Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Mosquitoes
August 2013
SUMMER IS HERE AND SO ARE THE MOSQUITOES
Why Mosquitoes Annoy Us:
All mosquitoes must have water in which to complete their life cycle. Female mosquitoes need blood to obtain nutrients to help develop and lay their eggs, and really don't mean anything personal when they attack. That's no consolation if you're the one being bitten, of course. The mosquito bite itself isn't horribly painful, and may even go unnoticed. The truly annoying part of being a mosquito meal comes in the hours and days to follow, when those red, itchy bumps make us reach for the calamine lotion. As an added annoyance, mosquitoes like to buzz around your head, letting you know another bite is coming shortly.
7 Steps to Help Get Rid of Mosquitoes:
1. Reduce the problem: get rid of standing water, fix leaks, and throw away old tires or other trash that holds water. Keep shrubs trimmed; keep ground cover and grass cut short.
2. Keep mosquitoes out: keep window screens and door closed, stay inside when a lot of mosquitoes are biting
3. Cover up: wear light colored clothes, long pants, long sleeved shirts and loose fitting clothes.
4. Keep mosquitoes away: sitting in front of a fan will help keep mosquitoes away and burn citronella candles. Ultrasonic devices and ultraviolet do not help control mosquitoes.
5. Use repellents wisely: repellents keep mosquitoes from biting you. Some repellents may make you sick if you do not use them the right way. The most effective mosquito repellents contain Deet.
6. Kill mosquitoes in the house: if a mosquito is in the house, you can kill it with a flyswatter or newspaper. Cook and eat with garlic, mosquitoes do not like the smell. You should not use pesticides indoors to control mosquitoes.
7. Kill mosquitoes outdoors: foggers can provide relief for a short time from adult mosquitoes in the yard. Always follow all of the directions on the pesticide label. Get a bird feeder, the birds will eat the mosquitoes.
Mosquito Repellents
Repellents With Chemicals:
• Deet 23% & up
• IR3535 / Avon Skin So Soft
• Deck-Mate / Mosquito Repellent
• Mosquito Traps
Repellents Without Chemicals:
• Citronella Plant
• Citronella Oil
• Cedar Oil
• Peppermint Oil
• Lemon Grass Oil
• Soybean Oil
• Garlic Oil
For More information contact your Local Health Department or County Extension Office
Friday, August 30, 2013
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Fort Lauderdale's Hilton Beach Hotel to power up wind energy soon
Jermaine Goldson of Farrell Electric works on one of six wind turbines atop Hilton Fort Lauderdale
Beach Resort (Susan Stocker, Sun Sentinel) August 22, 2013
Hilton Beach Hotel to power up wind energy soon
Six wind turbines were recently installed on hotel's roof
By Arlene Satchell, Sun Sentinel
A new rooftop attraction is turning heads at one South Florida hotel.
The Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort has installed six wind turbines to plug into the natural breeze blowing from the Atlantic Ocean and help power its facilities.
It's the first Hilton of more than 500 properties to have installed wind turbines, executives said. They also believe it's the first hotel in South Florida to get them.
The turbines are now undergoing inspections to be operational by mid-September, a hotel official said Tuesday during a tour.
The Fort Lauderdale resort invested more than $500,000 on the energy savings project, which is expected to help it reduce the amount of power it uses primarily in common areas such as the lobby.
"We are proud of this renewable energy initiative as well as other eco-friendly programs that implement sustainable practices that will help future generations," General Manager Andreas Ioannou said.
The use of wind turbines as a source of renewable energy is still rare in the lodging industry, but is increasingly becoming a viable option for lodging establishments, according to Green Lodging News.
"The technology has improved with innovation in design, and costs are coming down," said Glenn Hasek, editor and publisher of the Ohio-based industry publication.
In July 2011, 15 U.S. properties were listed on Hasek's website greenlodgingnews.com as having incorporated wind turbines in their energy mix.
The Hilton's wind turbines are new arsenal in its energy conservation efforts.
Standing 52-feet tall when erect, the turbines are strategically placed on the corners and center of the rooftop to capture maximum wind velocity, and are expected to produce 24,000 kilowatt hours of energy.
With their addition, the hotel is anticipating to cut its more than $500,000 annual electric bill by 5 percent to 10 percent, Ioannou noted.
The custom-design wind turbines, which Ioannou called "whimsical, beautiful structures," were originally slated for installation in September 2012, but this was delayed to ensure their supporting mechanism was strong, he said.
The project received support from the city and surrounding community, and reaction from hotel guests has been positive, Ioannou said.
The move demonstrates the hotel's commitment to protecting the local environment and preserving its resources, a city official said.
"The wind turbines will showcase the hotel's sustainability programs and serve as a model for other businesses, and the city appreciates this innovative approach," said Mayor John P. "Jack" Seiler.
Nicki E. Grossman, president and CEO of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau said the resort's wind turbines join the Gold LEED-certified Broward County Convention Center are "as models of community sustainability furthering the greening of tourism."
Since opening in 2007, energy conservation has been a key mandate of the 374-suite resort. In 2008 it became the first resort on Fort Lauderdale Beach to be designated a Florida Green Lodging property.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection program recognizes and designates lodging facilities that make a commitment to conserve and protect the state's natural resources.
"We love to see hotels who are participating in the Florida Green Lodging Program go above and beyond the minimum requirements and implement innovative technology and initiatives in their facilities," said JoAnn Shearer, program coordinator.
As a member of Hilton Worldwide's flagship Hilton Hotels & Resorts portfolio, the Fort Lauderdale beach property uses a proprietary system called "LightStay," to track and analyze its sustainability performance.
