peds

Hmm. I'll put it on the maybe pile...

I thought it was my turn this decade.

Well it kills every other insect that goes swimming in it, opens their breathing tubes and they drown.

Stash them until Christmas, drill a few wide holes, stick a few tea lights in then, sell for a tenner each at whatever little shed market you've nearby. Add sprigs of Holly leaf and a berry or two and charge fifteen.

It doesn't these days, and that's why I'm wondering if they've changed the recipe. Because washing your hair in fairy liquid kills the lice, and doesn't cost €15 per bottle.

A poplar that needs that big a snip should be taken down to the ground, absolutely. Might as well save the chunk with habitat in it though, and as it rots, it'll house a whole succession of beasties. And when it falls apart and needs to be removed, that's another day's work for someone 👍

Terrible, aren't we.

That's why it's such a pain in the hole, every time they get treated it's all bedding, all teddies, all people... but they'll still bring them home again a month later, they just swap them around at school. There really needs to be an announced date for every child in the school to have treatment, all on the same date, and then you might get a few more months of freedom before they find a different population at afterschool sports or a camp or whatever, but no parent wants to step up and start the conversation... because obviously, he who smelled it dealt it. Might see if my neighbour can dunk my two the next time he dips his flock, anyway.

Maybe some of the more distinguished among ye might be able to offer a perspective. Being a smelly hippy, I'm completely opposed to the use of any kind of poison unless it benefits me directly, so naturally I have no problem with blasting the children with whatever is recommended at the chemist to remove the occasional population of lice they bring home from school. But honestly, none of the products we've tried seem to do a thing, they kill the creature themselves but any eggs remain viable, and have to be combed out manually. Which really isn't any different to using Fairy Liquid, which will also kill the beastie, but is a hell of a lot cheaper. Here's the question for you ancient ones... did they change the recipe at some point in the last few decades? Back in the good old days when men were men and transsexuals hadn't been invented yet, was there something else available to eradicate any unwanted lifeforms from your child's scalp? Is this another thing that us smelly hippies have ruined for everyone? To be honest, the only reference I'm going on is reading old Beano comics from the 70s, in which the treatment of head lice seemed to be a much more chemicals-and-PPE-laden experience. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe they've always been treated with patchouli and ylang-ylang and hoodoo. I'm going to start rubbing diatomaceous earth into their hair like I do with the chickens, that should sort them out...

I've got a growing pile of bits of wood with old pruning wounds and rot pockets that I'll be turning into habitat and reinstalling up in trees. I'll have to add an additional roof to some pieces in an effort to keep water out. Probably drill a few drainage holes too. Wedged into crotches with a minimal bit of string, maybe a wooden peg or two, would be the way I'd go if they are unlikely to fall on any traffic below, but I'd be going for belts and braces (literally) if there's any chance of an innocent bystander getting a birdhouse to the brain. In a similar vein, I found this lovely little nest earlier today. No residents this year.

Some cuts of meat are definitely better cold, that's a decent suggestion. Especially leaner cuts. Topside of beef, fillet of pork. It'll probably be thin sliced and tucked into tacos at some point.

Hi Hangolup, thanks for the comment. Could you tell me a rough estimate for a decent sized beech delivered to OP's location?

Lol... same old story, another self-hating closeted gay man living a lie, role-playing as a homophobic fascist so that the other self-hating closeted homophobic fascists will like him.

Well that's not the spirit.

Venison. I've just been given a sika backstrap and a fallow backstrap. I've only ever roasted legs before. Anyone able to advise?

Does it have to be above an area with regular footfall? Depending on what habitat it's intended to be, the future residents would probably appreciate a bit of distance from any hubbub. Obviously if it's for a school then observation is part of the appeal, but the health and happiness of the inhabitants should be the primary consideration. Excellent idea regardless, and I'd love to see photos of the finished setup.

In my humble opinion, the original post reads like someone looking for answers to a homework assignment, not someone looking for advice on tree care.

Could be a Go Away, Don't Want The Job quote. Could be a heap of factors not visible in a few pictures on the internet. Could be the homeowner and the guy who quoted didn't get on. OP, why do you need the trees gone? Not judging, but it's a shame to see such lovely trees removed. With regards to your other thread: you are unlikely to recuperate any of the costs from getting the stems milled.

A dog, a goat and a horse walk into a bar. They aren't Kristi's animals because they are still alive.

My opinion here is worthless, as I'm not standing next to the tree poking at it. That said, it looks fairly healthy to me, that split branch doesn't look like a recent injury (a couple of years at least), and the kind of force needed to split open a branch like that (be it wind, impact of falling branch from above, teenagers bouncing on it etc.) would just shear off the same branch on a tree with dieback. That's not to say it doesn't have dieback now, but it's in the early stages if it does. Again, I'm not under the tree, and I'm happy to be corrected.

Quote for my post above. Can't edit it in.

The various chaps I've had in over the last 18 months of a new-build house have either been pay on completion or half halfway, half when done (or thereabouts). Roofers, plasterers, chippies etc., bills in 4 figures. Sparky asked for a good chunk early on because he had to order some pricey units, understandable enough. Five figure bill. Plumber, with the biggest bill, didn't ask for a penny until the last toilet seat had been bolted on. So it varies a lot. Edit to add: 1700 for a fella to sand and lacquer this floor. Payment afterwards, he says.

A few coats of lacquer should stick the needles on them fairly well, just top it up every 4 or 5 years, depending on wear and tear. Alternatively, replace it with a fake plastic tree, and eliminate the shedding problem altogether.

Very pretty. Take a door and a few windows first, then take all from the middle, and you've got the start of a lovely little summer house.