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June 27, 2011

Mosquito And Other Insect Bites

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 12:32 pm

We all are bitten by insects from time to time – we are simply too abundant a source of food for insects to ignore. However, some individuals react fairly badly to an insect bite, while others do not seem be all that much troubled by them. The most common insect bites are from mosquitoes, ants, fleas and gnats or midges and now bed bugs are coming back too..

If you are not excessively allergic to these bites there is no need to do anything about the bite itself although you might like to eradicate an infection of ants, fleas and bed bugs. Mosquito and other insect bites usually produce an itchy, red swelling, which should go down within one to three days, although some people do have them for a lot longer.

We say that insects bite, but it is not always true. It is slapdash speech. Some insects bite (like ants), some insects sting (like bees) and other insects suck blood (like mosquitoes, fleas and bed bugs). Most individuals are more likely to develop a reaction to blood sucking although the stings are the most painful.

Blood-sucking insects squirt some saliva into you through a pore before sucking blood. This saliva contains an anticoagulant to cause the blood run more freely and it may contain an antiseptic and an analgesic as well to ease the pain of a possible infection or reaction to the bite. It is this saliva that causes the swelling and itching in most instances.

This is like an allergic reaction, but doctors do not consider it to be an allergy. Some people really are allergic to the bites of blood-sucking or stinging insects and they may need to be hospitalized. They suffer much more than an itchy swelling for a day or two. You will soon know if you are allergic. You may even pass out or go into a coma.

Anyway, the priority for most of us after being ‘bitten’ is to relieve the itching and reduce the swelling. It appears that some treatments work better on some people than on others, so it is a case of trying different items until you find one that suits you and the type of bite that is afflicting you.

Tiger Balm works on many insect bites for most individuals, but some people merely have to rub a slice of lemon or an ice cube on the bite to make the bite more tolerable. If you are going to treat mosquito and other insect bites, you ought to do it as soon as you can after having been bitten. Attempt to get that saliva out so that it does not have time to activate your bodies natural defences.

Some creams seem to neutralize the saliva whilst others seem to pucker the skin enough to squirt it back out. If the saliva is back outside it cannot cause an infection although most infections like this are the result of scratching with dirty finger nails

Owen Jones, the writer of this article writes on lots of subjects, but is at present involved with getting rid of mosquito bites problems. If you want to know more or check out some great offers, please go to our web site at Mosquito Bite Swelling.

June 26, 2011

Termite Control

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 11:14 am

Termites are apt to be most prevalent in the warmer countries more than the cooler ones, but if where you live is infected by timber-eating termites, regulating them should be towards the top of your priorities, especially if you are a home-owner or a farmer. Of the 4,000 species of termite, about 400 of them pose a serious threat to timber buildings and crops.

Ants and ant-eaters are the termites natural enemies, but this does not help man to control them, so we have resorted to chemicals. Most of the chemicals used to manage termites are fairly safe to humans, their pets and their livestock, although it does no harm to exercise a little vigilance while spreading them about.

The first thing you ought to do if you would like to banish termites from your home, is comprehend a little about them. They prefer to eat a plank of timber starting at the end-grain and tunneling up inside it, so before you next redecorate your house, saturate all timber in preservative and termite poison particularly the end-grain. Then repaint, stain or varnish everything as usual.

If you make it difficult or unappetizing for them, termites are apt to go for easier pickings. Likewise, if you have walkways, crawling spaces or air ducts, spray them with termiticide. If you have wet areas near the house remedy the cause of the damp, because termites love damp earth.

Clear up any clutter from about the base of your house such as old leaves and weeds, because that holds moisture as well. If you have a stack of garden rubbish, burn it; if you have a compost heap, turn it over on a regular basis and check for termites (and carpenter ants).

In a termite nest, it is only the female workers that go out and scavenge. They then take this back to the colony an give it to the nymphs, the soldiers and the king and queen. If you poison that food source, all those bugs will die and the nymphs in the unhatched eggs will starve to death.

Most termiticides act on two levels, there is the poison to get eaten, but there is also an element to the poison that kills on contact, although it might take some time.

When a termite rubs up against this contact poison, it will go home sooner or later where it will groom and become groomed by its pals, which passes the contact poison around the nest very quickly.

It can take a week or longer for say 90% of the nest to get wiped out, but it could take another month or so for the remaining 10% to die, because they may be getting their food from another source.

However, sooner or later they will begin taking the dead corpses of their dropped comrades outside and as soon as they do that, they will get a brushing of contact poison as well.

When this happens their days are numbered even if the poison is a little bit older and a little less potent. The trick is not to give up too soon and keep checking for a re-infestation, because if they came once, they may come back again.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on many subjects, but is at present involved with pictures of termites. If you are interested in this or if you are wondering: What Does A Termite Look Like?. just go to our web site now for some more details.

June 20, 2011

What Are Bed Bugs?

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 1:44 pm

Most people under seventy years of age in the West will not have seen bed bugs. This is mainly due to enhanced living conditions, DDT and better public education. The DDT was used in the thirties and forties and eradicated the problem in the more wealthy countries.

Bed bugs are a part of the arachnid or spider family, although bed bugs are parasites that suck blood, not all bodily fluids. They will dine on most warm-blooded animals and there is some evidence that humans are not their first preference of prey.

The most widespread form of bed bugs are known as Cimex lectularius by their Latin name. They are quite small but very fast moving bugs and they are members of the spider family, although many of them do not look like spiders at all. Rather, most of them look like little beetles, until they have gorged themselves, after which they can hardly move and are at their most vulnerable.

Bed bugs feed in a similar way to mosquitoes. They insert a tube into the skin of its victim and suck blood out. It is not a great deal to you, about a quarter of a millilitre, but is a lot to them. It allows them to live and procreate.

Bed bugs, unlike their relatives the ticks, are not known to convey any diseases. In fact, they are one of the few insects that do not pass on a disease.

A bedbug bite is comparable to an ant bite in appearance, but it will itch similar a mosquito bite. You will most likely experience a slight swelling with a red dot in the centre and an itch. Not much more.

You can check for bed bugs pretty easily by soaking a bar of soap in a little water for half an hour while you lie on your bed reading a magazine. Then get up and fetch the soap, wet-side down and fling back the bed clothes. Dab up the bed bugs, if there are any with the soft soap. This is a speedy method of getting rid of a small number of bed bugs, but cannot be seen as a resolution.

With regards to the annihilation of an infestation of bed bugs, it depends where you live. If you are in a hotel, the bar of soap will be proof enough of a problem and it is the hotel manager’s duty to provide a solution. If they do nothing, report the hotel to the neighbourhood tourist bureau.

If you live in rented accommodation, it is your landlord’s responsibility to solve the predicament. If he or she is reluctant, then go to the city hall and seek advice.

If the issue is in your own home, then take the skirting boards and architraves off. Spray or paint very powerful insecticide onto the wall and refix the woodwork. If you are still concerned, seal the woodwork off on all sides with mastic or silicone.

These measures will ensure that your house will be free of bed bugs.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece writes on quite a few subjects, but is currently concerned with natural tick repellent. If you would like to know more or check out some great offers, please go to our website at tick Repellent For Dogs.

Mosquitoes, Malaria And Dengue Fever

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 1:22 pm

Mosquitoes live in most parts of the world. They are born into water, and it does not have to be much, where they spend around two weeks developing through the stages of egg, larva and pupa. As an adult, they live for up to another eight weeks.

The mouth parts of mosquitoes have evolved to be specialized in piercing ‘skin’ and sucking out juices. Males use this talent for removing juices from plants, but females need a blood meal to be able to produce eggs and of the 3,500 species of mosquito worldwide, some species feed on humans.

This trait means that the female mosquito of certain species can be the carrier of several infectious diseases. These diseases have an effect on and kill millions of people each year. Two of these diseases are malaria and dengue fever

Malaria is brought about by a mosquito infected with eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium biting humans (and one sortnd of monkey). The disease is widespread throughout Africa, the Americas and Asia but it was eradicated from Australia in 1981. Europe used to be infected as well but is now largely clean of malaria, although not of mosquitoes.

The disease is brought about by the multiplication of the malarial parasites in the red blood cells which creates symptoms comparable to headaches and fever – something like a bad case of the flu. In severe cases, this can lead to coma and death.

Prevention is much better than cure, so the first thing to do is attempt to prevent mosquitoes breeding by eradicating unnecessary amounts of water no matter how small and how brackish. Secondly, try to prevent them biting you by using mosquito repellent and mosquito nets treated with pesticide.

There is no long-lasting vaccine that will prevent you getting malaria, although there are drugs available to prevent travellers getting malaria in the short time. Most kinds of malaria can be cured successfully, although there is evidence of resistance to several of the anti-malarial drugs.

