In this clip, learn how to repel those pesky mosquitos with a bunch of ideas from Lynn Yuen. Lynn will walk you through the best sprays, candles and gadgets that will keep those annoying bloodsuckers away from your bare skin no matter where you are. So, the next time you go fi ...more
You might feel the bite, you might not, but an infected mosquito has injected you with a parasite named Plasmodium falciparum, a single-cell protozoa that quickly takes up residence in your body. You don't feel a thing as the parasite infects your liver and begins to multiply ...more
An older man dies of Zika. A younger man who cares for him catches Zika — but doctors cannot pinpoint how the disease was transmitted. While proximity to the patient is sufficient explanation for the rest of us, for microbe hunters, it is a medical mystery. Why? Zika is not kn ...more
A baby with severe Zika-related birth defects was born in San Diego County this week, prompting officials to urge pregnant women to avoid disease hotspots. The infant's mother contracted the disease during a trip to a foreign country where the virus is widespread. The birth m ...more
After a brief reprieve, Zika fear is back with a vengeance as the US mosquito population booms. And we're just now seeing the true impact of this devastating virus, as babies of mothers infected with the virus are being born. About 10% of pregnant women confirmed as having be ...more
We've worked hard to reduce the flow of toxic chemicals into our waterways, which means no more DDT and other bad actors to pollute or destroy wildlife and our health. But one observation has been plaguing scientists for decades: Why are large quantities of one toxic chemical ...more
Planning the Trip Get lots of brochures Send for brochures of the places you will be visiting. Make a travel book with the brochures to get the grandchildren and their families excited. The best place to contact for these brochures are the Visitors Bureaus or the Chamber of ...more
A lot of customers thought that one can place the Micro Mosquito on the base (which looks like a Helicopter Landing Pad) and it will be charged. No, there is a charging cord underneath the charging base that is used. All you need to do is to unlatch the cover and connect to th ...more
Learn how to make bug spray. Follow this simple, eco-friendly recipe for an effective alternative to chemical-laden bug spray. You Will Need * 1 Spray bottle * 1-c Witch hazel * 1-c Cider vinegar * Eucalyptus oil Step 1. Pour witch hazel into spray bottle Pour the witch ha ...more
In this Home and Garden video tutorial you will learn how to manage garden insects and pests in an eco-friendly way. For plant lice or aphids, blast them with a strong blast of water. That will dislodge them and they won’t climb back. You can also put some soap water in a yell ...more
REREMICE 62 points (12 points without the bingo) Definition: bats (flying mammals) [n/pl.] But these aren't just ordinary flying bats. Reremice (or rearmice) are known more commonly as particolored bats, which is a medium-sized species in the family of Vesper bats. It's bino ...more
Not only are mosquitos annoying but they can also carry diseases. In this how to video Don shows you some easy ways to keep mosquitos away. Have a pest free summer with this great tutorial.
Learn how to protect yourself from one of the most dangerous predators, the mosquito. Mosquitoes spread dengue fever and malaria. Phil West explains the steps and procedures to protect yourself from mosquitoes, using roots and animal dung. Protect against mosquitos. Click thro ...more
The female mosquito feeds on blood so she can develop eggs, but in the process she can transmit disease. This video gives tips on how to avoid mosquito bites like avoid going out at dusk, application of repellent, wearing long sleeves and more. Avoid mosquito bites. Click thro ...more
An advance in the race to stop birth defects caused by Zika-infected mothers has been made by a team of researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. They have identified the process Zika uses to gain entry into the placenta, and published their findings ...more
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that there were 212 million cases of malaria across the world in 2015, and 429,000 of those people died — mostly children living in Africa. Preventing and treating those infections has been a challenging world priority. ...more
