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PRINTPutting plastic snakes to work
Snakes will never be a girl’s best friend, but they can help in the garden and other places. Just consider:
- A plastic (yet realistic) snake placed in the garden can scare away rabbits and birds much better than a scarecrow.
- Plastic snakes can be hung from the blueberry bush to keep the birds and other animals away.
- Plastic snakes can be placed on the windshield of your car to keep the birds at bay.
A real snake also has its uses. It can prevent the rodent population from escalating. But it’s also a good way to lose eggs and baby chicks, which snakes enjoy eating. Snakes also can be dangerous.
So you may want to consider pouring a ring of powdered lime around the permiter of the hen house or swimming pool, to keep the snakes from crossing.
Deborah S. Tukua is longtime Farmers' Almanac contrubutor and published author. Her stories "Coffee and Alcohol: Good or Bad for You?" and "Learn How to Can and Freeze" are featured in the 2012 Farmers' Almanac. Read her natural health and wellness blog at Chiropractors' Write Hand.Gardening by the Moon
Favorable Days For Planting Root Crops. Fine For Sowing Grains, Hay, And Forage Crops. Plant Flowers.
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If you notice a hole in the upper left-hand corner of your Farmers' Almanac, don't return it to the store! That hole isn't a defect; it's a part of history. Starting with the first edition of the Farmers' Almanac in 1818, readers used to nail holes into the corners to hang it up in their homes, barns, and outhouses (to provide both reading material and toilet paper). In 1910, the Almanac's publishers began pre-drilling holes in the corners to make it even easier for readers to keep all of that invaluable information (and paper) handy.