Posted by Owen Jones
Mosquitoes, those small insects that make us uncomfortable, could also lay us open to malaria, dengue and chikungunya. They live in damp areas and breed in water.
The life cycle of this insect begins in holes in trees filled with water, tide water pools in salt marshes, sewage effluent ponds, irrigated pastures and rain water ponds.
The four main species of mosquitoes, namely Aedes, Anopheles, Culex, and Culiseta, each have their own unique environmental requirements and this assists us to identify a specific species too.
It is a good idea to note that all mosquitoes have four distinctive stages, 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 form of a raft.
However, Anopheles mosquitoes lay their eggs on water and Aedes are known to lay their eggs usually on damp ground. The eggs take two days to hatch 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 come regularly 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 turn into pupae.
Mosquito pupae, popularly known as "tumblers", live in water for from one to four days depending mostly on the species and temperature. In this stage, known as the resting or 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.
Culiseta mosquitoes are somewhat aggressive biters that attack during evening hours and in shade. Anopheles mosquitoes are known for spreading malaria in humans.
Ultimately, it is a good idea to know that most female mosquitoes have to feed on an animal before they can produce eggs, with some dying before laying viable eggs.
Furthermore,some species live near their breeding place while others fly as far as 100 miles from their breeding spot. Male mosquitoes have a shorter life span than female mosquitoes.
Owen Jones publishes articles on various topics, but is now involved with Hand Held Insect Killer devices and static units at Electronic Insect Killers.
Tags: disease, environment, family, Garden, Gardening, holidays, home remedies, insects, medications, mosquito, other, Plants, self help, travel, uncategorized
Posted by Owen Jones
If you have more than a small town garden, then landscaping your garden will probably be one of your considerations. If you have just bought the land, or you think that it is time for a garden make-over, there are methods of going about it. The easiest technique of going about planning a garden, is to first take a good look at the landscape of your garden. This can be difficult if the garden is established and in full flower.
Therefore, it can be better to delay until autumn or winter, so that you can see the true lie of the land. You could make a plan of the garden on graph paper and take a lot of photos too. Identify the photos on the back of them and relate them to the grid on your graph paper. There may be bumps and hollows, potholes, rocky areas and even a marsh or a pond to deal with.
These are almost certainly natural features and if you want to change them, you will have to tackle the fundamental cause. The feature is only the symptom. Like freckles or spots! If you look at the state of affairs in this way, it makes planning simpler.
For example, a rocky patch probably means that the Earth is throwing rocks up slowly but surely and if you want to clean it up, you will be picking up rocks for the remainder of your life. Likewise, if your wet patch is the result of natural drainage from higher ground, you will have to drain it and put in permanent drainage, because it is not going to stop raining for you.
So, you can either work with nature or you will be working against it for the rest of your life. Either that or paying someone else to do it for you. Another issue is that the wildlife that uses your locale does so because of how it is. If you alter the landscape, your current range of wildlife might move on or just die. A lot depends on how much land we are talking about, but in general, I would say that the larger the area, the more you should leave it alone.
On the other hand, you can put in features more easily than remove them. For example, if you have an area with poor soil, you could enrich it with fertilizer or put a pond there. Shade and existing fences or sheds should also be marked on your graph paper, although being man-made, these are simpler to do away with or alter.
Next you should decide what type of garden you want, within the constraints of the existing landscape, how much work you are prepared to put into it and how much money you want to pay out on it. Enhancing the natural elements of the land is the easiest way of landscaping your garden.
If you have a swampy area, why not put a low wall around it and turn it into a pond? If you have a rocky patch, why not gather up the stones and create a rockery? If you have a couple of trees, try growing wisteria, honeysuckle or vines through them.
If you are in the shade, buy flowers that prefer the shade and vice-versa. It is a effort to go against nature and unless you have a good cause to do it, it is not really worthwhile. Then build a patio or deck and sit outside and enjoy all the landscaping that you have saved yourself in your garden.
Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with outdoor heat lamp. If you are interested in patio heaters too, please click through to Residential Patio Heaters.
