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4 Pests That Damage Ornamental Plants

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All plants including ornamental plants are subjected to destructive insects. This can be a problem especially if you use ornamental plants inside your home for therapeutic and home décor purposes. The only way to deal with such insects is by learning how to identify them and know which type of treatment can be used against them. Always remember that treating a plant early can save it completely compared to delayed treatment. Here are four common pests that are known to damage ornamental plants inside and outside homes.

Aphids

Aphids are known to feed on rose bushes and ornamental plants by sucking them causing the plant leaves to curl, yellow off and then fall off. These insects are identified by their orange to black bodies measuring between 1/16 and 1/8 inch in length. They can often be found living and feeding underneath the leaves and stems of plants. Since aphids can transmit plant diseases, pest control is essential. The presence of ants must be controlled as they help spread aphids since they feed on the excretion. Treating aphid infested plants is easy with the help of insecticidal soap spray which quickly penetrates their soft bodies.

Mealybugs

Identified as small and soft bodied insects that are white and fuzzy, mealybugs can infest an array of plants, mostly located in warm and humid climates. Once they cover a plant stem and excrete honeydew, they can cause the plant to develop sooty mold which is a fungal disease. This can lead to yellowing leaves and stunted growth. Like other plant pests, controlling the insect will also mean having to control the presence of ants on the plant. You can spray insecticidal soap on the plant to get rid of mealybugs or simply introduce ladybugs to control them.

Scale Insects

There are more than 400 species of scale insects in the United States, but there are only two scale types that these insects feature – soft bodied and armored scales. They can be distinguished by their colors which seem to look like all the colors of the rainbow, and they measure between 1/16 and 1/8 inch. Sometimes identifying these insects can be complicated because their body shapes vary from oval to circular and pear shaped to oblong. They damage plants by feeding on the juice of plants which can lead to a growth halt if the infestation is not treated immediately. In order to treat plants infested with scale insects, ants must be controlled because they can carry scale insects onto plants. Plants can also be sprayed with a combination of insecticidal soap spray and canola oil, until all the insects are killed.

Spider Mites

Indoor and outdoor ornamental plants can be attacked by spider mites. They are related to the spider family and so can be identified by their red, yellow, green or brown bodies and the web weaved onto plants which are more noticeable. Spider mites can cause the leaves of plants to become discolored and flecked to almost burned, that then drop off until the entire plant dies. Though insecticides can be used to control this insect, the use of ladybugs and other natural enemies are considered safe, efficient and eco-friendly.

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Valerie Oliver is a freelance writer specializing in natural pest control methods. She regularly contributes articles to http://www.affordablepest.com where reliable and well experienced professionals can be consulted.

3 Great Gifts For Your Loved One

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Everyone deserves a treat now and then so why not surprise your loved one with a special gift. It can be difficult choosing gifts for your partner, so make it easier and choose a gift which you know she will love.  Instead of panicking last minute about what gift you are going to get your loved one, read on and pick one of these fabulous gifts which she is guaranteed to love.


Jewellery

What girl can resist a beautiful piece of jewellery? You should surprise your partner with some gorgeous jewellery. There is so much jewellery available for you to get, you really cannot get it wrong. A lot of jewellery items are kept as sentimental value to women and will be passed down the family, so choose a special piece of jewellery which you want kept in your family for years.

You can choose some beautiful diamond studs which she will treasure. Diamond studs are a great gift idea as they will go with everything. Your woman will want a gift that she can wear again and again and still feel like a million dollars in it.

Another key piece of jewellery which every girl should have and love is a beautiful white pearl necklace. This stunning necklace will go with every outfit and will not only make your loved one look great but she will also feel great.

Romantic Weekend Away

Booking a romantic weekend away for the both of you is one of the most amazing gifts to give her. This is because it will seem very romantic and spontaneous, she will be able to get away from work and her usual routine and get to spend time with her dear loved one. There are various different romantic destinations which you can book for you and your loved one, you can keep it easy and stay in the UK and stay in a beautiful cottage in Scotland or go adventurous and book a weekend in romantic Paris or Rome.

