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Keep bugs away from porch


How to Keep Bugs Away From Your Porch

We love our outdoor spaces — until they are visited by mosquitos, insects and other bugs. Wondering how to keep bugs away from a patio? There are lots of options, including the following:

Need an effective way to keep mosquitoes away from your patio? Consider adding a sunroom to your home so you get the patio experience in a closed-off space — free from insects. This is also a good solution if you’re wondering how to keep bugs out of a screened in porch. At Garrety Glass, we’re always glad to talk about your sunroom options. Contact us today and learn more about transforming your outdoor spaces.

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natural remedies to try |

(Image credit: CQM Design + Interiors / J Holt Manning)

Knowing how to keep bugs away from porch lights is important at all points of the year, but none more so than in the summer months. 

Now that the season of sitting outside has arrived, it is natural to refresh your front porch ideas and ensure your exteriors are a therapeutic space where you can rest the day away. However, nothing interrupts the tranquility like bugs, and nothing attracts bugs like light.  

Thankfully, there are natural remedies that are effective in your fight against bugs on your porch – and they're entirely expert-approved. 

How to keep bugs away from porch light – 4 organic ways to keep the insect away 

(Image credit: Future)

From citronella candles to mouthwash, these are the most impactful home remedies you need to know about this season.  

1. Lavender plants

If you know how to keep wasps away from your porch, you may already know about the power of a plant in your struggle against insects. Therefore, it is unsurprising that choosing the right plant is effective against bugs too. 

Pest expert Jeff Neal from Critter Depot suggests knowing how to grow lavender is a great place to start. 'Our favorite bug repellent is a lavender plant,' he explains. Lavender is an effective solution as it emits a natural odor that is too strong for bugs (including mosquitos) to tolerate.

'We find that to be a much safer and healthier way to keep them away from lights and our patios,' the expert adds.

2. Citronella candles  

Citronella is renowned for its pest-prevention qualities – but choosing it in a candle form is a great way to similarly make your porch feel more atmospheric 'Citronella candles are a nice option for deterring bugs away momentarily if you're only sitting on their porch for a short period,' explains garden expert Tiffany Payne . 

Tiffany recommends arranging some citronella-scented candles beneath your porch light on a countertop or flat surface to keep bugs and mosquitos away. 

(Image credit: Industville)

3. Basil essential oil 

Basil may be synonymous with your kitchen garden ideas, but the experts suggest bringing it onto your porch too. Only this time, in the form of oil. 

Tiffany suggests that basil, lavender, and rosemary oils are designed to mimic the aromas of their plant, meaning you can combine multiple types of protection into a single solution. She suggests combining the oil with water to make a bug-repellent remedy that you can spray around the edge of your space. This should allow you to keep pests away from your patio. 

4. Mouthwash 

Mouthwash is perhaps the most unconventional way to keep bugs away from your porch light – but that does not make it any less effective. 

'If you don't have any rubbing alcohol or fragrant oils on hand, an alcohol-based toothpaste can be used to keep bugs away from your porch,' Tiffany says. For this method, you should fill a spray bottle halfway with mouthwash before spraying the perimeter of the porch and all over your best outdoor furniture. 

'This can deter bugs and leave a pleasant odor, but due to the rapid loss of alcohol, reapplication may be required regularly,' she adds. 

Megan is the News and Trends Editor at Homes & Gardens. She first joined Future Plc as a News Writer across their interiors titles, including Livingetc and Real Homes. As the News Editor, she often focuses on emerging microtrends, sleep and wellbeing stories, and celebrity-focused pieces. Before joining Future, Megan worked as a News Explainer at The Telegraph, following her MA in International Journalism at the University of Leeds. During her BA in English Literature and Creative Writing, she gained writing experience in the US while studying in New York. Megan also focused on travel writing during her time living in Paris, where she produced content for a French travel site. She currently lives in London with her antique typewriter and an expansive collection of houseplants. 

Lev GRIGORYAN. Dream of an old apple tree

STORY

Morning entered the house inaudibly. Sunny bunnies, playing, ran along the walls, slid over the old mirror. One bunny, the smallest and most restless, climbed onto the bed where Tylee was sleeping and stroked the girl affectionately on the cheek.

- It's time to get up! the morning sang.

Sparrows chirped outside the window.

Tylee woke up.

The day promised to be hot.

The girl had many things to do. She had to feed the birds in the backyard, run to the market, and by noon they were waiting for her at Mrs. Burbella's house - Tylee worked part-time as a laundress for wealthy gentlemen. And Tylee also wanted to visit Norton, a young forester who lived on the very outskirts.

In the city, Norton was not favored: he was silent and unsociable. But he became Tylee's best friend, and she secretly sighed for him.

The girl washed her face with icy water, sprinkled millet on the chickens, brushed off a couple of caterpillars from the apple tree growing near the porch. Breakfast - bread with a mug of milk - did not take much time.

Well, it's time to go to the market! But then there was a hitch: the kerchief had disappeared somewhere. Tylee looked around the house, looked under the bench, rummaged through the chest of old rags twice. All in vain! The scarf was nowhere to be found.

Shouldn't you go into the city with your head uncovered? An old custom considered this indecent. What to do?

Tylee looked out the window. Maybe a robber wind blew at night and took the scarf with him?

