With summer officially underway, people are enjoying their favorite outdoor pastimes, such as swimming, barbecuing, hiking, and playing sports of all sorts.
Many are also engaging in another hugely popular outdoor activity - getting married.
Indeed, every year, more couples choose to take their vows in the fresh air; and, in many cases, in their own backyard gazebos.
It's no surprise that this trend is on the upswing.
Amid lovely gardens, 'neath the azure firmament, with all of nature's splendor as their backdrops, these occasions can be almost magical.
On the other hand, out in the wild, there's a greater chance that things can go, well, wild.
Remember, no matter how carefully you map out every detail, fickle Mother Nature is ultimately in charge.
Therefore, when planning such an affair, you must prepare for every eventuality.
While a lot of people would vote for rain as "Most Likely to Succeed in Spoiling the Big Day," it probably wouldn't win by a landslide.
Truly, if it did manage to get elected, it's likely that it would be by such a narrow margin, that insects would demand a recount.
Yes, insects just love to crash parties; and they rarely come unescorted.
Instead, they prefer to descend en masse, terrorizing everyone, and landing on everything, in sight; but you can take measures to discourage the scourges.
For starters, spray the area the day before the ceremony.
Then, use citronella candles, which, besides being quite effective, can also be quite attractive, as they're now available in all colors of votive candles, which can easily be worked into any centerpiece.
Of course, you should try to reduce the insect population around your yard at all times.
Beyond being irritating, they can sometimes be dangerous, as is the case with mosquitoes, which can carry the West Nile virus.
To keep their numbers down, eliminate their favorite breeding grounds, which are pools of stagnant water.
Don't leave anything lying around that will collect water, such as empty buckets, flowerpots, planters, sandboxes, waste receptacles and lids, or old tires.
If your yard has low spots that hold puddles for days after a heavy rain, build them up with topsoil.
Fill in sunken areas on hard surfaces, or add a few drops of dish detergent to the puddles, which will make them uninhabitable by mosquitoes, and kill their eggs as well.
Luckily, wasps are pretty easy to manage.
Locate their nests during the day, looking under eaves, and in sheds and garages.
Then, at dusk, blast them with wasp and hornet spray, which shoots a steady stream for up to 30 feet, and kills on contact.
Yellow jackets' nests, which are often in the ground, can also be rubbed out with a simple, single assault, if you pour boiling water down their entrance holes at sunset.
To catch strays, fill margarine containers halfway with sugar water, cut tiny holes in the lids, and set them around the yard.
The wasps will go into the holes, and get stuck inside the containers.
Flies are a bit more challenging, because you can't kill a bunch of them at once; and any kind of fly strip is a ghastly sight.
Your best defense is to have the dining tables, or, at least, the buffet, in a screened-in area.
Actually, that's another good use for a gazebo; in fact, with the wide range of sizes, shapes, styles, and features it can serve nearly any purpose imaginable.
Many are also engaging in another hugely popular outdoor activity - getting married.
Indeed, every year, more couples choose to take their vows in the fresh air; and, in many cases, in their own backyard gazebos.
It's no surprise that this trend is on the upswing.
Amid lovely gardens, 'neath the azure firmament, with all of nature's splendor as their backdrops, these occasions can be almost magical.
On the other hand, out in the wild, there's a greater chance that things can go, well, wild.
Remember, no matter how carefully you map out every detail, fickle Mother Nature is ultimately in charge.
Therefore, when planning such an affair, you must prepare for every eventuality.
While a lot of people would vote for rain as "Most Likely to Succeed in Spoiling the Big Day," it probably wouldn't win by a landslide.
Truly, if it did manage to get elected, it's likely that it would be by such a narrow margin, that insects would demand a recount.
Yes, insects just love to crash parties; and they rarely come unescorted.
Instead, they prefer to descend en masse, terrorizing everyone, and landing on everything, in sight; but you can take measures to discourage the scourges.
For starters, spray the area the day before the ceremony.
Then, use citronella candles, which, besides being quite effective, can also be quite attractive, as they're now available in all colors of votive candles, which can easily be worked into any centerpiece.
Of course, you should try to reduce the insect population around your yard at all times.
Beyond being irritating, they can sometimes be dangerous, as is the case with mosquitoes, which can carry the West Nile virus.
To keep their numbers down, eliminate their favorite breeding grounds, which are pools of stagnant water.
Don't leave anything lying around that will collect water, such as empty buckets, flowerpots, planters, sandboxes, waste receptacles and lids, or old tires.
If your yard has low spots that hold puddles for days after a heavy rain, build them up with topsoil.
Fill in sunken areas on hard surfaces, or add a few drops of dish detergent to the puddles, which will make them uninhabitable by mosquitoes, and kill their eggs as well.
Luckily, wasps are pretty easy to manage.
Locate their nests during the day, looking under eaves, and in sheds and garages.
Then, at dusk, blast them with wasp and hornet spray, which shoots a steady stream for up to 30 feet, and kills on contact.
Yellow jackets' nests, which are often in the ground, can also be rubbed out with a simple, single assault, if you pour boiling water down their entrance holes at sunset.
To catch strays, fill margarine containers halfway with sugar water, cut tiny holes in the lids, and set them around the yard.
The wasps will go into the holes, and get stuck inside the containers.
Flies are a bit more challenging, because you can't kill a bunch of them at once; and any kind of fly strip is a ghastly sight.
Your best defense is to have the dining tables, or, at least, the buffet, in a screened-in area.
Actually, that's another good use for a gazebo; in fact, with the wide range of sizes, shapes, styles, and features it can serve nearly any purpose imaginable.
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