Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

This press release was orginally distributed by SBWire

Bensalem, PA -- (SBWIRE) -- 07/12/2017 -- Dowd Mechanical, Heating and Air Conditioning, Inc., a trusted AC repair company in Bucks County, strives to help residents avoid any issues with their HVAC system by offering preventative maintenance. Property owners that are looking to avoid problems can turn to this company's experienced team for quality service.

Having a broken air conditioning unit in the heat of the summer can make a homeowner miserable. Dowd Mechanical, Heating and Air Conditioning, Inc. wants homeowners to make sure that they understand the importance of preventative maintenance. AC units are expensive, so taking care of them all-year-round will help keep energy bills down and save owners from having to pay for repairs.

Some ways that Dowd Mechanical, Heating and Air Conditioning, Inc. supplies clients with preventative maintenance is by changing the oil, replacing the belts, changing the filters and also reading the manuals. By making sure that all of these items are in order, property owners are likely to save money and have a comfortable home this summer.

Since 1997, Dowd Mechanical, Heating and Air Conditioning, Inc. has been serving customers throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania, including areas such as Doylestown, New Hope and Bensalem with quality services such as air conditioning installation and repair. This company is certified by Trane, the leading HVAC equipment manufacturer, so clients know that they are truly getting the best service possible.

Property owners in need of air conditioning installation in Bucks County or wish to learn more about preventative maintenance should call Dowd Mechanical, Heating and Air Conditioning, Inc. at 215-240-1284 or visit http://www.dowdhvac.com/ for more information.

About Dowd Mechanical, Heating and Air Conditioning, Inc.Dowd Mechanical, Heating and Air Conditioning, Inc. was established in 1997 and is family-owned and operated. They provide air conditioning and heating services to all Bucks County and Montgomery County, PA, residents and businesses. Please visit them on the web at http://www.dowdhvac.com.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/preventative-maintenance-from-dowd-mechanical-heating-and-air-conditioning-inc-helps-homeowners-avoid-hvac-issues-831223.htm

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Preventative Maintenance from Dowd Mechanical, Heating and Air ... - Digital Journal

The Christian Service Center is raising funds to help a local man with disabilities fix up his home.

IONIA The Christian Service Center is raising funds to help a local man with disabilities fix up his home.

Karl Homes is a Lyons resident who is in his 70s and lives on Riverside Drive. Dureen Leland is the president of Church Women United and manager of the Christian Service Center. She said the groups undertook the project after seeing his home needed help.

"My aunt and I went over to power wash his house, because it was in bad shape," Leland said. "Then we noticed that his wheelchair ramp, the rails were ready to fall down and the top they put plywood on top of it ... so if you stepped on it, it squished down like you were going to go right through."

After power washing and noticing the wheelchair ramp was in need of fixing, she said she noticed two trees that needed to be cut down. She said one was splitting down the middle, while the other looked like it would fall over and hit the home.

"Then we started trying to get money around for his trees to get them taken down and then three of us fell into a hole in his yard, so we went down to Piercefield's and he brought some dirt up, so we're going to spread that in his yard to get rid of his hole," Leland said.

Leland said she kept finding more to do and they plan to get some paint to fix up his shed and get more dirt if they need it. Someone also told her the roof looks like it could be repaired.

The Christian Service Center is collecting the money and hopes to raise $1,000 to cover all the expenses to cut the trees down, fix the ramp, paint the shed and fill the holes. Leland figured out that of the money Homes receives monthly, it just about covers his bills.

"The ramp and stuff, I don't know how much it will cost," Leland said. "A guy from the Lyons-Muir Church bought all the wood for it and sturdied up the rails and we just have to power wash the rails and it will be OK, so we saved some money there."

The center sells new and used clothes, kitchen items, shoes, movies, books, decor and many other things for less than $1 a piece. It's located at 301 W. Washington St. in Ionia and is open on Tuesday and Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 to 4 p.m. and on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

There are canisters to donate money at the Christian Service Center, Habitat for Humanity of Ionia County and the Lumbermill Inn in Muir. Leland said Habitat is trying to work with the organization to help out.

"We keep thinking of other things to do, if we have other money we can do this," Leland said. "He was happy about that. I think whatever money we have left we'll buy him some food, too, and stuff like that."

For more information, call 616-527-1530 or visit facebook.com/Christian-Service-Center-630223270502699.

