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Just like to us humans, termites are undoubtedly sociable creatures – they watch each others backs! However, whilst a lot of us may moan about our teenage sons “eating us out of house and home” these little pests literally can achieve this.

You can find termites living in colonies in vast numbers anything from hundreds of thousands to many millions – all members of one massive family! They all work as a group in an unbelievably organised way to source and gather food in the form of cellulose (in many cases from the wooden structure of buildings) so that the colony to grow and expand. This fascinating team work is often referred to “swarm intelligence” and is the the reason why termites are so successful in their survival.

However, as you would find in any organisation termites appear to have ranks – sort of like the armed forces, certain termites specialize in certain tasks.

The biggest group and most likely the lowest ranking termites are the “workers.” These continuously search for food utilizing the tunnels they have constructed which lead from the colony nest, through the earth and into the wood which can easily be the frame of your house! They do this day and night as well as taking care of the queen, her young and the other termites. This is because that only the worker termites can digest the cellulose matter, so they have to regurgitate it back at the nest to feed the other termites.

You are extremely unlikely to catch any of these worker termites away from the underground tunnels and the nest. What do they look like? well, they are light in colour with a soft body and normally measure no more than 10 mm in length. It is often said they look almost like a grain of rice.

Soldier termites are next, these have longer heads and amazingly powerful jaws. As the name “soldier termite” would suggest these members of the family are charged with security. They will defend the nest from intruders, most often from ants who try to invade.

Next there are the termites responsible for breeding and the setting up of new colonies. Both males and females grow wings and flee their home colony in a massive swarm to begin the mating and breeding process somewhere new.

The Queen – the most important of the termites and the largest usually about 10cm in length and on her own she is immobile. To move the queen it requires many hundreds of termites to push her. This the the termite responsible for populating the colony, would you believe she will lay an egg every 15 seconds? Should she should die she is replaced speedily with another reproductive termite.

The chances of you actually seeing any of these termite troops in action in and about your property is extremely unlikely – unless you witness a swarm leaving the colony, even then it is difficult whether it is termites or not. However, signs of these pests will become obvious if they begin to attack the wooden structure of your home!

If you suspect a termite problem you must call in a professional quickly

With unemployment approaching 10%, housing stats at all time lows and manufacturing revenue leaving the country is it no wonder that we are in a major recession? I have been looking at the numbers and I am not certain they add up.

It would be best to start with unemployment. Looking at the numbers that are distributed it is difficult to tell the real story. I see that in some urban centers unemployment is very low. There is an abundance of activity and even the lower service jobs are in demand. It would seem from my anecdotal review that the urban unemployment rate is much lower and the rural rate is in the 30%+ range.

I attribute this to the high concentration of service jobs in the cities while the rural areas have a large concentration of construction related workers. It would appear that the housing crisis is the major driver of the rural unemployed. Even the construction worker for city infill development normally commutes to work and lives in these rural areas. This is a precursor to what could be a major demographic change as jobs are concentrated in the Cities and the rural worker is left behind.

These observations all came together after a lot of financial review and analysis I was giving to two stocks. Each of these stocks revolved around consumer spending on goods and services that were not necessary for living. You would think that in a recession that disposable income would be lower yet these stocks were still making solid profits. I first looked at BBY Stock this is the parent company stock for the large worldwide consumer retailer Best Buy.

My analysis of the consumer electronic spending while in a recession led me to the conclusion that it is the housing industry that is primarily dragging down the economy. The rural construction worker is not finding work and because they live in rural areas they are not able to find a substitutionary job for themselves. There simply are no jobs available in the rural areas. This has led to incredibly high unemployment in counties like Riverside County in California where the county next door Los Angeles County has much lower unemployment.

These numbers were consistent when looking how they impacted the second stock. This was BRCM the symbol for Broadcom. Broadcom being a major manufacturer and provider of information technology and the infrastructure of IT delivery. They too showed solid profits through the recession. This lends itself to the primary theory that the recession is more of an isolated phenomenon than most people think.

In the end it is an interesting conclusion that we now see the disparity between urban and rural centers. The urban centers are hurt by the construction crisis but they have many substitutionary industries to fall back on. While the rural areas have lost their agriculture, low end manufacturing, and now construction base. This explains the disparity between news reports of the end of the recession and the incredibly high unemployment in rural communities. This also explains the strong performance of consumer retail stocks like Best Buy and Broadcom.

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Satire To Affect Change

It is fun to read different satire internet sites. The creativity of web designers is fun to examine. It is also interesting to read what their minds come up with and how the touch reality, play with facts, and dance around more serious issues. One of the more famous of these sites is The Onion.

I remember one article I read from the Onion and it really was funny. These scientists were doing a multitude of tests to examine the sonar from a Dolphin. The article repeatedly referred to how the scientists were frustrated with results because the Dolphin kept having serious problems and would not thoroughly use its ability. It was not until the end that the article made it known that the scientists, in their tunnel vision intellectualism, failed to keep the Dolphin in the water.

The joke of the article of course is a pointed observation that oftentimes science uses its incredible intellectual curiosity in such a focused manner that it does not take in the “big picture”. Metaphorically you could say that science would want to dissect the goose that lays Golden eggs. They may figure out how it was happening but then they also would have killed the goose and stopped the process.

This lack of forethought from certain sects of the scientific community could also be highlighted as it relates to climate change. These groups make rules and laws that everyone must follow but that do not have a true impact on the perceived problem. For example they force up on us light bulbs that have a minimum energy impact and at the same time take more energy to manufacture than they will ever save. This goes the same for all the extra hazardous waste and energy it takes to manufacture a hybrid car. Takes more than it saves. A satire internet site that attempts to illustrate this scientific tunnel vision is monster energy .

