Chemical pesticides are an easy, quick way to achieve bug-free outdoor living spaces, but is it really worth having your family, pets and guests exposed to toxic chemicals when you can achieve this goal with natural methods?

The exterior space around your home is where your children and pets play, where you grow vegetables to feed your family, where you steal away for a peaceful moment of meditation or yoga, and where you gather with friends to celebrate holidays and milestones. Even if green living or eco-friendly yard care isn't your thing, I'm sure you want your yard to be a safe place where your family and friends will not be exposed to unnecessary, harmful substances -- particularly if almost everything you need for pest-free outdoor living is probably already in your pantry.

If you want to avoid using chemicals where your kids and pets play, try these nine easy, inexpensive, natural methods to rid your yard -- and home -- of unwanted pests. 

1. Salt – Sprinkling salt around the borders of your garden will ward off slugs and snails. Just remember that salt is not good for your soil or desirable plants, so use it with caution. 

2. Garlic – Garlic can deter cockroaches inside and ants outside when hidden under cabinets and in the cracks of decks. 

3. Bay Leaves – Bay leaves tucked into cracks or under chairs will help keep ants, fleas and cockroaches away.

4. Cucumber – Save those cucumber peels and strategically place them in areas where ants are a problem.

5. Rosemary, Sage and Marigolds – Plant one of these insect repellant plants to beautify your yard and keep pests away. Burning a little sage or rosemary on the grill will also help keep mosquitoes away during cookouts.

6. Eucalyptus Oil – Flies tend to steer clear of eucalyptus oil. Place a few drops on pieces of cloth to place around your outdoor living spaces.

7. Birdhouses and Bat Houses – Okay, this one probably isn't in your pantry, but they are easy enough to find at home improvement stores or online. Letting birds and bats know they are welcome in your yard will encourage them to hang around and keep your pest population down.

8. Mint – Mint will take over your entire garden if you let it, but if you keep it confined in containers or behind borders, it can still be an effective insect repellent to ward off ants and other pests.

9.  Lady Bugs – Not all bugs are bad; in fact, beneficial insects – like lady bugs – can help you keep your garden free of aphids. 

AimeeJo Davis-Varela is a freelance writer specializing in real estate, sustainable home improvement, eco-friendly landscaping, and green living. She is also the owner of Mind Your Manors, which provides second home management services.  

Plastic products can change – and even save – lives, so they certainly have their place, but much of the plastic we use in our everyday lives is just for convenience. It is so ubiquitous in consumer products and packaging at this point that most of us don’t even realize how much plastic we use. 

Because of this, there are hundreds of big and small ways we can reduce plastic in our lives that include such simple changes as buying reusable sandwich bags and making our own salsa. 

Here are 10 of the easiest ways you can start reducing your plastic consumption today.

1. Reusable shopping bags – I think almost everyone is already doing this one, but it is worth mentioning, since it is such an easy way to quickly reduce your plastic consumption. 

2. Reusable produce bags – These have not caught on quite as well as reusable shopping bags, but I am starting to see them a bit more when shopping in produce and bulk sections. These inexpensive, mesh bags can be used for fruits, vegetables, grains, seeds, and nuts. 

3. Reusable water bottle – There are still a lot of people regularly using single-use, plastic water bottles. Switching to a glass or stainless-steel water bottle that you can refill on the go encourages you to stay hydrated and saves you money while also reducing the demand for plastic bottles. 

4. Reusable coffee cup – The hardest part about this one is remembering to bring it with you when you head to the coffee shop. Most coffee shops use paper cups with plastic lids, and most folks who go to coffee shops go regularly, so more of these folks bringing their own travel mugs would significantly reduce waste. 

5. Glass food storage containers – Plastic food storage containers are common, but glass options are so much more durable that your children and grandchildren can inherit them and continue reducing the demand for plastic long into the future. 

6. BYO to-go containers – Once you stock up on glass food storage containers, bring a couple with you to pack up the leftovers when you go out to eat instead of using the to-go containers at the restaurant. 

Between running all over the county when I’m working and road trips with my partner, I end up eating on the go quite a bit. Rather than use the plastic cutlery that comes with to-go orders, I carry reusable cutlery sets in my purse. I prefer metal, and that is what I carry daily, but I also have a bamboo set for when I fly or know that I am going to the courthouse that day. 

8. Bar soap – Bar soap gets your hands just as clean without the plastic packaging that comes with liquid hand soap and body wash. If you want to go a step further, there are also shampoo bars, conditioner bars, and lotions bars. 