Dengue Fever is also carried by certain mosquitoes. The indications of dengue vary but they almost always include a headache and a skin rash and sometimes joint pain. The disease is not often fatal, but it can be so if it develops into dengue haemorrhagic fever or dengue shock syndrome (where blood pressure drops very low causing organs to malfunction).

There are four sorts of dengue fever. Having had the one, the patient has permanent immunity to that strain, yet only temporary immunity from the other three. As with malaria there is no vaccine against dengue. The only attack is to reduce the number of mosquitoes and the number of bites.

Whereas the incidence of infection with malaria is falling, the rate of infection with dengue is rising. Dengue is now endemic in more than 110 countries. It usually takes 4-7 days for the disease to show itself after infection, so any flu-like indications showing within a week of returning from an region known to have dengue must be treated seriously, especially as lots of GP’s in the west may overlook the real cause of the problem.

Owen Jones, the author of this article writes on several subjects, but is currently involved with work on mosquito bite treatment. If you would like to know more or check out some great offers, please go to our website at Mosquito Bite Swellings.

Controlling Bed Bugs

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 1:06 pm

Bed bugs are probably the most ghastly of household pests in many peoples’ eyes. Cockroaches are bad enough, but they do not suck on you. Mosquitoes suck blood and are annoying, but we accept them more than bed bugs. But bed bugs suck your blood when you are asleep and then mess in your bed as a thank you note.

Luckily, these insects do not carry any human diseases that we are conscious of, so they are quite ‘safe’ in that regard, whereas there are quite a couple of deadly diseases that you can acquire from mosquitoes such as malaria, dengue fever and yellow fever amongst others. Still, the majority of of us prefer mosquitoes to bed bugs.

If your home is infested with these bugs, you will surely want to get rid of them, so you will have to know something concerning the lifestyle of these creatures. Bed bugs like to conceal themselves during the day time in cracks, crevices, torn wallpaper and linoleum, broken plaster, a ripped mattress and stacked clothing, books, magazines etc..

The popular belief common until a few decades ago was that bed bugs only liked dirty households, but this is not true. Cockroaches like to scavenge for dropped food as do ants, but bed bugs only consume blood and do not even have mouth-parts to consume fallen food if they were famished.

Therefore, bed bugs do not need to live in a slovenly house, merely in one that is run-down, poorly taken care of or cluttered. If you want to clear up an infestation of bed bugs, the first thing to do is wash all your clothing in hot water or dry-cleaning fluid and then store them in sealed plastic bags.

The next step is to repair anywhere they could be hiding. Stick back or replace any tattered wallpaper and seal off any loose woodwork such as skirting boards and architraves with a line of mastic or filler. Seal the woodwork top and bottom, so that any bed bugs hiding in there will not be able to get out again. This saves attempting to kill them.

Put away all books, piles of newspapers, toys and general clutter and inspect your furniture for wobbly joints. For instance, if a chair or table is a bit ricketty, tighten the screws or mastic the joints together. Plug nail and screw holes with filler or mastic.

Roll up your carpets and check the floor boards. Cork the joints, fill screw holes and check the bead of mastic at the bottom of the skirting boards.

Check the framework of your bed and repair as mentioned above. Are there red or brown smears on your mattress? if so, they could be hiding in your mattress. Sew up any tears and put the mattress in a mattress cover which can be zipped closed in order to trap any bugs inside. Otherwise, perhaps it is time to replace it.

Regular pesticides do not have much effect on bed bugs, so be careful what you purchase. You need something that has an abrasive element in it. Some use finely ground up glass, which may pose a health hazard to you or your pets.

Diatomaceous Earth is safer. Sprinkle or spray it under your carpets and about the base of the skirtings, where bed bugs like to run. Relay your carpets and steam clean them.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on several subjects, but is now involved with pictures of bed bugs. If you want to know more, just go to our web site at Picture of Bed Bugs.

June 17, 2011

Mosquitoes And Mosquito Bites: Can You Live With Them?

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 5:30 pm

Without doubt only the most dedicated of entomologists and the most fervent followers of Buddha can honestly say that they like mosquitoes. The others of us in the world loathe them. The word ‘mosquito’ comes from either the Spanish or the Portuguese and means ‘little fly’. They live in most countries throughout the world and are or have been to blame for spreading various diseases throughout history.

Malaria is the sickness most commonly associated with mosquitoes and at one time malaria was widespread in Europe. Even London was a malarial city until they drained the marshes to create room for more housing a few hundred years ago. Until a hundred years ago, malaria was not thought to be associated with mosquitoes, it was considered to be brought on by ‘bad air’ (‘mal aria’).

Mosquitoes are blood-sucking insects, or at least the females are, that are still responsible for spreading many diseases throughout the animal kingdom. That is right! They do not merely have an impact on humans. Dogs in particular get a pretty difficult time from mosquitoes.

For a large part of their lives, mosquitoes happily drink nectar from flowers like bees do, yet while the female is pregnant, she has to have animal protein to produce eggs. This is what she gets from us and other animals. The male never has to drink blood.

It is whilst the female is drawing a little blood, that an infected mosquito involuntarily puts a couple of parasites into the host’s blood stream, which could cause infection with malaria, dengue, encephalitis or numerous other diseases that are spread by parasites.

Not all bites from infected mosquitoes bring about sickness. In the case of malaria for example, it has been contended that a healthy person can fight off the parasites injected by up to fifty mosquitoes in a twenty-four hour period. After that though, the parasites grow in number too quickly for our defences and get to the organs that they like to colonize.

When a non-infected mosquito draws blood from an infected human, that mosquito can pass the parasites on to other non-infected humans. It is considered that most mosquito bites happen indoors whilst the person is asleep. Therefore, the WHO and other agencies have been distributing mosquito nets treated with pesticide in Africa, where most victims of mosquito borne infections live.

However, there is a fear that treating the difficulty in this fashion may make some sorts of mosquito immune to the insecticide or may even raise the chances of being bitten outdoors. There have been comparable problems in Cambodia. Until recently, it took three days of care to cure a patient of malaria, but in one area of Cambodia it now takes five days.

Doctors treating patients in that region say that this is a very worrying development. It is thought that if this local development spreads, then it could result in the deaths of millions of Africans again.

Most mosquitoes do not fly far. Most mosquitoes never go farther than two kilometres from where they hatched out; some move only a few metres away, although others can fly some 5 or 10 kilometres, and a very few varieties will even fly up to 50 kilometres, helped by the wind, from their larval locations.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece writes on a lot of subjects, but is currently involved with work on mosquito bite treatment. If you would like to know more or check out some great offers, please go to our website at Mosquito Bite Swellings.

June 16, 2011

The Dreadful Effects Of Malaria

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 6:17 pm

Malaria, a mosquito-borne sickness caused by mosquito bites that carry a parasite of the genus Plasmodium, is widely common in tropical and subtropical countries in Asia, South and Central America and the Middle East. Malaria is more widespread in areas with lots of rainfall and constant high temperatures that supply the ideal conditions for insects to thrive and multiply.

Malarial bouts begin with multiplication of the plasmodium virus in the red blood cells and could have long-lasting and even deadly consequences.

Malaria begins with headaches, fever and chills and could, in subsequent stages, also lead to coma. Malaria has three stages, the first stage starting with fever, shivering, joint pain, vomiting, anemia, hemoglobinuria, retinal damage and fits.

This could occur for four to six hours every alternate day, every three days or it might happen every four days. As the disease progresses into the second stage, one could experience sensations of heat and dryness, while the third stage could cause extreme fatigue and weakness.

It is however worth noting that the first indications happen around 10 to 15 days after the mosquito bite when it multiplies and bursts the red blood cells.

The effects of malaria especially in children must not be overlooked because a bite from this insect can lead to high intracranial pressure that becomes evident as unusual posture caused by acute brain damage.

Malaria caused by mosquito bites could lead to other significant consequences like cognitive impairment, widespread anaemia and neurological impairment with cerebral malaria. Cerebral malaria could result in retinal whitening that is the foremost distinguishing clinical sign of malaria.

Malaria caused by mosquitoes could in severe cases show up as an enlarged spleen, chronic headache, clots of blood in the brain, enlarged liver, low blood sugar and hemoglobinuria which could lead to renal failure.

Other significant side effects caused by this mosquito bite disease might be dehydration, liver or kidney failure and breathing issues caused by fluid in the lungs.

Rupture of the spleen might lead to internal bleeding with the spread of infection leading to inflammation of the meninges, or membranes, that enclose the brain and spinal cord.

The control of malaria begins with the usage of mosquito nets, the use of insect repellents and the spraying of insecticides in locations where mosquitoes could breed easily.

Home pest control starts with not having water standing around in buckets, tubs and the spraying of insecticides in drains which are ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

Mosquito repellents could be chemical based or could also be in the form of herbal and biological pest control with the growing of mosquito repellent plants in the surroundings.

It is best to remember that one way of pest control lies in protecting oneself from mosquito bites by avoiding going out at dawn or dusk. It pays to have mosquito mesh on all the doors and windows at home. Avoiding wearing dark colors and opting for long sleeved shirts and long trousers would also help.

