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Termites have earned themselves a high degree of notoriety, with Americans spending hundreds of millions of dollars on termite eradication and home repairs every year. Termites are well known for their perseverance, their appetite for wood and cellulose-based fibers, and their ability to reproduce very quickly. These factors are the basis for the problems the insects cause for homeowners.

How to Recognize Swarmer Termites

Swarmer termites appear very similar to winged ants, making the termite difficult to recognize. While swarmer termites themselves are technically harmless, their presence indicates that a termite infestation in the area is more than likely. For this reason it's important to be able to recognize the differences between these two species.

• Swarmer termites have straight antennae, whereas winged ants have bent antennae
• Swarmer termites have two pairs of wings that are equal in size. Winged ants also have two pairs of wings, but one pair is smaller than the other
• Swarmer termite wings are angled back towards the body, when the insect is at rest, while an ant's wings are almost at right angles to the body
• Swarm termite wings are darker than those of the winged ant
• Swarmer termite bodies are long and broad, while the body of the winged ant is segmented, with a narrow "waist"

What Happens During a Termite Swarm?

Termites swarm during the reproductive phase of the termite life cycle, which is typically during early spring. Swarmer termites are seen most commonly on warm sunny days, often following rain, however, different species of termite tend to swarm at different times of the day. Subterranean termites most often swarm during the hours between mid-morning and mid-afternoon, while Dry wood and Formosan termites usually swarm at or after dusk. In all cases, the swarm usually lasts for several hours.

During the swarm, winged termites travel a short distance from the colony and seek cover. The vast majority of the swarmers die before mating, with most being killed by predators or dying due to dehydration or other injuries. A pair of swarmers will mate as soon as they find cover, and this mating pair forms the basis of a new termite colony that will grow and mature over several years before swarming.

Outdoor termite swarms may often go unnoticed, particularly if the termites are of a species that swarms during the evening. An indoor swarm, however, is very difficult to miss, as the termites will fly en masse towards sources of light such as windows, doors, and lamps or bulbs.

What should you do if you find Swarmer Termites in or near your Home?

A termite colony usually produces swarmers between two and four years after the colony was founded. This means that by the time you see a termite swarm, the insects have already been living-and eating-in the area for several years. Swarmer termites are very weak fliers, meaning that they will not travel far from the colony's location. If you see a swarm, it's a safe bet that the colony is located very close by. Unfortunately, that also means that if a swarm occurs indoors, it's almost certain that you're sharing your home with a termite colony.

Swarmer termites are not themselves harmful or destructive-their only objective in this phase of the life cycle is to find a safe place to reproduce. However, if a swarm occurs in your home, it can be quite messy, and of course any termites that escape can potentially mate and start a new colony. If termites begin swarming in your home, the best way to handle it is to try and contain the swarm by closing doors and windows. There is no danger of infesting your home again by doing this, as any termites that mate will not form a new colony within the home. Once the termites have stopped swarming and died, you can vacuum or sweep up the bodies-but save several of them to show your termite inspector, or even save all of the bodies, as a termite inspector will find it useful to know how large the swarm was. If possible, try to pinpoint the location from which the swarmers emerged into the room.

If you experience a swarm within your home, an inspection is most definitely required, to determine how severe the infestation is, and whether any treatment will be necessary. An outdoor swarm is not always cause for alarm, but it is important to be aware of the fact that swarming termites have the potential to made and eventually found a new colony. Noticing a termite swarm near your home is often a good reason to invest in some preventative treatment.

I have read articles upon articles about the National Association for the Acceptance of Fat People. An organization that started out as a social group for chubby chasers and has now grown into a civil rights advocate group. I have always tried to help my fellow man in their quest for self-improvement but I can never accept a mentality that is of entitlement and self-destruction. One that this association has built its whole platform upon.

I can't wait for the e-mail to start rolling in from the crazy people thinking I'm the Devil incarnate for holding mirror in front of their fat faces. That's just not true. I am not going to stand by idly and allow fat people to believe that America or American citizen actually owe them something, because we don't... because we don't.

You owe yourself the self-respect of not asking people who try hard every day to not be a burden on the health-care system and live healthy and unselfish lives to accept the way you want to live.

Why should I accept the fact that fat people in general have placed a huge burden on the health care system? Heart disease, Diabetes and Cancer are the three major causes of death in the United States and they are usually linked back to not just obesity but fatness.