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Christian Service Center to help repair home - Sentinel-Standard

Two judges said assaults on jurors and courthouse employees, combined with conditions, including the stench of excrement and urine, are creating a frightening atmosphere around the courthouse at Third and James in Seattle.

Two King County Superior Court judges are asking for help cleaning up the courthouse at Third Avenue and James Street after they say two jurors and half a dozen employees have been assaulted.

The judges, Laura Inveen and Jim Rogers, acknowledged Tuesday that there are difficult underlying circumstances contributing to the unsanitary and potentially frightening atmosphere around the courthouse.

They along with King County Sheriff John Urquhart also recognized that there are two elements at play: crime and the fear of crime, with the latter being just as likely to keep people away as the former.

The nearby blocks host most of the citys homeless-shelter beds and many of its social-service outlets, which draw those who need help and the people who prey on them. Thats nothing new, Rogers said.

But, for whatever reasons, things have gotten worse over the past few years and jurors and potential jurors report being afraid to go to the courthouse, the judges said.

The judges said they have started hearing from jurors who want to do their civic jury duty at the countys superior courthouse in Kent because they dont want to come to the downtown courthouse.

Ive never seen it this bad, Rogers said in a Tuesday morning presentation to the Metropolitan King County Councils committee on government accountability and oversight.

Inveen told the committee about two incidents, one in late May and one in June, in which jurors were attacked in separate incidents outside the courthouses Third Avenue entrance. On other occasions, Inveen said, employees have been spat upon, slammed against a wall or punched.

Although cleaning and patrolling the area immediately surrounding the courthouse would not address some of the deep-seated issues faced by denizens of the space, it would send a signal that somebody was paying attention, she said.

She and Rogers asked the county to take immediate steps to clean up the courthouse with a daily power-wash of the surrounding sidewalks, which reek of urine and excrement.

They also asked that the county empty trash cans more frequently, remove bus-stop benches, remove tents from the adjoining park and increase the presence of law enforcement not just to arrest people but to deter crime. Another suggestion was closing the Third Avenue entrance and reopening the one on Fourth.

Seattle Police Capt. Mike Teeter, commander of the West Precinct, said that police patrol the area heavily and that while there are certainly people in crisis, or need, who behave in ways that may make others uncomfortable, there is often no criminal activity involved.

Statistically, Teeter said, a person is actually slightly less likely to be assaulted near the courthouse than in some other areas of the city.

He also said that police are not able to address some of the things that may be intimidating to occasional visitors, such as seeing someone standing on the street corner and yelling.

Though it makes people uncomfortable, he said, its not a crime.

Brian Wetzel, a Port Orchard resident who was passing through the neighborhood on his way to the airport, understood the concerns.

He said the area seemed kind of seedy.

But Renee Winget, a permanent resident of the park, scoffed later Tuesday at the idea that the patch of land near the courthouse was any worse than anywhere else.

The area may look a little rough at the edges, she said, but theres nothing to be afraid of out here. The people who are afraid probably just havent experienced homelessness, but experience is a great teacher.

Seattle resident Mary Hendrickson said shed been homeless for a time and had no fear of the people who hang out near the courthouse.

Compared to other gatherings, the folks at Muscatel Meadows as the park is sometimes called are actually a pretty docile group, Hendrickson said.

Sometimes there will be yelling and drinking, she said, but theyre not intimidating to me.

Some committee members expressed concern about addressing the symptoms of the areas problems without getting to the cause. Councilmember Larry Gossett said he didnt like the idea of power-washing the sidewalks because it brought back images of the use of hoses against civil-rights activists

Another council member, Claudia Balducci, suggested that the county consider using social-service employees in partnership with police.

Urquhart said he has a front-row seat to the activities on Third from his office. And he agreed with the judges that its gotten worse in recent years.

He told the committee he could put two deputies outside the courthouse for four to five hours several days a week for about $8,000 a month and he cited an old saying.

When youre up to your keister in alligators, its not the time to drain the swamp, he said, urging the committee to respond immediately.

While no official action was taken, the countys administrative officer, Caroline Whalen, and the facilities manager assured committee members that a stepped-up schedule of power washing and garbage cleanup would begin immediately.

Though Inveen said she was not confident the issue would remain at the top of the countys priorities, she said she was pleased with the outcome for now.

We need to do everything we can to make this courthouse welcoming to all, she said.

Link:
Judges complain it's unsafe, unsanitary outside King County ... - The Seattle Times

ANTIOCH For several weeks, there he was power-washing moss-covered benches, clearing weed-filled areas and painting faded sidewalks.