Pest control includes using repellents like creams, lotions and electronic devices. It is best to kill mosquitoes by spraying insecticides, but this ought to be done some time before entering the room. Last but not least, preventing mosquito bites is the most effective pest control each time.

Owen Jones writes articles on several topics, but is currently concerned with Hand Held Insect Killer devices and static units at Electronic Insect Killers.

June 14, 2011

Eating Insects For Survival And Pleasure

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 1:20 pm

In the West, not many individuals consume insects for pleasure, but that is fairly unusual if you consider the number of people and the number of nations in the world that do. In Asia, numerous people consume insects on a weekly or even daily basis. However, you may one day be happy that you read about eating insects, if you are stranded somewhere a long way from any other supply of food.

For instance, lots of army personnel are taught how to eat worms and insects as part of their routine training course as part of their survival training. Insects are abundant and are simple to catch or trap, they are also a richer source of protein than steak and easier to cook and far less risky to eat raw than meat from mammals, fish or birds.

Insects can provide more than three times the amount of protein weight for weight than any meat or fish. They are also free, you just have to know where to look or how to bait them. However, you ought to not consume just any insect that you can get your hands on. There a few easy basic guidelines.

Do not consume anything that can bite or sting you back. Not because this is perilous to you, but because creatures like bees, wasps and some ants simply do not taste pleasant because of the poisons they make for their stings. A notable exception to this rule is the scorpion. Many people find roast scorpion a delicacy.

You could hone this rule to merely include brightly coloured, stinging insects – especially ones with yellow colouring. Furry insects are not tasty either, particularly caterpillars. Flying insects in general, like flies, mosquitoes, blue bottles and the like, should be avoided as well.

Big beetles (with the exception of cockroaches), grass hoppers, locusts, crickets and scorpions are the best. So are worms, maggots and most other larvae of that type like bee, wasp and hornet larvae. Termites and non-stinging ants are also edible.

Most individuals fry the insects in oil after taking off the wings (like with flying termites or ants). However, if you are stuck in the wild, you might not have any oil with you. Luckily, that is not too much of a problem if you cook the insects fairly slowly, because most of them have enough of their own body fat to be fried in.

If you find that eating your first meal of insects is just too much to stomach, try mashing them in with some boiled root vegetables or wrap them in leaves. Boiled nettle leaves are very healthy and young dandelion leaves can be eaten raw.

If you are not sure how far to cook your insects, worms and larvae, here are a few pointers from Asia. Fry big beetles, termites and scorpions until they are hard on the outside but with a small, slightly soft centre. Fry worms, crickets, grass hoppers and the like until they are hard and crisp and boil grubs and bee, wasp and hornet larvae for merely a couple of seconds.

The majority of Westerners that visit Thailand turn their noses up at eating insects, but after six years of living here, I have never heard any of those who tasted them say that they were awful. In fact, most said that they were surprisingly tasty, but then why else would so many individuals like them?

Owen Jones writes pieces on many topics, but is at present involved with fighting beetles If you are interested too, come over to our site at Electronic Insect Killer.

June 11, 2011

The Four Stages In The Life Of The Mosquito

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 4:25 pm

Mosquitoes, those tiny insects that make us uncomfortable, could also lay us open to malaria, dengue and chikungunya. They live in damp areas and reproduce in water.

The life cycle of this bug begins in holes filled with water, tide water pools in salt marshes, sewage effluent ponds, irrigated pastures and rain water ponds.

The four most important species of mosquitoes, namely Aedes, Anopheles, Culex, and Culiseta, each have their own unique environmental requirements and this helps us to identify a particular species too.

It is a good idea to remember that all mosquitoes have four distinctive phases, namely the egg, larva, pupa and adult stages, in their life cycle. The eggs are laid in water or on damp surfaces and float on them. In addition, species like Culex and Culiseta lay eggs of 100 or more that are found stuck to each other in the fashion of a raft.

However, Anopheles mosquitoes lay their eggs on water and Aedes are known to lay their eggs usually on damp soil. The eggs take two days to hatch out and metamorphose into the larval stage.

The mosquito larvae, known popularly as wrigglers or wigglers, live in water for a period of a week or two depending on the temperature of the water. The larvae swim frequently to the surface of the water to take in oxygen with the aid of siphon tunes.

However, species like the Anopheles have no such mechanism and generally breathe by lying flat on the water. It is interesting to note that mosquito larvae shed their skin four times and after the fourth stage they metamorphose into pupae.

Mosquito pupae, commonly known as “tumblers”, live in water for from one to four days depending mostly on the species and temperature. In this phase, called the resting and non-eating stage in the life cycle, the insect can be observed lying on the surface of water.

In this phase it breathes through its two breathing tubes called trumpets. This is the important and last stage before the mosquito changes into an adult and begins spreading infection. Once the stage is over, the pupa opens and the adult emerges.

Once the adult mosquito is formed, it sits on the surface of the water waiting for its body to dry out and harden. After a time, the mosquito is able to spread its wings and fly. It is interesting to remember that adult female mosquitoes are more aggressive than the males that feed only on the nectar of flowers.

Aedes female mosquitoes are known for their sore and persistent bites especially during the daytime and they attack mostly humans. The Culex specie resembles Aedes, However they are known to strike after dusk and have a preference for domestic and wild birds. They transmit encephalitis or sleeping sickness.

The Culiseta species of mosquito is a moderately aggressive biter that attacks during the evening hours and in the shade. Anopheles mosquitoes are known for spreading malaria in humans.

Lastly, it is useful to understand that most female mosquitoes have to feed on an animal before they can produce eggs, with some dying before laying viable eggs.

In addition,some species live near their breeding place while others fly as far as 100 miles from their breeding spot. Male mosquitoes live a shorter life than female mosquitoes.

Owen Jones publishes pieces on various subjects, but is now concerned with Hand Held Insect Killer devices and static units at Electronic Insect Killers.

June 6, 2011

How To Remove Bed Bugs From Your Clothes

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 2:34 pm

Bed bugs used to be a part of eveyone’s daily life before the Second World War – or should that be ‘a part of everyone’s nocturnal life’? For hundreds of years, people merely grinned and bore it; they had to because there were no effectual methods of getting rid of them.

They lived in the stored clothing, the furniture, the bedding and the houses of the rich and poor alike and because houses were located so close together, families were larger and people were in and out of each others houses, you could not eradicate a bed bug infestation for long.

Then came the bombing of European cities in the Second World War 1939-1945 and many inner cities were unsafe, so the authorities decided to take the opportunity to flatten the inner city slums and start again. An equivalent programme was began in America, but not because of devastation.

The authorities pulled down hundreds of millions of houses and made billions of rats, mice, bed bugs, fleas and other nasties homeless. In fact, rat poison and a new wonder insecticide, DDT, were used widely in the clean up. By the end of the Forties or during the Fifties, bed bugs were just about eradicated from the Western World.

The Baby Boomer generation was the first one never to have been troubled by bed bugs. This joyful situation lasted until the mid-Nineties, when increased long haul travel and increased immigration permitted bed bugs to hitch lifts back to the West. These unwelcome hitch hikers usually came back on clothing that had been packed away in suitcases.

And so here we are today, in a state of affairs where the West’s major inner cities have a bed bug issue of epidemic proportions. Bed bugs are being passed around from person to person on all forms of public transport but especially buses, trains and taxis and anywhere where individuals congregate, but especially hotels, cinemas and waiting rooms.

So, here are a few tips on how to avoid infesting your home with bed bugs. If you stay in hotels a few nights or one night at a time, merely unpack what you need to at any one time. In other words, live out of your suitcase.

If you are on a longer vacation, by all means, unpack everything, but keep your suitcase closed and have all your clothes boil washed, dry cleaned or tumble-dried on ‘HOT’ before you repack them to go home.

If this cannot be done because of the sort of cloth, examine all the seams, hems, pockets, cuffs and collars and blow them with the hair-dryer on ‘HOT’. The hair-dryer is not anywhere near as effective, but all stages of a bed bug’s life cycle are killed by seven minutes exposure to temperatures above 45C or 115F.

If you cannot heat-treat your clothing before you leave the hotel, seal them up in plastic bags and treat them when you get home – preferably in a laundrette or dry cleaners.

What do you do about your overcoat, if you mix with people every day on the bus or at work? This is a tough one. Bed bugs are resilient to all forms of insect killer, which is why we are having this epidemic, so you will literally have to examine your overcoat every time you come home or get one that you can put in the tumble-dryer every night.

One bed bug can lay 300 eggs and last for a year without feeding, so you cannot know that you have not got bed bugs, you can only say that you have not seen any – yet.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on a number of subjects, but is now concerned with the jean jacket. If you would like to know more, please visit our website at Mens Overcoats For Sale.

Do You Know The Symptoms Of Dengue?