There was also nothing under the window. Tylee raised her eyes to the sky - and there, in the sky, something silvery suddenly flashed. No, it was not a scarf. Swinging in the wind, a ribbon slowly descended - a pearl-colored strip of fabric. Tylee held out her hands, and the wind gently lowered the ribbon right into her palm.

The fabric shimmered in the sun like a small rainbow.

Tylee laughed:

– Prankster wind! So it was you? You stole my scarf, and now you want to apologize? Well, thanks for the ribbon. I have never seen such beautiful ones before. Just don't joke like that anymore, please.

The girl shook her head. Chestnut curls spilled over her shoulders. The mirror in the corner frowned disapprovingly, honoring strict customs. No wonder the memory of past times rested behind its mirror surface.

Time passed and Tylee sighed as she tied her hair with a ribbon. No one in the city walks like that, but ... come what may!

She adjusted the brooch on her dress - a gift from her grandmother - and boldly stepped out the door.

...Tylee hurried through the narrow, winding streets, holding a vegetable basket in her hand. Passers-by stared in surprise at a girl with brown hair, taken away by an outlandish ribbon. Some grumbled under their breath, and some even pointed fingers at her.

Shameless! - Tylee heard a voice from the doorway, and her face was filled with a blush.

And only Uncle Paul, a city beggar, who, as always, was sitting on an overturned biscuit box, grunted after Tylee with a good-natured grin:

– Run, run, beautiful! And don't look back at the simpletons.

Uncle Paul was an unusual beggar. He did not ask for alms, but he himself distributed coins to playful children who were running around the city streets. The coins were the smallest, penny copper, but they were enough for a glass of ice cream or a mug of cold pop. Children doted on Uncle Paul.

No one knew where he got the money from. It was rumored that in fact Uncle Paul was a rich man of a noble family, perhaps even a count, and that he had a magnificent palace outside the city. Only he does not live there, because he is an eccentric and does not like other rich people. Uncle Paul himself only laughed at these gossip.

Tylee nodded her thanks to the beggar and hurried on.

She was greeted with gossip at the market. But the greengrocer refused to sell her asparagus.

“First, buy yourself a cap, and then come back,” he said angrily.

Frustrated, Tiley didn't know what to do with her eyes out of embarrassment. Having hastily bypassed the market, she trudged home with a half-empty basket.

On the way, she was about to turn into the alley of Weavers and Mustaches to buy herself a new scarf, but then the coachman whistled, passers-by jumped to the side, and a smartly decorated carriage appeared.

- Make way for the Duchess de Pampoise! shouted the coachman, cracking his whip.

Tylee hesitated and nearly got hit by a whip. Pulling back, the girl dropped the basket. Vegetables rolled along the pavement, the horses lost their stride, the carriage stopped.

A window in the carriage door opened, and the head of an elderly high-born lady, resembling a dried catfish, peered out.

– What an outrage! she muttered. - They go right under the wheels. Oh! And the outfit? Honey, where is your cap?!

The lady's hair was crowned with a strict calico hat resembling a horse's saddle.

Tylee didn't have time to answer. Another head appeared in the carriage window, a younger one. It belonged to the duke's daughter.

- Oh, mother! Just look! exclaimed this new head with undisguised admiration. - How unusual! Look at this commoner - without a hat and with a ribbon in her hair. Isn't it nice? She suits her very well!

Tylee was frantically picking vegetables. And the duke's daughter did not let up:

“I want that too,” she said. And, pulling off her bonnet, she shouted to the cabman: “Go on, Hans!” We're going to the tailor. I will choose the most beautiful ribbon for myself.

The old duchess tried to argue something, an argument ensued, but Tylee was no longer listening. Picking up the basket, she rushed away and did not stop until the house. Since childhood, Tylee has learned that it is better to stay away from noblemen. If they offend you, you will not find justice for them.

At home, the girl allowed herself to rest a little, and then, covering her hair with some tattered rag, she went to Mrs. Berbella. She had to stay there. The junior washerwoman fell ill, and all the work fell on the shoulders of Tylee. Until the evening, the girl washed countless pillowcases, sheets, silk capes, and the pile of dirty linen did not seem to decrease.

Finally freed, Tylee received a piece of bread and cheese and a few copper coins for her labors.

...Returning home, Tylee was surprised to see that the city had changed. Passers-by, as before, scurried back and forth, but something in their appearance became different. Tiley realized that almost every second person went without a hat. The glare of the evening dawn fell on the golden curls of the beauties, decorated with blue and green ribbons, on the blond curls of young guys and gray curls of old women ...

In just a few hours, with the help of the duke's daughter, a new fashion was established in the city. The ancient custom has fallen.

Only late in the evening did Tylee reach Norton's hut. She couldn't wait to tell him everything that had happened that day. After listening to the story, the lumberjack thought for a long time. And then he said with a smile:

- It turns out that the wind that took away your scarf is to blame. The old proverb is true - you never know where you will find, where you will lose. It’s just that my heart senses: everything is not as simple as it seems ... I’m afraid that something will happen ...

* * *

The next morning Tylee forgot about Norton's words. She remembered them only towards noon, when she was getting ready to visit Madame Berbella. Putting on the dress, the girl noticed that there was no brooch on it.

A simple pewter brooch was of little value. But Tylee was upset: after all, she got this brooch in memory of her grandmother.

Tylee scanned the plank floorboards, walked around the yard, peering at the ground. But she never found what she was missing.

“I must have dropped it when the carriage nearly hit me,” the girl said to herself. And, at the risk of incurring the wrath of Madame Berbella on her head, she went to the scene of yesterday's incident.

