6 Fire Safety Tips for Pets

Did you know approximately 500,000 pets are affected by fires each year, and that 1,000 of those fires are actually caused by pets?

To help pet parents prevent and plan for such emergencies, here are 6 essential fire safety tips for pets:

Do Away with Open Flames

Around pets, open flames are just accidents waiting to happen. All it takes is a wagging tail or curious kitty to start a fire.To put it simply: Never leave a lit candle or fireplace unattended around your pet. Fireless alternatives are even better.

To put it simply: Never leave a lit candle or fireplace unattended around your pet. Fireless alternatives are even better.

 

Use Pet Alert Window Stickers

Pet alert window decals help first responders rescue your pets in the event of an emergency, especially if you’re not at home when one occurs.

Ideally, stickers should be placed at both front and back entrances. To save rescuers time, include critical info like the type and number of pets in your home. For free pet alert stickers, visit the ASPCA website.

 

Upgrade Your Smoke Alarm

Because pets can’t escape a fire on their own, consider installing monitored smoke detectors.

These detectors work by notifying either you or a local monitoring center at the first sign of trouble, increasing the chances your pet will be successfully rescued.

 

Address Gas Stoves

According to the National Fire Protection Association, stovetops are the leading cause of fires caused by pets.

Nip this hazard in the bud by using stove knob covers or simply removing the knobs while you’re not at home.

 

Secure Wires and Cords

Not only can loose wires and cords electrocute your pet, they can also start a fire.

Especially if your pet is prone to chewing, it’s essential to keep electrical wires out of reach of curious cats and dogs. If that’s not possible, cable covers will also do the trick.

 

Have an Escape Plan

Having a pet-friendly escape plan and running fire drills that include your cat or dog is vital to pet fire safety.

Plan out all possible escape routes and how to retrieve your pet regardless of where a fire might start in your home. Keeping leashes near likely exits and having a reliable recall command is also important.

 

Thoughts, suggestions, have your own tips to add? Comment below or head over to our Facebook page to let us know what you think!

The post 6 Fire Safety Tips for Pets appeared first on Cedarcide.

Australia’s Bushfires: How You Can Help

Australia’s ongoing bushfires have been nothing short of devastating. 

Since September, over 20 million acres have burned, an area of land larger than last year’s Amazon rainforest fires, and over 80 times bigger than the infamous 2019 California wildfires. Every state in the country has been affected, including national parks and protected nature preserves. And there’s no end in sight. 

27 people have lost their lives, including volunteer firefighters. And an estimated 1 billion animals have died, a figure many experts consider conservative. The Australian ecosystem may never fully recover, especially not without our help. 

Below you’ll find 3 ways you can help the people and animals of Australia during this unprecedented disaster.

 

Donate to Support Those in Need

Donations to support those most severely affected can be made to the Australian Red Cross or American Red Cross, Salvation Army Australia, the St. Vincent de Paul Society Australia, and more.

To directly support firefighters and firefighting efforts, donations can be made to Victorian Country Fire Authority and the New South Wales Rural Fire Service. The NSW Rural Fire Service has also set up a donation page for the families of firefighters who have lost their lives this bushfire season here. 

 

Donate to Support Australian Wildlife

Donations to support wildlife can be given to WIRES (The New South Wales-based Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service), the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital, Wildlife Victoria , RSPCA Australia, Zoos Victoria, and the World Wildlife Fund Australia 

Raise Awareness

It’s simple: the more people that understand and care about the ongoing crisis, the more help those in need will receive.

How can you help raise awareness?  Spread the word by simply sharing this article and info with friends, family, or over social media to show others how they can help Australia, too. 

 

Thoughts, suggestions, have your own tips to add? Comment below or head over to our Facebook page and let us know what you think!

The post Australia’s Bushfires: How You Can Help appeared first on Cedarcide.

5 Natural Ways to Recycle Fallen Leaves

Winter leaves might seem annoying at first, but they’re really a nutrient-rich blessing from mother nature! 

Instead of trashing this gift, which can leave your soil less fertile over time, why not repurpose it for a more beautiful and healthy lawn?

Here are 5 natural, eco-friendly ways to recycle your fallen leaves:

Mow Them for Mulch

One of the best ways to recycle leaves is also the easiest: Mow them!

Switch your mower to the mulching setting, then simply shred those leaves throughout your lawn for an evenly spread nutrient-rich mulch.

Feed Potted Plants

Whether inside or out, potted plants can get a major boost from fallen leaves, which will slowly feed the plant as they decompose.

For best results, fill your chosen pot ⅓-½ full of densely packed leaves, then top off the remaining space with the appropriate potting soil.

