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Is it a vespula wasp (German or common) or a paper wasp? Find out the difference here.
Once you know which type of wasp to target, the next step is to use the correct control method.
- For paper wasps, there are commercially available sprays at hardware stores around the country. The important … View moreIs it a vespula wasp (German or common) or a paper wasp? Find out the difference here.
Once you know which type of wasp to target, the next step is to use the correct control method.
- For paper wasps, there are commercially available sprays at hardware stores around the country. The important things to note are not to get too close (these sprays can go up to four metres), and to do it at dusk once the wasps have returned to their nests. If you are unsure where the nests are, you can usually follow the wasp to it, as they don't travel too far away.
- Vespex is a protein-based bait which is suitable for use on the vespula wasp species. This is usually done at landscape scale as a small tub of bait can cover a large area. You don't need to find the nests as the wasps carry the bait home with them. Vespex is not at all attractive to bees. If there is a problem in your area you can learn all about the use of vespex here. You will need to be an approved user - a short 10-minute video course is all that is required. Vespex is not suitable for paper wasps as they prefer live bait. You can also contribute to our fight against wasps here: givealittle.co.nz...
Jandals. The good old Kiwi flip flop. When the sun is blazing down, the rubber shoe can take you from the morning stroll to get a paper, the beach, and then on to a bar. But how pricey are these items getting - what did you pay back in the day, and what's the most expensive one you've … View moreJandals. The good old Kiwi flip flop. When the sun is blazing down, the rubber shoe can take you from the morning stroll to get a paper, the beach, and then on to a bar. But how pricey are these items getting - what did you pay back in the day, and what's the most expensive one you've seen in the beach boutiques nowadays?
We want to know what a day at the beach with the classics costs us.
So roll up, roll up ... there's nothing like licking a scoop of ice cream during the summer. How much do you pay at home, and when you are away? What is the most expensive ice cream you've bought on holiday?
[Note, if … View moreWe want to know what a day at the beach with the classics costs us.
So roll up, roll up ... there's nothing like licking a scoop of ice cream during the summer. How much do you pay at home, and when you are away? What is the most expensive ice cream you've bought on holiday?
[Note, if you'd prefer we didn't quote you in our articles on Neighbourly or Stuff, please mark your post "NQ"]
Make your 2019 New Years resolution to be prepared!
In the event of a major earthquake, the pipes underground that bring drinking water to, and take wastewater from your home, could be broken.
This means you will be relying on the stored water you have at home for at least the first seven days … View moreMake your 2019 New Years resolution to be prepared!
In the event of a major earthquake, the pipes underground that bring drinking water to, and take wastewater from your home, could be broken.
This means you will be relying on the stored water you have at home for at least the first seven days following an earthquake. And you'll need a plan for the safe disposal of your wastewater.
For more tips and information about how to get prepared visit www.wellingtonwater.co.nz...
You can make a real difference in your community this year by donating to The Foodbank Project.
Being involved in her community is important to Dominique, but her busy university schedule can make it hard to find the time, so in 2019 her resolution is to donate an essentials bundle for just $18 a … View moreYou can make a real difference in your community this year by donating to The Foodbank Project.
Being involved in her community is important to Dominique, but her busy university schedule can make it hard to find the time, so in 2019 her resolution is to donate an essentials bundle for just $18 a month. www.facebook.com...
Learn more and donate here: www.foodbank.org.nz...
In 2019, make a resolution to donate to The Foodbank Project that will make you feel good and will make a real difference in your community. It's easy to set up a recurring donation online for the frequency and amount that you choose.
Instead of doing something for herself this New Year (and… View moreIn 2019, make a resolution to donate to The Foodbank Project that will make you feel good and will make a real difference in your community. It's easy to set up a recurring donation online for the frequency and amount that you choose.
Instead of doing something for herself this New Year (and struggling to keep the resolution), Ingrid is signing up to The Foodbank Project to donate a Small Family Bundle each month because it's a resolution she knows she can keep. Watch Ingrid's video here: www.facebook.com...
Learn more and donate here: www.foodbank.org.nz...
Many good acts occur during this festive season, which illustrate kindness.
As a Muslim, i don't celebrate Christmas, but my religion emphasises showing kindness on every occasion. Therefore, during this festive period, i would like to extend a hand of friendship and kindness and invite … View moreMany good acts occur during this festive season, which illustrate kindness.
As a Muslim, i don't celebrate Christmas, but my religion emphasises showing kindness on every occasion. Therefore, during this festive period, i would like to extend a hand of friendship and kindness and invite LADIES & GIRLS in my neighbourhood for
a FREE HENNA TATTOO on Saturday 22nd December 2018 from 2pm to 6pm
✏Note:
Free Henna tattoo will be on any one side of your hand that you choose.
Please let me know if you would be interested. :)
This is what November and December feel like to me, like time itself is rushing and racing at an ever-quickening rate until WOOSH—the new year arrives.