Tayli fiddled in the dust of the pavement for a long time. The brooch was not there.

“One of the boys must have found her,” the girl thought. “Maybe I lost it somewhere else.”

After asking Uncle Paul just in case (however, to no avail), Tylie went to Mrs. Berbella's house.

For being late, she got a big hit from the housekeeper, old Plishilda. Tiley did not have time to wash the laundry by the evening, and part of the work had to be taken home. The girl barely dragged a heavy basket full of baby diapers to the house.

On the porch, Tylee picked a couple of apples for Norton, stroked the apple tree's rough bark, and without wasting time for dinner, went to the outskirts of town.

Over the past day, the new fashion has finally come into its own. Everyone around flaunted hairstyles of various styles, the gossips on the benches only talked about ribbons and hats that had become unnecessary.

“I turned mine into a flower pot,” one neighbor said to another. - Now I have a camellia growing there.

“And I adapted mine for a chicken feeder,” the second boasted.

“Wait a minute, autumn will come, the rains will come - you will regret it then,” the third warned them.

But Tylee didn't hear the gossip and didn't look around. She looked down at her feet in the last hope of finding the missing brooch. Alas, the hope was not justified. The sun went down and it got quite dark.

...Norton met the girl with joy. But when he learned of the loss, he was saddened.

“It's not without reason,” he repeated. - However ... I have one little thing, which, perhaps, will console you a little.

And, fumbling in his pocket, he handed Tylee a small silver ring.

“Take it,” he said. “I didn’t dare to say for a long time, but since fate turned out like this…” he lost his head, fell silent in embarrassment, and then blurted out:

“Tylee, be my wife!”

- Oh, Norton! Amazed, Tylee threw herself into his arms. – I have loved you for a long time, but I didn't know that you… too…

– Yes, Tylee, yes, – the happy Norton whispered and hugged his betrothed tightly.

* * *

The next morning, Tylee woke up dreamy. The day before, she and Norton had been talking for a long time about the upcoming wedding, and when the lumberjack walked her home, the stars were already shining with might and main in the sky.

The reflection of their radiance still lit up Tylee's soul.

But as soon as she sat up in bed, the girl realized that something was wrong.

The door of her house was wide open, and the shoes that stood by the shop disappeared without a trace.

Tylee was scared. There must have been a thief in the house!

However, after examining the farm, the girl was even more surprised. Apart from the shoes, everything else was in place. Even the coins received from old Plishilda remained untouched on the table.

“What a strange thief,” Tylee muttered. Or maybe it was some kind of animal? A dog, a fox... But the beast would not have carried off two shoes at once...

However, there was no time to be surprised. After a hurried wash at the well, Tylee fed the chickens, splashed water under the roots of the apple tree, and began to do the laundry. Yesterday's laundry basket was so large that Tylee could barely manage it by noon.

She hung the diapers on the branches of an apple tree to dry and then ran to Ms. Berbella. It was not enough to be late for the second day in a row.

Except the missing shoes were the only ones Tylee had. I had to go barefoot.

Out of habit, the stones of the pavement hurt my legs. The girl tried not to think about it: the joy of the imminent wedding with Norton again took possession of her heart, and Tiley, inspired by a dream, seemed to soar in the clouds.

That's why she didn't notice the carriage emerging from the next lane. Oddly enough, it was again the carriage of the Duchess de Pampoise. Tylee nearly fell under the hooves of the horses. Fortunately, Uncle Paul was nearby - he was tired of sitting on his box, and he decided to take a walk.

Uncle Paul grabbed Tylee tightly by the sleeve and thereby saved her from imminent injury, and possibly death. The sleeve could not stand it, came off. And the carriage did not stop this time. The coachman Hans only sighed in annoyance:

– Again, this mess! - and cracked his whip, urging the horses on.

To make matters worse, the back wheel of the carriage splashed a deep puddle, and a fountain of muddy spray doused Tiley from head to toe. Her dress, although not new, but always neat, became like the skin of a leopard, which was bored in a barn.

- Oh! was all Tylee said as she looked at her outfit. And then she turned to the beggar, who was clutching a torn sleeve in his fist. - Uncle Paul, dear, you saved me!

The beggar with a guilty smile held out his sleeve to her.

– Sorry, beautiful. I screwed up. It turned out to be an old dress.

Tylee gave him a startled look with radiant eyes:

– What are you, Uncle Paul! I don't know how to thank you. God be with him, with the dress, most importantly, she remained alive.

“What the heck,” Uncle Paul waved his hand vaguely and hobbled away. He didn't like being thanked.

Alone, Tiley thought about it. How to be now? A dirty dress, a torn sleeve, bare feet... It was out of the question to go to Mrs. Berbella in such a state. In a rich house, they won’t even let her on the threshold.

“I'll go to Norton's,” Tiley decided. “Maybe he has some old shoes. I'll dry off along the way."

The girl walked along the pavement. But she soon regretted her decision. Sharp stones dug into her heels. The dirt on the dress went in divorces. Passers-by kept throwing sidelong glances in her direction.

– Did you spend the night in a ditch? - there was someone's contemptuous shout. Or just drunk?

Tylee quickened her pace. Yes, just two days ago she was also condemned. The whole city took up arms against the harmless ribbon in her hair. And then it turned into a new fashion. But this time there is nothing to hope for ... A shame, and only a shame.

