FAQ

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Home, Garden, and Yard

I live in Sanpete county. The winters are very cold and I frequently have winter kill of my roses, and perennials, especially on the South side of the house. Could you give me a basic "Yard & Home Winterization" list of things to do to prevent this and other winter issues?
My greenhouse made of visqueen does not allow the sun to hit soil, causing the growth of algae on the surface. What must be done?
We tilled our garden and planted peas and lettuce about three weeks ago. Nothing has come up yet. We were talking to our neighbor yesterday, and he told us that about 30-40 years ago, in a fit of vexation, the former owner spread an industrial strength soil sterilizing chemical on the area in which we planted our garden. He further explained that weeds have only started to grow in that area in the past 5-10 years. This information has caused my wife to give up on trying to cultivate this area. Should we give up? What can we do to amend the soil in this area?

Insects

We found (we think) a black widow spider in our home last night. It is completely black with a red hour-glass shape on its belly. We are concerned that there may be more of them in our home. I normally am opposed to using chemicals to get rid of spiders or insects, but in this case I think there is a bit of a health risk. I am particularly concerned about the safety of my children whose ages range from 9 months to 5 years. What can I do to get rid of any other black widow spiders that may be in our house, besides trying to keep corners clean, etc.?