Governments Move to Save the Bees

June this year, governments launched an urgent and comprehensive study of the bee population decline. 

Bees, not only help beautiful flowers grow, mainly they spearhead the pollination process that provide humanity and animals its’ food supply.

Studies showed that the degree of decline in the bee population is already quite alarming. Researchers, scientists and government officials world-wide are now concerned of their own country’s food supply.

Factors have been determined through extensive research, which attributed to the insect decline, were named as follows: use of pesticide, habitat loss and intensive agriculture, among others.

Work is being done today for a comprehensive action plan, which could help increase the bee population and other insect species. There are initiatives for a world-wide “pollination strategy” to help develop an action plan to save the black-gold pollinating insect population.

"We must develop a better understanding of the factors that can harm these insects and the changes that government, other organizations and individuals can make to help", said Lord de Mauley, in regards to the Bee Summit organized by Friends of the Earth.

Lord de Mauley, among others, is moving for the regulation of pest control chemicals and the prohibition of unnecessary use of chemicals in the environment. "I do not deny for a moment that it is important to regulate pesticides effectively and to avoid unnecessary pesticide use.” commented Lord de Mauley, in an interview.

"Changes in land use, the type of crops grown, alien species, climate change - these all have an impact. The relative importance of these factors and their interactions is not well understood.” said de Mauley.

Andy Atkins, the executive director of Friends of the Earth, is pleased with the response to the group’s bee initiative.

"We're delighted that enormous pressure for a Bee Action Plan from scientists, businesses and the public has stung the government into action.” said Atkins in a report.

"We all agree prompt measures are needed to tackle all the threats, to bees and other pollinators face, but an urgent and comprehensive route map and timetable are needed to ensure this happens.”, Andy Atkins added.

Hope the latest news on bees helped shed light to the question, “Are bees’ friends or foes?” All I can say is, we can never bee-too-sure, get it? Bees truly do play an important part in the balance of our ecosystem; the total extermination of the bee population will be detrimental to global food supply resulting to shortages and loss of plant life. No food results to hunger of, not only humans, animals which will eventually lead to starvation and an inevitable death toll on all species. No matter how smart, humans are in this day and age, we are dependent on insects, animals and plants for our own survival. Have you ever seen the “Bee" movie, see it and get the picture of how something so small, can indeed change the world

How to Find the Best Pest Control Company?

Pests are annoying and harmful. They could bring disease-causing germs to your homes. These small animals usually hide in your kitchen cabinets and sinks, or burrow themselves on the furniture cushions and mattresses. To keep your home pest free, you need to use the services of professionals. These people know the safest way to get rid of the vermin in your home. 

Finding the best pest control company is not easy. Here are some ways to ensure that you get the best service. 

First, conduct a research first. Discover the kind of pests that infest your home and the best and safest way to get rid of them. Sometimes, by making some changes in your landscape or cleaning your surroundings, you can get rid of the vermin. Studying how to deal with them will help you decide whether or not you need to hire the services of professionals.

Second, ask for the recommendation of some of your relatives, friends, or acquaintances. People who have experienced a company’s service would likely recommend it to others if it is good. The same is true with companies that provide pest control services. By asking around, you will be able to find the best company that could meet your needs. You will also be able to find one that will be the best solution to your problem based on your research.

Third, contact at least three companies. Compare the services that they offer, the price, the kind of treatments, and special privileges. If there are companies that use organic but effective treatments at almost the same price with the rest, the better. Environment-friendly treatments are safer for your health compared to conventional ones.

Fourth, after choosing a company, request for an ocular visit and ask for their solutions. Good companies would be able to describe clearly the procedures and the remedies that they will use. Ask intelligent questions to avoid problems in the future in case you decide to hire them.

Fifth, check the company background. If there are customer reviews, the better. Visiting the company website would be of great help.

Last, discuss contract with them. Ask for services covered by the price and what would require extra charges. Also, check if there is warranty. For example, if one-time treatment did not eliminate all the pests, you must have another treatment for free. This will reduce repeated expense on your part.