Tylee sighed bitterly. And then suddenly she laughed, imagining for a moment the Duchess de Pampoise and her daughter, proudly marching in spotted dresses with one sleeve to the enthusiastic exclamations of the crowd. Yes, it would be a funny picture, nothing to say.

Eventually the girl turned off the crowded street onto a narrow, unpaved path.

“I'll take a detour,” she told herself. - Let longer, but less shame.

Walking has really become easier. The ground sprung softly underfoot. The whispering behind him faded away. There were no oncoming travelers to be seen.

The path soon got out to the outskirts and stretched along the edge of the forest.

Tiley even got her good mood back. She began to hum a half-forgotten tune from her childhood and occasionally stooped down to pick a flower.

But then a young man in a blue cloak and gloves appeared ahead. He was thin, tall, and in his eyes a strange mixture of innocence and arrogance. A little book was tucked into his belt, and in his hands he held some kind of plant and examined it with interest.

Tylee stepped closer, and the man noticed her and nodded amiably.

“Hello, dear girl,” he said.

“Good afternoon,” Tylee stopped. The man's words seemed strange to her. The townspeople didn't talk to each other like that. Yes, and the stranger's outfit looked unusual: a workman's suit, but at the same time - a raincoat. Do craftsmen wear cloaks? And then there are the gloves! Masquerade, and only.

The man gave Tylee an inquisitive look. The girl blushed in embarrassment. The stains on her dress seemed to burn her skin.

– You must be a villager? the man asked. "In that case, would you do me a favor?" I would like to know: what is the name of this plant?

Tylee smiled back and stepped back into the grass to hide her bare feet.

“No, no,” she said. - I live in the city. I just had an unlucky day today: a thief stole my shoes and the carriage splashed my dress. And it's not hard to help you. You are holding in your hands the most common horsetail.

- Oh! said the stranger. I sympathize with your troubles. But how did you say? Horsetail? One minute, I'll write it down.

He pulled out a book from his belt, took out a sharp stick from his pocket and scribbled something on the pages with it.

Tylee wanted to move on, but the man spoke to her again.

– What about this flower? Would you advise? - he pointed with a graceful hand towards the thickets on the edge and added: - I tried to pick, but it burns ...0005

- It's just nettles! she said with a smile. – Mesfrn you didn't know? There are plenty of her around - both in the city and in the forest. Only it is not considered a flower. Actually, nettle is a weed, but you can also cook soup with it. Every hostess knows this.

The stranger was very embarrassed.

– I'm sorry, dear girl... I... Where I live, nettles don't grow.

– Where do you live? Tiley asked. But, seeing how the color fills the face of a stranger, I realized that it was better not to ask. “Excuse me, please,” she added. Curiosity is my vice. I understand that you have some kind of secret, and I don’t want to force you to break it at all. Forgive my indiscretion, and... with your permission, I'd better go.

– No, no, wait! exclaimed the strange man. – You are right, I really didn’t want to… But you are so sweet and kind that I will open up to you. Moreover, I would like to ask you about many more plants. Unless, of course, I'm delaying you too much...

“Oh no, I'm not in a hurry,” Tylee responded briskly. No matter how much she restrained herself, she still really wanted to know the secret.

– You see… – the stranger stammered, but immediately overcame stiffness and continued: – I am Prince Taverton. Yes, yes, I am the royal heir. I live in a palace.

– Really, really? Tylee asked. Her eyes widened in surprise.

“If you only knew how boring it is,” the prince shrugged his shoulders. - Receptions, balls, etiquette, endless fuss ... You can’t be alone for a minute. Ministers are constantly hovering around, court ladies and nobles are circling, oozing with flattery, like a herring smeared with honey. But my true calling is botany. Plant science. I studied all the flowers in the royal garden. And now I occasionally manage to sneak out of town. I disguise myself as a commoner and in the morning, through a secret gate, I leave the palace for the whole day. This is the only outlet in my burdensome existence...

The prince's chagrin seemed exaggerated to Tylee. He would try to wash the linen for at least three hours in a row. I would have spoken differently. But Tylee didn't say that out loud. She was a kind girl and understood that the prince was not to blame for being born a prince, just as it was not her fault that she was born a commoner.

“Come and see your plants,” she told him.

Prince Taverton took her to a small lodge at the edge of the forest. It was a hunting lodge. There the prince kept his collection of plants. And Tylee spent a good two hours explaining to him the name of this or that herb, shrub, or flower. The prince diligently wrote down everything she said. And in the end he said:

- Dear girl, I am indebted to you.

“Well, what are you,” Tiley began, but Taverton only smiled.

– Without you, I would never have known about nettle, horsetail and buttercup... You said that you had an unlucky day. It's up to me to make him happy.

The prince walked over to a cabinet against the far wall and opened the door. The locker was chock-full of colorful dresses and skirts.

“I once had a fiancee,” Taverton explained. This house was our secret haven. But then…” The prince's voice darkened. “She preferred the overseas marquis to me. Sad story. Only the dresses that I gave her remained. You have the same height, the same figure. Take any!

Tylee paused for a moment. The dresses were very beautiful. She did not dare to dream of such. But isn't the reward too great?

“Take it,” the prince repeated, “and then we’ll pick up your shoes.”

