This YouTube video is a bit old, but it is very interesting. On a normal Sunday, this man was stung multiple times by wasps, and was very close to death if it wasn’t for the fast-acting wife. He was allergic to the wasps, but was not aware of the allergy at the time.
As most of you know, here in the northeast we have been receiving a massive about of rain fall this month (June). We have said before, this rain will bring out high populations of Ticks, Mosquitoes and Carpenter Ants. These pests also carry diseases which are harmful to humans.
Ticks can carry Lyme Disease. When not spotted and dealt with, it can lead to major peoples. Residex was awesome enough to provide us with a great Q&A regarding Lyme Disease. Here is what they had to say…
1. What causes Lyme Disease and how would I contract it?
Lyme Disease is caused by a bacterium from a group of bacteria known as Spirochetes. Spirochetes are corkscrew-shaped bacteria that can actually bore into essential organs and other tissues of the body, and can go into dormancy for long periods of time. The Lyme Spirochete is called Borrelia burgdorferi, and it is transmitted to humans and pets by the black legged (deer) tick and the lonestar tick. When an infected tick bites, it transfers spirochete bacteria into the blood stream of humans and pets.
2. How will I know if a tick bite transmitted Lyme Disease?
There is an early warning bull’s-eye rash in the area of the bite that some, but not all, bite victims see. The other early warning sign is the embedded feeding tick itself. Unfortunately most victims of Lyme Disease never know that they were bitten by an infected tick, and go untreated until concerning health issues begin to manifest within the victim. Detection of embedded ticks is difficult because of the black legged tick’s extremely small size
3. What should I do if I find an embedded tick on my body?
The tick must be carefully removed either by a medical professional, or you can do it yourself or have someone assist you. A proper removal device is necessary to firmly grasp the tick by the mouthparts only and gently remove the tick from the skin. Do not grasp the tick by its abdomen because pressure will force the tick to regurgitate its gut contents, which may contain disease microbes, into the bloodstream. Save the tick for proper identification by a trained professional.
4. Are there removal methods that I should avoid?
Yes. Never use alcohol, lit matches, cigarettes, insecticides, repellants, gasoline, ammonia, or any other solvent or heat source to remove any embedded tick. All of these methods cause the tick to regurgitate the contents of its gut into the victim’s bloodstream, which further increases the likelihood of contracting a tick- borne disease.
5. What happens if I get Lyme Disease?
The nature of your illness will depend on the length of time that Lyme Disease goes untreated. Additionally, not all humans respond the same way to this very complex disease, and ticks can also transmit more than one type of disease with a single bite further complicating a proper diagnosis and treatment. Lyme Disease is a syphilitic-type condition that left untreated can cause severe debilitating issues both physically and mentally. This stage is known as chronic Lyme, and is very difficult to diagnose and treat. Early stages of Lyme Disease can be completely cured with common antibiotics issued by a medical doctor. However catching Lyme Disease in its early stages is difficult at best, and many physicians and laboratories lack the experience and testing protocols to properly identify the disease.
6. How can I prevent contact with Lyme Disease?
Currently there are only a few preventative measures to protect your family and self from contracting Lyme Disease and no method is guaranteed. Lyme Disease is a 49 State issue and not just a problem of the Northeast. At present time, it is known that black legged ticks and lonestar ticks are disease vectors of Lyme. Avoiding human contact with ticks is the critical element in prevention. Unfortunately there isn’t a human Lyme vaccine at this time, although there is one for your pets available through a veterinarian. So without a vaccine, all humans are vulnerable to this very serious disease.
7. Who is most at risk to contract Lyme Disease?
Since Lyme Disease is a disease of the active population who use the outdoors as their playground for sports, hobbies and other activities, children, athletes and outdoors adventurers are highly susceptible to coming into contact with disease carrying ticks. Playgrounds, parks, trails, fields and your very own backyard are the harborage areas for Lyme-carrying ticks. This condition is more related to the deer and mouse populations in these areas versus the human populations. The deer and the white-footed mouse are reservoir hosts of Lyme Disease, and wherever these animals are found, you are surely to find Lyme infected ticks. As deer and mouse populations go unchecked because of local and state regulations, the disease spreads at uncontrolled rates. Lobby your local and state legislators to get control of these out-of-control animal populations in densely human populated areas.
