawn fertilizer can aggravate the problem. Seeds will not germinate in high nitrogen. Use a prepared product such as Revive or make your own organic fertilizer. Give pets plenty of water to dilute the nitrogen.

Other summer tips: Lawn Care

May Tulare Tip:

Flying somewhere? Check out our Airfare Tips page! Point to the black Go To button on the very top-right of the page and click Airfare Tips. Specific tips, information, and tools for people in the Tulare SD area. For example, Huron to Denver usually costs less than Aberdeen to Denver.

April Tulare Tip:

Watch Venture cable on your computer from anywhere there’s internet!
Follow these simple registration instructions from this link. You will need your Venture account number and last name on account.
Then just login at watchtveverywhere.com from wherever you are!
Depending on the channel, you may have to login a second time at the channel site with the login you created.

March Tulare Tip:

Want to see what to expect for rainfall for your exact location when a system approaches? If there is a thunderstorm or tornado warning, see how close it is to your exact location. Use our Tulare SD Nexrad Tutorial page to learn how to use the Nexrad link in the Tulare SD Top Info section! You can also get to the tutorial by pointing to the black Go To button on the top-right, then click Tulare SD Nexrad Tutorial.

Link to Current Month’s Tulare SD Tips


Too small of text? Firefox or IE: Ctrl and + (also use Ctrl and -)  Chrome: click 3 bar settings button on top-right, then + the zoom.