Tags: decks, entertainment, Garden, Gardening, happiness, herbs, hobbies, landscaping, other, Outdoors, patios, recreation, relaxation, retirement, self help
Posted by Owen Jones
I don't know if you have ever used a handheld, indoor bug zapper, but I think that they are amazing. I'm talking about the handheld type that looks like a child?s plastic, toy tennis racquet. They come in two basic sorts. I rather the rechargeable bug zapper, for the reason that batteries end up costing more than the indoor bug zapper itself, although you could always buy rechargeable batteries, but then they are steep 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 want to kill things, but I find it difficult to have sympathy 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 contact with the electric and ground wires of the indoor bug zapper. These electric bug zappers are capable of packing quite a charge, especially if the batteries are new or the pack is wholly charged.
The other day, I found a new 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 noticed that I had the indoor bug zapper in my hand, but it was not worth taking it home and beginning the journey again. Anyhow, on my return journey, I had my small bag of groceries in one hand and the indoor bug zapper in the other, when a local tyrant of a dog came running out of a garden directly for me. This has happened often and, although he has never bitten me yet, it is rather menacing. He stood there glaring at me with teeth bared and his 'pack' of assorted local pals came out to encircle me and join in.
I don't actually know what the best course of action is in this situation. I have tried holding my ground, but the intimidation just continues and I have tried to continue walking, but he gets worryingly close sometimes. This time, I suddenly lashed out with the indoor bug zapper and just hit him on the snout. Well, I'm not sure whether it hurt him, it did not appear to too much, but it gave him a very nasty shock in more ways than one, I can tell you! He leaped about four feet into the air as if he were on a pogo stick and then fled for all he was worth with all his friends behind him. It was very gratifying after six months of persecution from this dog.
Anyway, I don't take my indoor bug zapper everywhere with me, but I will in future, if any more local dogs bother me. I know it works a treat. I have seen that one since, but he keeps far away from me and doesn't utter a sound. I think I would take my indoor bug zapper with me, if I were wandering in an unknown part of town or the park nevertheless.
Owen Jones, the writer of this piece writes on several topics, but is currently concerned with the Flowtron bug zapper. If you would like to know more or check out some fantastic offers, please go to our web site at Indoor Bug Zapper.
Tags: accessories, advice, electronics, gadgets, Garden, Gardening, happiness, holidays, insects, other, products, review, self help, skin care, travel
Posted by Owen Jones
The summer is the time for barbecues, backyard parties, lounging in the backyard or bathing in the pool. It is also the season for insects, normally of the flying variety. Flies and mosquitoes can become everything from mildly annoying to downright dangerous. So what can you do to protect yourself in the garden during the summer?
The first thing to do is begin clearing up your garden before the summer begins. Mosquitoes breed in still water and it just has to be a half-inch deep. This means that you should keep the gutters free from dropped leaves and other blockages.
Blocked gutters and drains are major breeding grounds, but so are all things that can hold rainwater. Flower pots, buckets, old tyres and folds in tarpaulins are others.
Drill holes in pots, containers and old tyres; pull tarpaulins tight, upturn boats and canoes and if you have water features, make certain that there are either guppies or goldfish in there as well, because they are famous for feeding on mosquito larvae.
Making a pre-emptive strike on mosquito breeding grounds will radically lessen the number of mosquitoes in your garden and thereby reduce your liklihood of being given West Nile virus (in the USA). It will also protect you against E.coli.
However, your neighbours might not be as particular as yourself, so mosquitoes will still come into your garden. To protect yourself from these spray insect repellent containing DEET (25% +) on your clothing and bare skin to avoid mosquito bites.
In the evening, suspend a bug zapper with a blue light and an electrified coil in the locality of where you are sitting. The best ones also use pheromones to attract mosquitoes, particularly octenol.
Some species of mosquitoes hang around animals, so put some natural mosquito repellent on your dogs or do not allow them to lie at your feet.
Do not use DEET on them because they will lick it off and become sick. Use citronella oil, lemon oil or garlic. There are lots of others as well, but they are not as effective or as long-lasting as DEET.
If you are barbecuing, and who would not be, be cautious of meat, especially chicken and pork. If the meat is frozen, thaw it slowly and store it in the fridge until minutes before you are going to cook it.
The risk zone is between 40-140F, when bacteria will grow very quickly and flies will lay eggs in it. If you have to store the meat out of the fridge, store it 'under water', that is, in a marinade, so that flies can not get at it and it is out of direct sunlight.
