Decorative Concrete | Creative Ideas | Concrete Decorating
In the past few years, decorative concrete in the form of stamped, stained, etched, stenciled, engraved, and other ways, has begun to be the norm instead of the exception. And as it becomes more common, it is becoming more affordable. Because of some of the preparation and application methods, it will most probably always cost more than plain gray concrete. However, within a few years, it should be within reach of most budgets.
There are quite a few decorative concrete projects and applications that can be considered as do it yourself projects. Some really are quite simple. However, some applications that require special tools and materials and large jobs will probably be best left to professionals.
For the home owner and do it yourselfer, stamping concrete may be difficult in some areas as you would have to rent or borrow stamps and tools. It’s not practical to buy a set for one or two projects. Our own quality stamp sets cost an average of $2000.00 a set.
To help you get some ideas and instructions in the area of decorative concrete, I’ve added a good list of some of the better ideas and how to videos in the video directory. See Decorative Concrete Ideas And Videos.
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Brown Recluse Spiders
About Brown Recluses
It is that time of the year when we pull out winter clothes from storage or
the back of the closet. Make sure you shake them out and invert the sleeves
just in case a critter has taken up residence while it was stored. We have
large diverse populations of spiders in the southwest. Most of which are
beneficial in controlling undesirable insects or are just minding their own
business trying to make a living every day. All spiders are predatory
animals and have mouth parts equipped with hollow fangs and venom glands.
The venom of most spiders is mildly toxic to man causing a rash or red spot.
Unless you are sensitive to this venom protein in which case any bite can be
of concern. However there are three spiders in our valley from which a bit
can be quite serious. Black widow produces a neurotoxin and two species of
brown recluse produce venom that is hemolytic (Flesh killing).
Most people are aware of black widow so I will not go into
detail on them. I do not know who it is in town that is telling people that
we do not have brown recluse spiders, but they are wrong. In 1990 I sent 4
specimens to the USDA laboratory in Beltsville Maryland and three were true
brown recluse and one was an Arizona recluse a close relative to the brown,
the venom is the same only differing in volume so it is purely academic.
The USDA laboratory notes that there are 6 species of Loxosceles in the
southwest.
The recluse spider family can be distinguished from all other
spiders by the following characteristics: The body of the adult is about 9
mm long or a little bigger then a ¼ of an inch almost a 1/3. The leg span
can be 25 mm or about the size of a quarter dollar. They are tan to brown
and there is a distinctive violin-shaped darker marking on the thorax with
the base of the violin being the head, and the neck point to rear. Recluse
has three pairs of eyes on the base of the violin; this can be difficult to
see without magnification. Other spiders have four pairs of eyes.
By nature recluse spiders do not like being out in the open
hence the name recluse. They are found under rocks, scraps of wood etc in
the wild. They also occupy dark places in building in dry habitats, may be
brought in to homes in firewood, boxes that have been in storage or other
items. In their normal habitat they spin a coarse, sticky, irregular web of
very white silk, on which they are normal found in the day time. They
forage at night in search of prey and many people are envenomed (bitten) at
night.
All species of Loxosceles are seriously venomous to humans. In
1979 Dr. Cazier forced a recluse to bite him on the arm and noted the
results, I am not that dictated to science. There are three major components
of the venom and volume for volume, this venom is much more toxic then that
of the most poisonous snakes. The recluse is not an aggressive spider and
most bites have often been suffered when the spider is trapped inadvertently
between the skin and something else like the in the sleeve of a jacket. They may hide in folds of clothes, or bedding, and bite when the clothes are
donned or the bed occupied.
Most victims have been bitten when putting on
clothing in the morning, and the wounds are on the legs or arms. Little or
no pain is felt at the time of the bite, but pain and local swelling are
experienced in 2-8 hours. A blister forms at the bite, and this become a
center of swelling and redding in the form of a bull’s eye target. In the
next day or two the skin becomes discolored and darkened and a tough scab
may form by the end of the first week. When the scab separates within 2-5
weeks it leaves an ulcer with necrotic base. This is slow to heal,
requiring month to heal with heavy scarring. In severe cases (most are
mild) there may also be joint pain, vomiting, and a fever as high as 104 F
that occurs within 36 hours of the bite and last up to a week.
The bite of a recluse spider, while not usually life-threatening, may cause severe local
and occasionally systemic symptoms that require the sustained attention of a
physician. A neglected bite can result in disfiguration and possible renal
(kidney) failure. If you believe that you or someone else has been bitten
by a recluse spider, visit a physician as soon as possible for examination
and treatment of the bite. Try to find the spider for identification; do
not smash it up too bad. Recluses do not move a lot so you can often find
them in the same area where the bite occurred.