Of course, after finding the best solution to your pest problem, you must also do your part, especially procedures that the company recommends to ensure that you eliminate the pests in your home.

Spread of Deadly Disease. Beware! Part 3 "Lyme Disease"

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released an advisory on how to protect yourself and your family from tick bites. The CDC became famous in the movie, Contagion, showing its involvement in disease-plague prevention. The Flu-like symptoms are true. Ticks pass infected saliva into human skin with a bite. The parasites act quickly, invading and feeding on the body’s red cells, introducing disease into the host through an infected bite.

The elderly population, children and people with low immune system are more at risk. It is advisable to seek medical attention immediately, instead of dismissing it as a case of common flu. They say treatment can be effective if the disease is caught early on.

Lyme disease affects various parts of the body in different degrees as it advances. Bacteria enters the skin through the initial tick bite, infection is followed by the spread of a reddish rash associated with common flu-like symptoms. Overtime, the parasites work fast to hijack your system to later produce abnormalities in the joints, nervous system and the heart.

The part one of this article showed a short story I made about a small town that was unknowingly taken over by a strange disease they took for granted as the common flu, later causing pandemonium and rampant deaths which took the CDC officials by surprise. Fiction as it maybe, the symptoms I mentioned attributing to the disease itself is true.

Lyme disease is medically described to have 3 stages as: (1) early localized disease with skin inflammation; (2) early disseminated disease with heart and nervous system involvement, including palsies and meningitis; and (3) late disease featuring motor and sensory nerve damage and brain inflammation as well as arthritis.

Some tips given by the CDC included the following:

1. Spray yourself with DEET or permethrin tick repellent (on clothing and gear)

2.      Always wear pant before venturing in to the forest. Tuck you pants into your boots.

3.      Wear white or light colored clothing, it will be easier to see a tick and kill it right way.

4.      Before entering a wooded or grassy area use repellents containing 20 percent or more DEET.

5.      Nymphs are commonly found on the forest floor and can climb aboard via your feet.

Always use socks and shoes. Boots are recommended. Check them from time to time.

6.      Avoid tick infected areas like tick vegetation. They like tall grass, shrubs and leaf litter, these hitchhikers are just waiting to get a ride via your boot and snack on you.

7.      Perform daily tick checks after being outdoors, even when in your yard.

8.      Use a hand-held mirror or full length mirror to view all parts of your body. If you find a tick, remove it immediately using tweezers.

9.      Important areas to check: Your arms, in and around your ears, inside the belly button, back of the knees, all around your head and body hair, between the legs and around the waist.

10.  Toss your clothing in the dryer upon coming home from the woods. This will avoid the ticks from entering your house which can be carried via your clothing.

So next time you come down with the common flu, please do not dismiss it. Danger may be constantly around us. The common pests might surprise you as they bring not so common problems.

We do not need to wait the last minute to take extra precaution. Whether it is common pests, health condition, weather changes or spread of disease, one must not take for granted things and wait for the hammer to come crashing down.

Get rid of pests, keep yourself updated with the latest diseases, stay healthy, take care of our ecology, be aware of changes in your surroundings and consult a doctor. These tips will save your life. Time is precious. We do not have the luxury of time. Life is short, we must live it well.

Spread of Deadly Disease. Beware! Part 2

It is late fall, the hunting season has brought about great trade in the locality. A lot of people in this small North American town came down with flu-like symptoms and no one seemed to be alarmed. Despite the rampant health issues the people experienced, everyone was more distressed about the unexpected acorn crop problem, followed by the disturbing sudden increase in white-legged mouse population in the county. Pest companies worked overtime to eliminate the mice population unknowingly creating another greater issue they are yet to discover.

In few days, a family member comes down with a high fever, followed by the spread of an expanding reddish rash. The doctor said your loved one will be better, the muscle and joint pain, fatigue, fever; swollen lymph nodes are normal symptoms of the flu and will soon go away after some time, but no one got better.

