numberfour002
@numberfour002@lemmy.world
- Comment on It is very therapeutic to garden, though. 3 days ago:
It seems like there would more effective and direct ways (with less farce and fallacy) than asking a loaded question that people might see as a sincere request for information and an opportunity to spark a bit of interest.
- Comment on It is very therapeutic to garden, though. 3 days ago:
I thought you were sincerely asking a question and I was answering sincerely as best I could. If you would like a more precise answer for your specific situation, then I’m afraid I can’t really help there, at least not without a lot more information and a lot more time investment on my side.
- Comment on It is very therapeutic to garden, though. 3 days ago:
There is no precise answer to the associated costs. It’ll be different for every circumstance. There are just too many variables and factors to consider.
If you have plenty of time, happen to already have good soil and climate, have all the necessary tools on hand, and are just lucky, don’t have to pay for electricity or water, and so on, the financial cost can be essentially 0 (or close to it).
The more you have to overcome your situation, the more you want to make the cultivation easier, the more you want to maximize yields, and so on – generally that’s going to incur more financial cost.
There could be upfront costs like installing automated watering systems, amending your soil if it’s not up to par, building raised beds, building fencing or installing edging. Plus, any tools you don’t already have, which might include shovels, snips, wire, a spade, and so on. Even if you’re growing on a balcony you might have to buy pots and potting soil, invest in some shade cloth, put down some saucers to protect your downstairs neighbors from getting dripped on. Those are just a small sample of potential upfront costs.
Ongoing / annual costs might include things like fertilizers, pesticides, compost/mulch, replacements for any of the upfront stuff that breaks, and even things like cost of water (which is hopefully negligible but not always).
So, if money is the only “associated cost” here, then it could basically be nothing, but it also wouldn’t be entirely unusual to spend a couple hundred dollars (USD and US costs, I can’t speak for the entire world) and some folks even spend thousands.
- Comment on hot dog 6 days ago:
As an ass man, I didn’t even notice the wiener titties at first because I couldn’t take my eyes off her buns.
- Comment on Hades II is now available in Steam Early Access! 1 week ago:
So what you’re saying is, I need to go ahead and take some vacation from work and real life and go ahead and dive head first into this game. Gotcha.
- Comment on Hades II is now available in Steam Early Access! 1 week ago:
You’re such an enabler. I love it! Stop enabling me.
I know I’m not necessarily representative of the average gamer, but Hades is and was one of my favorite modern games. I feel like it’s almost pointless to not buy this game as soon as I can, even if I don’t have time to play it right this moment. Have you played it already at this point, and if so, what are your impressions?
- Comment on Hades II is now available in Steam Early Access! 1 week ago:
Solid point. But I want it now. I guess I’m still holding out hope that I might have some time to play while I’m traveling in the next month or so.
Does the early access stuff sometimes stop being available? Like if I don’t buy it soon, is it something that might go away until they’re ready to do a full release?
- Comment on Hades II is now available in Steam Early Access! 1 week ago:
I’m usually a patient gamer type. I think I got Hades in 2022 or 2023 on discount. I’ve also never purchased an early access game. But I’m seriously considering this one.
Main thing holding me back is that I just don’t get to play games very much this time of year, and I probably won’t have much time again until Fall.
- Comment on Lightning bugs 1 week ago:
If you’re having a problem with fire ants it’s likely due to overuse of broad spectrum pesticides. Fire ants have tons of natural predators, but they are usually taken out by broad spectrum pesticides a lot more effectively than the ants.
Let me preface this by saying, I agree with your overall message about avoiding broad spectrum pesticides in the lawn, but I’m curious where you got this information from your first paragraph?
I ask because these things seem completely at odds with my experience and with most of the information I’ve read about fire ants.
I really don’t know anybody that uses broad spectrum pesticides in large areas of their lawns or gardens, but fire ants take over yards anyway. I certainly don’t use them here and none of my neighbors do.
While fire ants may have tons of natural predators in their native territories, the issue in most of the areas where they are invasive is that there aren’t any/many natural predators that are actually capable of keeping the populations under control. They breed and migrate so aggressively that critters who predate them don’t make a dent. And the native ants don’t have much defense against fire ants.
Additionally, I’m not sure there are any current nematode products available in the US that are known to be effective against fire ants. Doesn’t mean that won’t change or that there aren’t new products I’m not aware of, though. Just saying, that general consensus is that it’s not a viable solution.