No paycheck and no directive; just the driving force of sense of community pride.At just 20 years old, Michael Pohl is a clear self-starter.

A 2015 Antioch High graduate, he already owns his business and is highly motivated to help better his native city.

Pohl is like the Little Engine that Could.

I believe in doing things 100 percent or not doing it all.

Becoming self-employed, though, wasnt really the plan. After graduation, he worked for a school photography company and quickly made his way through various departments. In less than a year, he filed paperwork for Michael Pohl Photography.

Ive enjoyed photography ever since I got my first camera in elementary school, he said. I really got serious about photography in high school (he was yearbook editor) and fell in love with portraits.

While hes building his business, he donates countless hours to photographing events, functions and his city.

And, at just 20 years old, Pohl is the youngest member of the Antioch Rotary Club, a Chamber of Commerce ambassador, and second chair for Antioch Highs Linked Learning Advisory Board.

He also manages two Facebook pages: The Beauty of Antioch Project and the Antioch Photography Group.

Hes spurred to volunteer because he wants the place I live and work to be a better place. Im so tired of hearing: Well, this is Antioch. What do you expect? And I cant wait to leave.

Back to all that downtown curb appeal.

City Manager Ron Bernal is grateful to Pohl.

After meeting with the Downtown Merchants to discuss ways to improve the riverfront area, the response was very positive.

(Michael) really took things to heart and decided he would do what he could to make downtown shine, Bernal said.

What I appreciate most is hes the type of leader who gets out there and does the job at hand, whether anyone joins him or not. He does it with enthusiasm, energy and a huge smile. Hes not looking for recognition, but goes about (the work) with the attitude of service and just trying to do his part to make things a little bit better.

Rotary Club member Milanka Scheiderman is also a fan.

Michael has always been a positive person, who is helpful to others when asked. He is willing to take pictures at no charge for our club, and volunteers frequently in this capacity.

He embodies the Rotary concept of service above self, (and) has been a valuable member of our club and the entire community. City Manager Ron Bernal and Mayor Sean Wright both mentioned Michael in their State of the City speeches. We couldnt be prouder of our youngest member for making a difference in so many ways.

Pohl feels everyone can help in a variety of ways.

If everybody did a little, nobody would have to do a lot. Pick up trash on your walk. Imagine if all 114,000 people picked up one piece of trash each day versus one person picking up 114,000 pieces

A long-distance runner in high school, Pohls in it for the long haul.

I get a strong sense of community pride from my efforts. In 50 years, I want to know I did everything I could to make (it) a better place and know I played a part in helping the Antioch become just a little bit nicer.

Reach Trine Gallegos at TrineG@att.net.

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Young Antioch photographer cleans city, builds business - East Bay Times

A Seattle, Wash., councilman implied that a new effort to clean excrement off the side walk outside the local courthouse could be racist Tuesday.

The crime and smell of urine and excrement have gotten so bad outside a King County courthouse that two judges are scrambling to find ways to fix the situation,reports the Seattle Times.

Seattle councilmember Larry Gossett isnt a fan of one solution to power wash the feces sidewalks to tamp down on the smell. Power washing the sidewalks is too reminiscent of civil rights activists being hosed down, he said.

The area around the courthouse is surrounded by a homeless shelter and other social service organizations. Multiple assaults, harassment and drugs have been reported to the police in the area near the courthouse. Jurors have taken to asking judges to release them from jury duty and two jurors have been assaulted over the past two months.

When they come to this courthouse theyre afraid to come in, said King County Sheriff John Urquhart. Theyre afraid to walk down Third Avenue because what they see.

Urquhart is asking for an $8,000 increase in budget from the King County Council to have deputies patrol the street. There is public urination, defecation. Thats a crime, Urquhart said. There is smoking marijuana in public.

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Seattle Councilman: Cleaning Poop Off Sidewalks Is Racist - The Daily Caller

Kids, employees dig in to help bees, butterflies at Great River Energy

Great River Energy has launched a project to re-establish 9 acres of native, pollinator-friendly habitat on GREs Elk River campus, located along Highway 10.

Matisse Hahn planted some prairie plants at Great River Energy. She is with Elk River SustainER, a youth Energy City program.