9. DIY body powder – Body powder and baby powder are so easy to make that there is really no reason to be purchasing powders that come in plastic containers. I mix one-half cup cornstarch, one-quarter cup arrowroot powder, and one-quarter cup baking soda to make my daily body powder. For home use, I use a glass sugar shaker from the dollar store. For travel, I use a glass spice jar. 

10. Trash can inserts – Invest in a few affordable trash cans with removable inserts for your bathrooms and stop using trash bags. You can easily remove and dump the inserts, which makes trash bags a waste of plastic and money. 

Commercial air fresheners will cover up odors for a while, but they are often laden with toxic chemicals and can exacerbate respiratory issues, cause headaches and dermatitis, and be toxic to pets.

Naturally fragranced candles, potpourri, simmer pots, diffusers, and room sprays all tend to mask odors without eliminating them. This is fine if you need a quick fix or for use with odor elimination options while they are working their magic. But to really get to the source of the problem and make your house smell better, you need to eliminate the odor, rather than cover it.

Here are six ways to naturally neutralize odors.

Windows and Fans – Airing out the space is a good first step for odor elimination. If the walls, floors, and textiles are holding the smell, this is not going to be a long-term solution, but it is a good start. Open windows and turn on fans to increase air circulation and air out the space.

Baking Soda – Baking soda has so many uses around the house that I always keep a big bag of it on hand. For carpets, rugs, upholstered furniture, and other textiles that are holding smoke, pet, or other household odors, baking soda is a great option to try. This natural odor eliminator can be sprinkled on carpet or fabric to absorb odors. Leave it on for at least 30 minutes – longer for more stubborn odors – and then vacuum it up and empty the vacuum in your outside garbage can.

You can also use baking soda in a bowl or box for deodorizing closets and refrigerators, sprinkle it in shoes to absorb odors, or add a cup to a load of laundry to help eliminate tougher odors in clothes and bedding.

If you are not concerned about animals or children getting into it, it is best to leave baking soda for at least 24 hours before tossing it out or vacuuming surfaces where it has been sprinkled.

Activated Charcoal – Small bags of activated charcoal can be placed in closets, shoes, drawers, cars, pet areas, and around the house to absorb odors. They are inexpensive, easy to use, and can be reused repeatedly after setting them outside in the sun for a few hours to release the odors they have absorbed.

Distilled White Vinegar – Like baking soda, vinegar is one of those household staples that seems to be good for everything. To allow it to work its odor-elimination magic, put a small amount of vinegar in a bowl and place it in the area that is need of deodorization. You can also mix it with water in a spray bottle to neutralize odors in the air.

Vodka – Fill a spray bottle with unflavored vodka to use as an air and fabric deodorizer. Vodka kills odor-causing bacteria, neutralizes odors in fabrics, and dries quickly. I have never had an issue with vodka causing discoloration or damage to fabrics and have never heard of this happening, but if you have a favorite garment or chair that you are concerned about, make sure to try it in an inconspicuous area first.

Some folks like to cut their vodka with water or to add a few drops of essential oil to the spray bottle. Cheap vodka works perfectly fine for odor elimination, so you can just buy the cheapest, unflavored vodka you can find. Of course, if you prefer to use the good stuff, I am not here to tell you how to live.

Coffee Grounds – The nitrogen in coffee grounds helps make them effective for neutralizing odors in your home. A small bowl or sachet of dry coffee grounds can help eliminate odors in smaller spaces, such as closets or refrigerators, as well as in whole rooms. You can use fresh grounds or used coffee grounds, but if you use used coffee grounds, be sure to spread them out on a cookie sheet to dry first. Like with vodka, you can use the cheapest coffee you can find, since nitrogen is nitrogen, so, if you are not a coffee drinker, buy the cheap stuff for this. If you are a coffee drinker, use the grounds from whatever coffee you are drinking.

For ongoing odor control, make sure you stay on top of household tasks that can lead to smelly situations when left undone. This includes regularly taking out the trash and recyclables, emptying the kitchen scrap bucket into your backyard composter, changing bedding, doing laundry, vacuuming carpets and rugs, changing the air filter on your HVAC system, bathing your pets, and checking for spoiled food in the refrigerator.

It is also good to regularly clean your dishwasher, washing machine, garbage disposal, and trash and recycling bins.