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 10:48 am

Dengue fever is the result of a virus that is transferred from person to person by the bite of a tiger striped mosquito. Dengue normally starts with high fever, chills, headache, pain behind the eyes, and joint and muscle pain making the individual look flushed with a rash appearing about three to four days after the onset of fever. The rash spreads to the rest of the body and shows up often as an swelling of the lymph nodes.

Dengue, in its most common form has an incubation phase of about |five to eight days from the start of fever. It is worth noting that a person has fever for about four to seven days and it is common for most people to recover without any major complications. However, long term effects and complications cannot be fully ruled out in all cases, with some taking many months to recover and some having fatal recurrences.

This arises particularly in regions where dengue is endemic and there is the chance of repeated infections and relapses. The most serious of effects or complications are dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) and dengue shock syndrome (DSS).

Dengue hemorrhagic fever known as Hemorrhagic dengue, Dengue shock syndrome, Philippine hemorrhagic fever, Thai hemorrhagic fever or Singapore hemorrhagic fever can lead to dengue shock syndrome and is fatal in around 1/20 cases that have a re-infection.

The severity of the impact of dengue in the form of dengue hemorrhagic fever rests in essence on one contracting a different virus after building immunity to one particular sort of virus. The risk factors increase with having antibodies to dengue virus from a prior infection, being younger than 12, female, or Caucasian.

Look out for the effects of dengue hemorrhagic fever in the person being not only restless and irritable, but also becoming sweaty and developing shock-like symptoms. Minute spots of blood and bleeding could take place on the skin with substantial patches below the skin and minor injuries resulting in severe bleeding. Some of the early symptoms that might become noticed are decreased appetite, fever, headache, joint pain, malaise, muscle pain, and vomiting.

Then you could notice more acute indications like restlessness followed by skin discoloration caused by the flow of blood into the tissues from ruptured blood vessels in mucous membranes especially in the mouth. There could also be a sweeping rash followed by flat round spots caused by internal bleeding in the skin from the capillaries.

This dengue situation could worsen and show up as a shock-like state, cold clammy extremities, and sweatiness. A GP could examine the patient and find other indications like enlarged liver, reduced blood pressure, red eyes, swollen glands, and weak and rapid pulse.

The treatment might include a cure of the indications and a transfusion of fresh blood or platelets to correct bleeding concerns, IV fluids and electrolytes to right electrolyte imbalances and oxygen therapy for treating the unusually low blood oxygen level and hydration with intravenous (IV) fluids to treat dehydration. In addition, supervision in an intensive care unit is usually essential.

It is vital to get to your medical professional in time during recurrent attacks and to make sure of personal hygiene and cleanliness at home and its environs. Using fully-covering clothing, mosquito netting, mosquito repellent containing DEET and avoiding travelling while mosquitoes are prevalent would help to contain dengue.

Owen Jones, the author of this article writes on several subjects, but is currently involved with Electronic Bug Killer devices. If you would like to know more, please go to our website at electronic insect killer

June 3, 2011

How Will I Recognize Bedbugs?

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 3:36 pm

I presume you already know that bedbugs have made a revival in the West. Bedbugs were practically totally eradicated in western Europe, the United States and Canada in the 1950′s, but have been resurfacing in ever larger numbers since around 1995. It is assumed that this is due to more numerous foreign holidays and increased immigration..

You see, bedbugs get around by hitching a lift on our clothing and then jumping off when it gets quiet and warm enough again. The poor little creatures are actually quite shy, you know, which is why you could have a burgeoning family of them in your house long before you become bitten. And bedbugs can go for six months without having to feed.

Bedbugs are small, usually brownish beetles that look a bit banded, because of the hairs on their back. They have a long pointy beak for sucking blood and can move astonishingly quickly if disturbed. Some Individuals say that they cannot be seen with the naked eye, but this only applies to those of us with very poor eyesight. A bedbug is around the size, colour and shape or an apple pip on legs.

In fact, you may never see a bedbug in your room, but you might see remnants of its activity. If you see brown smears on your sheets, they are bedbug droppings but if you see red streaks, that is your blood. You may also see black spots, which are also droppings and hollow insect cases, which is where they have shed a skin on their way to maturity.

Those who have knowledge of bedbugs say that you do not have to see them, you can smell them. They say that, their smell is very distinctive, but you would have to speak to quite an old person to describe it for you as most individuals under 60 will not have had many dealings with bedbugs, if any at all.

Bedbug bites affect people in different ways. Some people react quite badly to the bites whilst others might scarcely notice them at all. However, most of us notice some red marks that itch. A little like flea bites.

I suppose that you are wondering how you can get rid of these little bugs by now. Well, here is the bad news – bedbugs are notoriously a problem to be rid of. In fact, if you have an infestation of bedbugs, you ought to notify your landlord and the health authorities but if you own the property yourself, you will almost certainly have to pay to get the exterminators in as pesticides and insecticides are practically useless against them.

The best way to deal with bedbugs is not to let them acquire a foothold in your premises. Most of us pick up a bedbug when on holiday, staying in a hotel at home or when using public transport or in public places like cinemas.

So, inspect your clothing, especially under the collar and in the pockets. The only surefire way of killing bedbugs is the use of heat, so if you find one on your coat, put your garments in the tumble dryer on full heat to kill the bedbug, its friends and its eggs.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on many topics, but is currently concerned with bed bugs extermination. If you are interested in this, please visit our website now at Picture Of Bed Bugs for further information.

May 28, 2011

Plants That Repel Mosquitoes

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 4:17 pm

Those small, annoying insects, mosquitoes, have always made us run helter-skelter because they are thought to be carriers of diseases from person to person, animal to animal and from human to animals. How true it is that in Africa alone mosquitoes that kill one child under the age of five each 30 seconds, are the foremost cause of infection and account for the largest number of deaths all around the planet.

The use of mosquito repellents in the form of mosquito coils, electronic mosquito repellents, mosquito repellent creams, herbal mosquito lotions and plants help keep mosquitoes at bay. Furthermore, insecticides sprayed on plants could also help.

However some individuals could be allergic to these ways and suffer from problems of the skin, nasal cavity and throat. So it is highly advisable and environmentally friendly to take into account plants to repel mosquitoes.

Citronella, a plant that gets to a height of two feet, gives an annual bloom of lavender color flowers and finds its position as one of the most well-known mosquitoes repelling plants . You can find these plants mostly in places of warm weather. The oil of the citronella plant is used in scents and other herbal products due to their mosquito repelling quality.

If you love raising marigold of the African and French variety in your garden, you have a mosquito repellent right in your garden. Marigolds, growing to the height of between six inches and three feet, grow well in sunny climates and hates the shade because it slows its growth process. The marigold plant of both the French and African species are able to repel mosquitoes because of the peculiar smell that they have.

Rosemary, a bush that grows up to four to five feet high, is a highly-rated mosquito repellent. This shrub grows larger than others and has blue flowers. Rosemary, a drought resistant shrub is also used in many fish recipes as an ingredient.

In addition, green lemon grass acts as a powerful mosquito repellent, because of the citronella oil enclosed in it. This perennial plant of India and Thailand grows up to a couple of feet high, provides us with lemon grass oil and acts as a pesticide and preservative. The tea manufactured out of lemon grass proves to be very refreshing.

Lavender, the beautiful purple colored plant, not just increases the attractiveness of your garden, but also repels mosquitoes. This plant is a gardener?s favourite. It grows to a height of four feet, and needs warm weather. The flowers of this plant also find use in bouquets and lavender oil is extracted from it.

Catnip and horse mint, both belonging to the mint family prove to make powerful mosquito repellents. Catnip oil made from the catnip plant and horse mint with pink bloom also serves as a mosquito repellent.

Garlic the miracle vegetable that is used in recipes also repels mosquitoes. The strong smell of bulbs of garlic assists to stave off mosquitoes. In addition, herbs like basil, penny royal, and ageratum are also known for their mosquito repellent qualities.

Hence there is no need to feel that these little creatures can irritate you at their leisure and take control of your life. You can take control of their life without using chemical smells or using costly electronic items. It is the case that growing mosquito repellent flowers also makes for a beautiful garden.

Owen Jones, the author of this article writes on several subjects, but is currently involved with Electronic Bug Killer devices. If you would like to know more, please go to our website at electronic insect killer

May 27, 2011

Should Children Be Exposed To Mosquito Repellent Products?

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 5:47 pm

Mosquitoes have caused various life threatening diseases in tropical countries such as India particularly during the monsoons. These small creatures carry disease causing viruses which cause malaria, filaria and dengue fever from one person to the other, from one animal to the other and from animal to human and vice versa.

It is wise to note that mosquito repellents help to ward off mosquitoes for a short time dependent on the body sort, climatic conditions and state of the body, but can never obliterate them fully.