Compost Them

Composting fallen leaves is an easy, free way to produce your own organic fertilizer.

Mix shredded leaves with grass clippings or other greenery and toss them in your compost pile. Mix the pile with a shovel every 5 days or so, keep it warm with a tarp when necessary, and you should have ready-to-use fertilizer in about 2 months.

Suffocate Weeds

Did you know fallen leaves can help suffocate stubborn weeds?

After shredding your leaves, mix them with grass clippings and Cedarcide Granules. Then, add a thick layer of this mix on top of your garden soil wherever you’re struggling with weed growth.

Protect Plants from Freezing

Surrounding vulnerable plants like smaller shrubs and perennials with mounds of unshredded leaves can help protect them from the winter cold.

When spring rolls around and the weather warms, simply remove any extra leaves as needed.

 

Thoughts, suggestions, have your own tips to add? Comment below or head over to our Facebook page and let us know what you think!

The post 5 Natural Ways to Recycle Fallen Leaves appeared first on Cedarcide.

How to Recycle Your Christmas Tree: 5 Tips

Trashed Christmas trees end up in landfills where they can take decades to decompose, and once they finally do, they release noxious methane, a greenhouse gas that’s worse for the environment than carbon dioxide 

Here are 5 tips for recycling or reusing your Christmas tree instead:

But Before Your Recycle…

Make sure you remove ALL decorations from the tree, as well as the plastic bag you use to drag it to the curb. Items like Christmas lights and ornaments not only damage the chippers they use to recycle trees, but can also cause serious harm to the individuals operating the machinery. 

Note: Unfortunately, if you have an artificial tree or a flocked tree—the ones sprayed in that fake snow—you’re not going to be able to recycle it.

Support Your Community

Often to benefit local parks and animal habitats, many cities collect Christmas trees and repurpose or recycle them to support the local community. 

Search online or contact your city directly to learn how to take advantage of their recycling program. 

Recycle it Yourself

Several local organizations—such as the Boy Scouts, game & fishery depts., even zoos and animal sanctuaries—accept trees from those looking to recycle them on their own. 

Visit Earth911.com to find a recycling option near you.

Compost It

If you have access to a wood chipper, your unwanted Christmas tree can be easily transformed into excellent compost.

For those without a compost pile, your Christmas tree’s branches are perfect for starting one. A 5-inch stack of thin evergreen branches makes for a great compost base, allowing plenty of airflow for a productive bin or pile. Then, add your compostable items like kitchen scraps on top and you’re good to go.

Return it to Nature

For those in rural areas, returning your tree to nature by simply placing it somewhere on your land is also an option. Not only will this provide food and housing for wildlife, but the tree’s needles can be harvested for an effective, slow-to-decompose mulch.

 

Thoughts, suggestions, have your own tips to add? Comment below or head over to our Facebook page and let us know what you think!

The post How to Recycle Your Christmas Tree: 5 Tips appeared first on Cedarcide.

How to Prevent Tick Bites: 3 Easy Steps

 

The ugly truth is that tick season is never over. 

In most regions, these scary pests can survive all winter long, even in freezing conditions.

Don’t worry, we have your back. Here are 3 tips to prevent potentially life-altering bites and keep ticks away from you and your pets through fall and winter.

 

Protect Yourself and Pets

Apply Cedarcide Original to you and your pets before walks, hikes, dog park visits, and other outdoor activities to prevent bites.

Need deep woods protection? Try Extra Strength Tickshield instead.

 

Get a Tick-Free Lawn

Spray your entire yard, shrubbery, and bases of trees with PCO Choice monthly to kill and repel ticks. For larger tick populations, spray twice, two weeks apart, and then monthly after that.

Because PCO is both family and pet safe, you can start enjoying your yard immediately after application.

 

Check for Ticks 

Ticks removed within 36 hours rarely cause disease or infection. After outdoor activities, get in the habit of checking yourself, children, and pets for ticks as soon as possible (ticks are about 2/3 of an inch, brown or red).

 

Thoughts, suggestions, have your own tips to add? Comment below or head over to our Facebook page and let us know what you think!

The post How to Prevent Tick Bites: 3 Easy Steps appeared first on Cedarcide.

How to Protect Clothing from Insect Damage

Carpet Beetles

Emerging from eggs laid on clothing, furniture, and carpet, carpet beetle larvae can ruin a closetful of clothes in no time, especially natural items like wool, fur, mohair and more. 

What to look for: Small beetles for adults (most commonly black or brown, sometimes multicolored), and small caterpillar-like larvae (usually brownish red, covered in fine hairs).