The power of the satire website to communicate these issues should not be underestimated. There are many books of satire that have changed the world. These sites seek to do the same thing. Point out the absurd in order to affect positive change. We should all support their efforts to make us think and examine the issues that we so often take in as truth.

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Searching For A Good Removalists In Melbourne

Shifting home is one of those things the majority of folks fear. When you check around you will frequently listen to the horror stories where things went wrong or they picked the removalist firm from hell. No one considers shifting home without an inward sigh and a thought back to that last traumatic experience of relocating home. It’s by no means easy, almost nothing goes to plan and then for some reason it often seems to rain at the time you opt to relocate, even in the middle of summer months.

Some people opt to relocate themselves because of the expense of hiring a removalist. Removalist services are much better than they were peviously. Many removalists can offer you a set price for the job, instead of a invoice right after it’s done. There are companies that will charge less for smaller sized moves which often can help you save money also. Frequently hiring a removalist is only a fraction more costly in comparison with hiring the van and doing it your self.

Finding a good Melbourne furniture removalists usually takes the pain and hassle out of relocating house. It’s much easier to simply pack your possessions away and then leave the move to the experts. All you need do is arrive at the other end and put everything away. You don’t need to carry heavy cartons around or worry about breaking the good crystal.

A sign of a good furniture removalist is their openness and honesty. Once you’ve located several companies in your neighborhood, call them and enquire about their services. You need to ask about cost, the way they charge and how far before hand you need to book. Should they be suspect about any of these things without valid reason then you definitely need to proceed with caution.

Different companies will provide various levels of service. Many will simply just show up on the day and place the boxes in the truck and bring them to the desired destination. Others will go as far as to pack for you and unpack at the other end. What you make a decision on depends on your own personal requirements, your time available and of course your finances. When you have unique requirements you may want to consult the company before you decide to transfer. A number of Melbourne removalists will not relocate such things as pianos or organs, you might need a piano mover for this. When you have antique pieces of furniture or even large heavy items you may also have to enlist the services of a specialist.

A good Melbourne removals company will certainly be able to give you some details about the moving process. They ought to supply you with a checklist of things which can be ticked off at both ends of the move to make sure that nothing is lost on the way. Be certain that you’re familiar with their policy on breakages. Who’ll be responsible for what is broken along the way? Have they got the right insurance coverages they require in case something will go drastically wrong. There are lots of questions you should ask while searching for a removalist in Melbourne.

How To Get Rid Of Bed Bugs – Successful DIY

Bed bugs are taking over the whole country, they have even been discovered in the Empire State Building for Gods sake! With Luck any problem you find yourself having with these incredibly small vampires will be on a far lesser scale but it can still be very disconcerting non the less.

First there are the itchy, red welts on your body, some people don’t display any reaction to the bed bug bites but for a large percentage the unbelievable itching just makes a bad situation seem a whole lot worse. Then, you have to face the fact that your property has an invasion of bugs and you have to figure out how to get rid of bed bugs as quickly and effectively as possible.

There are a few easy steps you should follow which will hopefully get rid of your bed bugs. However, if you have a large infestation, in more than one room you may need to bring in professional help.

Okay, here is how to get rid of bed bugs the do-it-yourself way!

1. De-clutter and clear the room. Throw away anything you no longer need such as newspapers, magazines, books etc. Put all this “stuff” into plastic bags, seal them tightly and dispose of them.

2. Remove all bedding, clothing etc. and place these items in sealed plastic bags as well. Launder everything at as high a temperature as fabrics allow. Items which cannot be laundered may be placed in your tumble dryer on a high heat setting for approximately 10 minutes. Alternatively you might use a steam cleaner to get rid of bed bugs in items unsuitable to laundering or tumble drying. Once garments have been treated place them in fresh plastic bags, seal them up to avoid recontamination. REMEMBER – you will have to inspect and treat drawers, closets etc. because bed bugs will hide out anywhere.

3. Once the room is completely clear, vacuum everywhere in a methodical, thorough way this must include the bed, soft furnishings, curtains, inside furniture, even obscure places like smoke alarms, light switches and alarm clocks have to be checked. It is vital that you empty the contents of your vacuum cleaner into a plastic bag and seal it tightly immediately you complete this part of the task.

4. Repeat step three this time with a steam cleaner. Bed bugs cannot withstand heat and a steam cleaner gives an immediate and intense source. This will help get rid of bed bugs at all stages in their development from eggs and nymphs through to full grown adult bugs.

5. If you discover any small cracks or crevices in walls or floors now is a good time to have them repaired. This will get rid of bed bug hiding places!

You could take the process no further and hope that you have got rid of all the bed bugs. However, if someone asks me how to get rid of bed bugs I always suggest taking treatment a step further.

It is possible to buy a wide selection of bed bugs sprays and treatments but one which I personally have used and had success with is Bed Bug Patrol. It is totally non toxic and works really quickly to get rid of bed bugs who may have escaped the vacuum and steam cleaners. From the same company you can also purchase fossil shell dust and bed bug traps. These are relatively inexpensive but will effectively get rid of bed bugs. In fact you can purchase everything you need in a kit.

These steps tell you how to get rid of bed bugs, but completing this routine once may not be sufficient. You may have to repeat the whole thing a couple of times before you can declare your home a bed bug free zone!

GOOD LUCK!