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Archive for July, 2010

Honey bees work tirelessly to assist in pollinating flowers in the fields and collecting the nectar in their hives in order to process it into the sweet tasting honey as we know it. The nectar bees collect from the center of the flowers and process it to make a thick sweet liquid that is what we call honey. This honey is nothing but food for the bees.

In the process of collecting nectar from the flowers the bees help nature pollinate other flowers as the pollen from flowers is distributed or delivered to other flowers when the bees fly from one flower to the other. This is how the reproduction of flowers is assisted by the honey bee.

Bees move in swarms and these thousands of little creatures work tirelessly to collect nectar and deposit it in their hives where another group of bees process the nectar and turn it into honey. This honey is stored in special chambers in the hive called ‘honey combs’. The bees feed on this honey.

Humans have developed a taste for honey, which is very nutritional and has some medicinal value too. So they have learnt to cultivate honey bees in man made bee hives. The bee hives are constructed out of wood and make it easier for the bee keeper to collect the honey as and when it is ready without disturbing the bees and their off spring.

The man made bee hive looks like a wooden box no larger than 1 and a ½ feet by 1 and a ½ feet and stands about 2 feet tall. This four sided structure has a small opening from where the bees enter and leave the hive. Once the bee hive is set up and placed on a flat surface to prevent it from tipping over with the wind, the bee keeper may introduce bees to the hive by buying a swarm from a bee farm or he can just wait for the bees to find the hive themselves. Both ways work equally well.

Within a matter of 40 days the bee keeper will be able to slide out the honey combs without disturbing the bees. Care must be taken not to remove all the honey or the bees will starve. This way, the bee keeper collects his keep for providing the bees with a safe place to breed. Cultivating honey bee farms is a very good way of earning a living and a fun way too. However, some sort of training is required, mainly for the safety of the bee keeper as bee stings can be fatal at times – so a bit of caution and safety techniques is required.

Abhishek is an avid Bee Keeping enthusiast and he has got some great Beekeeping Secrets up his sleeve! Download his FREE 59 Pages Ebook, “How To Become A Bee-Keeping Pro!” from his website http://www.Fun-Galore.com/89/index.htm . Only limited Free Copies available.
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Chronic Bee Paralysis is another of the viral infections that can plague a bee colony. Like all of the other bee viruses there is no cure or medication that can be taken to eliminate the infection, the only preventative measure is sanitation.

There are clearly defined symptoms with the Chronic Bee Paralysis. It only effects the adult bees. The symptoms are an abnormal trembling in the wings and body, the bee’s inability to fly which forces them to crawl on the ground and crawl up the blade of grass in front of the hive. The abdomens will be bloated and the wings will be partially spread or seem dislocated. The infected bees will appear shiny and greasy because of the lack of hair, which has been confused with robbing bees. Also, the infected adult bees are chewed on by the other bees and harassed by the guard bees at the entrance to the hive, which is also confused with signs of robbing. Adult bees will die within a few days of the onset of the disease. The virus is spread from bee to bee by prolonged bodily contact or rubbing which causes many hairs to break exposing live tissue. The virus can not be transmitted by food exchange of the bees. It takes many millions of virus particles are required to cause paralysis when given to a bee in food. Requeening is a good practice if symptoms appear.

Another virus that bees are susceptible to is the Black queen cell virus. It is associated with Nosema disease and causes the death of queen larvae or prepupae after their cells are sealed. Th larva will then turn black along with the walls of the cell. Treating colonies with Fumidil-B? to control Nosema may help keep prevent this disease.

A fungal disease that plagues the bee colonies is called Chalkbrood. The fungus that causes Chalkbrood is called Ascosphaera apis; it was discovered here in the United States in 1968. The fungus spores must be ingested in order for infection to occur. It only infects larvae 3 or 4 days old. There are no chemical treatments for this disease. However, bee breeding and good management can control it. The infected larvae are quickly covered with the white cotton-like mycelium of the fungus, which eventually fills the entire cell. The white/gray mass soon will harden into a hard, shrunken mummy, which is easily removed from the cell. The larvae in the cell will look like a piece of chalk.