And Tylee agreed. The thought came to her that everything that happens is a sign of Fate. Indeed, at first the headscarf disappeared, but instead a ribbon appeared, and the city adopted a new fashion. The next day, the brooch disappeared - and Norton gave her a ring and confessed his love. They got engaged. Today a new surprise: the shoes are stolen, the dress is lost, and what? As soon as Tylee took a different path, she met a prince, just think, a real prince! And he gives her a dress and shoes a hundred times better than before!

…In the evening, already sitting at Norton's, Tylee added:

– I understand. This is indeed destiny. And if tomorrow something is lost from my house again, I will not be upset. If my guess is correct, half a day will not pass, as in return for the loss, Fate will give me something much more valuable and beautiful.

Norton shook his head doubtfully.

"Be careful, Tylee," he said. “If this is truly the work of the gods, be careful. The gods do not like it when we humans comprehend their plans. After all, we then put ourselves on an equal footing with them. The gods don't like it.

"Ah, Norton," Tylee waved her hand nonchalantly. - You're on your own again. You know I don't believe that different gods live up there. If there is a God, then there is only one. And if not, then instead of him there is Fate. All the last few days I seem to feel her breath… I feel that she is near…

– Is it really a matter of words? Norton asked. – God, Fate, one or many… These are just different names for the same thing. Incomprehensible. And we will never understand his will.

Tylee thought about those words for a long time. Norton walked her home, and she walked, immersed in her thoughts. And when she said goodbye to him at the porch, and when she took off the dried diapers from the apple tree, and when she herself went to bed - Tylee kept thinking, thinking, thinking ...

* * *

The next morning was rainy. Outside the window, slanting heavy jets lashed. Tylee's heart was also restless.

When she got up, the first thing she did was take a good look around. Is everything in place? Did anything else disappear overnight?

But no. Everything was OK.

The rain gradually subsided, and Tylee took care of the old dress - sewed on the sleeve, washed it and hung it on the apple tree. Is it not every day to walk in clothes donated by the prince? Although today, until the old dress is dry, you will have to go to Mrs. Berbella in luxurious attire. That's something old Plishilda will be surprised!

And then Tylee fainted...

She remembered what was missing.

The laundry basket she was supposed to return to Mrs. Berbella's house was missing. Exactly! Yesterday, after taking the laundry off the apple tree, Tylee carried the basket home and left it under the table. And so… But how is it?!

The girl was about to burst into tears.

– What shall I say to Mrs. Berbella? she whispered. - After all, they will declare me a thief ... Oh my God!

Having calmed down a little, the girl remembered her yesterday's decision: not to be upset ahead of time and give Fate an opportunity to improve things. But, to tell the truth, in the morning all this seemed like little consolation.

However, there was nothing else to do: I had to turn myself in to Mrs. Berbella. Maybe you can beg for forgiveness. Or maybe something unexpected happens along the way. For example, a thief who stole a basket will wake up with a conscience, and he will return everything that he stole, starting with a scarf and a brooch.

Yes, now Tylee no longer doubted that all the losses were due to a single cause. The wind did not steal the scarf. She herself did not lose the brooch. Without a doubt, all things were stolen by the same person. But who is he? And what does he need? And is he really human? Tylee didn't know the answer.

She trudged over to Mrs. Berbella. Alas, no miracles happened along the way. The malicious Plishilda met her with selective abuse.

– Where have you been, loafer? she screamed. - The day before yesterday I was late, yesterday I didn’t show up at all! Or do you need a special invitation? Oh, and you dressed up like a noble?! What is a circus? Wait, where's the underwear? Where is the laundry, I ask?!

“She… was stolen…” Tiley murmured in fright.

– Stolen?! Plishilda turned green with rage. “Do you know, you bastard, how much these diapers cost?” Baron Leleisky himself was wrapped in them! Spanish silk, satin! Don't expect this to get away with you. Everything! You don't work here anymore! And if you don't find underwear by tomorrow, blame yourself. I will hand you over to the guards. Let them put you in prison, you scoundrel!

"But..." Tylee pleaded.

– Get out! Plishilda snapped.

The door slammed shut.

Tili, swallowing tears, wandered down the street at random. She had never been spoken to so rudely before. What to do? She lost her job. And there is nowhere to get money to pay for the linen.

Tiley walked with her head down, not looking at the road. They suddenly called out to her. The voice was familiar to her.

- Wait a minute, beautiful.

Of course, this is Uncle Paul. He took Tylee by the hand and sat him down on his old biscuit box. He himself was attached nearby, right on the stones of the pavement.

– What are you grieving about?

“Oh, Uncle Paul,” Tiley wiped away her tears. So much has happened in recent days.

“I see, I see,” the beggar remarked leisurely. - Either you are without a hat, then in a full dress. Yesterday I glowed with happiness, you breed dampness qecndm.

Tylee sighed heavily, and then, obeying the impulse of her heart, told Uncle Paul everything. The beggar listened without interrupting, only from time to time clicked his tongue sympathetically.

“Fate, you say,” he said when Tylee finished her story.

“Or God.” Tylee smiled, but the smile was sad.

“I'll tell you what,” Uncle Paul said. “In ancient times, there was only one person. His name was Job. And he had enough of everything. Wealth, land, a large and friendly family. Job lived - did not grieve, but for his happiness he tirelessly thanked God, in whom he devoutly believed. But one day God decided to test his faith and sent various disasters to Job. Job lost everything he owned. He had no wealth, no land, no family. His body was covered with sores, and his neighbors drove him into the wilderness. But even there, Job continued to praise God. And then... Then God gave him back what he had lost. And doubly so. Job was healed, he again found a family and wealth. He returned to his native land ...

