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July 26th, 2010

Trisha Coppley asked:




If your parent or grandparent ever tucked you in at night, you may have heard this common, yet somewhat curious, chant. Most children never see or hear of bedbugs and never have any idea what their ridiculous parents are talking about, drifting off to sleep without any concern of the attack of the so-called ‘bedbugs’. But, what they are blissfully unaware of is that there actually are bedbugs, scientific name cimex lectularius, and they would love to dine on the delicate flesh of a tender young offspring, if given the chance.

These creatures were most common when our ancestors were dwelling in caves, unprotected from the creatures preying on all the common wildlife of the day, but almost unheard of in the modern world of developed society. Approximately the size of a small apple seed as adults, these creepy-crawlies are notoriously difficult to find. They, like the common tick, are thin enough to slip between floor boards, under outlet covers and into the smallest spaces one could imagine, only emerging at night to feast on their unsuspecting prey.

The result of their bite and feast is no more or less harmful than that of a spider or dedicated mosquito – swelling and itching usually – and can only carry live disease, such as HIV, for up to an hour on its mouth parts so is not well know for passing disease in the modern world. And adult bedbugs can survive up to one year without feeding on blood, so their survivorship of hard times is quite amazing.

The last decade has seen an unprecedented increase in reported bites in highly developed countries – Australia in particular, reporting a 700% increase from 2000 to 2004 compared to the previous 4-year period. There however, the vast majority of the cases were reported from lower-end lodging such as back-packer hotels, people camping or in less than standard dwelling. But even here, in the good old US of A, there are increased reports on both coasts and everywhere in between, from hospitals and dorm rooms, hotels and motels, apartments and even town homes, single family homes and on cruise ships – anywhere there’s good eating for these hungry little bugs. The higher density the population, the happier they are with no regard to income or social status.

Immigrants and travelers have been blamed for their recent re-introduction into modern and developed countries in recent years. With no place on earth outside a couple days travel, we could potentially see other interesting parasites make it onto US turf as well, if customs has no way of detecting and eliminating them.

There is one additional variety of bedbug, cimex hemipterus, that prefers tropical settings, that is said to be in up to 65% of homes located in those regions. These have also made their way into Australia, but not yet to the US, most of which were directly linked to travel to Asia and other Pacific countries.

One of the reasons sited, but not confirmed for the recent proliferation of these pesky intruders is their increased resistance to certain pesticides. In the past pest-control chemicals tended to be broad based, aimed at wiping out cockroaches, ants and the like but also wiping out the populations of bedbugs at the same time. Now, as chemicals are refined to target very specific species, the bedbug is not affected by them, even immune to their effects, thusly given the opportunity to breed and flourish.

If you have a concern about bedbugs or even suspect them to be in your own home, the best thing to do is alert a pest-control company. Typically they will make some recommendations to you and even visit to inspect the area and apply some chemicals to eliminate the parasites from the area. Do not be alarmed by them however, because besides the itchy bite mark, these little critters are fairly benevolent to you and your children or pets.

Bed Bugs & Control Methods
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Filled Under: Bed Bug Bites

Bed Bug Bites

sunshinebear asked:


I went to a doctor after bed bug bites that continued to bother me days, almost a week or more after i’d come into contact with them, basically to find out why it seemed like new bites were still appearing. (The bed bugs are confirmed). The doctor prescribed steroids and lidane lotion. This to me seems like he was treating me for scabies, but I do NOT have scabies. I know what that looks like and that’s just not what I have. Or does it not matter? Is this a proper treatment for any type of allergic reaction to bug bites?

How To Control The Bed Bugs
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22 July 2010

Bed Bug Bites

? asked:


I have like a rash of bites almost covering my legs above my knees and quite alot over the rest of my body. they could be bed bug bites. i have sore muscle joints and a really bad looking rash. does anyone have any ideas on fixing these problems?

What Happens When Bed Bug Bites?
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18 July 2010

Bed Bug Bites

Kyle asked:


I have about 8 bites on the right side of my stomach. They are slightly raised bumps, mostly elongated but varying in size, and with a reddish pink color. However, they don’t itch at all, I practically forgot they were there. They only itch if I decide to irritate them myself. They are slightly sensitive to the touch, but not badly.

I don’t think my house has ever had bed bugs before, and nothing has changed relative to people coming in or out, or moving anything in or out.

Any ideas?