Experience Trip

There are now many deals and offers available on the internet for you to purchase experience days.  This can vary from a sky dive to driving a furious Ferrari. If you other half has always dreamed of doing a sky dive or something else totally crazy, you should make their wishes come true and surprise them with this one off gift. There is so much available for you to book up for your loved one.

Kerry is a personal shopper from Birmingham and loves sharing gift ideas which she loves. She loves to get her pearl jewellery from http://www.mhpearljewellery.co.uk

How To Turn A Small Room Into A Castle When Your Forced To Rent

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Living at home is never easy when you can’t afford a place of your own. Your parents are probably the loveliest people in the world, but the amount of things you can do are very limited when you don’t have somewhere to call your own. After a while it could get to you and you’ll have no choice but to find somewhere. You shouldn’t let it get that far and start looking for a place right now. You could easily afford somewhere if you rented out a nice room. It’s still living with someone else, but at least it’s not your parents.

If you do decide to rent a room it could be hard if you’re not prepared. You won’t feel as comfortable wandering around the house, especially in the beginning when you’re not friends with the person you’re renting from. When that’s the case you have to make sure your little room is as comfortable as possible. If it’s not you will soon get fed up, because you have to spend a lot of time in your room by yourself. You can’t just get up and lay on someone’s couch when they want to watch TV. Do you know how you can turn your room into a castle?

Get the best bed your money can buy

When you spend more time that normal in the room it means your bed is something you’ll get quite friendly with. That means you should get one that’s as comfortable as you can possibly afford. The mattress especially has to feel like heaven when you lie down. Not because it will allow you to sleep better, but because you’ll spend hours laying in it at night reading books or watching TV. Go for gold and get very comfortable sheets and pillows to go along with it and you won’t go far wrong.

Squeeze in a computer desk

At home you maybe had a big desk in your room, or perhaps you even lay on your bed with the laptop on your stomach. When your room becomes your castle you will probably be spending a lot of time on the computer, so you want a little desk that you can sit at. It doesn’t need to be big because it probably won’t fit in the room anyway, but something good enough to feel like you’re important will make you feel much better and more grown up.

Buy a leather chair

You also want to get yourself a leather chair, which isn’t that expensive when you think about it. You could use a normal chair but eventually you will realize you’re not comfortable and you’ll get claustrophobic. If you never spent money on beer and pizza for a month you could probably get yourself one your backside would thank you for. It will become the centerpiece of your room and something you cherish. Especially if it reclines and you never end up reaching your bed at night.

Make it look as sexy as possible

When you were living at home I bet you didn’t treat your bedroom as an actual room. Not a grownup room, anyway. Did you still have your posters up that were there when you were a child? Now you need to forget about everything you had in the past. If you want the walls to be a certain color you can paint them, with permission of course. Buy some cheap art work for a touch of class. Something you will stare at when you walk into the room. Buy a big lava lamp if you think it will look stylish. Just start treating it like you would a room in your own pad and make it look sexy.

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Patrick Green is an avid blogger who writes informative and innovative blogs on home improvement, he is also writes web contents for sites like nahfloors.com.

How To Choose The Right Bed For You

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People spend around a third of their time in bed. That’s a long time, so it’s very important to make sure you choose the right bed for you! Follow these simple guidelines to help you decide what would be the best bed for you.

Different Types of Bed

The first thing to consider when buying a bed, of course, is the size you want it to be. Single beds are the most common for children, and it’s quite rare that a parent will let their child have a bigger bed than this, at least until they’re older. Adults, on the other hand, are likely to have at least a double bed. If you’re a single adult, then a double bed may be fine to suit your needs, however if you’re part of a couple you may want to upgrade to a bigger king size bed, to allow yourself more room to move – unless neither of you moves much while you’re trying to sleep!

Another option is the bunk bed – this can either be one bed on top of another, or it can be a single bed which requires a ladder to get into, with a desk area set up underneath it. Bunk beds are great for people who have two or more children, and the desk option is useful if you have a child studying in school who likes to do their homework in the comfort of their own bedroom.

