Tag Archives: Native Plants & Wildlife

Honey Locust Trees: Useless, Yet Useful

6 Replies

~by Texas Homesteader ~

When RancherMan & I found this little piece of paradise, we were smitten that’s for sure. As we looked over that old fence at the dilapidated 1880’s barn and overgrown property, we saw something beautiful. We saw where our future would be found. We saw HOME.

It’s been lots of work getting our property where it is now, and we’re nowhere near done. You see, there’s a prolific tree growing here called ‘Honey Locust’. For the most part we find these trees troublesome. But out of a useless tree, at least there are some useful features

Honey Locust trees are all over our NE Texas property. For the most part we consider them troublesome. But there are some good features #TexasHomesteader

Continue reading →

Bois d’Arc Trees are Beautiful & Functional Trees In Texas

18 Replies

by Texas Homesteader ~

Isn’t it funny when you’ve lived somewhere all your life you just naturally assume others across the country enjoy all the same stuff you do.  Our daughter was shocked with she moved from Texas to North Carolina & found out they had no Braum’s Ice Cream Stores.  (gasp!)  Or Whataburger.  WHAT?  She soon moved back to Texas, thank goodness.  North Carolina was too far for her to live from her beloved Texas with all its fineries!  LOL

But here on the blog I’ve been surprised that readers say they’ve never seen nor heard of the Bois d’Arc tree.  (pronounced bō-ˌdä(r)k).  They pretty much grow wild here and we have these trees scattered throughout our property.  I love ’em, so I thought I’d write a little about these magnificent trees and how they’re used.

We have several Bois d'Arc trees on our property. Although they're beautiful, they're incredibly functional as well. And how about those crazy-looking horse apples? #TexasHomesteader

Continue reading →

Chiggers: Separating Fact & Fallacy Plus Crazy Remedies

15 Replies

by Texas Homesteader ~

Summer is here for sure in NE Texas y’all.  It’s HOT!  Now I love Texas, but we have some pesky things to deal with here.  The heat & humidity are certainly something to contend with.  And some of the bugs & pests are too.  Out here on the Homestead I’m constantly on the lookout for copperhead snakes, stinging wasps, scorpions, fire ants and to me the worst offender – the tiny chigger.

Oh the chiggers are brutal this time of year.  You stroll out into your pasture to check the cows and before you know it you’re covered with maddenly itchy red bumps.  This discomfort can stay for 2-3 weeks in some cases.  YIKES!  There are many home remedies for chigger bites, and much misinformation as well.  Today I thought I’d address the chigger and its tormentious bite.

Chiggers - we've all dealt with them, right? Oh the misery of their itching which can last for weeks. I've heard some crazy cures, most of them WRONG! #TexasHomesteader

Continue reading →

Adding Temporary Protection For Wild Rabbit’s Nest

14 Replies

by Texas Homesteader ~

Planting time is almost here & I’ve been in my veggie garden a lot lately.  A LOT!  Unfortunately with all my coming & going I accidentally left the garden gate open for a few days.  In a golden moment of opportunity, a mama rabbit got into the garden, made a nest and had babies. 

As I was clearing away some mulch I first saw some fur balled up.  As I tenderly checked deeper I found a rabbit’s nest. It’s my fault, that’s what I get for leaving the gate open!  

How will I protect these kits from Bailey's instincts until they're old enough to fend for themselves? See this rabbit's nest guard. #TexasHomesteader

Continue reading →

Destructive Pests: Trapping Wild Hogs

12 Replies

by Texas Homesteader ~

*contains affiliate link

We have a wild hog problem here in NE Texas.  Bad.  So bad in fact that there’s no official ‘season’ for hunting them because they’re such an invasive, destructive nuisance. Their sheer numbers are astonishing. They come through like a cloud, leaving nothing but tilled ground & deep holes behind them. Terrible!   So terrible that the game warden says you can hunt them at any time day or night, in any season. 

Wild hogs are destructive & plentiful. But they're just escaped domestic pigs - they're pork! See how we successfully trap them #TexasHomesteader

Continue reading →

Homestead Hack – Cheaper Bird Seed

28 Replies

~By Tammy Taylor~

RancherMan & I have a bird feeder in our yard in full view of the large windows from our living room.  We both get so much enjoyment from watching them flitter around the feeders so we always make sure our bird feeder is filled.  Back in ‘the day’ when we ran out of bird food we’d simply stroll to the big discount store & pick up the largest bag of bird food we could buy, plunk down the expensive dough required and schlep it home time & time again.  But that was then, this is now and I’m here to tell ya there IS an easier (and oh-so-much CHEAPER) way!  Check out today’s Homestead Hack.

HOMESTEAD HACK: CHEAPER BIRD SEED! I'm here to tell you there IS an easier (and oh-so-much CHEAPER) way! Check out today's Homestead Hack. #TexasHomesteader Continue reading →

Wild Hogs – Making The Best Of A Bad Situation

24 Replies

by RancherMan~

As anyone in the agriculture business knows whether it be farming or ranching, wild hogs are becoming a bigger problem by the day. They are prolific breeders,they are very hardy and have almost no natural enemy besides man. As an animal behaviorist will tell you they are one of the most intelligent creatures on earth. Over the last decade they have learned to become nocturnal and learned what food is safe and which is not. They have also learned to avoid traps, making them very difficult to control in any way.

WILD HOGS: Making the Best of a Bad Situation! Wild hogs cause lots of damage to pastures, but they can also provide food #TexasHomesteader

Continue reading →