Uncle Paul stopped talking.

– Why do I need this story? Tylee asked bluntly. The ribbon in her chestnut curls gleamed a grim crimson.

The beggar clapped his hands on his knees:

– And besides, this legend is missing something. No doubt - you need faith, you need patience. But we still need the help of kind people. For Job to be healed, a doctor had to be found to heal him. In order to bring the economy back to prosperity, the efforts of many workers are needed. In order for Job not to lose heart in the wilderness, the support of friends was needed. How else? Through whom would God then work his good will?

Uncle Paul took a breath and then said:

– I'll help you, Tylee.

– But how? – the girl was amazed.

“Come with me,” said the beggar.

He stood up, and Tylee followed him hopefully.

Uncle Paul led her along unfamiliar lanes, past squares and monuments, along the river embankment, and then along a humpbacked bridge.

Finally they stopped at a rickety shack with a leaky roof.

“Welcome,” Uncle Paul invited. - This is my home.

Tylee went inside, surprised. The furnishings of the house were as unattractive as his appearance. But uncle, having thrown back a wooden hatch in the floor, went down to the basement.

Cautiously, Tylee followed him.

The beggar lit a dim candle and Tylee gasped. The whole floor was littered with coins - copper, gold, silver ... Entire mountains of coins shone with alarming lights, like sparks in the eyes of an awakening dragon. Predatory shadows flickered in the uneven flame of the candle.

Only the far corner of the basement was cleared of fabulous placers. There was a table, and on the table lay a stack of old books.

“Here,” Uncle Paul said. Take what you need to pay for the missing laundry. And if you want a job, I can help you with that too. See the books in the corner?

Tylee nodded timidly.

- I used to be a copyist. The books are old. They got damp. Their wisdom was washed away by the rains. I tried to give them new life. I rewrote the books. I filled in the gaps with my thoughts and words. I finished the broken stories in my own way, as my heart told me. I was at war with time, which sought to destroy books. But time has destroyed me.

Uncle Paul sighed.

– My eyesight is weak. Fingers have lost their mobility. I can't work anymore. And time goes inexorably, and water corrodes books. If you want, come here again. Just an hour a day. You will continue my work. It is easier, much easier than the exhausting ordeal of the laundress. And there will be no shortage of money, - and Uncle Paul circled his wealth with a broad gesture.

- You are my savior! – happily responded Tayli. “The second time you save my life.

Uncle Paul winced.

“Of course I agree,” Tylee said. But where did you get all this? Gold, books... Are you really a count?

– No, no! said Uncle Paul. “It’s just that there was a hiding place of hermits here three hundred years ago. Then they forgot about him. And I found it. That's all.

Embarrassed, Tylee accepted the deposit - ten gold pieces - and hurried back to Plischilde to pay for the laundry basket. And then she rushed off to Norton to share her joy.

“Poor Uncle Paul,” Norton chuckled after listening to her story. - He imagined himself to be an instrument of God on Earth. Yes, and undertakes to correct his books. No matter how the heavens laughed at him for that...

"Anyway," Tylee replied judiciously, "my guess turned out to be correct." Fate again gave me more than it took away. It's nice that I don't have to do laundry anymore. If you knew how my hands hurt!

Norton gently stroked her wrists.

“Still, I'm restless,” he said. If this is not a thief operating in your house, not some kind of madman ... If this is really the machinations of higher powers, and not a series of coincidences - you know, it's better for you to move in with me. Who will understand what kind of magic is going on in that house. And here you will be safe. Let's play a wedding without delay.

“Okay, love.” Tylee's chestnut head nestled gently against his shoulder. “I’ll move things tomorrow. We'll sell the house. It’s just a pity that I will part with the apple tree that grows on the porch. For me, she is like a native being.

“We'll transplant her,” Norton promised.

That was decided.

* * *

The next morning, Tylee woke up with a sunbeam jumping up on her nose.

The girl yawned and stretched. Bunnies jumped on the walls. Morning rustled affably outside the window. Even the stern mirror in the corner smiled indulgently, which happened to him infrequently.

Tylee looked around the room. Then again, more carefully. Then she got up and, like a detective, examined every corner.

It was hard to believe, but this time nothing was really missing.

Tylee walked around the garden, then looked around the house again. And finally, casting aside her doubts, she clapped her hands:

– It's over! I'm glad it's over now!

Yes, from now on she won't have to look around every morning in anticipation of uninvited surprises. Peaceful life will return again. And the house where she spent her childhood, there is no need to sell. You do not need to replant the apple tree. Better let Norton move here from his unsightly hut. Still, it is much more spacious and comfortable.

Tylie's heart was filled with spring.

Gathering hastily, she ran to Norton - let him know as soon as possible that all fears are over.

On the way she met, already for the third time, the carriage of the Duchess de Pampoise, but now everything went well. The coachman, Hans, waved merrily at Tylee like an old acquaintance, and the duke's daughter, leaning out the window, wished her good morning.

And finally, the edge of the forest. But what is it? Norton's hut is gone!

Tylee went cold. Can't be! Here grows an old oak with a deep hollow, and to the right - a weeping willow. Yesterday there was a hut between them. And today - there is no trace ... Only a flat meadow, overgrown with young grass.