The bee bred to be resistant to this disease can help minimize outbreaks of t his disease. Another way to cut down on the number of outbreaks of the disease is to maintain a warm, dry hive interior. If the hives are drafty, damp, lying in low spots or in heavily overgrown area, they are more susceptible to chalkbrood disease. Rain water need to run out of the hive instead of accumulating, so stand the hive with it leaning forward slightly. If a hive gets moist, prop the lid of the hive open to air out the interior. Old equipment should be replaced or repaired if it has large holes that permit entry of moisture and drafts. 

There is a possibility of genetic susceptibility or old combs that are harboring spores of the disease if the colonies have recurring problem with the disease that are not easily traced to season or management practices. Old combs should be replaced periodically to improve brood production.

Want to find out about bee supplies and ground bees? Get tips from the Bee Facts website.
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After a two week break for the last two weeks of December , I finally returned to work, although much reluctantly. Faced with the prospect of having to face this same morning routine 5 days a week as an employee, I asked myself this question: “What is the end result if people continue to going down this path in life?” Here are my thoughts:

So can we win the rat race?

People spend their whole life trying to climb up the corporate ladder, hoping for the next big pay rise or promotion. But what happens when this wish is unfulfilled even if effort is put in? Correct me if I’m wrong but my understanding is that for most companies, that much anticipated promotion, bonus or increment only comes all but once a year. This basically means that if you miss the boat, the best you can do is to try harder for one more year. Hopefully by then, the boss will notice your increased efforts and will reward you handsomely the next year! Yes, that is one more year of hard work that might possibly end up down the drain too due to external factors beyond your control(especially if you are under the wrong boss). In fact, taking a good look at the traditional corporate structure(mostly pyramid-shaped), the chances of you even making your way up is low as there’s only so little room for you to maneuver to the top! Unless you have both extraordinary talent and lady luck shining on you all the time, the odds are pretty slim. So why bet on succeeding as an employee if the chances are slim?

So what if you win the rat race?

All right, assuming that you really do have what it takes to triumph right to the top of the heir achy, what happens then? Would you be free and have the time or money to pursue your passions, interest and hobbies or spend quality time with love ones? Not really, as you are still answerable to the shareholders of the company. If the company performs well that is great, but if it doesn’t perform as well as what they expect it to be doing, there’s goes your paycheck(many examples from the recent sub prime mortgage crisis)! Another company might still want to hire you considering your track record, but still it’s like moving from one cage to another, just a matter of how big or small the cage is. Even If you win the rat race, you are essentially still a rat! If the hand that feeds you so decide to cut your source of shelter, food and water, there’s really nothing much you can do.

So what next if you do not want to run in the rat race?

I know the scenarios I have shown above sounds really depressing, but there’s still hope just yet. However, this requires a paradigm shift in how we perceive work as most people are programmed from young to be part of the rat race(no thanks to the traditional education system). To really thrive as an employee, you need to find a role which you are passionate about. When work becomes play, you will definitely find work enjoyable!

More tips on how you can Achieve the Breakthrough Success that you Need!
My Personal Blog is at Prospecting LIFE.
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Bed bug infestations have increased exponentially over the past three years causing panic among homeowners, coop members and property managers. In New York City 1,800 bed bug complaints were received in 2004. By last year complaints had more than tripled, topping 7,000. Concern that 2008 will see even more bed bug activity prompted the city to recently sponsor educational seminars for residents and property managers.

The problem is not limited to New York City and other large metropolitan areas. In recent years the age-old scourge has cropped up in all 50 states. The nightly news, local newspapers and blogosphere are full of reports of bed bug infestations. Numerous websites dedicate themselves to pinpointing the latest infestation sites and warning buyers and renters to steer clear. Luxury hotels have been sued by irate guests. Bed bugs have been reported in the tony co-ops of the rich and famous, in fashionable condominiums, in luxury apartments, in college dorms and in upscale suburban homes. Noted bed bug authority Michael Potter, an urban entomologist at the University of Kentucky, calls bed bugs the pre-eminent household pest in the U.S., on a par with cockroaches and rats. “This is one serious issue,” he recently told the New York Times. “This will be the pest of the 21st century – no questions about it.”