On June 22, approximately 20 people, including kids from Elk Rivers SustainER program, planted the first of nearly 11,000 starter plants that will be planted at GRE in Elk River. Their work was part of a celebration of the prairie planting that will re-establish the native habitat that pollinators like bees and butterflies need to survive.The event came during National Pollinator Week and after the 9-acre plot of land was recently seeded with a cover crop by Minnesota Native Landscapes, the planting vendor for the project.The project is being developed by Great River Energy together with Elk River Energy City and the Minnesota Department of Transportation, as it is along one of Minnesotas most heavily traveled highways.Kandace Olsen, GRE vice president and chief culture officer, said GRE has been re-establishing native habitat for years at many of its facilities.This time we chose a highly visible location along Highway 10, where approximately 27,000 Minnesotans drive by every day, Olsen said. We feel this location is an excellent opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of native habitat and our commitment to sustainability.Kids from SustainER share that commitment to sustainability, and three of them participated in the June 22 planting.SustainER is a youth group coordinated by the city of Elk River for students interested in promoting environmental sustainability.GREs pollinator planting event fits in nicely with our objectives, said Eric Hoskins, co-president of SustainER.The project began last year with a lawn treatment and spraying last August. Since then, the lawn has been prepped and seeded with a cover crop of oats, rye and grasses. Bre Bauerly, outreach coordinator for Minnesota Native Landscapes, said this conversion of traditional turf lawn to diverse pollinator prairie is creating extremely valuable habitat in an urban setting.The new planting area will provide food for adult bumble bees and native moths, host plants for monarch butterflies, and shelter for pollinators and songbirds alike, she said.Great River Energy, Elk River Energy City and MnDOT all have made commitments to re-establishing native prairie.Over the years, Great River Energy has re-established approximately 200 acres of native habitat at its facilities.Last year MnDOT joined five other state departments of transportation and the Federal Highway Administration in an agreement to improve pollinator habitat along Interstate 35, a key migratory corridor for monarch butterflies.Elk Rivers Energy City plan includes a goal of seeing 100 acres of new native plantings in the city by 2024.The city of Elk River, as Energy City, is excited to showcase the success of Great River Energys native planting area, said Amanda Bednar, Elk River citys environmental coordinator. This project is a great start toward reaching our goal. We hope it can serve as a demonstration of the benefits these plants will provide to pollinators.For more information about this project, visit greatriverenergy.com/elkriverbees.

Q & A

Q: Why is Great River Energy planting pollinator-friendly habitat at the Elk River campus?A: Re-establishing native, pollinator-friendly habitat is a unique opportunity to contribute to the nationwide effort to restore pollinator populations while also supporting the Minnesota Department of Transportation and the city of Elk River Energy City in their goals to do the same. Its location along U.S. Highway 10, one of Minnesotas most heavily traveled roads, will also create a visible educational tool.

Q: What is a pollinator?A: Pollinators, such as honeybees, butterflies, hummingbirds and bats, assist plants in reproduction by transferring pollen, allowing those plants to produce berries, nuts and other foods important to the survival of many wildlife species and the human food supply. The ecological service pollinators provide is necessary for the reproduction of more than 85 percent of the worlds flowering plants, including more than two-thirds of the worlds crop species.

Q: What do you mean by native, pollinator-friendly habitat? Why is it important?A: Native habitat refers to the plants, grasses and trees that originated in an area before they were replaced with roadways, manicured lawns, crops and non-native gardens, or degraded for other reasons. Pollinator-friendly habitat more specifically refers to those plants and flowers that pollinators need to eat, live and do their work. Recently there have been many reports of a steady decline in the population of pollinators. This decline is due in large part to the loss of the habitat they need to survive. The habitat that will be re-established at GRE in Elk River will provide a home for pollinators in the area, and a great stop for migrating monarch butterflies on their way to Mexico where they winter.

Q: Where will the pollinator habitat be located on the Elk River campus?A: Most of the front lawn that is visible from U.S. Highway 10, which includes approximately 5 acres of GRE property and 4 acres of Minnesota Department of Transportation property, will be prairie.

Q: What will the prairie look like?A: Within a few days of seeding, the oats and rye (a cover crop) begin to sprout, which greens the lawn to some degree. Prairie habitat typically takes three to five years to fully establish. However, the existing irrigation system in the lawn will help establish the prairie more quickly than usual. The planting will include a mix of grasses and flowering plants. Black-eyed Susans and purple coneflowers are common in this type of planting.Source: Great River Energy

Link:
Mainstreams: Bringing back the bees - Star News

Chris Lehourites, Ap Sports Writer

Djokovic considers a break from tennis after Wimbledon loss

LONDON (AP) Novak Djokovic is considering a break from tennis, with surgery on his injured right elbow now a possibility.