Keep food and drinks apart, so that the fridge is not opened so frequently as to allow the temperature to increase over 40F. Use two sets of kitchen utensils, one to deal with raw meat and fish and one to take cooked meat and fish off the flames otherwise you will contaminate the cooked food.
Use a meat thermometer to check that the foodstuff is cooked: 160F for meat and 165F for chicken. Discard cooked food not eaten after two hours or after one hour if the background temperature is above 90F. If you would like to use marinade up on cooked food, boil it first.
Owen Jones, the author of this article writes on several subjects, but is currently involved with the anopheles mosquito. If you would like to know more just go to our website at Mosquito Bite Swellings.
Tags: advice, cooking, disease, families, food, Gardening, general, health, insects, leisure, mosquitoes, other, Outdoors, self help
Posted by Owen Jones
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 stagnant water, so make sure that there is none in your garden. They will lay eggs in water butts, dogs' bowls, water that has collected in old tyres, bottles and tins and your rubbish bins, so make sure that no water can collect 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 lamps that attract insects to them and them vapoourize them with a high voltage shock. These electric bug killers are particularly good for killing mosquitoes and house flies, which can also be a nuisance when you are sitting outside.
They are inexpensive and will go on 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 terrain of all winged 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.
Tags: advice, Africa, bites and stings, diseases, families, Gardening, Gardening Articles, general, health and fitness, insects, mosquitoes, Outdoors, self help, travel and leisure
Posted by Rachel Billings
Flowers have always been used to show that someone is special. Every day the whole year round is a special occasion celebrated with flowers - weddings, birthdays, or on anniversaries. On Valentine's Day, roses are given to signify love and devotion.
Other sought after flowers are tulips and orchids. All around the world, flowers are used to brighten up a room. People regularly buy flowers not only for themselves but also for people dear to their hearts. One of the fastest ways to get flowers delivered is to order them online at one of the many online flower shops.
Online flower shops are a burgeoning business. Not only do they offer all kinds of flower arrangements but they also offer gift items that naturally pair with these charming blooms as well. People find it very convenient to order flowers and gift items such as chocolates or gourmet baskets at the same time.
All a customer has to do is get online, browse through a catalog in the website, click here and there, and their order is good to go.
Imagine not having to drive to the flower shop or another gift store to make a purchase. Imagine not having to hurry to the store before it closes. Imagine never forgetting a special occasion. Yes, customers also have the benefit of being able to schedule any future orders. When the day of the event rolls around, the flower shop automatically sends the flowers off.
Flower shops also sell flower arrangement packages for parties and various events. Weddings, funerals, and birthdays are some occasions where flowers will be needed in bunches. Customers can view the details of the packages in the website and the can be assured that their order will always push through.
Online flower shops save a great deal when they do not have to keep a real shop open. Because of this, they are able to offer competitive prices and discounts to their customers.
A growing arrangement is to get flowers directly from the source. Many serious gardeners now offer cut flowers directly from their website. Customers can get quality cut flowers at much affordable rates from these gardeners.
The writer additionally regularly gives advice about products including the swimming pool thermometer and the non contact infrared digital thermometer.
categories: shopping,internet,ecommerce,happiness,motivational,self help,advice,reference,family,parenting,teens,women,men's issues,recreation
Tags: advice, Ecommerce, family, Gardening Articles, happiness, internet, men's issues, motivational, parenting, recreation, reference, self help, shopping, teens, women
Posted by Owen Jones
Every professional chef and every family cook recognizes the importance of fresh herbs to their culinary creations. No diner would dispute this either. However, whether you buy your herbs fresh or dried, there are problems. When you buy fresh, you normally have to buy more than you need and they are comparatively expensive, whereas, if you buy them dried, they could be old and dried herbs lose their strength over time.
Why then is it that most home cooks use fresh or dried herbs from the supermarket? Ease, probably. We lead busy lives and it is easier to get a few boxes of dried herbs at the supermarket along with your groceries than it is to grow your own.
Not that it is difficult to grow your own herbs and even spices, but you have to purchase the seeds, plant them and remember to water them. You can minimize the problem of trying to remember to water them very easily, by growing your herbs in a window box or in trays on your patio or deck, so that you notice them every time you take a break on your patio. You will also remember to bring them in if frost looks likely.
If you have children, growing herbs and spices in window boxes or trays can be a good introduction to gardening for them. Herbs take very little looking after really, just requiring watering every day. They are pretty tough and fertilizer is not necessary as most herbs have a fairly short life. Maybe only a month or two in some cases. Others last a lot longer.
