This is a fabulous website. It’s colorful in design and easy to navigate. It is loaded chock full of information. Until I visited the site I wasnt fully aware of how much we do rely on the honey bees.

Since Pear tree nectar is dilluted some farmers use the scent of the queen honey bee to attract other bees for pollination. Every February half of the honey bee colonies are used to help pollinate the almond trees in Central Valley, CA. We need them for Cherry trees, Strawberries and even Raspberries. So check out the site and see what you can do to help the plight of the honey bee.

Visit http://helpthehoneybees.com/#/home/home/ to get a look at just how much we do need the honey bee.

“No trash pickup in Harper Court. Residents of Harper Court in the Bronx have seen their dream homes rot like the garbage mounting up throughout the 40 homes

When the development opened a decade ago, homeowners were promised that since the Department of Sanitation would not remove trash in the private development, a private carting firm would be hired.

But since September, homeowners have been on their own. They claim the community’s developer has not paid the carter, leaving them to pay rubbish removers or dispose of the trash themselves.

The garbage pileup has led to new unwanted neighbors moving in: rats and raccoons. And the city has been issuing fines.

“Why do we pay taxes and pay for garbage pickup, but it doesn’t get picked up? The only benefit we get from the city is violations,” Reid said. “We were told this is a gated community. Instead, we are squatters with some of the most prime real estate.”

Why are the homeowners receiving fines if they were not the people initially responsible for the disposal of the garbage? It doesn’t make sense. Also why would they issue temporary certificates of occupancy and then make it the homeowner’s responsibility to get the builder back there. They should never have issued temporary certificates just so the homes could be sold. Ultimately they dropped the ball and now the homeowners are holding the bag.

To read more on this article go to http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/bronx/2008/02/05/2008

“NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Haagen-Dazs is warning that a creature as small as a honeybee could become a big problem for the premium ice cream maker’s business

Haagen-Dazs, which is owned by Nestle, said bees are actually responsible for 40% of its 60 flavors - such as strawberry, toasted pecan and banana split. “These are among consumers’ favorite flavors,” said Katty Pien, brand director with Haagen-Dazs.

“We use 100% all natural ingredients like strawberries, raspberries and almonds which we get from California. The bee problem could badly hurt supply from the Pacific Northwest,” Pien said

Pien said the company is donating $250,000 to both Pennsylvania State University and the University of California, Davis to fund research into the bee colony collapse disorder (CCD).”

It’s safe to say the little things do make a difference, good or bad. It is amazing such a small insect can have such a huge impact on such a gigantic industry. If Haagen-Dazs is willing to contribute to the research of the bee colony collapse disorder (CCD) than maybe other manufacturer’s will be willing to do the same. It will be interesting to see how seriously the other major ice cream manufacturer’s take this.

To read more on this article go to http://money.cnn.com/2008/02/17/news/companies/bees_icecream/index.htm?postversion=2008021712

“A city worker is in a flap for allegedly running down and killing five birds in Battery Park Friday.

Park Enforcement Patrol Officer Martin Hightower, 45, was busted after parkgoers videotaped him deliberately picking off the three pigeons and two sea gulls with a city golf cart, police said.

Cops said they received several calls from horrified witnesses in the lower Manhattan park. “A major part of our job is protecting nature and wildlife,” Benepe said. “If it is true what they say, then it is an awful thing, and he has no place in the Parks Department.”

What is wrong with this man? It just goes to show you that people do pay attention and when a wrong doing is witnessed they will report it. How could this man have expected to get away with such a despicable inhumane act in a place so public such as Battery Park. It makes you wonder what else this man has participated in that has gone unnoticed.

To read more on this article go to http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2008/02/15/2008-02-15_park_cop_killed_birds_with_golf_cart_.html

“WASHINGTON - Lab rats may one day get a reprieve.

The goal is to see if robotic machinery can predict what is toxic as well as animals do.

Scientists today test the hazards of chemicals for the environment mainly by injecting large doses into laboratory animals, mostly rodents. Researchers see if the animals get sick and then analyze their tissue.

Aside from concern about animal welfare, this process is laborious and does not provide fast answers. Moreover, humans typically are exposed to much lower doses of chemicals than are test animals. On the other hand, animal testing does not always predict the disastrous effect that a chemical can have on people. The most notorious example: The birth defect-causing thalidomide, now sold under tight control for cancer.”

We don’t live in a perfect world. Everyday there are several thousand instances where someone is benefiting from the pain of others. The thing to think about would be this, if you can get the same results without testing on the animals than they should work towards that goal. It’s not as if they are dying quickly in a snap trap. I’m sure it is long and painful.

to read more on this article please visit http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080214/ap_on_he_me/toxic_testing;_ylt=AkaAwOhh1EVilJKwWZylE3zq188F

“Rats have become such a big problem at Brooklyn Borough Hall that the city has turned to a private exterminator.

The rodents come from large holes along the grounds near Borough Hall, particularly Columbus Park. Having a subway station and farmer’s market nearby doesn’t help the problem, nor do overflowing garbage pails, said the spokesman.

The issue has been particularly irritating to Borough President Marty Markowitz - even though he says the Parks Department did the best it could trying to free him of the pests, according to his spokesman.”