- Comment on Lightning bugs 1 week ago:
Although plenty of people do it, most aren’t treating their whole yard or entire garden in pesticides on a regular basis. Most people who are using pesticides are just spot treating here and there, maybe spraying their home’s foundation to keep out ants and termites and things of that nature.
People who use pesticides in their lawns will have different reasons and different approaches, but some common reasons (real and imagined, I’m not defending the practice) are typically to control pests like fire ants, Japanese beetles, yellow jacket wasps, termites, fleas and other parasites, and many other things that are region specific.
And honestly, some people just don’t like bugs. I think that’s ridiculous, but it’s way more common than you might think. Any tiny creature in their house warrants the nuclear option. A wasp nest on the underside of a deck terrifies them.
- Comment on Lightning bugs 1 week ago:
Lightning bugs are really cool! Where I live, people are usually surprised to find out that there are dozens of species native to the region.
A few years ago, I went on a trip to a different part of the US and they had a species of lightning bug where they all flash synchronously. Instead of flying around the yard, blinking seemingly at random like all the lightning bugs I’d ever seen up to that point, the synchronous ones crawled around in the bushes and trees and then when they flashed, they all flashed at the same time. It was super cool to see.
Another thing I’ve noticed about adult lightning bugs is that the populations can vary greatly from year to year around here. We might have a year or two with large numbers of them each night during the warmest parts of the year, then a year where they are few and far between.
- Comment on Daily discussion thread: ⚔️ Friday, May 3, 2024 2 weeks ago:
I’ll have some cake please. Nothing fancy, no frosting, just plane.Unless your life insurance policy is all paid up and your Earthly affairs are in order, I hope it’s not a Boeing.>>>
- Comment on Why exactly are raisins toxic for dogs and not humans? 3 weeks ago:
- Comment on [deleted] 3 weeks ago:
Just thought I’d mention that there are species of fish and other animal groups that are all female or close enough to it that their populations do not rely on males to propagate. For example, Amazon mollies. I couldn’t tell you if any species of betta are capable of parthenogensis, but as a general statement “If you would have only females, the entire fish species dies out” isn’t universally true.
Although it’s possible that female bettas want strong males, I’m certainly not a female betta and don’t want to get too far into the territory of anthropomorhpism and there are certainly other possible motivations and processes going on than simply wanting “strong males”.
But really, all this seems to be veering oddly away from the original topic and my first comment, so I’m just going to leave it at that.
- Comment on [deleted] 3 weeks ago:
It’s mostly only the males that don’t get along with each other. Given enough space, females can be peacefully kept together in sorority tanks. Similarly, a trio or harem (i.e. one male with multiple females) is typically safe as well and the fish get along just fine, given a large enough tank and appropriate stocking.
Also, most reputable breeders and sources of information will tell you that 5 gallons / 19 liters is the minimum suggested tank size for a happy and healthy fish in optimal conditions. While they can certainly survive in much smaller bodies of water, it’s not ideal and in some cases it’s actually harmful.
- Comment on Is there any gadget that helps find, kill or repel mosquitoes? 4 weeks ago:
Some of it depends on your circumstances, honestly. What’s applicable and works for me, may not be applicable and work for you in your situation.
One thing that really helps me in my situation is a product called Mosquito Bits. It’s a microbial product that you add to anything that might contain standing, stagnant water. It kills mosquito larvae and is quite effective at it. I place this in the saucers of outdoor plants, in equipment that tends to collect water after rain, and even sprinkle it in plants that tend to collect water (ex: bromeliads).
I’ve also read and heard that using aromatic wood mulch, like cedar, around the outdoor living areas can help somewhat.
The biggest disappointment in terms of products that don’t seem to be terrible effective was a Dynatrap. I had acquaintances raving about it, saw some people on other sites like the R-word saying good things about it, so even though they are expensive and require yearly bulb replacements, I gave it a try. It really did not make a dent in the mosquito population, and worse, it traps so many other kinds of insects including beneficial insects that I consider it to be a failure. I’ve opened up the trap to empty it, and there just aren’t many mosquitos in there, just lots of moths, flies, beetles, etc.
- Comment on SMASNUG 1 month ago:
No. Sma Snug.
That’s slang for “It’s My Snuggie”, a nod to the world famous brand of wearable blankets that have sleeves.
- Comment on Modern beauty standards 2 months ago:
Her milk shake brings all the bugs to her arms.
