Latest news with #outdoors
CTV News
2 hours ago
- Health
- CTV News
How to keep your home bug-free this summer
How to keep your home bug-free in the summer. Summer has officially arrived and that means it's an important time to stay protected from ticks and mosquitoes. While it's important to protect yourself from bugs while hiking or camping in the woods, they could also be lurking in your backyard. Ticks and mosquitoes are the most common critters that bring not only bites, but illnesses and viruses as well. CTV Morning Live spoke with Dr. Paul Roumeliotis to talk about ways to protect your backyard from bugs this season. Ticks Roumeliotis says personal protection is key when preventing ticks, including long sleeves and insect repellent, but knowing how they move and breed is equally important in keeping them away. Lyme disease can be transmitted by ticks, an infection that is spread to humans from bites. Ticks can also carry other diseases. 'There's a lot of things we need to do to understand where ticks live. Ticks like to live in the dark, foresty, grassy areas,' he said. Homeowners living by a forest or grassland are most at risk of being affected by ticks on their property. Roumeliotis recommends building a barrier of mulch or gravel to surround your property. 'You can prevent the ticks from entering your property because they don't fly,' he said. 'If there's a lot of shrubbery, old branches, get rid of them too because they like to hide in there.' Ticks How to keep ticks off your property from Dr. Paul Roumeliotis. (CTV Morning Live) The higher the grass, the more likely they will lurk in that area, he says. Making sure your grass is mowed properly is also important. 'If you have picnic tables, you can put gravel or sand or keep the grass as low as possible,' he said. Roumeliotis says reports of tick bites are increasing in the summer months. He says it doesn't just impact kids, but those working in shrubbery and landscaping as well. 'The amount of ticks that we see in the area has risen. Right now, we see them across eastern Ontario, Ottawa, between the St. Lawrence River and the Ottawa River.' Mosquitoes Outside of an itchy and painful bite, mosquitoes can also carry diseases such as West Nile virus, making it even more important to prevent them from growing near your home. Roumeliotis says knowing their habits and where they thrive is important in learning how to prevent them. 'When we talk about personal protection, it's great, but you need to be aware of these mosquitoes and ticks and where they breed and then we can actually diminish the amount of them in our backyard,' he said. Roumelitois says mosquitoes like to lay their eggs in pooled water. He recommends checking your property to limit areas that collected water, including pales and tires. 'Similarly, pots, wheelbarrows, recycle bins, all those things left out in the rain that create a puddle or a pool, can actually promote mosquito growth in your area,' he said. Roumeliotis says some may have noticed an increase in mosquitoes this year, linked to higher amounts of rain in the region this year.
The Sun
7 hours ago
- Business
- The Sun
Ninja's summer sale buy with £70 off ‘keeps food cold for five days' – ideal for camping, festivals and BBQs
Planning to explore the great outdoors this summer? Ninja has slashed the price of a popular solution for keeping food cold. The Ninja FrostVault cooler has been reduced from £199.99 to £129.99, saving £70 off. 1 Ninja FrostVault 28L Hard Cooler £129.99 (was £199.99) With the current heatwave and the school holidays approaching, many of us are planning day trips and staycations within the UK. Summer is the time to make the most of exploring new places, but having the right kit can make days out much more enjoyable. Investing in a good cooler keeps food costs down and saves you time queuing, and the Ninja FrostVault is worth considering while it's on sale. The FrostVault is designed to keep food cold for an exceptionally long time - with ice remaining frozen for up to five days. Thanks to it's large size, the Ninja cooler can be filled with cans, bottles and food, and the 28L size fits up to 48 cans, so it's enough to cater for a large family or group of friends. It's ideal for festival-goers, as the events are notoriously expensive for food and drinks, while some campsites have no refreshment options at all. Picnics and beach days are made easier too, or if you fancy a day sunbathing in the garden, you can avoid trips back and forward to the kitchen. For food that's not meant to be ice-cold, there's a handy Dry Zone drawer on the outside, which can be used to store sandwiches, fruit and anything else you want to grab easily. The built-in handles also mean you can just grab the cooler and go. Shoppers are praising the highly-rated cooler, with one saying: ''I'm so happy I had my Ninja FrostVault at a recent festival, it kept my drinks and snacks cool from Wednesday to Sunday (five days!!) and having a cool drink was just so needed when it had been a hot day walking round fields!'' ''I would highly recommend for regular campers or festival-goers.'' Another shopper commented: ''Excellent, does what it says it does.'' ''Great for keeping drinks nice and cool and great when having BBQs.'' It is worth keeping in mind that you will need a large amount of ice prepped when packing the cooler, as one shopper vouched: ''Good size compartment and tray - need a lot of ice for a few days which I have not yet tested.''