You could have a broad assortment of mosquito repellents, but not all of them may prove suitable and perfect for your infant. The choice varies between synthetic chemicals and plant derivatives that are found in the form of creams, lotions, sprays, wipes, roll-on sticks, foams, liquid vaporizers, sprays, coils, and mats. In addition, you can get electronic items that depend on electromagnetic fields and ultrasound waves to repulse mosquitoes.

Your selection of the best repellent depends purely on your baby?s needs and the precautions that need to be taken. It is best to check with your child?s pediatrician or a dermatologist that could suggest the best mosquito repellent.

Pediatricians advise against the use of mosquito repellent creams and lotions on infants below the age of 6 months as these chemicals could cause allergic and toxic reactions if applied directly on the baby?s skin.

However, it is advised that if you must use a cream or lotion it is best to consult your child specialist and then put the repellent on the child?s clothes being sure you avoid areas where the child could stick it in its mouth.

The use of liquid vaporizers, coils, sprays, and foams are extremely unadvisable as they could cause breathing allergies and other problems in your baby. In case you should, take your baby in when the fumes are given off.

The use of baby mosquito nets and natural or herbal remedies are safer until the infant is older. Try lighting citronella candles to ward off mosquitoes in your infant’s room.

It is worth mentioning that essential oils like margosa, citronella, peppermint, and eucalyptus can help ward off mosquitoes, however it is unadvisable to apply these oils directly on the skin as they are strong.

However putting a few drops on the bedding would help. Mopping the floors with a few drops of essential oils added to the water would help and prove safe also.

Prevention would be better rather than repelling mosquitoes particularly for children. Maintaining a spotless home and avoiding stagnant water standing in coolers, flowerpots, open drains, small ponds, bird baths, pets’ utensils and other bodies of water and adding a couple of drops of kerosene oil in the water would thwart mosquitoes breeding.

In addition, make certain your child does not perspire when you leave it unsupervised, for mosquitoes breed in moisture. It is best to dress your baby in light coloured clothes fully covering the body, which would also help prevent mosquito bites.

Furthermore, avoiding strong fragrances in the form of lotions, soap, oils or floral scented perfumes or room fresheners would help preclude the attraction of mosquitoes. Also, storing food covered over always will help prevent the breeding of mosquitoes.

Last but most important, fix wire mesh and screens on all doors and windows and keep them closed all the time especially at dawn and dusk and help your baby breathe fresh air but with freedom from mosquitoes.

Owen Jones, the author of this article writes on several subjects, but is currently involved with Electronic Bug Killer devices. If you would like to know more, please go to our website at electronic insect killer

May 8, 2011

There Is More Than One Way To Repel Those Mosquitoes

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 5:17 am

As much as we love the warmer months of the year, there is one thing we do not look forward to: Mosquitoes. Oh yes, these insects are not friendly at all. They carry more than one sort of disease. Yes, these lightweight insects, which float in the air around us, pick up numerous illnesses from who knows where, will leave red, itchy marks on your body.

As Spring time and Summer time roll on, it is nice to have doors and windows open, but it is also necessary to have screens installed for a home’s doors and windows. These screens are particularly vital when it comes to opening up your home in the warmer months. Having these screens for doors and windows have been the best invention for holding mosquitoes outside.

When outside though, Mosquitoes will be zooming into you. Well, onto your skin more exactly. There are well over 300 scents that mosquitoes are attracted to and most of these scents are from human skin. For human beings to live, we need to breathe out carbon dioxide.

Well, this is one thing Mosquitoes are attracted to. Yes, as soon as anybody exhales carbon dioxide, Mosquitoes are more likely than not, to make a b-line for your body. When eating outdoors, mosquitoes are going to want not only you, but your food too.

They, like human beings, like salty foodstuffs. Foodstuffs rich in sodium are also filled with lactic acid. Another thing that draws mosquitoes to human skin is body heat and if drinking alcohol, that too attracts these pests.

All right, so now you are asking yourself what you can do to fend off these pests. There are various ways that you can use to repel them from your skin. If you are searching for something natural to repel any and all mosquitoes, try adding more garlic to your daily diet. For some reason, garlic lessens the attractiveness of human skin.

Now, you do not have to quite eat garlic, but instead take garlic supplements, along with B complex and vitamin B1 supplements. Changing your daily diet, by taking certain supplements, particularly in the hot summer months, will fend off these unwanted insects.

Now, if using natural products is not the path for you, there are lots of chemical products on the market. Let?s see, anyone who is not a fan of mosquitoes, can go to their local grocery store and look for such mosquito repellents as DEET, Oils and Electronic Repellents.

DEET is made from such ingredients I can not even pronounce, but is mainly sold in solid or liquid form and is highly poisonous. If this does not sound good to you, there are a range of oils which can be placed on your patio table or wherever you sit outside.

Some of the more widely used oils are botanically based like Citronella, Eucalyptus Oil and Soybean Oil. Naturally, anything botanically, is considered natural or organic and while used as suggested, will not injure the you.

Electronic mosquito repellents have been used for a some time now. In fact, they are used in the desert, such as the Middle East, by American Soldiers. These electronic devices are made with chemical pheromones to attract them and electrified wires to instantly electrocutes these horrible insects.

These days, there are also mosquito repellents which you can clip onto your clothing. This type of repellent permits the user to be free of mosquitoes for 120 hours and repels them from 15 feet away. This absolutely is one amazing, personal, repellent on the market today.

Owen Jones, the author of this article writes on several subjects, but is currently involved with Electronic Bug Killer devices. If you would like to know more, please go to our website at electronic insect killer

May 5, 2011

Termite Fumigation Issues

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 3:55 am

Have you just found out that you have a serious termite infestation? Have you just been told that you will need to use gas on them because it is the fastest means of termite control and you do not have any time to lose? If so, toxic gas probably is the only answer.

However no one would blame you for being a bit worried about having your house fumigated with toxic gas. It does not sound a very beneficial environment to have to live, eat and sleep in afterwards, does it? The good news is that there is little reason for anxiety, particularly if you use a reputable firm with a history of using gas on termites.

Vikane is one of the most commonly used gases for the fumigation of termites. It is usually used with a procedure called tenting. Tenting means quite literally erecting a tent over the whole structure concerned, say your house.

The tent is then sealed as much as possible, the Vikane gas is pumped in and fans are utilized to make certain that it is circulated throughout your house, including your attic and basement. The gas is left to do its deadly work for a day within the sealed up tent and within your house.

On the second day, the tent is removed and the house is ventilated making use of the fans again. Delicate instruments are used to measure the levels of gas in all rooms of your home and when the pest controller is convinced that the levels of gas have dropped to where your house is safe for human occupancy, you will be allowed to move back in. That will usually be on the third day.

Vikane does not leave a sticky deposit, so it will not leave a film on your furniture which you will have to clean off later. When the house has been thoroughly ventilated, all the gas will have disappeared, although there may still be a couple of innocuous pockets left behind rafters and joists in the attic and basement.

Tenting your house may give you grounds to think that the gas must be dangerous for surrounding wildlife or your neighbours, but this is not the reason for tenting. The tent is put up in order to retain the gas against the outside of the exterior walls of your house as well, so that it is treated from inside and out, although it does help prevent wasting gas also.

This tenting system of fumigation with Vikane is a very successful method of getting rid of an infestation of termites from a building. In fact, it is so efficient that your contractor should issue you with a guarantee, although you may have to have the procedure repeated every year or two in order to maintain the guarantee.

Vikane is aimed solely at termites, so it will not kill any other eco-system that has established itself within your house. It will not kill spiders, ants, bed bugs or cockroaches. More’s the pity, I can hear you saying.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on lots of subjects, but is at present concerned with pictures of termites. If you are interested in this or if you are wondering: What Does A Termite Look Like?. Please go to our web site now for further details.

November 7, 2010

Starting A Mattress Cleaning And Sanitizing Business

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 2:30 am

Times are difficult and becoming harder and bosses are finding it difficult to keep staff on, which makes the likelihood of redundancy a very real; possibility for many people. One means to try to secure some sort of income is to begin your own small business from home, which is what many people are turning to.

If you are looking to begin a business for yourself, you will almost certainly have seen many opportunities of dealerships or franchises in the classifieds, so which one should you go for? The answer might be a mattress cleaning and sanitizing business.

Why am I proposing that you give this business plan some thought? Well, I will lay out the fundamentals of my rationale below.

More and more people, especially the young have become sensitive to allergens. In other words, allergies are on the rise and the bed is one of the most common origins of these allergens along with carpets.

You see, all beds and all carpets are home to millions and millions of dust mites, which are tiny creatures, invisible to the naked eye, that feed on flakes of dead human and animal skin that we all shed every day. These mites defecate and die and rot, both of which can be an irritation causing itchy skin, coughing and red eyes.

Then there are bed bugs. The incidence of bed bugs is increasing exponentially like no period for more than seventy years and the biggest challenge is in inner cities and hotels. Nobody wants to sleep where they think that there might be bed bugs.

