Molluscs like slugs and snails also cause a lot of harm to orchids, especially the potted ones, because of easy accessibility. Hanging orchids are safe. Slugs and snails become active at night when they sneakily eat away the softer parts. The easiest way to stop them from wreaking havoc is circling the pots with a line of salt. You can also use bleaching powder in place of salt, but before doing that please check whether its use is not banned in your area. No slug or snail dare cross thus line, as salt can be fatal for slugs/snails.

Ants too can put an end to your efforts of growing orchids. The moist and warms conditions around the orchid roots are quite congenial for them. I found them building nests inside the coconut husks and underneath the small pebbles in the pots. Once I even noticed a whole colony of ants shifting with their eggs into my orchid pots! Once inside they eat the roots and also harbour harmful bacteria and virus. A very effective way to drive away ants is to spray Kerosene oil on to the plants. I did not notice any harmful effect of Kerosene on orchids, but was quite relieved to see ants vanish. Kerosene also drives away other pests like crows, slugs etc.

Fungal, viral and bacterial infections are very common to orchids, mainly because of similar the growing conditions. Keep the plant parts such as leaves, flowers stem dry while watering, as wet parts attract fungal growth. If infected by vial or bacteria, immediately remove the infected part or segregate the whole plant. Personally, I am not in favour of using any kind of insecticide, pesticide or even weedicide. I have not used any so far, so I would find it difficult to advise on these, I would rather stick to the principle Prevention is better than cure. So take care, be healthy and live wise.

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Growth Tips (Pest Control)

9 hours ago by Mickie Anderson

Irradiated, sterile flies dropped over seaports and agricultural areas to mate with unsuspecting females save food crops and millions of dollars in prevented infestations and the ensuing eradication efforts.

But blasting these secret-suitor insects with radiation via electron beams, X-rays or gamma-rays, tends to make them weaker than typical malesand not so appealing to females as possible mates.

What sterile-insect operations need, says University of Florida insect physiologist Daniel Hahn, is the insect world's version of George Clooney: 52 years old, gray-haired and still dazzling the ladies.

Hahn, an associate professor with UF's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, and his former postdoctoral associate, Giancarlo Lpez-Martnez, now an assistant professor at New Mexico State University, describe in research publications this month and last, that sterilizing insects in a low-oxygen environment helps create suitors who more closely resemble the suave Clooney than do those sterilized in a normal-oxygen environment.

"Our males (insects) are not only more sexually competitive, they are maintaining their sexual competitiveness and their virility, into old age," Hahn said, "and that has the potential to make them much better biological control agents."

The sterile insect technique, or SIT, has been used for decades and is considered a much preferable alternative to spraying pesticides over urban or suburban areas near major ports. In this biological control method, large numbers of sterile, male insects are released to compete with wild males for the attention of invasive wild females.

A female duped into accepting a sterile male would then find herself without offspring, thus trimming the population and its threat to the state's important agricultural crops. The technique has been used effectively against the Mediterranean fruit fly, called the Medfly, and the cattle-infesting screw-worm fly, among others.

Florida spends roughly $6 million a year using SIT to prevent Mediterranean fruit fly infestations, while California spends about $17 million a year. Because of the inherent dangers in importing even one Mediterranean fruit fly into the state, in their recent studies, Lpez-Martnez and Hahn investigated the physiological effects of applying low-oxygen treatments prior to and during irradiation sterilization on two other plant pests: the Caribbean fruit fly and the invasive cactus moth.

The "low-oxygen effect" has been known for decades, but the physiological basis for it had never been rigorously tested or analyzed, Hahn said. They suspected, and found, that under the low-oxygen conditions, the insects' cells would produce antioxidants that can help better protect them from the off-target radiation damage.

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Researchers demonstrate improved appeal of sterile flies that save crops

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -

The 2014 Spring Home and Patio Show is open through Sunday at the Prime Osborn Convention Center in downtown Jacksonville.

There are a lot of new exhibits this year, including food trucks, interior design help andcouponing advice.

There will also be a cooking stage that allows chefs and cooks from across the region to give out free samples and entice customers with their culinary creations.

Channel 4's Richard Nunn will be doing a live "Culinary Nunnsense" demonstration at 1:30 p.m. Friday. It will be in the Jacksonville Magazine Kitchen. He's featuring sweet potato latkes, shredded corned beef and a steamed cabbage stew.