“History is repeating itself,” Potter said, explaining that many American beds were crawling with bed bugs before World War II. After the war, the use of potent chemicals like DDT spelled the death knell for bed bugs in America and most industrialized countries; but they continued to flourish in many other parts of the world. With environmental consciousness came less powerful, but safer chemicals that have allowed bed bugs carried in on the clothing and suitcases of international travelers to dig back into American beds.

“If bed bugs transmitted disease, what’s happening would be considered a huge epidemic,” says bed bug expert Dini Miller, an entomologist at Virginia Tech. “Though bedbugs have been shown to harbor 28 pathogens temporarily — including HIV and hepatitis B — numerous studies have shown the pathogens fail to thrive in the host enough to spread disease to people,” according to an article in the July 16, 2007 issue of U.S. News & World Report.

While they don’t pose a health threat, bed bugs routinely throw people into a state of hysteria. About the size of an apple seed, bed bugs have flattened, oval, wingless bodies that are a light to reddish-brown in color. Feeding on human blood for 3 to 10 minutes at a time, the proliferate nocturnal pests carry a psychological punch out of proportion to their size. “They come in the dark; they feed on you; they scurry away when you turn the light on,” said Lynn Kimsey, director of the Bohart Museum of Entomology at the University of California-Davis. Their bites can raise itchy red welts that bedevil their victims. There are stories of people dumping gallons of insecticide on their mattresses and dousing themselves with bug spray before they go to sleep. “I have people who call me in tears. They’re in hysterics,” admitted entomologist Richard Pollack of Harvard University.

Bed bugs are tough to kill. They have a hard cuticle for protection, can live for more than a year without feeding, and hide in tiny cracks and crevices making it hard for exterminators to reach them. Their eggs are tiny (about the size of a pin head), translucent and pearly white. Household insecticides won’t kill bed bugs and can actually cause them to spread as they seek new harborage. In fact, Potter and University of Kentucky researchers are starting to find bed bugs that are resistant to the pesticides commonly used to kill them.

In laboratory tests these “super bed bugs” have survived commercial pesticides at more than 10 times the recommended dose. Researchers sprayed laboratory bed bugs and bugs from four different apartment colonies with pyrethoid insecticides, the most common professional insecticide used to kill bed bugs. When sprayed, the laboratory bed bugs, which had never been exposed to the insecticide, were decimated completely; however, there were few mortalities among the apartment bed bug populations. In fact, those insects were immune to sprays that were two to three hundred times the recommended dosage prescribed by the insecticide manufacturer.

Complicating matters, people often have trouble enduring pesticide treatments and the residues they leave. A revolutionary new bed bug eradication treatment, Cryonite, provides a safe solution. Popular in Europe and Australia but only recently introduced in the United States, Cryonite does not use chemicals or leave noxious or poisonous residues. Cryonite is a completely “green” solution to killing bed bugs. It’s safe for people with sensitive skin, allergies, asthma, medical conditions, babies, young children, the elderly, even pets. A totally dry method of pest elimination, Cryonite leaves no liquid residue which allows for immediate use of the home or building after treatment.

The kryptonite of the pest world, felling even super bugs that are resistant to ordinary pesticides, Cryonite uses rapid freezing to kill bed bugs, cockroaches and most other insects. Unlike traditional pesticides, Cryonite kills bugs in every stage of development. Bugs can’t hide from the pressurized carbon dioxide (CO2) “vapor” that seeps into cracks, crevices and other hiding places. Cryonite works by applying thin layers of pressurized CO2 “snow.” As the CO2 hits surfaces, it vaporizes, causing extreme instant cooling of any organism with which the gas comes in contact. In effect, it freezes the cells of insects, crystallizing the water in their cells on contact. The insect is instantly immobilized and it takes only moments for death to occur. Bugs cannot scurry away and escape Cryonite. The fast-freezing gas kills adults, nymphs and eggs alike, unlike pesticides which are impotent on eggs.