- Comment on they told us we were crazy 2 months ago:
The problem I have with the whole “birds aren’t real” thing is that bird-drones are expensive, very expensive. Think about all the “birds” you’ve ever seen over the course of your whole entire life. Think about how much it would cost to build and maintain that. I’d hate to see the bill.
- Comment on I complained about an Australian website asking for tips, so they removed the tip function. 2 months ago:
I was in the market for a docking station. There was a particular brand that was showing up in recommendations, was well-rated, and had the specs I was looking for. I found it on Amazon, but I avoid buying from that place as much as possible, so I checked the vendor’s website directly.
They had the dock for sale on their own website, so I proceeded to purchase from there. However, when I was almost done with checking out, I saw that they were asking for / suggesting a tip. That’s honestly despicable for an online store and way past the line for me. So, I did some more research, found a different brand of dock, and bought that instead.
Looking back, I should have done what you did and notify jsaux of their missed sale, but I honestly just assumed it was a pointless endeavor. Maybe one day I’ll go back and see if it’s still there on their checkout, and if so, let them know they’ve missed at least one sale.
- Comment on Why does a prospective employer need my address? 2 months ago:
Companies aren’t mailing taxes, tax documents, or 401k/insurance/benefits docs to someone just because they applied for a job, though.
- Comment on You can also take deductions for costs relating to criminal activity! 2 months ago:
- Comment on Take a look. 3 months ago:
White Anglo-Saxon Protestant
- Comment on consequences 3 months ago:
50 hours sounds like that’s average for how long it takes for food items to be fully digested and completely excreted from the body under normal circumstances, but not necessarily an average minimum amount of time for how long it takes food to start exiting the body in feces.
Those are very different data points, especially in the context of a discussion about spicy foods.
Spicy hot foods are typically spicy because of a chemical called capsaicin, which is an irritant in mammals. In high enough amounts and/or in sensitive people, capsaicin can irritate the lining of the digestive system and that irritation can have a laxative-like effect to varying degrees. In response to irritation, digestive motility / speed will increase, and the general trend is that the quicker something moves through the digestive tract, the less completely it is processed and digested.
Basically, if someone eats too much spicy food for their tolerance level, it is fairly typical for that to move through the digestive system more quickly than average AND the feces will contain proportionally more capsaicin. So, bowel movements less than 24 - 50 hours after eating the spicy food and a burning sensation associated with the act due to undigested capsaicin actually does make sense.
- Comment on Follow your heart, they said 3 months ago:
Okay, but I’d rather breed chupacabras. I do have a gift for making things suck, after all.
- Comment on Please clap 3 months ago:
Appears to be a thicc chunk of moistandtite.
- Comment on Are humans the only animal that wipes things off? 3 months ago:
“Wipe” is a bit of a stretch and a bit specific when it comes to animal behavior, but many animals do clean their food or clean their living quarters in a variety of ways.
In addition to the other examples already given, I’ll toss Eusocial Insects into the ring. This includes groups like bees and ants that live collectively in colonies. For example, honeybees will clean their colony’s comb to keep it free of debris. Leaf cutter ants depend on a specific type of fungus that they cultivate for food, and they spend a lot of effort keeping their farmed good nice and sanitary.
- Comment on New server policy. Lemmites who misbehave get sent to Disney land with a bus full of Disney adults. 3 months ago:
I think I have Disney PTSD from a former friend/acquaintance who had an almost supernatural ability to make any conversation into a conversation about Disney. So, now I’m super sensitive about it. Would almost rather a conversation start with “Have you heard about our Lord and savior Jesus Christ” than anything that includes the word “Disney”.
- Comment on "Sometimes dead is better" - Jud Crandall, Pet Sematary 3 months ago:
♫♫ If it hadn’t been for Cotton-Eye Joe ♫♫
♫♫ I’d been married long time ago. ♫♫
♫♫ Where did you come from, where did you go? ♫♫
- Comment on Can you survive on pickles alone, for a while? 4 months ago:
The pickle juice would dehydrate you and if the pickles or juice were consumed in any significant amount, would likely reduce your survival time … potentially by quite a bit.
But also, you’re in a location with an unlimited amount of pickles (in theory), so even if you don’t directly have fresh water, there’s a chance you could rig up some way of distilling / evaporating the pickle juice to extract fresh water from it. In that case, duration of survivability would increase quite a bit depending on how much fresh water you could successfully extract from the brine. First priority would be to drink only fresh water and not consume the pickles (or consume only a small amount). But if you have lots of left over water, then you can start soaking/boiling the pickles to reduce sodium levels.