It’s believed that this spring and summer may be one of the worst years for tick infestations, which can lead to Lyme disease. One tip to stave off ticks is to actually dry dirty clothing first before washing. Ticks do not like very hot, dry environments. So after you come home from an area you suspect has ticks, rather than putting unwashed clothing in the hamper or in the laundry room, throw all of it right into the dryer. Let it dry for at least 10-15 minutes to eradicate any ticks.

The next time you do a load of laundry, consider adding just a tablespoon of regular table salt with your laundry detergent. The hero ingredient in salt, chloride, is a natural sealant that protects clothing, especially brightly colored fabrics. And if your garments go through repeated washings, this one little addition of regular table salt can help extend the life of your clothing and help it look newer, longer. If you are concerned that new clothes might bleed dye into your wash, add more salt -- about 1/2 cup -- to help prevent that from happening.

It’s pretty common knowledge that planting flowers can help honeybees thrive; bees feed on the nectar that flowers produce, and they carry pollen to help with pollination. But not all flowers are the same when you’re choosing which varieties to put in your garden. Seek out flowers with “single tops,” instead of those with “double tops.”  Single-top flowers like marigolds and daisies are preferred because they produce more nectar and are desirable for bees. And avoid “hybridized” plants, which are bred not to seed and have a side effect of producing nearly no pollen.