It's amazing to me that I am told by fat people every day that it isn't their fault. I must have been punched in my head too many times when I boxed because I don't know who else's fault it could have been. I know for a fact that most fat can exercise and don't have to stuff their faces like it was their last meal.

The phrases I love the most is: "It's not my fault, it's my genetics" and "It's not my fault, I have a medical problem".

I want to impart on you a little wisdom: Genetics play a large role in weight and not fat. Most Americans are usually 20 lbs heavier than our European counterparts. Most of the weight is from muscle and bone not fat. You become fat because you store fuel. Your DNA has nothing in it's make up to make you fat. Lack of movement and over-eating is why you get fat. Don't blame your DNA.

As for the medical problems, certain thyroid conditions can cause weight gain but with the proper exercise programs and thyroxin treatment your fat gain can be managed. The percentage of this condition is 1% of 1%, so how can 65% of the population blame a faulty thyroid. Most of the problems with thyroid conditions are no one is willing to do the necessary work to keep their fat in check. They resign themselves to having a problem and let themselves stay fat. If you have broken your leg, do you need to do more work or less work to get your leg back to normal? Exactly. What happens when you don't do the necessary therapy? Nothing, and you walk with a limp the rest of your life.

The fatter you are the more work you need to do, not less. Anything that promises you quick results without work preys on your ignorance and more often stupidity. Gaining and losing fat is all a numbers game. That's it... in a nutshell!

If you want to lose 30 lbs in thirty days, then don't think you can sit around all day and do nothing. To burn one pound of fat per day you will need to expend 3,500 calories during the course of that day over your basic caloric expenditure... and that takes work.

You will need to change the dysfunctional relationship you have with food and your adversity to anything related to exercise. You will need to learn how to burn as much fat as you can within the shortest amount of time. The answer is not "cardio". The answer in a nutshell is to allow your systems to burn fat by exercising, controlling your portions and knowing what your daily caloric needs are.

If you believe you have no time to implement a basic workout program to get you started than nothing will help you and you should die of a heart attack sooner than later. You are the one who has decided to stay fat. Fat is a condition you have placed on yourself. Trying to get laws on the books that include you in any group like African-Americans, Women, Asians, gay or lesbians or Latinos is just plain stupid and should be dismissed without question. Fatness is a self inflicted condition.

No one can change that condition but you. You need to look into your very being without excuses and change your attitude and then begin the journey of self-respect, self-reliance, and breath the freedom of self-confidence.

If you don't feel the same way then ask your children to get a nice insurance policy so at least they have something to show for your selfish indignation.

Bronchitis is a very common respiratory condition and it can be occur in anyone, regardless of sex and age. However, the people who are exposed the most to developing forms of bronchitis are smokers, people with other respiratory illnesses or people with weak immunes system. Smokers usually develop chronic bronchitis, a form of disease that needs ongoing treatment. The main factors that are considered to contribute to the occurrence of bronchitis are: smoking, prolonged exposure to irritants (dust, pollen, chemicals, pollutants), immunologic deficiencies, genetic predisposition to developing respiratory conditions (in the case of chronic bronchitis) and infection with viruses and bacteria.

Bronchitis can be either acute or chronic. Acute bronchitis symptoms can be very intense, but they usually ameliorate in a few days. If acute bronchitis is caused by infection with viruses, the illness usually clears on itself, without medical treatment. However, if acute bronchitis symptoms appear to intensify, it is very important to seek the advice of your doctor.

Chronic bronchitis symptoms are usually of moderate intensity, but they are persistent and have a recidivating character. Unlike acute bronchitis, chronic bronchitis is an infectious disease and needs specific, long-term medical treatment. It is very important not to interrupt the treatment prescribed by the doctor even if chronic bronchitis symptoms are considerably ameliorated. If the medical treatment is prematurely stopped, the illness will quickly reoccur and chronic bronchitis symptoms can become even intensify.

General bronchitis symptoms are: cough, wheezing, throat pain, difficulty breathing, chest discomfort and soreness when breathing, fatigue and headache. If these bronchitis symptoms are accompanied by sweating, high fever and nausea, it means that the illness is caused by infection with bacteria. Bronchitis symptoms that might indicate an aggravation of the illness are: severe cough that contains yellowish mucus, spitting blood.