CTV News
14 hours ago
- Lifestyle
- CTV News
How To Build Your Meal Prep Kit For Summer
Keep up with the fast pace of summer while still eating healthy with meal prep tools from Our Place, Zwilling, Bentgo, and more. When the sun is shining and the weather is inviting you to spend more time outdoors, meeting up with friends, and having fun, healthy eating can sometimes take a backseat. But just because summer speeds up your life doesn't mean you have to throw proper nutrition or your healthy eating habits out the window. You can do both—enjoy the season and eat delicious, nutritious homemade meals. To help you keep up with your meal plan, we've searched the web, high and low, and sifted through reviews to find you the best meal prepping tools to get your kit ready for the summer. Here's how to build your meal prep kit for summer: 18 Things From Amazon Canada That Are Both Useful And Budget Friendly The Absolute Best Spice Racks You Can Get In Canada Right Now Sustainable Summer Swaps: Eco-Friendly Versions Of Products You Use Every Day Disclaimer: The prices displayed are accurate at the time of publication. We'll do our best to keep them as up-to-date as possible, but you may see slight changes.
Gizmodo
18 hours ago
- Gizmodo
Anker's Upgraded Portable Power Station Hits Its Lowest Price of the Year Ahead of Amazon Prime Day
It's a lovely time of year to be outdoors. The weather is nice, the vibes are on point, and there's no denying the appeal of a good long walk, a day at the beach, or just hanging out in the forest. However, just because you're going back to nature doesn't mean you have to do away with all of the lovely modern conveniences, and that's where a great portable power station comes in. See at Amazon Thanks to a great deal on Amazon right now, you can get your hands on the excellent Anker 521 Portable Power Station for just $160. That's 27% off the normal price of $220, and a fantastic price. It's a limited-time offer though, so don't expect to be around for very long. The Anker 521 Portable Power Station is actually just flat out better than previous models for a lot of reasons, and one of those is the LiFePO4 Battery, which makes for a more reliable option with a better battery life and faster charging. In fact, it has an incredible output of up to 600W, which is more than enough to power a huge number of devices at once. It helps that it also has six ports to choose from, with it having two AC, two USB-A, one USB-C, and a car outlet too. That means you'll never have an issue recharging the majority of devices you might be using. It charges incredibly quickly as well, thanks to a 256Wh capacity, meaning it not only charges a lot, but also does so with haste. It's the kind of power station you can rely on nearly everywhere you might want it. It just makes beach days or camping trips better, and can even be useful at home in the event there's an issue with the power. It's also built-to-last. The LiFeP04 battery means that it can last up to 10 years of use, and does a great job of regulating temperatures, and it's all in a very durable shell as well. This thing isn't going to break without a fairly large effort on your part. Not that you should be trying to break it. There's no doubt that this is a great pickup at the normal price of $220, so being able to get it for just $160 is a chance that shouldn't be missed. Just make sure you're quick if you do want it to avoid missing out on this great discount. See at Amazon
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Get Your Kiddo Shready Ready With This New Mountain Bike Child Seat
Get Your Kiddo Shready Ready With This New Mountain Bike Child Seat originally appeared on BikeMag. Okay, so hucking in the bike park with your baby is generally frowned upon. But when you want to go for a chill cruise with your family or are ready to introduce your child to the first flowy thrills of mountain biking, the new Shotgun Pro EVO child seat from Kids Ride Shotgun keeps your downhill beast in play. Claiming to be the first-ever convertible mountain bike child seat, the Shotgun Pro EVO is a child seat that attaches to your rig and fits kiddos 9 months to 5 years old. 'Most child seats weren't built for mountain bikes,' Kids Ride Shotgun says. 'The Pro EVO is. Its game-changing level of adjustability means no more restricted turning, frame contact, or bulky adapters. Just a seat that integrates with your bike, not interferes with it.' Designed by mountain bikers specifically for mountain bikes, the Shotgun Pro starts with a five-point harness setup for babies and toddlers 9 to 24 months (2 to 33 pounds). When your child turns 2 and can support themself, the Shotgun Pro transforms into a kid's seat with tiny handlebars and stirrups so your child can ride with you until they're 5 (26 to 60 pounds). The seat attaches to your bike's stem and seat post, sitting above the bike's top tube with no frame contact. Quick-release attachments allow parents to quickly set and remove the system. Bikes need to have at least a standard 1 ⅛' steerer tube, at least 10mm of headset space, 14mm of seat post space, and front suspension for the seat to fit. For Children 9 months to 5 years 15-second quick-release mounting No frame contact eMTB compatible 5-point safety harness with sternum strap Fidlock magnetic child-proof buckle Fully adjustable seat position and angle, footrests and harness Meets EN 14344 and ASTM F3641 safety standards for front-mounted child bike seats ICR Adapter Kit available separately for bikes with internal cable routing The Shotgun Pro EVO is available for pre-order at Kids Ride Shotgun and is $439. Orders will ship from Utah in September. Seats also come with stickers and a temporary tattoo for your future sender, if you weren't already sold. This story was originally reported by BikeMag on Jun 26, 2025, where it first appeared.