Cristian Moore, Home & Patio Show manager, revealed Ahmed Hassan from HGTV's hit show "Yard Crashers" will present the Do-It-Yourself tailgating demonstration.

"They're bringing back the DIY booth because it was a big success last fall," Moore said.

The Arc, a non-profit organization that provides opportunities for people with intellectual and development disabilities, will showcase its art. It will also show visitors how they make refurbished furniture.

The Daniel Kids Foundation, which offers services for children and families, will tell people about its program andrecruitingfamilies into the fold.

The show runs 11 a.m- 9 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 10 a.m-9 p.m Saturday. Sunday doors will be open 10 a.m to 6 p.m.

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Open through Sunday at Prime Osborn Convention Center

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By The Record

February 27, 2014 12:30 PM

PIONEER A half-dozen men illegally operating as contractors were cited during an undercover sting operation conducted Tuesday in Pioneer by the Contractors State License Board with assistance from Amador County District Attorney investigators and the California Department of Insurance.

During the eight-hour sting, officers held one suspect at gunpoint after he refused to cooperate, ran from investigators, locked himself in his vehicle and made threatening movements. Another suspect was found to be on probation for making terrorists threats, while still another suspect was found to have prior criminal history as a sex offender. Two suspects had been arrested in previous CSLB stings.

Inviting an unlicensed contractor into your home is like playing with a stick of dynamite, definitely not worth the risk, CSLB Registrar Steve Sands said.

You always should check CSLBs website (at cslb.ca.gov or call (800) 321-2757) to see if the person bidding on your job has an active contractor license that is in good standing, Sands said.

CSLBs Statewide Investigative Fraud Team, or SWIFT, held the sting operation at a single-family home in the Gold Country town of Pioneer, along Highway 88. Investigators requested bids for deck repair, landscaping and exterior painting. High bids received during the sting were $6,000 for deck repair and a $4,200 bid for exterior paint. Suspected unlicensed operators were found advertising on fliers, newspapers and online bulletin boards, including craigslist.org.

All six suspects received misdemeanor citations for contracting without a license. Four suspects were cited on a misdemeanor charge of illegal advertising. Those receiving notices to appear are scheduled for arraignment at 8 a.m. April 7 in Amador County Superior Court, 500 Argonaut Lane, Jackson. They are Don A. Sternick of Sutter Creek, Armand Leo Chournard of West Point, Gary Jack Shroyer of Pioneer, Michael Joseph Vasquez of Jamestown, Matthew Brian Ramos of Jamestown and Robert Darin Kintigh of Cool.

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The 2013 Next Generation LuminairesTM (NGL) Design Competition outdoor lighting category winners were announced Wednesday night at the Strategies in Light conference in Santa Clara, California. The competition, sponsored by the Energy Department, the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America and the International Association of Lighting Designers, was launched in 2008 to promote excellence in the design of energy-efficient light-emitting diode (LED) commercial lighting fixtures, or luminaires.

A panel of six judges, drawn from the architectural lighting community, evaluated the entries in December at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute in Blacksburg, Virginia, on characteristics such as lighting quality, appearance, serviceability, efficacy and value. The panel evaluated 68 entries from 41 manufacturers.

Six entries, covering six different outdoor lighting types, were designated as Best in Class:

An additional 20 entries were deemed by the judges to have met the stringent requirements of the competition. These recognized winners represented a wide-range of manufacturers and lighting applications: collector roadway lighting, local residential roadway lighting, major roadway lighting, parking and area lighting, facade accent lighting, decorative exterior lighting, bollard pathway lighting, pedestrian walkway lighting, canopy perimeter lighting, building perimeter lighting, and tunnel lighting.

The Energy Departments Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) accelerates development and facilitates deployment of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies and market-based solutions that strengthen U.S. energy security, environmental quality, and economic vitality. For more on the winning entries, visit the Next Generation Luminaires website. To learn more about the wide-range of market introduction activities, including technology procurement and demonstrations, commercial product testing, buyer/user guidance, and standards development, visit EERE's Solid-State Lighting website.