A visiting scientist did some research and conducted interviews. The findings were both astounding and horrifying. No one in town knew yet but the town will have to be locked down. The CDC representatives were on their way, a phone call was just made. A few miles away was your house, you have not had any sleep for weeks. You decide to enter your room, your loved one looks like he is fast asleep with his mouth open. You wonder why you cannot hear the soft snoring you have grown used to over the past 25 years.

You lean over and try to close his mouth. To your horror, he is cold and rigid, you start to panic, and a 4-inch mutated tick comes out of his mouth. A cold loud shrill screaming in your heart, mind and spirit out no voice came out of you. It is too late. Frozen in place, the over-sized tick bit your hand and has made its way into your mouth unknowingly.

Sounds like a movie teaser from an upcoming horror movie, don’t you think? Well watching movies like the Bay, a 2012 American horror thriller film shot in the “found footage” technique showing an entire city was devastated by absolute pandemonium after an astounding level of toxicity was discovered in the water of Chesapeake Bay resulting to a plague that turned humans into hosts for deadly, mutant breed of parasites living in the dark waters.

Spread of Deadly Disease. Beware! Part 1

Imagine this. Looking out your bedroom window, admiring a picturesque forest, in it is an array of trees each showcasing different colored leaves. Some yellow, orange, red, purple, pink, brown and each showing a palette of beauty beyond your explanation. You feel so blessed to have what you have and you see yourself very fortunate to live in this part of the country. You feel the love, the joy and the abundance.

It is late fall, the hunting season has brought about great trade in the locality. This isolated small town, viewed by many tourists as an escape from the city, is buzzing with excitement and realization that the town will have a wonderful Christmas celebration this year due to the increased profit earned during the deer hunting season. Everyone is happy and it is perfect.

Then one day, all of a sudden one-by-one the men in your small town all come down with flu-like symptoms and no one seems to be alarmed. Adding to the health issues people were experiencing was a sudden increase in white-legged mouse population all over the county followed by the unexpected acorn crop problem. Pest companies worked overtime to eliminate the mice unknowingly creating another greater issue they are yet to discover.

In a weeks’ time, your loved one comes down with a high fever followed by the spread of an expanding reddish rash. The local hospital, far from its city counterpart, knowingly not as equipped to take tests as compared to the bigger medical facilities found far away, has dismissed it as the common flu. The doctor said your loved one will be better, the muscle and joint pain, fatigue, fever; swollen lymph nodes are normal symptoms of the flu and will soon go away after some time, but no one got better.

Soon one by one the men of your town die. Cause of death was declared as severe meningitis, some due to cardiac arrest. The ones still living start having difficulty with memory or thinking and complaints of odd sensations such as numbness. Everyone is horrified. The children and women start coming down with the same symptoms and succumb to death with the same cause of death.

A scientist from the CDC, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, along with his partner, a city reporter, who was visiting relatives in town became suspicions, there must be something here. Something big, something is very wrong. They start doing research and conduct interviews. The result of their findings was astounding and horrifying. They called the Director of the CDC and asked for the office to send help. The future of the country depended on it. The town will have to be locked down.

A few miles away was your house, you have not had any sleep for weeks. You were busy giving constant care to your loved one who came down with the flu a week ago. You decide to enter your room, your loved one looks like he is fast asleep with his mouth open. You wonder why you cannot hear the soft snoring you have grown used to over the past 25 years. You look closer, wanting to check if he is OK  You are astounded with what lies before you, the disease everyone thought was the common flu turned out to be something else.

Researching disease brought by common pests does this to a writer like me, also doing extensive scientific research on my articles for website publishing does provide me with numerous possibilities that might come up one day. Who knows? There is a lot of truth in what I have written, except for the 4-inch mutated tick.

Stay on this site and read more. See the next parts of this article to find out more about this deadly disease and what causes it. Know how to symptoms to keep your family safe.