If you are trying to deodorize a house that was exposed to smoke or pet odors over a long period of time, you may need to replace the carpet, wipe down the walls and ceiling with vinegar, and repaint the walls and ceilings to remove the odor.

If mandatory water use restrictions looming yet again are not enough to convince you we all need to be conserving water, all you need to do is take a drive around Lake Casitas to see just how serious the situation is.  Many folks in Ojai have already taken significant steps to save water, such as replacing lawns with drought-tolerant landscaping options, installing rain barrels to catch our infrequent rain, and choosing high-efficiency appliances.
 
If you would like to continue to grow food for your family but are looking for ways to save water in your vegetable garden, you might consider growing low-water vegetables and herbs. While deciding what to plant, consider this list of drought-tolerant herbs for inspiration.
 
1. Rosemary: This versatile herb is best known for its culinary and medicinal qualities and is often grown as a hedge in Southern California. It is also a great topiary option, a good addition to your container garden, an effective privacy screen, and a natural way to keep snails and slugs out of your vegetable garden.
 
2. Feverfew: Feverfew is probably best known for its use as a headache and migraine remedy, but throughout history it has been used for a variety of medicinal purposes. This drought-tolerant herb with white flowers reminiscent of tiny daisies has been used to treat anemia, allergies, fever, arthritis, and the common cold.
 
3. Oregano: This popular herb garden option is generally grown for culinary purposes, but oregano also has medicinal qualities and can be grown as an ornamental plant. Oregano can thrive with little water grown in the ground or in containers and can be particularly appealing for its ability to repel a variety of insects when planted around your outdoor living areas.
 
4. Echinacea: Echinacea is a member of the daisy family and can be found in all sorts of herbal and over-the-counter remedies for preventing and treating the flu and the common cold. It can be grown in your garden for use in making home remedies and teas or can simply be used as an ornamental plant. Pink flowers are the most common, but you can also find Echinacea with red, white, or orange blooms.
 
5. Thyme: Thyme is available in taller varieties that can be grown for culinary and medicinal use and low-growing varieties that can be used as a low-water ground cover. Ground cover varieties can handle foot traffic, so you can even grow them between stepping stones in walkways. Historically, thyme grown for medicinal purposes has been used to treat sore throat, bronchitis, fatigue, muscle pain, anxiety, parasites, and several other ailments.
 
Herbs, in particular, can also be grown as a low-water border along a walkway or patio or can be used as a ground cover for larger areas. You can see examples of this with the varieties of lavender and sage commonly found in Ojai landscapes, but there are lots of other options from which to choose as well. 

Californians are accustomed to ongoing drought conditions and have spent years honing our water conservation efforts. With so much else going on in the world at the moment, it is easy to let something like watching our water consumption fall to the wayside, particularly knowing that we moved out of a state of drought earlier this year. But La Niña seems to be making this winter drier than usual, which could mean an end to our current reprieve.
 
This means we cannot let up on our efforts and must continue making water-saving choices whenever possible. One easy way to conserve water is to choose drought-tolerant ground covers when designing or re-designing your landscaping. So, if installing or replacing a ground cover is on your pandemic project list, here are five low-water options to consider.
 
1. Gravel: In the realm of drought-friendly ground covers, it does not get much better than a ground cover that requires no water at all. Gravel comes in a variety of sizes and colors and is a good choice for driveways, walkways, areas around fire features, and other outdoor living areas. Using gravel as a ground cover also limits weed growth and can help control erosion and runoff.
 
2. Mulch, Bark, or Wood Chips: This type of ground cover requires no water, is more affordable than many options, and is available in a variety of sizes, types, and colors. Like gravel, these can help limit weed growth, but they will eventually break down or fade, so you can expect to replenish these ground covers more often.
 
3. Lantana: One of the great things about lantana is that it is very easy to find. This flowering, evergreen perennial spreads easily, requires little water once established (I hardly ever water mine), and comes in some beautiful colors, including purple, pink, white, blue, red, yellow, and orange. When purchasing lantana, make sure you choose a ground cover cultivar, since it also comes in shrub cultivars that will not work well as a ground cover.
 
4. Creeping Rosemary: This evergreen perennial herb cascades quite nicely, so this is a good choice for raised borders or allowing to grow over walls. As a ground cover, creeping rosemary spreads quickly and is drought tolerant once established. It blooms with clusters of blue blossoms, attracts bees to your garden, fills the air with its aroma, and can even be harvested for culinary purposes.
 
