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Stuck inside? The chilly winter months are the perfect time to plan your spring vegetable garden.  Use the winter months to plan the right garden location.  Pick a sunny area that’s well drained.   Consider having the garden close to your house for easy access.  Sketch out some ideas of what you’ll plant where and what [...]

The 2011 Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) takes place from February 18-21. Each year, bird watchers across the country tally the birds they see in backyards, parks and natural areas. Last year, GBBC participants racked up more than 10 million observations! Counting birds during GBBC helps scientists gain a “snapshot” of North America’s winter bird [...]

Just because winter is here doesn’t mean you can’t shape up your trees for the coming growing season.  Pruning your fruit trees in winter can lead to healthier trees and higher-quality fruit production.  Winter pruning can also reduce the amount of chemicals used for promoting a better harvest. Viewer Tip: Prune dense fruit tree branches [...]

Have you ever wondered why potholes appear on roadways during the winter months? Water from melting snow and ice seeps into pavement and the sub-material between pavement and soil below.  When repeated spells of cold weather occur, the water in the pavement refreezes and expands, breaking up the pavement at and below the road surface. When [...]

Did you know that snow shoveling is a known trigger of heart attacks? Cold weather combined with physical exertion can put strain on the heart. Experts say that shoveling snow can be more strenuous than hitting a treadmill at full speed! Viewer Tip: If you head outside to clear your driveway or sidewalks, keep these [...]

During winter months, wildlife activity decreases. Many animals such as bats, skunks, raccoons, opossums, chipmunks and bears use some type of hibernation to make it through the winter months.  There are different variations of hibernation and not all animals spend the entire winter “sleeping.” Some animals like the skunk, raccoon and opossum, sleep lightly and [...]

Punxsutawney Phil may be leaving his den to “predict” the weather, but his fellow groundhogs head outside at this time of year for a different purpose – speed dating! Scientists that tracked groundhogs for several years found that after about three months of hibernation, male groundhogs wake up in February to take stock of the [...]

During the winter months, salt and sand applied to our roads, driveways and walkways contribute to lake and stream pollution. Fifty pounds of salt – one large bag – can pollute 10,000 gallons of water.  That’s equivalent to one teaspoon of salt in a five-gallon bucket of water. Viewer Tip: Many cities and states are [...]

Wind chill temperature measures how cold humans and animals feel when they are outdoors, based on how cold air and wind affect the rate at which heat is lost from the body. When wind increases, it reduces skin temperature and eventually your internal body temperature by drawing heat away from the body. While wind makes [...]

Have you noticed higher energy bills recently? Fewer daylight hours, more time spent inside and chilly temperatures in many parts of the country mean that energy bills are on the rise at this time of year. Luckily, Energy Star has easy-to-use tools to help you assess and reduce the amount of energy used at home.  [...]

High winds and winter storms can forcefully bring down trees and branches, causing damage to homes, vehicles and utility lines – and sometimes even power outages.  Examining trees on your property for easy-to-spot problems can help avoid damage later on.  Look for dead or diseased branches, cracks in the tree trunk or large limbs, trees [...]

Wintertime in the Chesapeake Bay area means snow and ice. Unfortunately, that also means rock salt and other deicers on our streets and highways. On average, the Chesapeake region gets between 10 and 20 million pounds of road salt applied to its roadways every winter. Much of that salt finds its way into urban streams [...]

Because we generally use less water at this time of year, in most climates winter is a good time to check your water use to determine if you have silent plumbing leaks that could be wasting water. Viewer Tip: Check for leaks by looking over your water bill. If a family of four uses more [...]

Flexible young trees are often used by whitetail buck deer as antler rubbing posts in fall and winter. They remove the velvet covering from their antlers by rubbing them against the trees. This also helps the male deer mark their territory and strengthen their necks for battling other bucks for mates. This is not a good [...]

Planting trees that provide shade will not only save you money on your energy bill, but will prove to be a long term investment that can improve the look of your home.  In most parts of the country,  it is good to plant deciduous trees on the west and south sides of the house to [...]

Burns are a common form of injury during  heavy snowfall or freezing rain events. Winter storms may break utility poles or disrupt electric lines, cutting off some households from power, heat and communication. Those unaccustomed to using candles or burning wood for heat can suffer from burns and other injuries. Wood burning and use of other [...]

January is National Radon Action Month. Radon is produced when uranium in soil, rock and water breaks down and gets into the air. It can be found anywhere in the United States and sneaks into homes and buildings through places like cracks in floors and gaps around pipes. You cannot see, smell or taste radon [...]

AAA projects that more than 92 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more during the year-end holidays – and nine out of ten will make that trip in a car. If you are hitting the road, make sure you aren’t one of the 1.4 million stranded motorists AAA expects to service during the Christmas [...]

About 15,000 emergency room visits and 500 deaths occur each year because of unintentional carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. As a matter of fact, this colorless, odorless gas is the most common cause of poisoning deaths in the U.S. CO is produced when a fuel (natural gas, propane, oil, kerosene, wood, charcoal) is burned. During cold [...]

Ah-choo! As the mercury drops outside, cold and flu season arrives. Flushing facial tissues down the toilet can waste three to seven gallons per flush with older toilet models. Eliminating just one flush per day could save nearly 1,300 gallons per year, or enough water to wash about 32 loads of laundry! Viewer Tip:  Don’t use your toilet [...]