People are keen to save money, so if they suspect that they have a problem with their mattress, it is cheaper to clean and sanitize their existing mattress than to buy a new one. This is the case of private individuals but especially true of hotels with dozens or even hundreds of beds.

As human sensitivity to allergens and the incidence of bed bugs continues to increase, a business that offers to clean and sanitize mattresses can only expand.

You are doubtless new to the business of cleaning and sanitizing mattresses, so it would be best for you to acquire a franchise from an existing firm that knows precisely what you need to get the job done professionally and at low cost.

The good thing about the equipment that you require to clean and sanitize mattresses is that it will work on carpets, curtains, pillows, upholstery and anything of that kind and it will not only cope with with dust mites and bed bugs but also with infestations of fleas and ticks and various types of mold and bacteria.

You will need to do a lot more research if you like the idea of this business. Try to find a supplier who will let you buy the equipment, not merely rent it, and will supply promotional literature too.

If the firm can provide leads as well that would be very useful to the beginner, but is not essential. The company should also provide training in the use of its mattress cleaning and sanitizing equipment

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on a number of subjects, but is now involved with the Visco Elastic Mattress. If you would like to know more, please visit our website at Egg Crate Mattress Pad For Sale.

September 14, 2010

How To Keep Mosquitoes Off Your Patio

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 4:42 am

Anyone with a beautiful garden, patio or deck will certainly enjoy sitting outside on a warm summer’s day or evening. But if there is one issue that can blight it for you, it is mosquitoes. Sometimes, it only takes one of two persistent mosquitoes to make your blood seethe. Mosquitoes are a nuisance for certain, but they can also be a health hazard, spreading dengue fever and malaria and several other really horrible diseases. So how do you go about keeping mosquitoes out of your garden?

Maybe you cannot realistically hope to keep mosquitoes out of your garden entirely, but there are some things you can do to deter them and keep their numbers down. Stopping them procreating in your garden is the first step to take. Mosquitoes do not have a long flying span. Many of the mosquitoes that trouble you in your garden will have been born in your garden.

Mosquitoes lay their eggs in still water, so make sure that there is none in your garden. They will lay eggs in water vats, dogs’ bowls, water that has collected in old tyres, bottles and tins and your rubbish bins, so make sure that no water can gather anywhere. Blocked gutters are another breeding site. If you have a water feature, put fish in it to eat the larvae.

Mosquitoes detest the smell of lemon, so you could grow citronella plants, lemon thyme, lemon grass and even a lemon tree, if the climate is right. If not, you could burn citronella scented candles or oil in the vicinity They not only keep the mosquitoes at bay, but the aroma is very fresh and envigourating.

If they are still plaguing you, you may have to resort to mosquito repellent. You could drench your clothing with permethrin, like the army does for jungle combat or just smeer a deet-based product on your skin. There are also plenty of green mosquito repellents too, like lemon oil, citronella and eucalyptus oil.

Garlic is said to repel mosquitoes, so you could try growing garlic nearby. It is also believed to repel ticks and has proven to discourage greenfly (aphids) from roses. What could be better, especially if you are partial to garlic too?

You could hang up one or two of those lanterns that attract insects to them and then vapourize them with a high voltage shock. These electric bug zappers are particularly proficient at destroying mosquitoes and house flies, which can also be a nuisance when you are lounging out of doors.

They are inexpensive and will last for years. They give off a pleasing glow and some claim to be able to clear areas of a quarter, a half and even a full acre of land of all flying insects by the use of the ultraviolet light and pheromones.

By using some or all of the above methods of keeping mosquitoes out of your garden, you should be able to enjoy your drink, a chat or a snooze in complete peace and freedom from flies and mosquitoes.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece writes on a lot of subjects, but is at present concerned with work on mosquito bite treatment problems. If you would like to know more or check out some great offers, please go to our website at Mosquito Bite Swellings.

July 21, 2010

Home Renovations DIY

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Colin Jones @ 6:03 am

It seems that there has been a drop in consumer trust in the building and construction industry of late. This may be because of the scams shown on television or the bribery and corruption endemic in the corporate sector, but it is almost certainly the same motivation why so many are now doing home improvements by themselves.

And why shouldn’t they? A little knowledge of the technical aspects together with with an eye for creativity is often enough to complete the home improvement on your own.

Why are people turning to do-it-yourself home improvements?

There are many people trying to pass themselves off as construction workers, although they do not have a lot of experience in construction or home maintenance and they are literally are out there right now practising, learning their trades on homes like yours and mine across the country.

As a result, homeowners are finding that the jobs are not being finished to their liking. At times they are even pre-paying for services that do not get done or were not part of the arrangement.

You do not have to trust and pay someone to enhance your home. Why not have a go yourself?

You can augment your home?s existing concrete surfaces using acid stains, acrylic paints, epoxy paints, and scoring techniques.

If you are tired of looking at drab gray concrete, there are some easy projects if you are sincere about having a go at home improvement DIY, you can easily give your patio, driveway or garage a revitalizing new look.

Attractive concrete work costs about double that of standard concrete, which is why many people cannot afford it.

However, there are inexpensive methods to beautify concrete after it has cured, without having to pay skilled tradesmen.

Acid-based concrete stains are becoming more and more popular for coloring concrete surfaces. They chemically react with the cement to generate permanent color with a variegated or mottled appearance like that of marble. This results in a natural, stylish looking surface.

Water-based concrete stains are an alternative to acid stains but are much more user friendly because they are so much less dangerous. These stains do not chemically react with the concrete; they are absorbed into the porous surface and act like a dye. The big benefit of water based stains is the wide array of colors available.

If you want to venture beyond the basic staining of your concrete, think about using some scoring techniques to create patterns on the surface.

You could make your concrete look like a tiled floor for instance. It is just up to your imagination. A mini angle grinder with a 4 inch grinding wheel is the ideal tool for this.

The key thing to remember when scoring is to trace out the pattern on the concrete first and ensure you are happy with the way it looks because scoring is irreversible.

Epoxy paints make an excellent coating for garage floors and cellar floors. Many industrial floors have epoxy coatings because of their hardiness and resilience to chemical spills as well as their appearance.

In recent years, however, it has become very popular for residential use with the availability of an growing number of different colors. This is not a complicated job, but the key to successful application is surface preparation.

Epoxy paints have also become available in a water based form making it safe for the DIY’er and perfect for indoor jobs. They cost a little more than stains. For a 400 square foot area, you’ll spend about $200 for the materials required for this project.

So, you see? You do not have to spend big money to improve your home. You have the ability to do it yourself. With a few instructions and a little bit of work, anyone can turn dull concrete into a work of art of their own.

Owen Jones, the author of this article writes on several subjects, but is currently involved with Flowtron Bug Zapper devices. If you would like to know more, please go to our website at Indoor Bug Zapper

May 26, 2010

Hand-held Mosquito Zapper

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 7:31 am

The hand held bug killer is the best way of clearing the space around you of insects, especially the flying ones such as mosquitoes. The indoor bug killer evaporates any insect from a mosquito to a gnat instantaneously on contact with a pleasingly loud, electrical ‘zap’!

However, this does not mean to say that the indoor insect zapper cannot be used outside, as long as it is not too wet. It should be treated like any other high voltage electrical equipment. Keep the indoor insect killer dry and please do not use it while you are standing in water!

Models do vary greatly, but there are basically only two kinds of hand held insect zapper: the battery operated bug zapper and the rechargeable electric insect killer. Both models are equally effective at killing insects and employ the same methods.

The electric insect zapper resembles a ‘junior’ tennis racquet, but with three layers of ‘strings’, which are in fact wires. The central grid of wires becomes electrified at the touch of a button, while the other two networks, one on either side, are only earths.

When a bug is caught between the wires of the indoor bug killer, it creates a short, which evaporates it instantaneously with a loud crack. The hand held bug zapper will kill other insects too, but they tend to fry rather than explode.

I have had the rechargeable sort for about five years and am extremely satisfied with the indoor bug zapper. In fact, the electric bug zapper has come a long way in the last few years. A fully charged electric bug killer is powerful enough to last for several hundred swipes and will hold it’s charge, if unused, for weeks without any significant discharge.

The battery recharge unit will take intensive use for the best part of a year, although its ability to hold a charge for several weeks gradually reduces after six or seven months.

The latest indoor insect zapper I’ve used has a main on/off switch, an LED that comes on when it is activated (the brightness of this light also gives an indication of the battery’s strength) and an LED that comes on when it is plugged in for recharge.

The instructions suggest that it should be (re)charged for sixteen hours. I usually put it on charge over night once or twice every week or two, although the hand held insect killer shows a marked increase in performance with only a couple of hours charging.

The latest model I’ve used also comes with a powerful beam called a ‘headlamp’. I have found this very handy when walking in the garden, but I’m unsure whether it’s supposed to lure the mosquitoes in the dark so that you can zap them if you’re feeling bored or just vindictive, rather like an Anglerfish.