First come to a decision how many varieties you want to cultivate. How much room do you have for instance? The best way to start is look in your cupboard and see which herbs you use most frequently. Are any of them seeds? You could have a try at sowing these. Look them up in a book or on the Internet.
Sometimes it is better to soak the seeds first before sowing them, others do not need this handling. Second, which herbs have you read about that you would like to use but never seem to have in the house? Try sowing those too.
If all that does not sound like fun, then you can buy small herb plants in the garden nurseries. Most of them stock the most common herbs in Spring. Whichever way you go, read up on how to cultivate the herbs you have selected. I promise you, it will not be a long read, as they really do take care of themselves except for the watering. if you buy seeds rather than seedlings, all the details you need will be on the seed packet and such packets are very cheap to buy.
The advantages of having your own herb garden are manifold, but you will be teaching gardening to your kids or grandkids, you will have fresh herbs for cooking and you will have gorgeous aromas wafting around your patio or deck.
Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with outdoor heat lamp. If you are interested in patio heaters too, please click through to Residential Patio Heaters.
categories: herbs,decks,patios,garden,hobbies,recreation,outdoors,entertainment,relaxation,landscaping,happiness,retirement,self help,other
Tags: decks, entertainment, Garden, Gardening, happiness, herbs, hobbies, landscaping, other, Outdoors, patios, recreation, relaxation, retirement, self help
Posted by Owen Jones
So, you've got some time off work, college or school and you want to get in the open air and enjoy it. Maybe even go on vacation. What a good idea! But what happens when you get where you are going? The mosquitoes come out to get you.
If it were not so commonplace, it would sound like Freddy Kruger and Nightmare on Elm Street. The female mosquitoes need blood to produce eggs and they seek it out as rapaciously as any vampire in a horror film, while the males go sucking nectar from flowers like fairies.
Well, that is the nightmare situation, but it is not that far from the truth either. For many nations in the world it is also a actual life and death problem. Millions of people die every year from malaria and loads more from dengue too. Yet both of these diseases are curable as are most of the other mosquito-borne diseases like Yellow Fever, Japanese Jungle Encephalopathy and Nile fever.
The first thing to understand is that typically these diseases can be inoculated against, particularly if you are going on vacation. The next thing to bear in mind - it might help - is that not all mosquitoes are the same. For instance, in Thailand, the dengue-bearing mosquito (often called the 'Egyptian') comes out during the day time and so bites then too. Between about an hour before dawn and an hour after dusk, whereas the malaria-carrying mosquito, the Anopheles, is a night time huntress.
I am not suggesting that you can relax your vigilance during the day, although many people take for granted that they can. Nobody wants dengue fever either.
So, what can you do? Before you go anywhere, read up on the district or check with medical experts. That part is not complicated, particularly, if you know how to explore the Internet. Then prepare yourself with inoculations if the risk is serious enough in your judgment or a medical expert's judgment. In my estimation, that is the minimum that a conscientious person ought to be expected to do to protect him or herself, the family and the community at large.
Then there are a few other things you can do. For example, wear baggy clothes, but long sleeves and long trousers. If you are thin on top by choice or not, wear a hat or cap. Wear socks or stockings in the evening to safeguard your toes. Get a good-quality mosquito repellent and put it on your exposed skin, as often as necessary by the manufacturer, which is typically every four or five hours.
You could rationally stop there, but I like to go a bit further, if the situation warrants it. If I am outdoors in the garden at home or in a hotel, I like to have one of those tennis racquet style electric bug zappers with me. They are great for zapping the odd mosquito that irritates you. They are good for clearing the bedroom before sleeping too and lastly, if I'm renting, hiking, camping or caravaning, I might find space for a rechargeable lantern-style bug zapper too.
If the little so-and-sos are going to give me a fever, they are going to have to try very hard to do it.
Owen Jones, the author of this article writes on several subjects, but is currently involved 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.
categories: mosquitoes,insects,diseases,bites and stings,gardening,health and fitness,travel and leisure,advice,self help,families,africa,outdoors,general,other
Tags: advice, Africa, bites and stings, diseases, families, Gardening, Gardening Articles, general, health and fitness, insects, mosquitoes, Outdoors, self help, travel and leisure