5. Mexican Fleabane: Mexican fleabane is a fast-growing, flowering perennial native to Mexico and Central America. Often chosen for planting in rock gardens or in spots where it can thrive in the crevices between paving stones, this hardy ground cover loves full sun and will happily self-seed to promote spread. This one requires a bit more maintenance and water than lantana or creeping rosemary, but if you love the idea of a carpet of daisy-like flowers, you might not mind.

Growing your own food is a rewarding experience that allows you to spend more time outdoors, save money on your grocery bill, and know exactly where your food is coming from. It is also a great way to have fresh, organic produce conveniently available right in your backyard and a fun activity you can do with your family.
 
Eating healthy is more important than ever and limiting trips to the grocery store is not a bad idea right now. So, if we can grow some of our own food at home and use these ingredients to make healthy juices filled with antioxidants and immune-boosting nutrients, that sounds like a pretty good quarantine project to me.
 
To help inspire you, here are eight of my favorite juicing ingredients I grow in my vegetable garden and that will be super easy for you to grow in yours.
 
1. Spinach
This dark, leafy green provides magnesium, iron, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, and more, which makes this easy-to-grow vegetable a good choice for your juicing garden. Spinach thrives in containers or in the ground, is easy to grow from seed, and allows you to harvest on demand as it continues to produce leaves. To make sure you have a steady supply, plant your crop in two-week intervals.
 
2. Kale
Generally considered a superfood, kale is a nutrient-dense, leafy green providing an array of vitamins and minerals, including magnesium, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin K, vitamin C, manganese, and calcium. You can grow kale in containers or in the ground and can start from seeds or seedlings. If you juice often, you will likely go through a lot of kale, so, if possible, dedicate a good amount of space for your kale plants and plant in three-week intervals.
 
3. Cucumbers
Cucumber juice is a refreshing treat on a hot day and provides potassium, magnesium, vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin A, and B vitamins. You can grow your plants in containers or in the ground, but keep in mind that you will need to support your cucumbers with a large tomato cage or a trellis. Consider growing more than one variety for different purposes. For example, this year, I’m growing Persian cucumbers for juicing and snacking and Nationals for pickling. 
 
4. Tomatoes
Add tomatoes to your garden for juicing, salsas, soups, stews, and sauces. Tomatoes are incredibly easy to grow in this area and can be grown in the ground or in containers. They provide lutein, lycopene, vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin K, and potassium. If you are planning on using them for different purposes, consider growing different varieties. For example, San Marzanos are higher in pectin, which makes them better for stews and sauces; whereas, Better Boys or Celebrities have a higher juice content, which makes them better for juicing.
 
5. Carrots
While they don’t actually make you see better at night, carrots are high in beta carotene, which is essential to eye health, as well as your overall wellness. They are incredibly easy to grow and can be grown in the ground or in containers – as long as the containers are deep enough to accommodate their growth. Carrots are a popular juicing ingredient, so they are a great addition to your juicing garden. However, if you are short on space, skip the carrots. Organic carrots are readily available and less expensive than other organic produce options, so keep buying these at the store or farmers market, and save your garden space for other veggies.
 
6. Parsley
Parsley takes patience. You may not see any signs of life for up to three weeks after planting your seeds, but once it finally gets going, just one or two plants will probably provide as much as you need for juicing. Often used for detoxing the liver, parsley is not going to add a lot of flavor to your juices, but it does add iron, folate, vitamin K, vitamin A, and vitamin C.
 
7. Basil
If you find green juices bland, basil may be just the herb you need to up your juicing game. Providing magnesium, zinc, potassium, calcium, and vitamin K, this easy-to-grow herb is packed with nutrition, as well as flavor. Basil grows well in the ground or in containers, and you can dry it or freeze it for later use if you harvest more than you need.
 
8. Celery
Adding celery to your juices provides potassium, folate, fiber, vitamin A, vitamin E, and polyphenols. It grows well in containers or in the ground and is so easy to grow. Whenever you buy a bunch of organic celery, cut off the root end and place it in a small bowl of water. You will start seeing growth almost immediately. Once you have significant growth and it has sprouted new roots, transfer it to your garden or to a container with soil. Before you know it, you will have your very own celery patch.

Barbecue grills can stay in use throughout the year in the Ojai area, but summer is the official grilling season, which makes this the perfect time to talk about making our backyard barbecues healthier for us and the planet.
 