8. What is the most effective preventative control method available today?
An insecticide application to the lawn and wooded transition zone around your home is an effective method to kill ticks that are present in areas where humans and pets are active. These applications should be rendered by a licensed professional pest control operator with a deep understanding of tick biology and treatments. Most professional pest control operators understand the concerns of homeowners when applying insecticides in areas where pets and children play and use extreme care and sound judgment in the selection of the right product for your situation. Lyme-carrying ticks are a serious threat to public health, yet many legislators are banning the use of effective pesticides due to the unproven claims levied by special interest groups. Tell your state and local legislators that you demand protection against Lyme Disease, and effective pesticides are the only viable weapons for prevention at this time.
9. Are there any non-pesticide methods available?
Non-pesticide methods of prevention include staying out of areas where deer and field mice frequent including your yard, wearing white clothing for ease of detection, inspecting your body thoroughly after returning from areas where deer and mice live, using tick repellants on clothes and skin, maintaining a well-manicured lawn and removing all leaf and litter debris from the surrounding property, treating pets with a tick repellant, keeping field mice from entering the home or other out properties. All of these methods along with a residual insecticide application should be incorporated into a comprehensive tick control program. There are no guarantees that you or a family member will not contract Lyme Disease even if all of these methods are employed due to the number of variables outside of your control and the professional applicator’s control.
Lobby your elected officials to protect humans from the serious effects of Lyme Disease.
Written by Christopher Donaghy, Board Certified Medical Entomologist.
All rights to this information are reserved by
Residex, LLC, 2009.
www.residex.com
When faced with an insect pest problem inside the home, too many people reach for an aerosol container. For many ant species, baits are the best management tactic because the entire colony is destroyed. This results in a more permanent solution to their ant problem. In addition, many baits have low toxicity to people and pets.
The trick to using baits is to make sure that the offending ants find the bait, eat it voraciously and take it back to the nest to the queen. If residual insecticide sprays are used, the foraging ants may die before they feed or take the bait back to the next, counteracting the effectiveness of the bait. Do not use insecticide sprays if you want to bait for ant control. If the bait is attractive to the ants, the entire colony will be destroyed within a few weeks. No insecticide sprays will be necessary!
Not all ant species can be controlled by baits and some baits work better than others. In general, ants that eat a wide variety of foods will be less affected by baits because the bait will comprise a smaller proportion of their food. Sugar-loving ants are the easiest to control.
Sweet-Loving Ants. The easiest ants to control are sweet-loving ants. You can use jelly to increase the ant foraging behavior and make the toxic bait more effective. Apply a ribbon of jelly (1-1/2″ x 1/4″) to masking tape in the areas where you have seen the offending ants, especially around water sources and window ledge. Masking tape works great because it stays in place and is easy to remove and discard later. Experts say that mint or mint apple jelly seems to be the most attractive to foraging sugar ants. A plastic squeeze bottle with a pointed tip makes a convenient applicator.
Sweet-loving ants should begin feeding on the jelly within a couple hours after bait placement. These “survey stations” can be used to pinpoint areas that should be baited. Experts say to use one survey station for each 50 square feet of living space and each 15-20 feet around the house. This can mean lots of jelly and masking tape; however, later you wil be able to use the toxic bait more efficiently and save time and money in the long run.
About two hours after setting out the jelly stations, you should count the number of ants foraging at each station. If there are more than 10 ants feeding at the station, the toxic bait should be placed at the active site. If there is tape with no feeding ants, the masking tape with jelly ribbon is discarded. The most successful baits are those that contain a slow-acting stomach poison so the foraging ant workers will take the bait back to the queen. We recommend baits with boric acid or hydramethylnon as their active ingredient.
Grease and Protein-Loving Ants. Big-headed ants, little black ants and pavement ants prefer grease and protein; in addition, they will also feed on fruit juices. They respond best to protein/grease baits.
Carpenter Ants. Carpenter ants will eat sweets; they also eat a wide variety of other food. Some baits are registered for carpenter ant control; however, they do not work as well as on other ant species.
A baiting technique can be used to locate carpenter ants’ nests. Purchase some live crickets at your local pet store. Kill a couple and place them in an area where carpenter ants forage. Within a short time, the workers should located the crickets and drag them back to the nest. By tracking their movements, it may be easier to find the nest location. Because carpenter ants forage during late afternoon and evening hours, make sure bait is available at this time of the day.
Ant Species Controlled by Baits:
- Argentine ants (sweet bait)
- Big-headed ants (sweet and grease bait)
- Little black ants (sweet and grease baits)
- Pavement ants (sweet and grease baits)
- Pharaoh ants (use hydramethylnon bait)
- Odorous house ants (sweet bait)
- Small honey ants (sweet bait)
For more information, or if you need your home or office inspected for a possible ant problem, please us the “Contact” link on our homepage.