I’ve used the headlamp on my hand held insect zapper for that reason too, but the light uses a lot of battery power. All in all, the electric insect killer is a huge asset at any outdoor event. The indoor bug killer is useful for ‘clearing’ your bedroom before retiring; it’s unbeatable for killing evening mosquitoes and it will eradicate wasps at a lunch table too.

Have you ever used an indoor bug zapper? If you haven’t, or if you want to get an electronic insect killer, please click one of the links to our web site or blog. Also published at Hand-held Mosquito Zapper.

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April 28, 2010

Dogs’ Heart Worm, Fleas And other Parasites

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 9:07 am

You have to destroy heart worm, fleas and other parasites in dogs whenever they raise their ugly heads by using the appropriate medication on them. Many products are available to protect dogs from heart worms, fleas and other parasites such as hook worms, whip worms, round worms, lice, ticks etc.

Of the heart worms, fleas and other parasites, fleas can produce a super-sensitive reaction in the affected dog. Animals infested with fleas scratch their skin very vigorously. Frequently the scratching becomes so severe that the skin becomes super-sensitive and dermatitis is the result in the scratched areas of skin.

The result is often that the animal can not lie down for long or sleep comfortably due to the constant bites by the fleas. Therefore, the animal looks as if has some severe skin disease. If the your dog is not properly attended to for these flea bites, there will often be secondary bacterial invasions in these sites and there may even be a rotten smell emanating from your dog’s affected skin.

You have to inspect your pet closely in order prevent a serious infestation of fleas. However, it is essential to prevent such a serious outbreak as they are extremely distressing to your dog. Similarly, the skin of the animal needs to be inspected often for the presence of ticks and lice. In order to do this effectively, you must inspect the dog’s skin by separating the dog’s hairs. The easiest way to achieve this is by slowly back-combing or ruffling the animal’s hair.

Usually, if your animal is anaemic, and he is not infested with fleas, you need to check for hookworm. Symptoms of hookworm are anaemia, loose stools and a pot belly. The dog’s owner may notice these symptoms themselves, however, to be honest, the dog needs to have a routine health check at the vet’s involving faecal and hematological tests.

There are many commercial products available on the market, some of which are effective for dealing with all these conditions in a single dose. Drugs like ivermectin are highly efficacious and are obtainable in injection, oral and solution forms. The latter should be applied directly on the dog’s skin. These drugs can lead to the prevention of the above conditions too.

So, the best strategy to follow is to keep a keen eye on your dog. This could easily be carried out at bath time or / and when you are grooming him. You can use an anti-flea and anti-tick shampoo, which will keep these pests under control, if used regularly. Couple this with a regular grooming with a lice comb and a flea collar should keep your pet lice, tick and flea free.

If you are experiencingproblems dog flea treatment on your dog, please follow the previous link, however if you want to read more about dogs, please go here: Man’s Best Friend – the Dog Don’t reprint this exact article. Instead, reprint a free unique content version of this same article.

April 8, 2010

Further Uses for the Indoor Bug Zapper

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 10:12 am

I don’t know if you have ever used a handheld, indoor bug zapper, but I think that they are marvelous. I’m talking about the handheld type that looks like a child?s plastic, toy tennis racquet. They come in two basic forms. I prefer the rechargeable bug zapper, for the reason that batteries end up up costing more than the indoor bug zapper itself, although you could always buy rechargeable batteries, but then they are costly too.

My wife and I like to spend time in the garden. We meet friends there, dine there and in general loaf about outside, as do most folks about here, when they are not working. What’s more, it?s much cooler outside than inside. A comfortable chair, a few snacks, a cool drink and a book or a companion and life does not get much better. In fact, it’s idyllic.

That is until about six or seven o’clock when the first squadron of mosquitoes have judged that the sun’s rays have lost enough strength that they will not evaporate and they come out looking for blood. Some evenings are worse than others, of course. Normally, the mosquitoes are pretty bearable, especially seeing as I have discovered the indoor bug zapper. (I don’t know why it is called an ‘indoor bug zapper’, it is equally as effective outdoors as in).

It’s not that I like to slaughter things, but I find it hard to have compassion for mosquitoes. Nevertheless, I do get a certain amount of enjoyment from seeing and hearing mosquitoes and other bugs literally blow up with a flash and a spark as they come into connection with the electric and ground wires of the indoor bug zapper. These electric bug zappers can pack quite a charge, particularly if the batteries are new or the pack is completely charged.

The other day, I found a novel use for my handheld, indoor bug zapper. I’ll tell you how it came about. I was in the garden, as normal, and my bug zapper was close at hand as the first squadron of mosquitoes was expected. I had my book in one hand and the bug zapper on my knees, when my wife asked me to go to the store for her. No problem, therefore, I set off on the five minute walk.

I was half-way there when I realized that I had the indoor bug zapper in my hand, but it was not worth taking it home and beginning the trip again. Anyway, on my return trip, I had my small bag of provisions in one hand and the indoor bug zapper in the other, when a local bully of a dog came running out of a garden right for me. This has happened often and, although he has never bitten me yet, it is somewhat scary. He stood there glaring at me with teeth bared and his ‘pack’ of assorted local friends came out to surround me and join in.

I don’t really know what the best course of action is in this situation. I have tried holding my ground, but the intimidation just goes on and I have tried to keep walking, but he gets worryingly close by on occasion. This time, I unexpectedly lashed out with the indoor bug zapper and just caught him on the snout. Well, I’m not sure whether it hurt him, it did not seem to too much, but it gave him a very nasty shock in more ways than one, I can tell you! He leapt about four feet into the air as if he were on a pogo stick and then ran for all he was worth with all his pals following him. It was very gratifying after six months of aggravation from this dog.

Anyway, I don’t take my indoor bug zapper everywhere with me, but I will in future, if any other local dogs trouble me. I know it works a treat. I have seen that one since, but he stays well away from me and doesn’t utter a peep. I believe I would take my indoor bug zapper with me, if I were wandering in an unknown part of town or the park nonetheless.

Have you ever heard of an indoor bug zapper? If not, or if you are interested in getting an indoor bug zapper, please click one of the links to our website or blog.

March 3, 2010

Hand Held Bug Zapper

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 9:49 am

If you aren’t already familiar with the electric insect killer, you are really going to like it and if you have had one before, I’m sure you’ll welcome it back like an old pal! The handheld insect killer does just what it says it does: it zaps bugs. But it does it really, very well.

Any bug that is touched by the wiring of the electric insect zapper is electrocuted. Smaller insects like midges and mosquitoes are vaporized with a very satisfying flash and a crack. Larger bug, like house flies and wasps are killed, but don’t explode like the smaller ones.

How many times have these flying insects taken the edge off an otherwise lovely evening in the garden? Or how many times have you not been able to get a good night’s sleep, because you know there’s at least one mosquito in the bedroom. It has happened to me hundreds of times, I know! It is very satisfying to get one’s own back with the hand held insect killer.

I don’t relish killing things without cause – I’m married to a Buddhist- but mosquitoes? I’m sorry, they can die. And the hand held bug killer does it without any messing about. No waiting and hoping they’ll fly into the ultraviolet light and then into the mesh. No, one sweep of the electric insect killer and the mosie’s gone and you can hear whether you got her or not. (I say her, because the sucking mosquitoes always are females – honest, I wasn’t being sexist).

Basically, there are two kinds of electric insect killer. There is the battery operated bug zapper and the rechargeable electric bug zapper. Both operate on the same principle, but I prefer the rechargeable type, although I suppose you could use rechargeable batteries too. However, I think that they would be more expensive that the bug zapper in the first place. Anyway, I have had a handheld bug killer of the rechargeable sort for five years and I am ecstatic about them.

These days, I spend a great deal of time in northern Thailand with my wife, so you can bet your life that my electric bug killer gets a good work-out almost every night. We usually eat in the garden in the evening and all socializing is done outside by tradition, especially in the rural areas, where we live, so it comes in very handy. I also use my electronic bug killer to ‘sweep’ the bedroom for bugs before we go to bed at night, just like a secret agent.

The hand held insect zapper seems to improve every time I buy one, which makes it hard to give you definite specifications. The hand held bug zappers I bought four or five years ago, sometimes failed within six to nine months of purchase, although their ability to hold a charge was less after four or five months.

However, the new electric bug killer will last 9-12 months and still be very pokey after nine months. My latest one even has a powerful torch called a headlamp incorporated into it. I’m not sure what it’s supposed to be for, but if you feel that vengeance is sweet, you can attract mosquitoes with it and then kill them with your handheld insect zapper.