Cookouts provide the perfect platform from bringing together friends and family to catch up, lounge by the pool, indulge in a meal cooked over an open fire and more fully enjoy our home's outdoor living areas. Previous generations gathered around the grill without giving much thought to the potential health or environmental risks associated with dousing charcoal with lighter fluid and dining on charred steaks. However, we have more recently learned that those blackened bits of meat, abundant smoke and chemical-laden products are not so great for us or the environment.
 
Outdoor parties, in general, can wreak havoc on the planet with disposable party supplies, toxic pesticides to keep the bugs away, petrochemicals released from lighter fluid, charcoal and wood smoke polluting the air, and fat dripping onto the grill causing more smoke and pollution. And, of course, there are also the carcinogens and harmful compounds from eating foods cooked at high heat over an open flame that accumulate in the body and increase health risks.
 
Rather than give up grilling and resign ourselves to cooking indoors, all we really need to do is adopt greener grilling practices that are better for our guests and the environment.

Here are five tips to get you started:
 
1. Choose a Greener Grill
 
The grills that are currently considered greenest are solar-powered, corn-burning and hydrogen-powered grills. Of course, these are also the most expensive and hardest to find. It is much easier to find propane grills, which are eco-friendlier than charcoal grills, but if you can spring for a natural gas grill or an electric grill, that is even better. If you have a charcoal grill with which you are not quite ready to part, you can go greener by switching from conventional charcoal to natural or lump charcoal, or you can use plant-based ethanol disks, which are a greener option.
 
2. Skip the Lighter Fluid
 
The use of lighter fluid is responsible for the release of tons of volatile organic compounds into the air every year in the U.S., and self-lighting charcoal is not any better. While these two options might be the most convenient, it is actually quite easy to light your charcoal using a charcoal chimney or electric charcoal lighter. Using an inexpensive charcoal chimney is your greenest bet.
 
3. Maximize Your Grill Usage
 
Firing up your grill just to cook a steak or two is a waste of whichever type of fuel your grill requires, but you can easily adopt a greener grilling practice by always making it a point to make the most of the heat you create with your barbecue. When barbecuing, cook your entire meal on the grill and make enough to have leftovers for at least a couple of days to reduce future fuel needs.
 
4. Go Organic (and Local)
 
Purchase local, organic meats and produce whenever possible to reduce transportation-related pollution and energy and to lower the amount of harmful substances you feed your family (and put into the air, soil and water supply). Grilling more vegetables and less meat is another way to easily make your next cookout healthier and more environmentally friendly.
 
5. Keep Your Grill Clean
 
Regular care and cleaning will extend the life of your grill and, in the case of charcoal or wood grills, it also shortens the time it takes to preheat your grill and reduces the amount of smoke your grill emits. With any type of grill, fat and food that falls below the grate can cause excess smoke as well, but you can avoid this by regularly removing any buildup. Cutting extra fat off meats before grilling them can also reduce smoke production and makes for a healthier meal for your family and friends.

The global pandemic has changed our lives in many ways, including revising our priorities as we balance personal and public health with meeting our basic needs, figuring out new ways to work, and determining the best ways to be both social and safe. In times such as this when our focus is on the short-term goals of staying healthy, keeping businesses afloat, and finding a way to the other side of the pandemic, it can be difficult to also keep an eye towards long-term goals, such as keeping the planet healthy for future generations.
 
This is exacerbated by some of the necessary changes put in place to reduce transmission and protect both consumers and workers. For example, we can no longer grab a cup of coffee in our reusable mugs, and many grocery stores are no longer allowing the use of reusable shopping bags. While many of us are not driving as much, we are increasing the environmental effects of transportation by ordering everything online and having it delivered to our doorstep. Those who have replaced dining out with regularly ordering takeout and delivery now have stacks of single-use food containers going into the recycling bin or to the landfill every week.
 
The focus needs to be on keeping ourselves and each other healthy and working together to get through this. This requires using more disposable products than most of us would like, but there are still steps we can take to maintain a greener lifestyle while focusing on these immediate priorities.
 
We can start with these:
 
1. Resist the urge to stock up on bottled water.
The water supply is not currently under threat. Continue using your filter pitchers, fill your own jugs at Rainbow Bridge, or establish delivery service for three- or five-gallon, reusable jugs that you return to the provider.
 
2. Start a compost pile.
If you are cooking more than you used to, you have more kitchen scraps to discard. If you don’t already have a compost bin or pile, start one to put those scraps to good use in your garden.
 
3. Invest in a sparkling water maker.
Products like SodaStream let you make your own sparkling water and flavored sodas, which means fewer cans and bottles to recycle.
 