Over the next few weeks I am going to begin to post some of my favorite articles to help you prepare your home and lawn for the upcoming winter months. Some of these articles have been written by myself and others have come from websites the I frequently visit myself.
Preparing Your Lawn for Winter
Article taken from http://buckeyegardening.com/1109winterlawn.html
At the end of summer your lawn is tired – and so are you – but don’t quit yet!
Your lawn is a whole population of plants. While that indicates differing needs for each potential variety of grass – fescue, rye, and bluegrass – we usually treat grasses as a whole. Therefore, we should treat it in the best possible way. Since our goal is a healthy lawn, with uniform height and color, fall is the time to prepare your lawn for a healthy spring.
You must continue to cut your grass until there’s been no visible growth for about two weeks. I know it’s time to quit mowing when I have no more clippings to remove. Leave grass at least two inches high, but no more than three inches for winter.
This height is optimum for several reasons. Grass cut too short is vulnerable to drying winter winds and, believe it or not, sun. If there’s no protecting snow cover, winter sun can be damaging to the grass. Two inches protects the crown, which is the white area visible at ground level that also extends into the root zone.
More than three inches of height can pose problems also. If your lawn is too tall, your grass will lay over on itself. Bent down by snow and wind, it will retain too much moisture and may develop fungus diseases such as snow mold. While too much sun and wind can cause damage, your lawn needs exposure to light and air all winter.
Although top growth has stopped, the root systems of your grasses are still growing. They are sending out rhizomes or tillers: tendril-like roots that will sprout new blades of grass in the spring. A green plant lives about three years and then is replaced by new plants from its own rhizomes.
While this is great in your yard, it brings us to another necessary task: edging your flowerbeds. Once a new grass plant grows where your flowers are, it’s a weed. Save yourself some weeding time next spring by edging all your beds now.
Autumn is also the season to fertilize your lawn for the last time; further encouraging those roots. Much leaching of soil nutrients has occurred these past two rainy springs, so fertilizing is even more important than usual. Look for fertilizer high in nitrogen, or a winterizer-type, lower in nitrogen and higher in phosphorus and potassium. Fertilizing now will encourage lush growth next spring.
Since your lawn is still growing below ground, keep the falling leaves raked so they don’t pile up and suffocate your grasses’ roots. Some of your leaves fall late in the autumn. Give a final good raking, sometimes even after the first snowfall has melted. Leaves lying on your lawn all winter can prevent water from reaching the grass or trap too much moisture, causing grasses to rot and die by spring.
By caring for your lawn in the fall, your can encourage healthy growth in the spring. One last task: take your mower in for maintenance now. Then when everyone else is struggling with long waits for repair, you’ll be ready for the first cuts of the season next year.
This is the time of the year queen wasp’s will drop down below the leaf litter to prepare for over wintering activities. They abandon their existing colony of wasps leaving the workers to continue unattended.
Because of the queen vacating the nest, worker wasps try and find new colonies, but will not be allowed in because their pheromones do not link up. Soon, these wasps will begin to take refuge around pools, parks and homes and will become easily agitated.
To help combat aggressive wasps, buy wasps traps, baited with orange soda or grenadine. Eliminate sugar harborages in and around your home that may be of interest to wasps. Always remember to keep your distance from hives that you may come across and seek the help of a professional.
If you need further help in locating and eliminating a wasp problem, you can reach me at the “contact” link at the top of the page.
Of course it seems now like summer is finally arriving. Rain has been a constant battle for everyone lately, but it’s beginning to look like warmer and possibly drier weather is settling in. Let’s jump ahead a few more months though, so that we can all be prepared for the cold season.
Naturally, when it’s cold outside, we would like to be in where it’s warm. The truth to that also applys to mice and other pests that prefer not to remain out in the elements all winter long.
There are a few steps that you can take to help prep your home so that these pests have a much harder time trying to gain access, as well as want to stay inside your home.
House mice frequently find their way into homes in the fall of the year, when outdoor temperatures at night become colder. In order to help prevent mice from entering seal off any openings larger than 1/4 inch to keep these little buggers out.
- Eliminate all openings through which they can enter a structure.