Bronchitis symptoms that reveal the acute character of the illness are: painful cough, chest sourness and pain, painful throat, wheezing, pain in the region of the upper abdomen, difficulty breathing. Bronchitis symptoms that reveal the chronic character of the illness are: persistent cough, cough that produces mucus, mild or moderate fever, shortness of breath, pronounced difficulty breathing (due to obstruction of the respiratory tract with mucus), recidivating chest pain, nausea and headache.

It is very important to pay attention to bronchitis symptoms. Left untreated, both chronic bronchitis and acute bronchitis (when caused by bacteria) can lead to serious complications. However, any form of self-medication is not advised. By taking random left-over medicines you can only cause yourself harm. If bronchitis symptoms ease up in a few days, it is a sign that the illness is caused by airborne irritants or by viruses, in which case no medical treatment is required. However, if you experience an aggravation of bronchitis symptoms, you should see a doctor right away.

If you have bronchitis, the best things you can do before receiving medical assistance are: drink plenty of fluids (especially if you have fever), rest, stay away from irritants (smoke, alcohol vapors, chemicals, astringent substances), maintain a warm temperature in your bedroom and use air humidifiers to keep the air moist.

Are moles a problem in your yard? Protect your beautiful lawn with mole repellers that chase away moles, gophers and other burrowing rodents with sonic noise. Just place the 16"-long, waterproof mole repeller tube right into the mole mound. The mole repeller produces a penetrating sonic pulse at 300 Hz, at 15-second intervals over an area of 10,000 square feet...moles can't tolerate the constant noise delivered. The sonic noise from the mole repeller is barely audible to humans. The Molechaser control head inserts flush at ground level so you don't have to worry about hitting it when mowing or playing in the yard. Benefits of Molechaser Mole Repeller:Delivers a sonic noise that moles can't tolerateSafer than poisonsMole repellers are easy to install and maintainMole repellers run on four D batteries (sold separately) which can be changed without removing mole repellers from the ground

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Land clearing is often associated with bulldozing and destroying the natural state of a tract of land. Just because land clearing drastically changes a parcel of land for another purpose doesn't mean you just ignore the environment. There are procedures and equipment available that reduces the impact the land clearing process has on the natural environment.

There reasons that someone would want to have a tract of real estate cleared of overgrown vegetation and unwanted trees are numerous. Some of those needs are pipeline and utility line right of ways, fence construction, pasture reclamation, property surveying, fire breaks, wildlife habitat restoration and real estate development. In the next few paragraphs we will explore the pipeline and utility line maintenance and construction industry.

There are thousands of miles of pipeline carrying the energy that powers the country buried under the ground. To bury that pipe you have to have access to the land from one end to the other. The average pipeline right of way is about sixty feet wide. What is the best method to clear this area of the trees and vegetation while taking into consideration the need to protect the environment as much as possible? The best way is to use a forestry mulcher.

A commercial forestry mulcher has several benefits versus traditional land clearing methods when it comes to the environment. When you think of large, heavy machinery moving around on the ground you may have concerns of deep rutting being left behind by the tracks. That is not the case with a forestry mulcher like those produced by Gyro-Trac. The track system that allows the mulcher to move across the ground distributes the weight of the machine evenly giving the machine a lower ground pressure than traditional machines. One of the effects of the low ground pressure is a reduced rutting that aids in soil retention and ground water runoff.

As the mulcher chips away at the growth it produces a nice bed of organic mulch that aids in soil retention and rejuvination of native vegetation. There is no need to burn or haul the debris away which would consume more resources and creates a fire danger. The best way to help the land recover after the process is to provide it with a blanket of organic mulch.

What about the pipe that is already in the ground? Why do we have a need to clear the land years after the pipe is buried? Safety is the reason we need to maintain the pipelines. If the pipeline began to leak or possibly explode personnel needs to be able to reach the problem and make any necessary repairs. Nothing would be worse than to have a pipeline breach and not be able to get to the effected area. This could have a major impact on animal and plant life in the area. Also, pipeline companies look for potential problems from the air and from the ground. If the pipeline is covered with overgrown vegetation they can't inspect it from the air or by a four wheeler on the ground.

The next time you have a parcel of land to clear, leave the bulldozer at home and use a better solution. Make sure your contractor uses a low impact forestry mulcher to quickly, efficiently and responsibly clear the land.