It just goes to show you that the average homeowner is not the only type of person who uses a privately owned pest control company. Sometimes no matter how hard you try, if you don’t have the training and the know how, you need to consult a professionals. Sometimes it’s not as easy as you think. While the initial investment you make with an outside company may seem to be “expensive” it is well worth it. You can’t really put a price on peace of mind.

To read more on this article go to http://www.nypost.com/seven/01302008/news/regionalnews/rats_rattle_bklyn_beep_30108.htm

Bed Bugs biting in increasing numbers.

“OMAHA, Neb. - Angie Rempe finds herself staring at the ceiling wherever she goes. It’s a nervous habit, born out of living with bed bugs for eight months. “Good night, sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite. I don’t say that anymore,” the Lincoln woman said.

“By the time we found out what they were, they had totally coated the seams of the mattresses,” said Rempe. She now finds bed bugs in the baseboards, closets and in cracks in the ceiling of her apartment. According to health experts, the United States has seen an increase in infestations in hotels, apartments and homes in recent years. Experts said pesticides like DDT, that controlled the bed bug population in the past, are no longer safe for humans. ”

At one time there was a social stigma that went along with the term “bed bugs.” It was assumed that only a certain class of people would encounter a problem with these tiny little pests. Cleanliness does not have anything to do with infestations. This theory has been proven wrong.

This is not a problem you can combat yourself. You need to hire a professional. Remember this is there field of expertise follow there instructions and your problem will be solved that much faster.
To read more on this article go to http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22873452/

You are not seeing things. There is infact a black squirrel.

“For decades the black squirrel has been a fixture in parts of the Bronx and Manhattan’s Central Park. Capt. Richard Simon of the New York City Parks Department said.

Black squirrels have also colonized suburban Washington D.C.; Reedsburg, Wis., and Princeton, N.J. But until recently they had not made their presence known on Long Island

The black squirrel is the same species as the gray squirrel, which has a white belly and big bushy tail. Their dark, almost silky color stems from a genetic variation called melanism.
“The only population that I am aware of [on Long Island] is in Lake Grove,” said Tim Green, a zoologist and chairman of the Foundation for Ecological Research in the Northeast (FERN), a non-profit organization.

Green’s group has provided a $3,000 grant to Michele Miller and April Mindlin, fifth-grade teachers at the Eugene Auer Memorial Elementary School in Lake Grove, whose students are combining scientific methods and high-tech gadgets to study the area’s black squirrel population.

These pint-size biologists go out in the field and collect data: counting the black and gray squirrels they see, along with their nests, and taking soil and air temperature readings. ”

Is this squirrel evolution? They certainly do look different from the normal gray bushy tailed squirrels we see outside our kitchen windows. As cute as they are it is still a rodent.

It is nice to see that there are those willing to research things that are new and different. What is even nicer is that they have include our school aged children. Not every child has an interest in learning about new things and with programs such as these perhaps we can engage those who normally wouldn’t show an interest.

To read more of this article go to http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2008/02/10/2008-02-10_black_squirrels_on_long_island.html

“In the Yonkers school district, more than 4 million meals are served each year in 39 school cafeterias, or about 22,500 breakfasts and lunches a day. The district is the state’s fifth largest and has an annual budget of $450 million.

Jerilynne Fierstein, the district’s spokeswoman, said the district immediately corrects health violations and accused the newspaper of unfairly singling out Yonkers.

While the reports might be alarming to parents, county health officials say that the Yonkers schools are no worse than other school districts in Westchester County.”

We take such monumental care to protect our homes and business’ we can only hope that our schools are doing there absolute best to protect our children. My children are my everything as I’m sure yours are to you. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. See what type of rodent programs your schools have in place.

To read more on this article go to http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080120/NEWS02/801200362

 While rodents are a continuous problem, I wasn’t referring to their population.

For those of you that don’t know, February 7th was the start of the Chinese New Year.

Think of it as the Chinese equivalent to Thanksgiving.

The Chinese calendar is based on a combination of lunar and solar movements. The lunar cycle is about 29.5 days. In order to “catch up” with the solar calendar the Chinese insert and extra month once every few years. It is the same as adding an extra day on leap year.

For children born in the Year of the Rat, they must also make a fresh start. The rat is associated with mud.  The rat must get out of the mud to succeed.

Those born in the Year of the Rat tend to be leaders, pioneers and conquerors. They are charming, passionate, charismatic, practical and hardworking,”

People born in the Year of the Rat include Marlon Brando, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, William Shakespeare, Eminem, Galileo Galilei , Buddy Holly. Gwenyth Paltrow, Ben Affleck, and Samuel L. Jackson to name a few.

Families will take part in symbolic rituals passed down through generations in order to bring good fortune, health and prosperity in the new year.

Was I the only one with a preschooler who came home yesterday exclaiming

“Gung Hay Fat Choy!” which translates to “Wishing you prosperity!”

To read more about this article or find out more about activites planned for this event visit:

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?

And to learn how to say Happy New Year in Chinese or surprise your friends and family with an offering of New Year prosperity in Mandarin or Cantonese visit:

http://www.thetasteofasia.com/celebration_phrases.asp.