4. Green your takeout and delivery routine.
We cannot use our own containers when we order food to go right now, but we can still limit the waste that comes with these orders. If you are picking up food to eat at home, refuse the utensils, napkins, and straws that usually come with takeout. If you are having food delivered, specify that you do not want utensils and napkins delivered with your order. When picking up food on your lunch break or on your way to a socially distanced picnic, bring your own cloth napkins, reusable straws, and utensils. There are lots of travel sets available with carrying cases that you can keep in your car or bag to make sure you always have reusable options with you.
 
5. Change your buying habits.
Look for simple ways to purchase fewer single-use products. For example, buy yogurt that comes in reusable glass jars instead of plastic containers that need to be recycled. Or, better yet, if you are spending more time at home, you might think about learning how to make your own yogurt. 
 
6. Make the best bag choices you can.
If you cannot use reusable shopping bags at your favorite places to shop, ask for paper bags. If only plastic bags are available, sanitize them and stash them away for later use as trash bags or poop bags.
 
7. Consolidate your online orders.
When we are spending more time at home and ordering most of what we need online, it is easy to fall into the habit of placing orders whenever you think of something you need. This is particularly true if you are one of the many who do most of our buying through Amazon Prime with free shipping on however many orders we place in a day. Reduce packaging waste and transportation by treating your online shopping as you would in-person shopping: make a list and consolidate your shopping trips. Instead of jumping online to order nail polish today, a case of canned tomatoes tomorrow, and then yarn for a new craft project the next day, make a shopping list and place your orders at the same time. You can even place things in your cart so you won’t forget about them – just resist the urge to hit “Buy Now” every time you want something. If you are an Amazon Prime member, you can reduce packaging waste and transportation even more by forgoing the much-loved, two-day shipping and choosing Amazon Day instead. With this program, orders are consolidated into as few boxes as possible and all delivered on the same day each week.
 
8. Support local crafters by purchasing reusable masks.
Reusable masks are better for the environment than single-use options, and there are lots of local folks who have taken up mask making to supplement incomes reduced by the pandemic. Keep in mind that reusable masks need to be washed after each use and that some materials provide better protection than others. Before buying masks, do a quick online search to educate yourself about the best options.

Rats and mice are constant issues for Ojai homeowners. Regardless of how well you maintain your home and yard, there is a good chance these critters will at least stop by for a visit. This is particularly true if you live around rodent-friendly fruit or oak trees, and I can’t think of very many homes in Ojai that are not close to at least one of these.
 
Like all animals, rats and mice are primarily focused on what they need to survive: food, water and shelter. If you have rats or mice in your yard, this means that your property is fulfilling these basic needs and providing a hospitable environment for rodents to call home.
 
Folks who need to manage a rat population or repel mice have both lethal and non-lethal methods from which to choose. For those who want to kill them, Ojai is home to several pest control companies that will be happy to take care of this for you, or there are traps and poison for folks who want to do it themselves.
 
Of course, there are issues that come with each of these options, so you need to be aware that your efforts to control rodents in this manner may result in the injury or death of animals you like having around, such as raptors, rabbits, pets and other wildlife. Additionally, whenever possible, it is always a good idea to try natural pest control methods that do not end in any unnecessary deaths of rodents or other animals before turning to lethal measures.
 
For folks who want to get rid of rats or mice without killing them, there is really only one option: encouraging the rats and mice to move on by taking away the food, water and shelter they seek and making your property less hospitable.
 
Removing water sources can be difficult, since this includes water bowls for pets, troughs and buckets used for larger animals, drip irrigation systems, and water features. So, while you may need to look at removing water sources at some point, let’s start with easier tasks, including removing food sources, limiting shelter options and making your yard less appealing to repel rats and mice naturally.
 
Keep in mind, if you have an established colony, it is going to require a multi-prong approach that includes both eradication and prevention to avoid the establishment of future colonies.

First, let’s work on removing food sources:
 
1. Move bird feeders away from outdoor living areas and regularly clean up any waste left on the ground.
 
2. Cover dog food and other pet food when your pets are not outside.
 
3. Store animal food securely. You aren’t going to be able to keep rats and mice out of your hay barn, but you can store your cat, dog, bird, chicken, goat and other animal feed in secure containers that won’t provide an easy meal for rodents.
 