Tylee knelt down. Tears spontaneously flowed from her eyes. Realization seared her heart: Tylee acutely, with all her being, felt that Norton was irrevocably lost.

There is no point in looking for him, calling him, hoping… This is magic. It didn't end this morning. It has nothing to do with home. It's following her, Tylee. This is the hand of Fate, and thieves have nothing to do with it.

“We should be happy,” Tylee remembered. - We must wait. Be patient. And everything will be fine. Job, Uncle Paul… Their stories are full of wisdom…”

Tiley's cry turned into a sob. She dug her hands into the grass. Her knuckles turned white. How can you be happy here? What? And what to expect from life if Norton, her beloved Norton, does not return?

Tylee didn't hear the approaching footsteps. She did not respond to the shocked exclamation. She didn't turn around when a soft hand touched her shoulder.

And only when the visitor knelt before her, she noticed and recognized him.

Prince Taverton.

He was saying something, convincing, his speech murmured like a stream.

Through her tears, Tylee saw a graceful kneeling figure, but she didn't care.

The crying subsided, emptiness enveloped Tylee. Through the noise in her ears, the prince's words made their way into her mind.

The prince swore his love to her. He offered his hand and heart. Promised mountains of gold. He invited me to the palace. And again he spoke of love.

Tylee heard: he didn't close his eyes for two nights, he thought about her, a beautiful stranger he met, a beauty in village clothes. In just two days, his life changed. He cannot eat or sleep. He even forgot about botany. Love has replaced everything. In the morning he wandered around the place of their meeting, dreaming of seeing each other again. And now Fate obeyed him ...

Fate…

Tylee smiled bitterly. Such, therefore, is the replacement for Norton. Lovely prince in love. You can become his wife and live in clover, in bliss and luxury. The prince will surround her with care and affection. The years will flow peacefully and happily. When the time comes, she will be queen. She's going to have children, lovely sweet babies. They won't have to need like her, they won't turn their backs on nobles. The future will open before her like a bud of a marvelous flower…

But…

Norton has no place in this future. So there is no place for her.

That's it.

Farewell, good prince. Don't judge me harshly. Perhaps Fate will be kinder to you, and you will meet another chosen one.

Tylee stood up. Her legs were barely holding her.

Gathering her strength, she whispered a few words to the prince and then wandered away.

Taverton did not pursue her. His face was filled with pallor, his feverish gaze dimmed. But he was a prince and knew how to control himself. He also knew that princes always get their way.

“Tomorrow,” he told himself. - I'll wait until tomorrow. Well, if necessary, I will wait at least all my life.

Tylee didn't hear his vows. Slowly moving her legs, she somehow dragged herself home and fell heavily onto the bed. The tears came again. A cast-iron weight pressed melancholy.

The day faded, evening turned into night, and Tylee wept and wept.

“Norton…” her lips whispered silently.

* * *

The morning, yawning, got out of the embrace of the night. The sun rolled into the sky like a ripe orange on the edge of a blue dish.

The wind creaked the shutters, rustled the straw on the roof.

- It's time to get up! he whistled.

A hungry rooster started trilling.

All in vain.

Silence froze in Tylee's house.

Sunbeams rushed about the walls in vain. In vain the sparrows chirped outside the window. No one woke up in Tylee's house. The girl's bed was empty. Tylee disappeared...

...Toward noon, the door creaked. And an unfamiliar girl entered the house with a masterful step. Black-haired, slender, with a thin figure - she was much more graceful than Tylee. And the mirror in the corner absorbed the face of the stranger with pleasure.

The girl looked around. She picked up the ring from the table, the same one Tylee Norton had given her. She put a ring on her finger. She put on a sparkling dress and shoes that kept the memory of the prince.

– And here is my ribbon, – the girl smiled, weaving the ribbon into smooth black curls.

The apple tree at the porch reproachfully swayed its branches.

– Where is Tylee? she seemed to be asking.

The stranger looked affectionately at the apple tree.

– What is wrong with you? There was reproach in the girl's voice. - You didn't recognize me? I am Tylee. Remember how I used to swing on the swing that my mother tied to your branch as a child? And how did I brush caterpillars and beetles off you? How did you water with spring water?

The apple tree shook its crown in displeasure. She remembered.

And Tylee ran to the backyard to feed the chickens. A ribbon shimmered in her black hair like a little rainbow.

“I had a hard day yesterday,” Tylee said. “But today everything will be fine. However, you must hurry! Uncle Paul must be waiting for me. After all, I promised to help him with books.

And Tylee merrily sped off towards the day.

... Uncle Paul was very pleased with his assistant.

“I didn't think you were so capable, beauty,” he remarked respectfully, puffing on his pipe.

Tylee lowered her gaze modestly.

And in the evening Prince Taverton found her. The determination in his eyes only grew stronger, he was ready to overcome any resistance. But Tylee didn't resist anymore. She embraced the prince, and he, with the dignity befitting his rank, took for granted his triumph over Fate.

Tylee asked for only one thing: that the prince not leave uncle Paul with his favors. She really enjoyed writing books.

...The wedding was played for three days. The whole city danced, feasted, had fun. The daughter of the Duchess de Pampoise danced joyfully with the coachman Hans - to the great horror of her mother. And Mrs. Burbella, mindful of how rudely her housekeeper treated Tylee, apologized to the prince and the young princess for an hour, and then presented them with a golden basket with diapers - for future babies.