Even as health authorities describe the symptoms of Zika infection in the general population as mild, a new surveillance study finds serious side effects are more common, and serious, than previously thought. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that man ...more
Phase 2 of a Zika vaccine trial began in the United States this week, along with Central and South America. The vaccine was developed by expert scientists at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), which is part of the National Institutes of Health, ...more
A case of West Nile virus recently confirmed in a person in Barton County, is the first human case of 2017 in Kansas. State health officials confirmed the appearance of West Nile this year in a press release on June 9th. The unusually early appearance of West Nile has led sta ...more
Reports of Zika-related birth defects are coming in at shockingly low rates in Puerto Rico. While that might be something to cheer, one former US government official is saying there could be a nefarious reason for the low numbers. Last July, the Puerto Rico Department of Heal ...more
US blood banks have assured the American public that they have the tools to prevent a Zika contamination, despite the rapid spread of the disease. If a recipient receives a transfusion that is contaminated with the virus, they could become infected. However, thanks to genetic ...more
Future mothers hoping to use donated semen might want to think twice before using any samples from the Miami-Dade Country area of Florida. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is warning that sperm from as far back as June 2016 may be infected with the Zika vir ...more
Summer is the best friend of poison ivy, oak, and sumac. When the weather is hot outside, people spend more time in the great outdoors, which means more people accidentally running face first into some poisonous shrubs, leaves, and vines. If that sounds like you, instead of su ...more
The lingering smell of cigarette smoke can bother just about anyone, including smokers themselves. Unfortunately, it can be quite difficult to mask or completely get rid of the smell altogether. While you can go through extremes like washing and even repainting the walls in yo ...more
How often do you fight with your shower doors? Maybe not literally (although my elbow has smacked the hard glass many times), but when it's time to clean the bathroom, getting a few weeks' worth of soap scum and grime off the shiny, clear surface becomes an insurmountable task ...more
All fields of study have their own language. For people interested in learning about microbes, the language can sometimes be downright difficult — but it doesn't need to be. From antibiotics to xerophiles, we have you covered in an easy-to-understand glossary. Terms are liste ...more
What should you do with an orange peel after you're done eating the fruit part? If at least one half of the orange peel is still intact, consider using it as a seed starter pot, emergency oil lamp, bird feeder, or a super-easy, salt-packed DIY fridge deodorizer. Orange peel p ...more
Got a clogged kitchen sink? Before you reach for the plunger, see if you can fix the problem using Alka-Seltzer tablets and white vinegar. Simply drop four Alka-Seltzer tablets down the drain and follow that with 1 cup white vinegar. Let sit for 10 minutes before flushing the ...more
Seriously, what can a lemon not do? Other than being your go-to fruit for making lemonade, this versatile citrus can do some household cleanup, deodorize bad smells, alleviate sunburns, and much, much more. Read on and you will never look at a lemon the same way again. Don't ...more
Want to reduce the overwhelming smell of paint from a newly painted room? Slice up some raw onions, place them in a bowl of water, and leave them in the room overnight. In addition to adding an extra kick to your home-cooked meals, onions are a versatile vegetable that can al ...more
With a predicated increase in the number of Lyme disease cases in the coming spring season, new research endorses the use of bait boxes to control ticks on the rodents that serve as their hosts. With cases spread across the country from coast to coast, Lyme disease is particu ...more
10 Life Hacks: 1.Wifi Booster 2.Spray Bottle 3.Mosquito repellent 4.Untie Plastic Bag Knot 5.Tootpaste Hole cover 6.Remote Control fix 7.Vibrating Toothbrush 8.Shoe Reminder 9.Zip Bag Protector 10.Colored Keys Video: .