3. Wrap flexible sheet metal around the trunks of fruit trees to prevent rats and mice from climbing the trees and eating the fruit (or making nests). You will also need to prune branches near fences or rooflines where rats and mice could gain access.
 
4. Always keep your trash and yard waste bins securely closed.
 
5. Choose a compost bin that deters rodents, since these are prime spots for rats and mice to find both food and nesting materials. I use tumblers on stands and always keep them closed. If you have a bin that sits on the ground and has an open bottom, you can place wire mesh between your bin and the ground to slow them down, but I have found that they generally find a way in anyways. If you have an open compost pile, rather than a bin, move your compost pile as far away from your house and outdoor living areas as possible.
 
6. Secure your chicken coop with 1/8-inch hardware cloth around the bottom of the fence. This isn’t completely rat proof, since they can still climb over the hardware cloth and get through the chicken wire above, but this can help keep rats from going after your chickens’ eggs and scratch.
 
7. Regularly remove pet waste from your yard. Pet poop may be gross to us, but rats recognize its nutritional value and are more than happy to dine on it.
 
The step in getting rid of rats and mice naturally is removing shelter options, which includes blocking or removing pathways that provide cover for rodents as they traverse your yard:
 
 8. Clear unnecessary clutter that provides shelter or pathways for rats and mice. This includes storing patio cushions when not in use and keeping areas near fences and walls as clear as possible. For example, dog houses, deck boxes and flowerpots should be kept away from walls to avoid creating a protected trail system for rodents.
 
Wood piles should also be placed away from structures and, if possible, should be at least 18 inches above the ground to avoid creating shelter for rodents underneath. You will also want to make sure rats and mice cannot find shelter elsewhere in your yard, such as in a rarely used barbecue grill or under your potting bench.
 
9. Prune trees away from fences and structures and wrap the trunks in sheet metal to keep rats from making nests in the canopy. If you hate the idea of wrapping your tree trunks in metal, you can also try planting rat-repelling plants, such a lavender or mint, or placing an ultrasonic rat repeller at the base of the trunk.
 
10. Remove dense ground covers that provide shelter and allow rats and mice to move freely throughout your yard.
 
11. Block access under permanent and semi-permanent structures in your yard. Garden sheds, decks, gazebos, and other structures that rarely or never move are ideal options for rats and mice looking for a place to call home. You need to completely seal points of entry, since rats and mice can get through very small spaces, so make sure you do not already have any resident rats, mice, squirrels or other animals before sealing the area. If you block access to an area while animals are inside, they will die from starvation and dehydration, which is a crueler and slower death than poisoning or traps.
 
And finally, let’s work on making your yard less appealing to rats and mice looking for a place to set up camp:
 
12.  Deploy an ultrasonic rodent repeller. How well these work depends on who you ask, but if you have a significant rat population or a growing family of mice, they are worth a try. Most ultrasonic pest repellents are designed to ward off all animals, which includes animals you might like having around, such as dogs, deer, rabbits, or cats. So, if you decide to give this option a shot, make sure you purchase one that has settings for different types of animals so that you can ward off rodents without disturbing your furry friends.
 
13. Scare rats and mice off naturally off with predator urine. Some people swear by this method for removing unwanted rodents, which is why I’m including it on this list. However, I don’t really think it works and, therefore, is not worth having your yard smell like urine. Maybe introducing this smell could help with your rat or mice problem if you currently have no predators on your property, but most folks already have a predator or two running around. Think about it, if you have a dog or a cat that goes outside, you already have predator urine in your yard. If you live in an area where you have coyotes, bobcats or mountain lions at least occasionally on your property, you have even scarier predator urine that is not currently scaring away the rats or mice hanging out in your yard.
 
14. Introduce fragrances that make it difficult for rats and mice to use their sense of smell as a necessary survival mechanism. Rodents rely on smell to know when predators are around and to find food. Therefore, rats and mice generally choose to not hang out in areas where strong fragrances make it impossible to do this. You can purchase rat repellent pouches, pellets or sprays at hardware stores, feed stores and garden centers. This is a convenient option, but these can get expensive, since they will need to be regularly replaced.
 
You can achieve the same effect of naturally repelling rats and mice with inexpensive items you likely already have around the house or can purchase at the dollar store. For example, dryer sheets and perfumed soaps work just as well, and you probably already have these on hand. Alternatively, you can plant mint or lavender near potential nesting areas or soak cotton balls or rags with peppermint oil or eucalyptus oil to place around your outdoor living areas to deter rats and mice. If you choose to use cotton balls or rags, make sure you place them in spots where you pets cannot access them.
 