Don?t Let The Bed Bugs Bite

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17 July 2010

Bed Bug Bites

blinkkk182 ? ?? asked:


I have these terribly bed bug bites and they are extremely itchy! There aren’t any mosquitoes because its winter… and just yesterday I changed all my bedsheets!

Don?t Let The Bed Bugs Bite
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17 July 2010

News

Health Savings Accounts (or HSAs) have become a very popular form of health coverage these days because of their tax deduction policy and the ability to accumulate additional funds as a retirement plan. However, despite the numerous benefits customers get with HSAs, the main reason for thousands of Americans to choose this form of insurance over other option are of course the lower premiums. And to make the most out of your HSA here are some tips on how to get those premiums even lower.

1. Select an HSA-qualified plan to have lower increase rates.

In general the costs of insuring your health are constantly rising, despite the economical situation in the country. For group plans the average increase was about 10% during the last seven years, while individual plans had even more dramatic tendencies towards increase. On the other hand, HSAs had only 3.4% increase rate over the past year and many insurance companies report that claim costs with such accounts are much lower than with traditional insurance plans. Moreover, the premiums has clients pay out have dropped by almost 20% over the last two years, which of course is a very pleasant trade for those who have to pay out of their pockets.

The reason behind such trends is quite simple. People who use HSA plans tend to be more cautious and accurate when it comes to using the coverage. They are better informed and tend to make optimal decisions when dealing with own health. A simple choice of generic drugs over branded variations, which is quite common in HSA users, contributes to the lowering of rates and premiums.

2. Increase the amount of deductible with the increase of your HSA account.

Taking the accumulative nature of HSAs into account, the constant growth of the emergency funds allows increasing the deductible from time to time, as you don’t risk paying it out of pocket. And by increasing the deductible you lower your rates, which are initially less than those you have with typical individual and group health insurance plans. Moreover, the tax-deduction nature of such accounts offer great options for depositing more and more money with each year passing, that in turn makes the overall cost of an HSA even lower.

3. Keep up the good shape.

All group and individual health insurance plans are subject to rate increase from time to time. And unfortunately HSAs aren’t an exception. When your rates go up to the point you feel you’re overpaying, you can always switch companies for better rates. However, of your health condition isn’t quite good you may get even higher rates after going through the medical checkup for another plan. That is why it always pays to keep up the good shape and prevent any conditions from occurring.

Fact is that the vast majority of health conditions are caused by unhealthy lifestyle. Being physically active, having a balanced diet and avoiding numerous medications can prevent a lot of diseases and keep you healthy for a lot longer.

4. Compare health insurance quotes on a regular basis.

When renewal time comes, always make sure to compare the offers from other companies as well. It may turn out that switching to another company may give you far greater benefits and lower rates than staying with your current one. So it always pays to be up to date with the current situation on the local HSA market.

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16 July 2010

Conclusion

Why search further when you have found the perfect resource for all your answers. Continue reading in order to learn more about this topic.

If you have to manage with a flea infestation, flea medicine is one of the most effective ways that you can help your pets cope with the fleas while also removing them from your home. There are many different types of flea medications that you can purchase on the market. All of them are designed with several purposes in mind. The primary one is to relieve your pets of the itching and swelling associated with fleas. The second purpose is to act as a guard against further flea bites. Finally, flea medicine acts as a pesticide for fleas. This is extremely useful, as your pet becomes a moving flea killer.

When you need to select flea medicine, chances are that you will use more than one for the best effect. While there are some medications that can be bought that serve several purposes, vets will often recommend a series of three treatments to help manage with a flea infestation. These treatments are available for both cats and dogs.

If you have other animals, acquiring the flea medication that you need can be more difficult. Ferrets and other exotic animals are not common enough to have as many products available to help them against fleas. Some of the products for cats and dogs can be adapted for ferrets and other small mammals, but in many cases, you need to use flea killing methods elsewhere to get the pests from bothering them.

Flea medicine is not the only resort you have against a flea infestation, though it should be the first one that you invest in. As the comfort of your pets should be first on your agenda, you will want to make certain they are treated before you take steps to get rid of the fleas in your home. A popular method for killing fleas includes tactics such as flea bombing, flea fogging, and use of repellents to keep fleas from entering your home. A combination of several of these methods, as well as use of flea medicine, can drastically cut the number of fleas in your home in a short period of time.

However, even with the use of flea medication and other pesticides, you will need to make use of a flea killing regime for up to two and a half years. This is due to the fact that flea eggs can survive for several years without hatching, making the flea problem exceedingly difficult to get rid of.