We no sooner get the Halloween decorations packed away when the sudden onslaught of party invitations, recitals, end of year meetings, travel … View moreThis is what November and December feel like to me, like time itself is rushing and racing at an ever-quickening rate until WOOSH—the new year arrives.
We no sooner get the Halloween decorations packed away when the sudden onslaught of party invitations, recitals, end of year meetings, travel plans, family get-togethers, decorating to-dos, gift lists, and holiday cards crashes in like a tidal wave.
Lost in a sea of turkey stuffing and stocking stuffers, one critical aspect of my life is swiftly curbed: my connection with my husband, Steve. The person that emerges when I am disconnected with myself and my partner is edgy, stressed, resentful, and exhausted.
In my relentless crusade to provide my family with the “best holidays ever,” I misplace the parts of myself that are patient and easy, slow and kind.
By January, I am spent and I’ve overlooked what the holidays are actually supposed to be about: connection, togetherness, gratitude, and giving.
There’s another way and it starts with one magical word: no.
No to party invitations and to doing more than a single string of lights outside in our front yard. No to perfectly wrapped teacher gifts and to attempting that elaborate (and frankly, out of my depth) potluck dish.
Good enough is the new perfect. Good enough creates white space. White space is where my life actually dwells. It’s the moments of just being, not accomplishing or checking things off a list, where the best parts of my marriage live.
Block out white space
This year, I’ve placed giant blocks of nothing in my Google calendar, placeholders for time to just be with myself and my people. These empty blocks, anywhere from one to four hours in length, are set aside as white space—they’re not waiting to be filled.
They stay deliberately empty and noncommittal. I came upon one this past weekend and it was like finding a rare treasure. Of course, I had no idea what to do with myself. Free time is not something our culture handles well. We fill every moment. And when we find ourselves in an atypical instance with nothing to do, we reach for our smartphone or look around and busy ourselves as quickly as possible. But I just sat, on my couch, in the middle the day. I closed my eyes, took some deep breaths, and felt my whole body smile. White space is glorious. This holiday season, let’s all schedule some nothing time.
Tune into the moments
Even when Steve and I are committed to being with other people, whether it’s a family function or a party, we usually have the drive there and back to connect. Often, we miss out on the opportunity to really turn towards each other, either because one of us is on our phone or we’re having a surface-level conversation.
I’ve realized that we can use these to and fro moments to really tune in. We can drop a layer deeper and ask better questions. Same goes for bedtime. If I’m not exhausted from a chaotic gust of activity from dawn to dusk, I can find a few quiet minutes before I drift off to sleep to connect with Steve. The key is having something left in my batteries for him and not expending every bit of energy I have on holiday perfectionism.
Slow down
In a guided meditation I was recently listening to on Insight Timer, the speaker introduced me to the idea that we can actually feel like we can slow time by slowing our breathing, our bodies and our motions. When I’m buzzing around my house like a tornado, my life feels a little out of control, like I’m in a speeding car clutching the steering wheel with a white knuckled grip.
But when I slow down, literally exaggerate my movements like I’m pretending to be a sloth, it’s as if the world begins to pace itself to me. Perspective immediately sets in. The lens pulls back. I suddenly see that I’m being a crazy person and I’m probably missing the point of the whatever I am doing. When I slow down and become less frantic, I can see that I actually do need a hand and I can invite Steve into the kitchen to work with me.
I speak more kindly to everyone instead of harshly barking orders to Steve and the kids like a drill sergeant. I let go of getting it all done. I get less prickly and thus easier to connect with.
It’s an inside job
Staying connected with Steve, I’ve recently realized, is an inside job. If you’d asked me last year how a couple can stay connected through the holidays, I would have suggested they schedule more date nights or make sure they meet on the couch twice a week to catch up.
But now I realize it’s really about making myself more available and accessible in our day-to-day life instead of running myself ragged and becoming boorish and bitchy. By taking better care of myself, slowing down, tuning in, and getting grounded, the best version of myself emerges.
If the holidays become a tireless and harried flurry of getting stuff done, Steve is quickly (and brusquely) relegated to my sous chef and errand boy. But when I slow down and put things into perspective, I remember who he really is to me: my partner and the person I always dreamed of creating holiday memories with. Look, none of the holiday trappings mean anything if I’ve attained them by force and fury. Having a joyful, connected holiday season is absolutely possible. But if it is to be, it’s up to me.
Showcase your best photography and you could WIN one of six $2,000 Canon vouchers. Enter your photo into one of six categories:
- Great Outdoors
- People and Communities
- Kiwi Summer
- Thrill and Adventure
- Urban Life
- Bach and Backyard
Our favourite entries will be published in … View moreShowcase your best photography and you could WIN one of six $2,000 Canon vouchers. Enter your photo into one of six categories:
- Great Outdoors
- People and Communities
- Kiwi Summer
- Thrill and Adventure
- Urban Life
- Bach and Backyard
Our favourite entries will be published in your local newspaper and on stuff.co.nz/photoawards
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