If you enjoy a luxurious, glamorous lifestyle, you may enjoy a four-poster bed – the ultimate in sophistication! A four-poster bed will add a touch of class to any bedroom, and you’ll feel spectacular when you wake up in it each morning. All you need are some Egyptian cotton sheets to match!

If you have limited space, you should consider either a wall bed or a sofa bed. A wall bed is perfect for studios with very little space, and no designated bedroom. Wall beds simply fold up into the wall during the day when not in use, and can be pulled back down at night when you want to go to sleep. Sofa beds are what they sound like – sofas that double as beds – and they require a little extra effort to get out every day, needing the sofa cushions to be moved and the bed frame to be unpacked, however they’re a great option if you can’t install a wall bed or if you wouldn’t have room for a sofa otherwise!

Other Considerations

Beds usually have some storage space built into them, either in the form of drawers, or simply by the bed frame being raised a foot or so from the ground. This can be great if you have a lot of things you don’t use often – for instance, seasonal decorations and clothing – and is an easy way to keep things out of sight. If you choose a raised bed, you’ll need to remember to clean under there sometimes, because dust builds up very quickly!

The size of the room is very important when deciding on your bed – you wouldn’t get a four-poster bed in a room with low ceilings, for example, nor would you put a king size bed in a small room! If you have two children and limited space, a bunk bed would be perfect.

Cost should also be taken into consideration, although it’s a good idea to buy the best bed you can afford,as it’s such an important part of your life! However, if you’re buying a bed for your guest room, it’s okay to spend a little less, as it won’t get used nearly so often, and your guests will just be grateful to get a bed rather than a sofa to sleep on!

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Lester Fernando writes informative articles related to home improvement techniques. Visit www.cheapconservatories.net to read his articles and know more.

Walk In Tub perfectly Suited for Comfort, Style and Consumer Safety

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Are you wanting to get a new walk in tub?

When selecting your new bathroom fixtures you may want to give some consideration to a walk in bath tub now . These walk-in tubs are designed to offer the ultimate bathing experience for consumers who demand comfort, security and safety.

The walk in tub is a great investment.

The elegant lines and innovative features are sure to capture your eye, but these tubs provide you with much more than just a pretty bathroom fixture.  From the quality acrylic materials to the smallest detail of construction, the quality of walk-in baths should be distinctive, unique and undeniable. This modern style of bathing brings safety to the forefront by eliminating those common dangers associated with traditional styles of bathtubs.

Each year there are thousands of slips and falls that occur in home bathrooms. Senior citizens are at the most risk of becoming a casualty due to one of these accidents. In the past there were few alternatives when bathing was concerned. If someone did not feel comfortable trying to climb into their bath they could settle for a sponge bath or just skip bathing altogether.

As people age the changes in their balance and vision can make bathing bathtubs a dangerous experience. Even a slight slip can result in a sprained muscle, bruises or a painful bone fracture. For seniors who value their independence the fact of asking for help with their bath was not a satisfactory solution to this dilemma. What they wanted was a tub that offered them a new bathing experience that was designed to be comfortable, convenient and safe for all consumers.

Instead of balancing on one foot to climb in and out of the bathtub, walk-in tubs have  been created as a walk-in fixture. There are no high sides to clamber over because these are bathtubs that allow you to enter and exit by walking. This one concept was bold enough to permanently change the bathing industry. The walk-in designs assure you that these bath fixtures have been created to deliver the maximum amount of safety and convenience.

These bathtubs can be used by consumers in all age groups, but are especially appreciated by adults and senior citizens. There is an easy exit and entrance; secure footing; comfortable seating and a sturdy locking mechanism that prevents water leakage. What more could anyone ask from a simple bathtub?

The modern design also bring a welcome splash of elegance and beauty to any bathroom. The practical aspects of the walk-in tubs are gracefully combined so that they are delightfully blended into the sleek appearance. This means that your functional bathtub is going to be noticed first for the beauty and style that it adds to your bathroom.

Each walk in tub is constructed to meet your personal needs, decor and level of taste. These products are available both in Canada and the US.

You should purchase a walk in tub today.

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