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Energy Department Announces Outdoor Winners of Next Generation Luminaires Solid-State Lighting Design Competition

Coquitlam resident Teresa Balfour has a complicated relationship with Riverview Hospital: She appreciates the beauty of the grounds when she walks through them on her commute, but she also recalls the darker side of the Lower Mainlands former hub of mental-health care.

Riverview was a very scary place, said Ms. Balfour, whose brother Michael died in its East Lawn facility in 1990. You didnt know if youd ever get out.

B.C. Housing, the ministry in charge of the grounds, will hold open houses on Thursday and Saturday to present and discuss plans for the future of the park-like surroundings of the facility, which for a century has been a crucible for the evolving attitudes about mental illness, the people who suffer from it and their treatment.

Housing Minister Rich Coleman said the province has no firm plans or preconceptions of what to do with the land; the open houses are meant to examine a range of options, from turning the historic site into a tech park to ensuring it remains a centre for care.

I think well see people talk about housing. I think well see people talk about a tech park type of thing that would attract jobs to Coquitlam, Mr. Coleman said. I think well hear people talk about other health facilities [as well].

Richard Stewart, mayor of Coquitlam, wants Riverview to remain a focal point for the treatment of mental illness, which he said his city has long embraced.

Were a little unusual in that regard, Mr. Stewart said. We want these facilities in our community.

Riverview opened a century ago, and by the 1950s, had about 5,000 patients from all over the province and almost as many staff.

Horrific treatments methods once considered the norm became the subject of lawsuits and government settlements. In an out-of-court settlement in 2005, the province awarded $450,000 to nine women who were forcibly sterilized there between 1940 and 1968.

The sterilizations were done after the province embraced eugenics, the belief that sterilization of the mentally ill, criminals and the poor was an acceptable measure to improve society.

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Dark history may temper public input on former hospital at Riverview

February 27, 2014 - Northwoods League (Northwoods) Kalamazoo Growlers Kalamazoo, Mich. "" The Kalamazoo Growlers are handing over naming rights to the community once again, this time for the team's official name of the new mascot.

The Meijer #NameYourMascot competition will begin immediately to find the best name idea for the newest member of the Growlers family. Participants can send in their name submission and reasoning behind it via the contest form on http://www.growlersbaseball.com. Fans can also submit a name using the Meijer #NameYourMascot hashtag or mentioning the Growlers on Twitter @kzoogrowlers.

The winner of the contest will receive these exclusive benefits for the year:

1. Mascot lawn mowing services for a day

2. Mascot driveway snow removal appearance

3. Mascot Valentine's Day Flower delivery to your sweetheart

4. Mascot birthday party appearance

5. $100 Meijer shopping spree with the new Mascot

The team held a similar contest earlier this offseason called the #NameYourTeam contest. Kalamazoo submitted their ideas and they were narrowed down to the Growlers, Kangaroos, Clutch, Cabbies, and Kraken. Growlers won the vote and became the team's official name in November after it was selected by over 80% of voters.

The name will be announced at an official unveiling event at a date to be determined later this spring.

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Kalamazoo Growlers to Hold Mascot Naming Contest

The State government is planning to open subsidised canteens that provide food at affordable cost in Bangalore on a pilot basis, on the lines of those set up by the Tamil Nadu government.

It is said that the Department of Food and Civil Supplies is planning to offer quality food for everyone in ahygienic environment at such canteens. Government sources told The Hindu that the Minister of State for Food and Civil Supplies Dinesh Gundu Rao was planning to open subsidised canteens initially at bus- stands, railway stations, government hospitals, and in the agricultural produce marketing committee yard here.

Efforts were on to convince Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on the need to open such canteens, especially to cater for labourers and autorickshaw drivers, a senior official said.

The official said the government plans to run the canteens with the help of non-governmental organisations. The plan is to serve rice and rice-based dishes such as idlis, pongal, bisibelebath, chitranna and puliyogare at a nominal price. Issues such as finances and procurement of grain, however, were yet to be sorted out. When contacted, Mr. Dinesh Gundu Rao confirmed that the government was planning to launch this welfare project. He, however, said modalities had to be worked out before taking a decision on launching the project. He said the plan was not aimed at reaping political benefit at the time of the Lok Sabha elections. Even if the government decides to give the go ahead, it would be launched only after the general elections.

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Subsidised canteens may dot Bangalores landscape