If you have a problem with fleas, you should look into flea medicines such as Advantage and Front Line.

That concludes this article, I hope you found the information helpful. Please feel free to continue to browse some the site for more useful articles.

If you have to cope with a flea infestation, flea medicine is one of the most effective ways that you can help your pets cope with the fleas while also removing them from your home.Please go to http://www.fleasreviews.info/Flea-Medicine.php

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14 July 2010

Conclusion

Sod worms are also known as lawn moths. This name comes from the fact that these worms change into moths over time and they feed off the grass blades in yards, golf courses and in some areas of turfgrass. In the larval stage these worms are dingy white in colour. As adults they fly around the lawn planted their seeds and feeding off the grass at night. However it is not really the moths that damage the grass. It is the larvae that do the most damage. The larvae feed off the grass at night and leave an area of the lawn bare. During the spring and summer months the larvae turn into moths that drop their eggs and the cycle continues again.
The damage caused by lawn moths can be clearly seen in the grass. An infected are of grass will appear to be brown in appearance and it will have an irregular shape. If you closely examine the grass you can see small tunnels or lines that branch out around the browned area. In the damaged area, the blades of grass have been removed completely and the area appears to be scalped. There are other indicators that there may be an infestation of lawn moths and that is the presence of the small green fecal pellets.
Treatment for the sod worm starts with how well you monitor the amount of damage that has been inflicted upon your lawn. If you notice that you are getting small brown patches but nothing too big, then you might want to try using a simple home remedy of laundry detergent mixed with water. However, if you have tried the home remedy and you find that you are not able to contain the worm then you might want to consider getting a chemical product from your local gardening store. If you are unsure what to do about your problem then you might want to contact a lawn care expert in your area to find out what you can do to prevent the increase in damaged areas in your lawn. There are a number of chemical products on the market today but if you plan to use one of these then you need to make sure that you are able to use them on your grass.
Lawn moths are more prevalent in grasses like bluegrass and Zoysia. The problem with using chemicals on your grass to kill your worm infestation is that you might be killing insects and pests that are actually beneficial to your grass and then there is the possibility that you might end up killing your grass anyway. Be sure to read information on the product to find out what insects that it will kill. There are also a number of biological controls that are capable of killing the sod worm so you might want to consider exploring that avenue if you are unsure about using chemical products.
Proper lawn maintenance will help you discover the presence of these worms right away so that you can take steps immediately before too much of your grass gets destroyed.

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12 July 2010

News

In most cases when people talk about insomnia, they are discussing the effects and consequences of not getting enough sleep, rather than have a focus on the condition itself. There’s a lot to be discussed when it comes to the actual causes of insomnia, it’s duration and the characteristic of the sleep disorder in question. But most interestingly, most people don’t even realize that there are different types of insomnia that require different approaches each. Here are the four types of insomnia with a short description to make it easier for you to determine the actual problem you have faced:

Type 1: Transient Insomnia

Transient insomnia is definitely the most common type of sleep disorder, with 58% of all adults having experience of it. It is defined by the lack of good sleep over a period of time up to one week. There are many different factors that may be the cause for transient insomnia, including jet lack, stress, exhaustion or abundance of physical activity. And while this type of insomnia is definitely quite uncomfortable, it can be relieved by quite simple measures such as relaxation techniques or herbal preparations. The key to success here is using these methods as soon as possible, before the sleep disorder becomes more severe.

Type 2: Short-Term Insomnia

When insomnia lasts between one to three weeks it is automatically classified as short term. When there’s such duration of sleeping problems, the symptoms should be a cause for concern, because they usually sustain themselves and a hard to get rid of by using simple relaxation techniques or mild herbal medications. Short-term insomnia is quite often caused by stress and anxiety disorders. The best way to treat this type of insomnia is to address the underlying conditions first, rather than try to fight the consequences.

Type 3: Chronic Insomnia

The most unpleasant and durable is chronic insomnia, which is characterized by symptoms lasting for more than three weeks. Periods of insomnia can last for months and sometimes even years with chronic insomnia. There may be certain sleep disorder patterns that repeat over time, with periods of good sleep in between. With this type of insomnia the side-effects are most severe and therefore it requires serious medical assistance as soon as the patient suspects that his or her sleeping problems are becoming chronic and impossible to control. This is when drugs like Ambien and other powerful prescription medications are employed.