Moths

Infamous for leaving holes in clothing, moth larvae feed on wool, flannel, fur, and almost any other textile that’s dirty or recently used (sweat, food, skin oils, etc are all appetizing to these destructive pests).

What to look for: Whitish worm-like larvae with a hard outer shell, and very small white or gold-colored moths for adults.

Silverfish and Firebrats

These close relatives are both expert clothing destroyers, preferring starched items, natural fibers like rayon, silk, and cotton, and those stained with sugary food and drink. 

What to look for: Silver wingless insects with carrot-shaped bodies about ¼ inch long.

Roaches

While they don’t usually eat clothing on purpose, roaches are attracted to the sweat, and food spills that end up on our clothing. When consuming these items, they often create holes and stain fabrics with excrement.

Crickets

Like roaches, crickets eat clothing stains not clothing itself. Small holes and tears, not to mention cricket poop, can easily lead to hundreds of dollars in damage in only a few weeks.

 

Store Items Correctly

That means freshly cleaned, starch-free, and in a cool, dry place in tightly sealed containers or nylon bags (leather and fur items require breathable bags, such as cotton).

Vacuum

Regularly cleaning and vacuuming rugs, carpets, draperies, baseboards, furniture, and storage closets substantially lowers your risk of clothes-eating pests by removing eggs, larvae, and the debris they need to survive. Dispose of the bag when finished.

Naturally Kill & Repel 

Hang freshly dried lavender or Cedar Granules inside of a stocking in your chosen storage area to protect against damaging bugs. A cedar-based spray like Cedarcide Original can also be used throughout the space to kill and repel.

For already infested items: try washing & drying them, freezing them for 48 hours, or treating them with a fabric-safe insecticide like Cedarcide Original.

 

Thoughts, suggestions, have your own tips to add? Comment below or head over to our Facebook page and let us know what you think!

The post How to Protect Clothing from Insect Damage appeared first on Cedarcide.

How to Grow a Successful Movember ‘Stache

Each November, men across the world participate in Movember, a charity campaign where participants grow mustaches to raise awareness for serious men’s health concerns, including testicular cancer, prostate cancer, and suicide. 

Whether this is your first Movember or you’re a seasoned veteran, the following 6 tips will help you grow the best ‘stache possible for the cause of supporting men’s health!

Start with a Beard

In those first embarrassing days when your mustache would be a sad, spindly little thing, having a full beard can help salvage your reputation. For whatever reason, a thin in-progress beard just looks way less creepy than a thin, in-progress mustache on its own.

Try growing a beard and then trimming it into a mustache later to avoid weirding out your friends, family, and coworkers. Just remember to trim it fairly quick, Movember is all about sparking conversations with your mustache, goofy looking or not.

Reach for Biotin

While reviews and studies are mixed on the subject, many believe Biotin, the vitamin responsible for nail and scalp health, can stimulate additional hair growth—and that includes your ‘stache. 

Chances are it won’t make much of a difference, but if you’re desperate, it’s worth a shot.

Grab a Mustache Brush

Not only can they make your ‘stache look more full and luxuriant (especially for those of us with puny, patchy facial hair ), mustache combs and brushes are essential for styling, too.

Say, for instance, your mustache always grows downward, but you really need it to grow out to the side instead. Daily combing or brushing can help train the hairs to grow the direction you want, making styling much easier in the long run.

Avoid Harsh Face Washes

Harsher face washes—like the types that combat acne, for example—can wreak havoc on your mustache game. From stripping the hair of color to impeding growth, it’s best to avoid chemical-based cleansers if your aim is a healthy-looking cookie duster.

Convert the Haters

Haters gonna’ hate. Thankfully, this month, hating on ‘staches is much, much harder. You’re growing it to support men’s health and combat cancer after all. You’re basically a superhero. 

But seriously, these types of interactions are what Movember is all about. Each joke and awkward stare (they’re just jealous!) is an incredible opportunity to start a conversation about the ongoing male health crisis and the countless men who die prematurely from suicide, testicular cancer, and prostate cancer worldwide. This is your time to shine—make it count!

Wax On

Attention patchy facial hair sufferers: mustache wax is your new best friend! In addition to moisturizing facial hair and helping loads with styling, wax can do wonders for hiding bald spots above your lip. And don’t worry, it won’t look like a combover. 

Even those with thick hair can benefit from mustache wax, especially when it comes to taming those stubborn rogue hairs that always seem to stick out in the wrong direction, or back into your mouth when you’re trying to eat

 

To join in on Movember, learn more about the campaign, or contribute to the cause of men’s health, visit movember.com

The post How to Grow a Successful Movember ‘Stache appeared first on Cedarcide.