Owl Boxes: Another Way to Get Rid of Rats and Mice that is Better than Traps or Poison
 
There is another option that lies between using traps and poison and using non-lethal, natural methods for getting rid of rats and mice. While this article focuses on natural ways to get rid of rodents without killing them, this lethal-but-natural option is worth including to make sure you are aware of all your options before turning to traps and poison.
 
The Ojai Raptor Center sells barn owl and screech owl boxes that you can install at your home to encourage owls to nest on your property. This helps support the local raptor population while also providing you with natural rodent control, since owls are natural predators of rats and mice.

If you are a beginner gardener or looking to expand your existing garden, you are going to need seeds. While you could, of course, head to a local nursery or go online and purchase seed packets, there are other options for getting free seeds and cuttings for your vegetable garden or flowerbed.
 
These options also give you the opportunity to learn from local gardeners, build community, and support seed sovereignty.
 
So, let’s get right to it with these 11 ways to get free seeds and cuttings for your garden.
 
1. Save seeds from your garden.
 
If you have a vegetable garden or flowerbeds already in place, you can save seeds from your existing plants to plant for the next growing season.
 
If you are interested in saving seeds, check out this guide to seed saving from The Seed Ambassadors Project. I recommend checking out both of these guides, since The Seed Ambassadors Project guide gives a great overview of seed saving, including a glossary to help you learn the lingo.

2. Save seeds from produce.
 
You can also save seeds from produce you have purchased. It is best to save seeds from organic, non-GMO foods, since seeds from genetically modified produce may not germinate or may grow unpredictably.
 
Saving seeds from local produce purchased from produce stands or the farmers market is best, since you know these seeds have already proven to thrive where you live. You are also more likely to get organic, non-GMO seeds this way.
 
3. Grow food plants from purchased herbs and produce.
 
Many foods purchased at the store can be regrown from cuttings or by saving the base to replant. Celery, romaine lettuce, parsley, and basil are examples of foods that can be grown from cuttings or saving and planting the base.
 
4. Ask friends for cuttings of ornamental plants.
 
Succulents are particularly easy to grow from cuttings, but you can also grow many houseplants and other ornamental plants for free by asking friends or family for small cuttings.
 
5. Divide your current plants.
 
Perennials can often be divided into multiple plants to plant in your garden. To accomplish this, you can either dig up the entire plant and root system to divide, or you can use a shovel to dig up just part of the plant and root system to relocate.

6. Attend the Annual Ojai Seed & Plant Swap.
 
Going to a local seed swap, such as the Annual Ojai Seed & Plant Swap hosted by the Ojai Valley Green Coalition, is a great way to get free seeds that grow well in your area. Aside from exchanging your surplus seeds for seeds or cuttings for your garden, local seed swaps also provide the opportunity to learn from local gardeners and farmers to take your gardening game to the next level.
 
7. Start your own seed swap group.
 
If you have friends, family members or co-workers who also like to garden, consider starting your own seed swapping group to exchange seeds, cuttings and plants. If you don’t know any gardeners, this is a great opportunity to expand your social circle and connect with local gardeners in your area.
 
8. Join an online seed swapping group.
 
If you missed your local seed swapping event or just prefer to do things online, look for an online seed swapping group where you can exchange seeds with other members. Your best bests are the groups available on GardenWeb and Facebook.
 
9. Borrow seeds from a seed library.
 
Seed libraries are a good solution for new gardeners who do not yet have seeds to swap with other gardeners. This option allows you to get free seeds for your garden, and then save seeds when you harvest the crop so that you can return an equal or greater amount of seeds to the library to share with others.
 
I believe the closest seed library is at the Camarillo Library, but please add a comment below if you are aware of one closer to Ojai.
 
10. Check the free section of websites like Craigslist.
 
You can find all sorts of treasures in the free section on Craigslist and this sometimes includes seeds, cuttings or plants.
 
11. Request seeds from The Free Seed Project.
 
Each year, The Free Seed Project sends thousands of free seed packets to folks who register on their website. To request free seeds from this non-profit organization, the group asks that you fit one of these criteria:

• Would not be able to otherwise afford seeds
• Will be growing the food to give to others who do not have access to home-grown foods
• Will be a first-time gardener and will commit to sharing some of your harvest with others

 
 
If you know of other ways to get free seeds for backyard gardens in Ojai and the surrounding area, please share them with us in the comments!