Encasements are another important weapon in the property owner’s bed bug eradication arsenal. Encasements protect your investment in mattresses and box springs from bed bugs. If bed bugs occur, they can’t get through the encasement to infect mattresses and box springs. If bed bugs are already evident, they and their eggs are trapped inside the encasements where they eventually suffocate and die. Bed bug-proof encasements are made with breathable materials that are impervious to bed bug bites but guarantee a comfortable night’s sleep. Specially designed seams and zippers keep bugs from crawling in or out. Encasements are meant to remain on your mattress and box springs for as long as you own them, forever protecting your investment from bed bug infiltration.

Douglas Stern is the managing partner of Stern Environmental Group and a bed bug extermination expert. His firm serves clients in New Jersey, New York City, and New York. You can reach him toll free at 1-888-887-8376 or by email at info@sternenvironmental.com or at http://www.SternEnvironmental.com.
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Now you can get rid of pests from your place by pest control services. The pests barge in at your place when it is not clean and hygienic. The types of pest you generally find in home and yards are cockroaches, fleas, rodents, bed bugs, wasps, flies, moles, ants and many more. That’s because your place is not clean. They can also enter from cracks and holes at your place. Getting rid of the pest is really a very tiring job. The pest control companies have equipment for each pest.

You can avoid these pests by calling Pest Control Company. But how do I choose the pest control company in Canada? Your friends can recommend you some good pest control companies or you can surf from the net. You can control the pest with either non chemical, chemical or biological pest control. The biological pest control is mainly for the green house or yards.

Bed bugs – The names itself indicate that these are found on the bed or couches. The bed bug comes when some food item is spilled on the couch or bed and is not cleaned properly. So avoid eating or spilling food on these places. These suck the blood from our body but are not poisonous. The bed bugs cannot survive in hot place. You can get rid of bugs with the help of pest control.

Cockroaches – Almost every house complains about the cockroaches. These are dangerous and infectious insect. It is better to get rid of cockroaches as soon as possible. You can get rid of it by buying the pesticides specially made for it or by pest control service. The cockroaches come due to leaving the food open on the counter or dumping the dirty utensils in the sink. Avoid all this and keep the place neat and tidy.

Fleas – These occur only when there are pets at your place. To avoid fleas, make sure your pets are clean everyday. You can get rid of fleas by washing and cleaning the place everyday with disinfectant products. Spray the disinfectant on the place where your pets stay for longer time. If your house is neat then you can relax a bit.

Rodents – These are the worst pest to get rid of. These are infectious but aren’t dangerous. They are generally found in garden or any corner of your place. You can get rid of rodents by three ways. The first way is the trap method. The second is the chemical solution and third is the ultrasonic device. You can place the poisonous moth ball in your yards and in your home but keep this away from kids because it can be dangerous.

Wasp – These are highly dangerous and poisonous. The nests of this insect are found mostly in garden. It is better to call the pest control company because they are trained in removing this. The company will charge you more rather than putting yourself in danger.

Peterson is an expert author for pest control surrey. He has written many articles aboutbees removal, Silverfish exterminator, bed bug richmond, bed bug delta, bed bug mission, bed bug hope, industrial pest control, wasp nest removal, wasps removal Vancouver, bed bug control Vancouver, bed bug extermination, bed bug exterminator, get rid of bed bugs, Moles exterminator, Birds exterminator, carpenter ants exterminator, carpenter ants exterminator, commercial pest control, pest control company Canada, wasp exterminator Vancouver, Flies exterminator, pest control exterminator, residential pest control, pest control services. For more information visit our site wasp removal services. Contact him at avonpestcontrol@gmail.com
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