Have you ever heard of a handheld bug zapper? If you haven’t, or if you are interested in getting a handheld bug zapper, just click one of the hyperlinks to our website or blog. Grab a totally unique version of this article from the Uber Article Directory

February 20, 2010

Common Indoor Bugs

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 11:35 am

Some of the most common indoor bugs we see anywhere in the world are flies, spiders, fleas and beetles. No-one likes to have a bug indoors, so most people will go to just about any lengths to eradicate these common indoor bugs. The less common indoor bugs may be woodlice, earwigs, scorpions and millipedes or centipedes, although they are not less unwelcome.

No matter where you are in the world, it is very difficult to keep these common indoor bugs outside, unless you go to the extremes of keeping all your windows and doors shut all of the time, which is quite impossible. I now live in Thailand and I know for certain that this is not an option.

So, just what can you do about it? Well, let’s deal with all the flying bugs first, as of all the common indoor bugs, I think they are the most unpleasant indoor bug. They are very irritating, buzzing around your head and mosquitoes and other flies can create painful sores and besides that, all flies spread disease. I hate to see them strutting about on food, knowing that they have probably just come off some dung heap somewhere and now they are spitting on my food to taste it with their grubby feet!

My first line of defence is fine-mesh door and widow screens. They are not expensive and can be added retrospectively to any window. My window meshes slide, so they can cover only one half of a window at a any one time, but I do not find that a problem. You can still set up cross-winds, by opening two or more windows at opposing sides of a room. I just love to see the flies on the mesh trying to get in by day and the mosquitoes doing the same by night. At night, it is wise to turn on as little light indoors as possible in order not to draw these common indoor insects.

My second line of defence is natural predators – lizards, like Geckos (Jin Jok, in Thai). Some people don’t like them in the house much either and I can’t say that I’m all that keen on them indoors myself, but they are hard to keep outside and they do eat hundreds, if not thousands, of indoor bugs every day. I particularly like to see them lying in wait on the outside of the mesh, ready to jump on any bug trying to struggle its way through the wires.

My third line of defence is an indoor bug zapper. You know, the electric, handheld bug zapper that looks like a child’s tennis racquet. They are brilliant at catching and annihilating any flying indoor bug. The bug literally explodes and vaporizes on contact with the fully-charged wires of the indoor bug zapper. If you haven’t tried using one, you really ought to. They are most satisfying. These three defences keep our house pretty much free of flies.

The creeping common indoor bugs are not so much of a problem really. Door screens on self-closers will keep 99% of them out and the Geckos will help too. Spiders can get in pretty very easily, but then, I don’t mind them too much as long as they keep out of my way, as they consume other insects too. They are on our side really. However, for those who can not bear to catch them and throw them outside, the handheld indoor bug zapper works a treat on spiders too.

Sometimes, Fleas can be a problem, if you keep cats or dogs, but then if you wash or dust the animal once a month, you should be able to keep these common indoor bugs under control fairly easily. However, there are two final methods that we employ. Once a week, before we go out for the day, we spray every room with fly killer and every six-months we spray any rugs or carpets with an insect killer containing permethrin, which will survive washing and vacuuming for that long without losing its ability to kill common indoor bugs on contact. If you follow these measures, you will be able to keep your home or office quite free of the most common indoor bugs and the less common indoor bug as well.

Have you ever heard of an indoor bug zapper? If you haven’t, or if you are interested in getting an indoor bug zapper, just click one of the links to our web site or blog. Get a totally unique version of this article from our article submission service

October 13, 2009

Home Repairs Do-It-Yourself

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Colin Jones @ 5:22 am
by Colin Jones

It appears that there has been a decline in consumer confidence in the building and construction industry of late. This may be because of the scams highlighted on television or the bribery and corruption endemic in the corporate sector, but it is almost certainly the same motivation why so many are now carrying out home improvements by themselves.

And why shouldn’t they? A little knowledge of the technical aspects combined with an eye for creativity is often enough to complete the home improvement on your own.

Why are people turning to DIY home improvements?

There are many people attempting to pass themselves off as construction workers, although they do not have a lot of experience in construction or home maintenance and they are literally are out there right now practising, learning their trades on homes like yours and mine around the country.

As a result, homeowners are finding that the jobs are not being finished to their liking. At times they are even pre-paying for services that do not get done or were not part of the arrangement.

You do not have to rely on and pay someone to improve your home. Why not try to do it yourself?

You can enhance your home?s existing concrete surfaces using acid stains, acrylic paints, epoxy paints, and scoring techniques.

If you are tired of looking at dull gray concrete, there are some easy projects if you are serious about having a go at home improvement DIY, you can easily give your patio, driveway or garage a refreshing new look.

Attractive concrete work costs about double that of standard concrete, which is why many people cannot afford it.

However, there are inexpensive ways to decorate concrete after it has cured, without having to pay expert tradesmen.

Acid-based concrete stains are becoming more and more fashionable for coloring concrete surfaces. They chemically react with the cement to generate permanent color with a variegated or mottled look similar to that of marble. This results in a natural, elegant looking exterior.

Water-based concrete stains are an alternative to acid stains but are much more user friendly because they are so much less dangerous. These stains do not chemically react with the concrete; they are absorbed into the porous surface and act like a colorant. The big advantage of water based stains is the wide array of colors available.

If you want to venture beyond the basic staining of your concrete, think about using some scoring techniques to create patterns on the surface.

You can make your concrete resemble a tiled floor for example. It is just up to your imagination. A mini angle grinder with a 4 inch cutting wheel is the ideal device for this.

The key thing to remember when scoring is to trace out the pattern on the concrete first and ensure you are happy with the way it looks because scoring is irreversible.

Epoxy paints make an outstanding coating for garage floors and basement floors. Many commercial floors have epoxy coatings because of their durability and resilience to chemical spills as well as their appearance.

In recent years, however, it has become very popular for residential use with the availability of an growing number of different colors. This is not a complicated job, but the key to successful application is surface preparation.

Epoxy paints have also become available in a water based form making it safe for the DIY’er and perfect for indoor jobs. They cost a little more than stains. For a 400 square foot area, you’ll spend about $200 for the materials required for this project.

You see? You do not have to spend big money to improve your home. You have the capacity to do it yourself. With some instructions and a little bit of work, anyone can turn dull concrete into a masterpiece of their own.

About the Author:
Owen Jones, the author of this article writes on several subjects, but is currently involved with Flowtron Bug Zapper devices. If you would like to know more, please go to our website at Indoor Bug Zapper

October 12, 2009

Electronic Bug Zapper

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 12:36 pm
by Owen Jones

The electric insect killer is the best way of clearing the space around you of insects, especially the flying ones like mosquitoes. The hand held bug killer evaporates any insect from a mosquito to a gnat instantaneously on contact with a pleasingly loud, electrical ‘zap’!

However, this is not to say that the indoor bug zapper cannot be operated outside, as long as it is not raining. It should be treated like any other high voltage electrical equipment. Keep the electric bug zapper dry and please do not use it while you are standing in the pool!

Models vary greatly, but there are basically only two types of electric insect killer: the battery operated bug zapper and the rechargeable electric bug killer. Both are equally effective at killing insects and work on the same principle.

The indoor insect killer looks like a ‘junior’ tennis racket, but with three sets of ‘strings’, which are in fact wires. The central network of wires becomes electrified at the push of a button, while the other two networks, one on either side, are harmless earths.

When an insect is caught between the wires of the electric bug zapper, it creates a short, which vaporizes it instantaneously with a loud crack. The hand held insect killer will kill other insects too, but they tend to fry rather than explode.

I have been using the rechargeable type for more than five years and am extremely happy with the electric insect killer. In fact, the electric bug zapper has come a long way over the last few years. A fully charged electric bug zapper is strong enough to last for a few hundred swipes and will hold it’s charge, if unused, for weeks without any significant discharge.

The battery recharge unit will take intensive use for the best part of a year, although its ability to hold a charge for several weeks slowly reduces after six or seven months.

The latest indoor bug killer I’ve had has a main on/off switch, a light that comes on when it is activated (the brightness of this light also indicates the battery’s strength) and an LED that comes on when it is plugged in on recharge.

The instructions suggest that the bug zapper should be (re)charged for about sixteen hours. However, I usually put mine on charge over night once or twice every week or two, although the electric insect killer shows a marked increase in performance after only a few hours recharging.

The latest version I’ve seen also comes with a strong beam called a ‘headlamp’. I have found this very useful when walking in the garden, but I’m not sure whether it’s supposed to lure the flies in the dark so that you can kill them if you’re feeling bored or just vindictive. You know, a bit like an Anglerfish.

I’ve used the headlamp on my electric insect zapper for that reason as well, but the beam uses a lot of battery power. All in all, the hand held bug killer is a huge asset to any outdoor event. The electric insect killer is useful to ‘clean out’ your bedroom before retiring; it’s unequalled for evening mosquitoes and it will clear a lunch table of wasps as well.

About the Author:
Have you ever heard of an indoor bug zapper? If not, or if you are interested in getting an electronic insect killer, please click one of the links to our web site or blog. Visit the Uber Article Directory to get a totally unique version of this article for reprint.

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