Seal cracks and openings in building foundations and openings for water pipes, vents and utilities . - In order for the mouse not to chew or pull out patching compounds, the patching materials need to be smooth on the surface. Some people will stuff openings with steel wool or other abrasive material, but this doesn’t always do the trick.
- Doors, windows and screens should fit tightly. Additional layers of weather stripping will keep pests out and will also help to lower utility bills by reducing unwanted cold air drafts.
- All food that is stored, processed or used should be made mouse-proof. Dried grain and meat products should be stored in glass jars, metal canisters or other resealable airtight containers.
These are all just little samples of things that you can do around your home to make it less desirable for mice and other small rodents from looking for safe haven from the elements. Additional treatments may be necessary to further prevent pests from entering your home.
If you would like more information, or would like for me to come and do a visual inspection for potential access points, please go to the “Contact” link on this page and send me an email!
Sincerely,
Michael Miller
FSEnterprises
This is exactly what is about to happen within the California prison system if a controversial bill is passed. Legislators are looking into more ways to help ease the financial burden on the state, as well as reduce what some may call ”dangerously crowded” prisons.
Already passed by the Senate on Thursday with a vote of 21-19, the individuals who are to be released will not be a “threat” to the public. Ok, let’s slow down here just for a minute and help me clarify this? So if they are not a threat to society, then they just made little oopsies before they ended up there? Were they arrested, charged, sentenced, and locked up, just because some people were bored and needed something to do?? NO! They committed a crime! They were found GUILTY! So why, after the recent uproar of releasing the PanAm bomber because he is about to die anyway too, should we start opening up our gates?
There are many things about the prison systems and court systems that need a major overhaul. Here in Luzerne County we have our own judges that have been caught doing wrong, and they are still looking for a slap on the wrist. I say NO! It’s simple, just like the saying.. “Do the crime, Do the time.” I know if it were me that got in trouble I sure wouldn’t be expected to just get let go cause it’s a little crowded, or the states’ funding being cut was threatening an employees pay.
All across the country we are seeing the same things happening. More and more lawmakers, politicians, CEO’s, etc., are upset that profits are falling but they wouldn’t dream of cutting their own pay to help offset and save valuable employees. If we cut out all of the positions that I’m sure are really of no real importance, we would save a ton of money! Think about it.. The President only makes $400,000.00 a year. That’s less than half of what some of the CEO’s of large corporations are making! If I can ever get my own business off the ground you can bet that as much money as I can keep in the business and to take care of my employees, I will do. It doesn’t take alot for me to live. I just need a small home, a reliable vehicle, and clothes on my back. Once someone gets the taste of large amounts of money, they just turn into something horrible.
The economy wouldn’t be were we are today if people weren’t so greedy about the money that they think they need to be happy.
I just wanted to take a few minutes to give you some of my thoughts on the “Cash For Clunkers Program” that the current administration has put out. Now it seems that everyone is really enjoying this new program but I want to give you some things to stop and think about.
It is a really BAD idea.
We had a program that started about a decade ago which came out of Fair Housing and Community Reinvestment Plans that said everyone needs to own their own home. So they came up with this lending program so that broke people would be able to afford a new home. The program was made, and they said, well most people are already broke and they probably won’t be able to pay so we will let these lenders charge high interest rates. It was called the Subprime Lending Market, which most people didn’t really know existed until last fall when it basically single-handedly caused the recession.
Broke people buying houses just didn’t turn out to be a good government program. These people knew they couldn’t afford a home in the first place are now facing the foreclosure on the very thing they couldn’t afford in the first place. This of course has made the government look even more stupid since they would allow a program such as this to exist.
Here’s an idea, why don’t all these people save some money, work a few extra hours or another part time gig, save some more money, and get themselves out of the hole they have been so graciously been put into by the government. Put yourself on a budget, lower your means of living, save more money again, and then buy a home and enjoy a home that you can finally afford.
The same now goes for the car owners. The people who are driving around these “clunkers” are living maybe not in the best of shape, but they own a vehicle that is serving the necessary purpose at this time. The government has now placed dollar signs in front of everyone’s face so that they go out and purchase a brand new vehicle at outrageouly high interest rates! Stupid!
This “Cash For Clunkers” program may seem like a boost or a jolt to the system now, but just watch and see how this plan will backfire over the neext few years and create an even bigger headache then we are already in.
Long story short.. Stick with what you got. Living below your means will help anyone to achieve the level of freedom that you so desire that much quicker.
By EMILY FRIEDMAN
Aug. 19, 2009 —
On his 63rd birthday, former President Bill Clinton is not without reason to celebrate.