The best defense is Don’t get bitten!! Prevention includes thorough house
cleaning with special attention to dark corners, closets, and sheds and the
like. Shake those jacket out well and invert the sleeves before putting
them the first time, and check firewood piles before getting wood. There is
no reason for alarm at the presence of the recluse spider in your yard or
house, but it is only prudent to kill those you encounter and to eliminate
habitat near your house. Mechanical means (fly swatter or rolled up news
paper) is much more effective the any insecticide.
Eddy County Extension Service, New Mexico State University is an equal opportunity/affirmative
action employer and educator. All programs are available to everyone
regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, handicap, or national origin.
New Mexico State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Eddy
County Government Cooperating.
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POCKET GOPHER CONTROL
Do you have mysterious mounds showing up in your yard? Are you trees looking bad, and grass turning brown nearby. Are the holes in the mound plugged or open? If the holes are plugged you may have pocket gophers. Pocket gophers are burrowing rodents, which live almost entirely underground. They are well adapted to their underground existence, with stout forelegs and strong curved claws for digging. They have prominent, yellow teeth and large fur lined external cheek pouches in which food is carried.
A single gopher may have a burrow system 800 feet or longer and can cover an acre of land. The tunnels are 2 to 5 inches in diameter and 4 to 15 inches below surface. However when I replaced the irrigation pipe line in my field I found tunnels there were 10 feet or more deep. The gopher pushes soil from the burrow to the surface with it forefeet and chest, this forms a characteristic horseshoe shaped mound 8 to 24 inches in diameter and 6 inches high or so. The mounds are at short lateral tunnel which branches off the main runway and the surface opening is plugged by pushing dirt into it, resulting in a depression on one side of the mound. For gophers this is real important, the plug keeps out predators such as snakes. If the hole is open, you could have prairie dogs or ground squirrels and control methods are different. The gophers diet mainly consists of fleshy roots of various plants, including trees, but prefer potatoes, peanuts. They are known to pull green tops and seeds down into their burrows.
In some places and some conditions gophers are beneficial to the soil. One gopher can in one year move 2 1/2 tons of soil in a year. This process is damaging to cultivated farming and landscapes however..
Controlling pocket gophers should be conducted in the spring or the fall when gophers are most active near the surface. In the summer they are deeper due to the heat. There are two methods of control, Mechanical, or Chemical. The most common type of mechanical control is trapping. There are a number of different traps but the two most common are the Macabee, and DK-1 trap. I prefer the DK-1 trap. Both types are available at local feed stores and come with instructions. Success depends upon proper placement! Here are some suggestions:
Locate the newest mound or series of mounds.
Locate the main runway by probing the soil with a bluntly pointed probe, (Philips screw driver), 6-8 inches from the mound, on the side of the horseshoe depression. When the probe hits the runway the release of ground friction will be felt. Dig down with a trowel or shovel to locate the runway and place the traps. With a DK-1 trap leave the hole open and place the trap in the lateral. With the Macabee two traps must be placed facing both directions. The hole needs to be covered with this trap. Traps should be checked every hour or so.
Chemical control includes baits and fumigants.
If baiting with poison grain locate the main burrow as under mechanical control. Pre-bait with un-poisoned grain for a two-days or so then put in the poison grain. Care needs to be applied to make sure bait does not affect non-target animals such as pets, and other wildlife. Also I would avoid use of baits if Children are around. Fumigants include carbon monoxide gas cartridges if labeled for gophers. A number of manufactures have dropped their gopher label due to impact to endangered species. Other fumigants include Aluminum phosphide, which require a pesticide license.
Ultra sonic device are not legal for sale in New Mexico due to the lack of third party scientific evidence that they work. It is not illegal to use them in New Mexico, but it is illegal for them to be sold, or shipped into New Mexico. These products are considered pesticide under the New Mexico pest control act and as such are regulated by New Mexico Department of Agriculture. If the manufactures could produce scientific data for effectiveness they would be allowed.
I prefer DK-1 traps for gofer control it is safer and effective. I also like knowing for sure that I have this little underground terrorist.
For more information Contact your Local County Extension office. This and all programs are available to everyone regardless of age, color, disability, gender, national origin, race, religion, or veteran status. New Mexico State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Eddy County Government Cooperating “to put knowledge to work”.