The possibility of severe tickborne illness is increasing as an aggressive tick from the American southeast moves up the Atlantic Coast. The primary carrier of Lyme disease is the well-known blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis. Found throughout the northeastern and upper Midw ...more
Malaria is a massive worldwide health problem. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 212 million cases of malaria occurred worldwide in 2015 and 429,000 of the infected people died. Once infected, the parasite multiplies in human red blood cells until i ...more
On June 11, 2016, an Arizona woman died from what appeared to be several infections, including pneumonia. She likely caught at least one of these from her dog. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were involved in the investigation into events leading up to he ...more
Don’t throw out that banana peel—or that overly ripe banana. Put them to good use around your house instead. Step 1: Shine your shoes Rub the inside of a banana peel on anything made of leather—shoes, pocketbooks, jackets. Then wipe away the residue and buff with a lint-free ...more
Transmitted by a sandfly one-third the size of a mosquito, parasitic Leishmania protozoa are responsible for a flesh-destroying disease that kills an estimated 20,000 people per year. Two new studies offer understanding of how the parasite provides immunity through persistence ...more
Want to sweat less during the summertime? If you're already using antiperspirant sticks, apply them on your underarms the night before rather than the morning of. Antiperspirant works best when you're not already sweating like crazy, and by the time you take a shower in the mo ...more
Don’t wait for your next headache to pull out that bottle of aspirin. Aspirin can be used as a topical home remedy for some medical problems, and as a handy fix to remove stain, keep your flowers fresh and even start a car battery. Aspirin is not only used for health benefits ...more
Clove oil, an essential oil extracted from the clove plant found in India, is truly an essential addition to your medicine cabinet and home. One of its most popular uses is for relieving a toothache, which can be done by adding a few drops of clove oil to a cotton ball and app ...more
When the mosquito that carries the malaria parasite (Plasmodium falciparum) bites someone, the parasite must travel to the liver where it undergoes part of its lifecycle before infecting red blood cells and spreading to its next host. Until now, the first step of how the paras ...more
We might think of Zika as a mosquito-borne virus that effects developing fetuses, but, it also can be passed through sex by either a man or a woman, just like herpes and other STD viruses. New research has shown that vaginal bacteria can inhibit sexually transmitted Zika virus ...more
When the climate changes, so do all the things that rely on the climate, including people, plants, and pathogens. A European study recently took a broad look at what kind of microorganisms are most likely to be affected as climate change heats, cools, dries, and wets the world ...more
Jewel weed is found in swamps lakes and wet places. This how-to video demonstrates using the jewel weed stems on the infected area until the bumps or blisters break open. Jewel weed has a chemical that neutralizes poison ivy, oak, or sumac oil, so it's okay to scratch with Jew ...more
The mention of Zika can strike fear in the hearts of pregnant women. With infections increasing around the world, including in the US, researchers are fighting the clock to figure out how the virus can have such horrific effects in some people. Don't Miss: A Zika Outbreak Pr ...more
With summer just around the corner and the family spending more time outside insects such as chiggers can become an annoying hindrance to outdoor activities. Luckily, there are ways to deal with the little buggers with a little effort and some key items. Follow these tips to ...more
West Nile virus is rare but can be deadly. To avoid getting it, you’ve got to avoid mosquito bites.
The theme for 2017's World Malaria Day, which is today, April 25, is "End Malaria for Good." For many Americans, this might seem like an odd plea. Especially since Malaria is seemingly an obsolete problem here. However, on World Malaria Day, it's important to remember the dang ...more
In March, we wrote about the growing threat of yellow fever in Brazil. At the time, the disease had killed just over a 100 people. Unfortunately, the disease has only spread since then with many more people infected and more killed. The Pan American Health Organization (PHO) ...more
The year was 1947. Scientists had isolated a virus from a pyrexial rhesus monkey in Uganda and named it after the forest where the monkey lived — Zika. Then, a little more than a year ago, in the fall of 2015, health officials in Brazil reported a sharp increase in the number ...more
Insects can be a big nuisance while you are hiking. Different parts of the country and different parts of the world have different kinds of stinging, nasty, biting insects. Preventing insect bites is easy with these tips. Get advice on backpacking, hiking, and the great outdoo ...more
In this video tutorial, Flashback Max from Alaskaflyfish.net shows you how to make what he calls the "big, black and ugly" fly. It's an articulated leech fly, made from materials like rabbit fur, feathers and a big mosquito hook. It may not be pretty, but the fish will still l ...more
Camping is loved by some, hated by most, and we're not talking flies and mosquitos. We're talking Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. More specifically, we're talking the Chinatown map. NextGenTactics gives you some tactics on camping in Chinatown. Check out some ideal camping loc ...more
The joys of summer are many! If you, like me, live in a place where the summer is short, you’re going to want to maximize your fun in the sun by doing as many awesome things as possible before the sun goes back to wherever the hell it hibernates during the cold and dark times. ...more
Audubon's Flute Audubon in the summer woods by the afternoon river sips his flute, his fingers swimming on the silver as silver notes pour by the afternoon river, sips and fills the mosquito-note air with silver as silver notes pour two hundred miles from any wall. And fill ...more