"We can see the savings," Ioannou noted.
The resort's "Green Team" spearheads and monitors its environmental efforts and implements waste reduction, resource conservation and energy efficiency programs. Previously implemented initiatives include the recycling of all paper, florescent bulbs and batteries, and the installation of automatic water flush meters in all public restrooms.
While the hotel's initial goal is to "evaluate the effectiveness" of the wind turbines, plans also call for adding rooftop solar panels within the next two years, Ioannou said. By year-end, it will install a food composting machine to turn food waste into a nutrient-rich water product, which will help save on waste, and trash disposal costs.
"We are committed to implementing innovative programs and making continual improvements to our overall sustainability results each year," Ioannou said.
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
No reason to get all "arachnophopic"!
Giant banana spiders are hanging out in a tree near you
By Susannah Bryan and Ariel Barkhurst Sun Sentinel
7:40 p.m. EDT, August 23, 2013
They are creepily large and spinning their webs in a park near you.
It is, after all, banana spider season.
During late summer, the ladies of this native spider grow bodies up to 2 inches long, not counting their legs, and weave webs as wide as 15 feet. Both genders love wooded areas with dense canopies, all the better to spin their webs.
They're hanging out in the tree branches along Surf Road in Hollywood and near the boardwalk at Atlantic Dunes Park in Delray Beach.
They're greeting kayakers who venture through mangrove trails throughout South Florida.
They're waiting, silently, for you to run across their path.
Fort Lauderdale resident Janine Babich spotted legions of banana spiders recently during a walk near Hollywood beach.
"My husband and I drive down to Hollywood sometimes to check out the cats," she said. "We went down on Sunday and we were treated to a new spectacle. It was just thick with them. We were amazed at the spectacle and thought it was neat."
Banana spiders, also known as the golden silk orb weaver, are more easily seen at this time of year because the females have gotten big enough for us to notice them, says Adrian Hunsberger, an entomologist and Urban Horticulture Agent for the University of Florida/IFAS Miami-Dade County Extension in Homestead.
"What's really cool about this spider, the silk has a golden color to it," Hunsberger said. "That's why it's called the golden orb weaver."
Don't let their size fool you. Banana spiders are harmless.
Their bite might hurt, but it won't kill you, say local biologists.
"I've heard it described as between a bee sting and a mosquito bite on pain level," said Callie Sharkey, naturalist at the Daggerwing Nature Center in Boca Raton.
The males are smaller and more inconspicuous, with bodies measuring no more than half an inch.
"People may think it's the baby," Hunsberger said. "But a lot of times, it's the guy hanging out."
The banana spider, in spite of its size, striking coloring and elaborate web, is a "relaxed" critter, Sharkey said.
"They're not aggressive spiders," she said. "Brown recluses and even crab spiders are going to be aggressive and bite you. Banana spiders are not prone to biting. You can go right through their webs, and they'll just look at you and make a new one that night."
Banana spiders will even share webs, she said, an unusual trait among spiders and another indication that they are not aggressive.
"The people who get bitten are usually trying to swat the animal away, and the spider is trying to protect itself," Hunsberger said. "The best thing to do is not panic."
Sharkey counts the banana spider as being among the coolest of arachnids.
"I love them," she said. "I'm not a spider-hugger, but they're pretty mellow, pretty cool spiders."
They're beneficial too, feasting as they do on mosquitoes and other small insects.
The fact that they're bigger means they can eat more mosquitoes and other insects that get trapped in their giant web, said Joanne Howes, a naturalist for the Anne Kolb Nature Center in Hollywood.
Looking to avoid them anyway?
Steer clear of wooded areas, especially those with dense canopies. Avoid hiking trails, and don't go out first thing in the morning. You may run into a parade of spiders touching up their webs.
Shower head turns from green to red to tell you when it's time to get out
A new shower head technology alerts you when you've been bathing for too long and helps you to cut down on the water you use in the shower. A light turns gradually from green to red as time ticks on and when it reaches red, it's time to get out.
"It encourages [people] to take shorter and more energy efficient showers," said one of the co-inventors of the Uji Showerhead, Brett Andler to NPR. "By letting people become aware of how long they're in the shower, we've actually been able to cut shower time by 12 percent."
Of course there's no major consequence like the water shutting off once time's up or anything like that, but just the reminder that a set amount of time has passed helps people to take water conserving action. Currently the prototype hits red at seven minutes so that people will be out of the shower by minute eight, but the inventors are considering having a model with an adjustable time limit once it hits the market.
Priced at $50, Uji's website says, "The Uji showerhead will pay for itself in energy and water savings after only 7 months of use. After this the showerhead will save you about $85/year installed. It’s great for families with smaller hot water tanks or teens who take too long in the shower."
The product received grants from the DOE's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory for prototyping and testing and Uji has already gotten commitments from at least four universities to pilot the shower heads in their dorms to save water. As for the rest of us, Uji plans to have the shower head on the market by early 2014.
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Read the Label
If you use pesticides, please make sure you are using them properly and sparingly – THE LABEL on the container IS THE LAW!
Read the label.
04/10/2013
Read the label.
04/10/2013
Today's environmental tip: Read the label! You might not realize it, but on a pesticide container, the label is the law. Pesticide product labels provide critical safety information for handling and use. Pesticides are powerful substances, but when used according to the label they are safe and effective. So … always use pesticides safely, at home or in the field. Always read the label.
More information: http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/label/
Podcast: http://www.epa.gov/earthday/podcasts
Want more tips? Visit EPA's Earth Day site to learn more about Earth Day, the US Environmental Protection Agency, and what you can do to help protect human health and the environment. http://www.epa.gov/earthday/tips.htm
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