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Getting Bugged by Mosquitoes? Get rid of them the green way!
May 13th, 2008If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
It’s getting to be that time of year when you can’t go outside without hearing the persistent buzzing of mosquitoes. If you’re anything like me, you loathe mozzies and do anything you can to avoid them, but unfortunately, hibernating for the next few months isn’t really an option. And, since we’re all making a commitment to be more environmentally conscious, we need to think of ways to battle the bugs without harming the planet. The following are a few green, natural things you can to do that’ll help prevent mosquitoes from bothering you this season.
• One of the best things you can do to prevent mosquitoes from congregating around your house is to remove any standing water from around your house. If you have a bird bath or a wading pool, change the water a few times a week. This will help detract the mosquitoes from breeding around your property, which means you’ll have less of the pests to deal with.
• Planting marigolds in your flowerbeds will help repel mosquitoes, because they don’t like the scent given off by the flowers.
• If you like to sit around a campfire or like to BBQ, try throwing a bit of sage or rosemary onto the coals. It will help repel mosquitoes and, as a bonus, smells nice.
• Many health and camping equipment stores now sell citronella candles. These candles can be placed around you when you’re sitting outside and will help keep the bugs away, and might please your senses with their lemony scent.
• There are a lot of essential oils that are known for repelling insects with their scents. Add 1-2 oz of your favorite mosquito repelling essential oil to a 12 or 16 oz spray bottle, (try eucalyptus, tea tree, peppermint, lavender or cedar), add water and spray on your skin.
• If you don’t like essential oils, try mixing one part garlic juice to five parts of water in a small spray bottle. Mix thoroughly. Spray the mixture onto your skin before you go outside, and you should be protected for at least five hours. In addition, you can dip small strips of cotton into the mixture and hang the pieces around where you are sitting to help ward off the bugs.
Protecting yourself from mosquito bites is important. Using chemicals to ward the bugs off is bad for both the environment and for your own health. This summer try using a more natural approach, and you’ll be surprised at how effective the results will be!
Texas Environmental Excellence Award
May 9th, 2008Recently the Governor of Texas honoured EcoBox with a Texas Environmental Excellence Award. EcoBox continues to be proud of our efforts to support the environment, and we congratulate all award recipients of their ecological efforts.
FreeCycle- changing the world one item at a time!
April 29th, 2008For those of you who have not heard of Freecycling, it is an initiative that started in Tucson, Arizona back in May of 2003. Deron Beal, the founder of the freecycle network, started out by sending two dozen or so e-mails to friends and contacting a handful of non-profit organizations in his home town. The premise of freecycling is to gift perfectly good used items to others within your community when you no longer need or want them.
Freecycling not only saves used items from entering a landfill when they are no longer needed or wanted, it can help people who are less fortunate receive gently used items at no expense to them. Since 2003, freecycling has spread to over 75 countries worldwide, helping thousands of local communities and groups keep useful items out of landfills.
By giving freely with no strings attached members of the freecycle network “help to instill a sense of generosity and strengthen local community ties.” In an increasingly disposable world, freecycling lets other people get use out of items that you don’t want anymore, instead of it just going into the garbage. After all, one person’s trash, is another person’s treasure.
So, next time you’re planning a big move and are looking to get rid of some of the junk that’s accumulated in your house, set up an account on freecycle. If someone wants one of your items, they’ll even come to your house to pick it up. It’s less effort for you than dropping it off at a local charity shop or driving to a landfill, and you know your previously loved item will find a good home. And, if you’re looking to find a few items for your new home, have a look at freecycle – there are some real gems to be found!
Ecobox wins environmental honours
April 22nd, 2008Recently, Ecobox was honoured with the news that they had won the Texas Environmental Excellence Award for their ecological efforts. Ecobox is absolutely delighted to win such a prestigious award, and congratulates all nominees on their environmental efforts. You can read the full story here.
The Green News About Laptops
April 15th, 2008Great news for all of you looking to purchase a laptop! In July 2007 new Energy Star specifications as well as an Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) were made available to help consumers educate themselves about the green products available to them, as well as curb the excessive amount of power consumed by the computers we use daily.
Don’t Store Those Cardboard Boxes after a Move
April 9th, 2008When I’m debating on whether to keep or toss a shirt in our closet, my wife wisely reminds me, “If you haven’t worn it in the last year, take it out of the closet and donate it to someone who will use it.” This sage advice applies to many things we accumulate in life. Cardboard moving boxes are no exception.
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Geothermal Energy
April 1st, 2008
Coming from the Greek word geo meaning earth and therme meaning heat it is easy to understand how this renewable energy source got its name. It is fascinating to learn how a natural phenomenon has been adapted into a clean and renewable energy source! The United States is currently the greatest producer of geothermal power in the world. In fact San Francisco, California is home to the largest geothermal power field dubbed ‘The Geysers’. The Geysers geothermal development spans 30 square miles and has over 350 producing wells.
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Create a Moving Checklist!
March 28th, 2008
Moving is a stressful time in a person or families life. There are many details and small tasks to remember. With the kids tugging at your pants while you’re packing, its easy to forget critical items. We’ve put together a simple checklist to make your move less stressful and as easy as possible.
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Have computers and the internet created a paper free life?
March 11th, 2008
There was much talk when computers first became common within the workplace and in our homes, that paper would become a thing of the past. While it is true that we live in an increasingly digital world somehow intuitively I know that the use of paper is alive and well. Naturally when I read an article in the New York Times online about a family who has made a conscious decision to go paperless, I was inspired. Read the rest of this entry »
Don’t REfuse to REuse
March 4th, 2008AUSTIN, Texas – March 4, 2008 - EcoBox, the leading supplier of used moving boxes and shipping supplies in Texas, wants to get the word out about how easy, economical and effective it is to REUSE instead of RECYCLE when it comes to cardboard moving boxes.