The prince rejoiced. Tiley's eyes lit up with happiness. And no one in the city remembered the sad girl with brown hair anymore.

Only the old apple tree sighed about the one who probably never existed in this world. Apple trees sometimes have strange dreams...

in an apartment and a private house

11/08/2020

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We tell you why spiders can appear in your house and how to deal with them in different ways.

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Spiders in the apartment - an unpleasant phenomenon, but most often harmless. If you live in a temperate area, you probably don't need to worry about them. All they can do is scare a little and cause hostility. But you should not put up with them, since most often insects signal that other pests have wound up nearby. Therefore, we tell you how to get rid of spiders in the country, in a private house or apartment.

All about the fight against spiders at home

Causes of appearance
What to do if you notice an insect
- Common
— Poisonous
Shop products
Folk methods
Prevention

The appearance of insects in your living space can depend on several factors. We list the most popular reasons.

If you saw him at home, do not be afraid. The calmer you are, the easier it is to catch him. First, inspect the body: it is important to understand whether the individual is poisonous or not. Most of these arthropods are harmless, but still be careful. If the spider is black, the body is without hairline, there are bright red hourglass-shaped spots on it - this is karakurt. He is one of the most dangerous in Russia, lives most often in the south of the country.

What to do with a common specimen

This one does not pose any danger to you. Therefore, it can be caught with the help of improvised means.

You will need a glass (transparent is best) and a heavy sheet of paper or cardboard. The mechanism of the trap is simple: cover the insect with a glass on top, pass a sheet between it and the surface. If the pest is sitting on the ceiling, the capture will be even easier: make the spider fall into the container, cover it with cardboard on top. Then release it outside.

If the arthropod is hanging on a web, you will need scissors. Cut the thread and substitute the glass, it will immediately be in it. Close it up and take it outside.

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What to do with a poisonous individual

If you suspect that you have a poisonous arthropod in front of you, you should act very carefully. You can't let yourself be bitten.

There are special gadgets that help collect insects. You can also do this with a sticky roller to clean clothes: the pest will simply stick to the adhesive layer. Or use a vacuum cleaner if you have a fairly powerful model. You can try to catch it with a glass and cardboard, in which case you should take a large container to eliminate the risk of being stung.

Once captured, the arthropod should be released outside. Do this away from residential buildings.

If you live in an area where venomous arthropods live, study ahead of time what the ones you might encounter look like. Also keep a special spray at home that will help to neutralize the individual before being caught.

Shop products will help to get rid of spiders in the house forever. There are two main types: poisons and repellers.

Insecticides

Poisons and other pest control chemicals come in many forms: sprays, aerosols, various liquids, and even traps.

Aerosols work best, as most individuals sit motionless on a web or any other surface. Therefore, products that are designed for pests running around the house - gels and traps - will not give a quick result.

Only work with gloves. It is also better to wear a respirator or a fabric mask. Usually, with the help of aerosols, pest habitats are treated: baseboards, corners, slopes of doors and windows. Follow the instructions on the package: most often, manufacturers recommend closing windows and doors, taking people out of the room, spraying everything, waiting about 20 minutes and ventilating the room.

Repellers

Ultrasonic repellers are sold in household stores. This is an effective remedy for spiders in the apartment, and for other insects. Repellers work in the following way: they make sounds that arthropods do not like and make them leave places where they are not happy to see them. A person does not hear these sounds, so the device is harmless to him.

If you do not want to use insecticides and other chemicals, you can try to eliminate insects using proven folk methods.

Clean up

This is the first thing you should do when dealing with pests. Get rid of crumbs even in the most inaccessible places, vacuum the corners, cornices and baseboards. Check the space under the bathtub, sink and toilet. Remove the web you find.

Unfortunately, cleaning alone cannot cope with uninvited tenants. They still hide somewhere, and also lay eggs with future offspring. Therefore, next you need to choose one or more means with which you will deal with them.

Use essential oils

You will need peppermint oil. It must be diluted in a liter of water. Pour the resulting mixture into a spray bottle. Treat the habitats of arthropods with liquid: various cracks, baseboards and corners.

Other strong fragrances can be used instead of peppermint oil, for example, replace it with tea tree, eucalyptus, citrus (lemon or orange) oils. Pests do not tolerate strong odors, so they will leave the places where you have carried out the treatment.

Take vinegar

Take 9% table vinegar. Mix it with water. The ingredients should be in the same amount: half a glass of one and the other is enough for processing. Apply the solution to baseboards, corners and other areas of possible habitation. Arthropods will not survive contact with acid and will die.

Stock up on chestnuts

Pests don't like their smell. Therefore, spread the chestnuts in different places of the apartment. To make them smell brighter, the fruits can be broken into several parts.

Spread sheep's wool

Pests also don't like the smell of sheep's wool. Therefore, in the house (especially in their habitats) it is worth laying out yarn or simple shreds of wool.

Turn off the lights

This advice is usually effective in getting rid of spiders in a private house or country house. Bright light from windows, porches and other illuminated areas attracts various insects. So try to turn it off when not in use. And tightly close the front doors and windows in rooms where the lamp is on.

In order to scare away new individuals from the home, it is important not to forget about preventive measures. The first and most important thing you should do is to keep your house clean and keep an eye on the moisture levels in the rooms.

Carry out regular cleaning, take out the trash more often, do not let it stand indoors for a long time. Do not leave dirty dishes in the sink for a long time, wipe all surfaces dry.

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