Type 4: Mental Illness Insomnia

This is a special type of insomnia that is closely connected with different mental disorders. With mental illnesses it is quite common that the brain chemical imbalance causes the illness itself and insomnia as a side effect. The most common mental disorders that are known to be connected with insomnia are depression, schizophrenia and bi-polar disorder. Using drugs like Ambien CR in such cases is not very safe, because the lack of balance in the brain chemistry can affect the drug’s potential and lead to undesired effects. Only a doctor and mental illness specialist can say whether it’s safe to buy Ambien online or not in each particular case. Most commonly, the mental problem should be addressed first and insomnia is likely to wear of as soon as there are any improvements in the overall condition of the patient.

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8 July 2010

Conclusion

In the southern town of Atlanta, termite control is developing more effective, innovative and environment friendly ways to get rid of the household pests without causing any undue damage to the infested property and its surrounding environment.

Termite infestation happens to be one of the biggest household threats in the Southern States, causing more than five billion dollars worth of property damage every year. Recently, studies have found that the insects can actually grow immune to different chemical pesticides. The constant development of pest extermination methods and embracing new technology are therefore important aspects in effective pest control.

Some of the latest innovative additions to an Atlanta termite control technician’s arsenal are the utilization of infrared cameras and TERMATRAC, which is a special sonar-like device that emits microwave signals through building walls and hard to reach places. Both of these pieces of equipment can help termite inspectors accurately pinpoint the termite-infested areas in a household or other property.

Termite control operators in Atlanta are also starting to take on more environment-friendly approaches with their pest control services. Integrated Pest Management is a new pest control strategy that focuses outside baiting and local treatment within the interiors, using low impact and non-toxic (except for termites) chemicals such Termidor. Rather than spraying the traditional foul-smelling insecticides all over the house, technicians will only treat the places where the termites are found. The approach is extremely helpful in reducing any harmful effects to the inhabitants of the house at the surrounding environment due to fume poisoning.

Resource Box:

Bredapest Pest Management is a family-owned Atlanta termite control company that has been ridding households in the Metro-Atlanta area since 1973. Using the latest in pest extermination technology, such as TERMATRAC devices and infrared cameras, the company aims to provide the best customer service. For further information about the company and their pest control services, please visit http://www.bredapestmanagement.com or call 770-466-6700.

Jeff Paul is a writer and copy editor who likes to share information on many different topics.

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6 July 2010

Bed Bug Bites

Tony Pescatore asked:




It is estimated that in a single lifetime, human beings are bitten by bugs and insects hundreds of thousands of times. It is indeed unavoidable that we have contacts with these animals, some of which have the capability to bite us to death.

This shows that bed bugs, small insects that live in our homes and attack when we’re asleep, are a serious concern to people. Because detection is the first step to cure, it is very important that we can recognize a bedbug bite from any other bugs. They are almost always mistaken for fleas, and for good reasons. Both bites are itchy, and the victim is always encouraged to scratch. However their similarity ends there. Fleabites are smaller, redder and are exclusive to the part of skin that was affected. Bed bug bites usually develop into red “bumps” or welts, and are most of the time larger than flea bites, especially when one scratches vigorously. They swell on the skin hours after the biting; this is caused by certain chemicals that bed bugs release to the human bloodstream to avoid the feeling of pain at the instant of the bite. The bump may decrease in size, but does not totally disappear.

Most people think that bed bug bites are as dangerous as flea’s but in actual medical findings, fleas facilitate transmission of diseases easier and faster than bedbugs do. This does not mean however that bedbugs’ are no worries. Some people develop allergic reactions to the bite or upon medication. Some may also develop scars and lesions, which are unsightly and very uncomfortable. Medicines, such as corticosteroid, can be taken to alleviate and size of the welt and to relieve the victim from the itch. You also need to wash the bite with soap, according to Adam Health Center.

Researches reveal that bed bugs can become carriers to deadly diseases such as trypanosomiasis (Chagas disease) or hepatitis B (a liver inflammation due to viral infection). They can be very active in passing on diseases as they attack one victim to another, but no known cases are available that can evidence this claim. We cannot take chances however; as prevention is a lot better than cure.

Bed bug bites can be harmless or can cause major illnesses, depending on the specie of the bug, environment, and natural body resistance of the victims. We can only be sure of one thing: they must be eliminated from our houses and stopped from attacking us any further.

Don?t Let The Bed Bugs Bite
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1 July 2010