After all, it was Clinton who earlier this month was lauded after helping to negotiate the release of U.S. journalists Euna Lee and Laura Ling, who had been imprisoned in North Korea for illegally entering the country from China.
But while Lee and Ling’s safe return to the U.S. is certainly something to be proud of, political scientists say that Clinton’s real reason to party is his ability to maintain a strong role in American politics a feat that would make any former president one who many once wondered how he’d fill his newfound free-time proud.
“The fact that on his 63rd birthday the man shows no signs of slowing down whatsoever and in fact seems to be continuing to invent new ways to stay occupied is really something else,” said Russell Riley, a presidential scholar at the University of Virginia’s Miller Center of Public Affairs.
“There was no question that last year at the point at which it was clear Hillary Rodham Clinton was going to be moving into a position in the administration that some people thought it would mean Bill would have to roll back is own agenda,” said Riley. “But that’s not what we’ve seen happen at all.”
And party he did. Last week, Clinton, who was in Las Vegas for the National Clean Energy Summit, reportedly took advantage of his time in Sin City and threw himself a lavish birthday dinner at the MGM Grand hotel.
“With former President Clinton, anything is possible,” said Julian Zelizer, a political historian and professor at Princeton University. “That’s one thing that Americans kind of expect of him all sorts of behavior. “
“Clinton can be the same guy who can resolve a situation in North Korea and then get involved in all sorts of escapades in his personal life, that’s the story of his life,” said Zelizer, “and I think he’s happy with that status.”
According to Zelizer, Clinton’s role has morphed since the 2008 Presidential election, during which the former president railed against President Barack Obama’s policies on behalf of his wife, who eventually lost the Democratic primary.
“It’s interesting, because Clinton was once the person that Obama defined himself against,” said Zelizer. “Now that’s changed and Clinton has, in many ways, influenced this White House, from the selection of Obama’s inner circle to most recently his role as a liaison to North Korea.”
With Clinton’s trip to North Korea only the second if its kind since former President Jimmy Carter traveled there in the early ’90s, Clinton’s role is beginning to be more defined as one of the Democratic party elders, said Zelizer.
“The Democrats were out of power for so long [before Obama] that they don’t have many senior people to look to,” he said. “In part, Clinton is now taking on that role.”
But to be sure, Clinton’s legacy is not unblemished, said Zelizer.
That mainly stems from his affair with then-White House intern Monica Lewinksy and the impeachment trial that followed in December 1998.
His outspoken some would say over-the-top performance during the 2008 presidential campaign was not easily forgotten either, and the former president was oft criticized for taking the limelight away from his presidential-hopeful wife.
Zelizer credits what he calls Clinton’s “unbelievable resilience,” with his ability to move forward despite his travails.
And Clinton’s 63rd birthday may just be even more celebratory than his 62nd, according to Thomas Whalen, a presidential historian at Boston University.
“He’s really proved that he’s truly the comeback kid,” Whalen told ABCNews.com. “Just when everyone was ready to write him off politically and began thinking his time had passed and it was time for the old rocking chair, he pulls off that high-profile rescue of the two journalists and he’s back in the national consciousness.”
Whalen suspects Clinton will continue to garner the spotlight as the health care debate moves forward.
“Once again, he’s like a phoenix rising from the ashes quite a bit has happened in the last year and this will definitely be a far more joyous occasion than [his last birthday],” said Whalen.
This time last year there was a “dark cloud” over Clinton, said Whalen, who believes this year’s birthday celebration will be “far more joyous than the last.”
“The former president was incensed that his wife was losing the primaries and there were a lot of whispers that he’d lost his political fastball,” he said. “We’ve since seen that we probably were writing him off prematurely.”
Whalen, who says that its common for there to be concern as to what a former president will do after they leave the White House, believes that Clinton is “proving that you can still be a significant figure on the world stage and make an appreciable difference on various public issues.”
Lanny Davis, former special counsel to Clinton and a friend of the family for nearly 40 years, says he’s never met anyone who is “more brilliant and more committed idealistically to the public good” than Clinton.
“Clinton should celebrate his birthday not only by looking back on a presidency which has to be historically declared to be immensely successful but also by looking forward,” said Davis. “He’s created out of nothing a whole new edifice for public good; and he’s done it in less than nine years.”
Just a quick hello and welcome to my latest blog! Check back soon for updates! In the meantime, you can catch me on Twitter @FSEnterprises and also on Facebook!