The 12-time Grand Slam champion, who has won three Wimbledon titles, retired from his quarterfinal match against Tomas Berdych at the All England Club on Wednesday. He said his elbow has been giving him problems for a year and a half.

"It's not a time and place for me to talk about the details," Djokovic said after pulling out while trailing 7-6 (2), 2-0. "I'm just going to talk with specialists, as I have done in the last year or so, try to figure out what's the best way to treat it and to solve it, to find a long-term solution."

At the end of his news conference, speaking in Serbian and translated through an interpreter, Djokovic alluded to the fact he could end up taking a long break.

That would be a first for Djokovic, who has been one of the best players on tour for about a decade. He won the first of his six Australian Open titles in 2008, and won four straight majors from the 2015 Wimbledon tournament through last year's French Open.

He hasn't won one since.

"The specialists that I've talked with, they haven't been really too clear, mentioning also surgery, mentioning different options. Nobody was very clear in what needs to be done," Djokovic said. "Yeah, I guess the break is something that I will have to consider right now."

Djokovic had a relatively easy run to the quarterfinals at Wimbledon this year. His opening match ended early when his opponent, Martin Klizan, retired with an injury. He then won his next three matches in straight sets. But in the fourth-round win over Adrian Mannarino, Djokovic called for a trainer during the final set.

And after the first set against Berdych, he again called for a trainer to check his right arm.

"I was able to perform up to this stage. But as I've said, it was only getting worse," Djokovic said. "Unfortunately today was the worst day. Probably the fact that I played yesterday, kind of days adding up, as I've said before, it wasn't helping at all."

Djokovic complained about the schedule on Tuesday after playing his match against Mannarino a day after it was originally scheduled. Playing two days in a row certainly didn't help, but Djokovic said he did everything he could to get ready for Wednesday's match.

"I spend probably about two hours, 2 hours today, on the table in between the warmup and match, trying to do everything I possibly could to make me fit," Djokovic said. "But it wasn't to be."

___

More AP tennis coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/apf-Tennis

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Djokovic considers a break from tennis after Wimbledon loss - Thehour.com

Living in New England not only means amazing sunsets and some of the best seafood in the country, but it also means living with tick season. From spring to winter being outside near brush, tall grass, or woodpiles poses a risk of coming home with unwanted pests attached to you or your clothing. In the past, ticks were a bit of a nuisance but in recent years they have increasingly become a source of disease causing illness and even death in pets and people.

Pest Pros in Pocasset are experts when it comes to ticks prevention. Theyve been serving Cape Cod and the South Coast since 1999. From assessing yards to staying up to date with treatments to rid your property from ticks and prevent them from entering. 70% of us are pet owners and rightfully concerned about the health and safety of our furry friends. Pest Pros see that reflected in calls they receive especially with the recent invasion of Lone Star Ticks and Deer Ticks on Cape Cod. We definitely get a lot more calls about spraying for ticks. Part of the reason is how effective the treatment is. They know it will work. But mainly its health. We see people more concerned about diseases now. It is a real health concern, said Kenny Hermenegildo, General Manager of Pest Pros. In fact, cases of Lyme disease have tripled in the US since the late 1990s. Staying safe is more important than ever.

With ticks, it is no longer just Lyme disease. Experts warn of the increase in tick-borne Powassan virus, which was found in Eastern Connecticut this past November, when a previously healthy male infant of just 5 months developed fever and vomiting. This potentially life-threatening virus is carried and transmitted by three types of ticks, including the deer tick that transmits Lyme disease.

Prevention

If you know youre going to be in a wooded area or an area with tall grass, its important to do what you can to prevent tick bites. Wear long trousers and closed toed shoes. By reducing the amount of skin available youll reduce the chances of a tick finding its way onto you. Ensure that your pet has a tick repellent such as a collar, drops, or medication.

Check Yourself

I always stress check your yourself, check your clothes, and check your pet before you even come in the door. Make sure you didnt pick up anything while you were out, said Hermenegildo. One South Coast woman took her dog for a walk and before coming in found 10 ticks on the dog after less than an hour outside. The threat is real and we cant stress enough you have to be mindful of them, said Hermenegildo.

Make Your Yard Unattractive

There are certain conditions that are condusive to ticks. You can do your part to ensure that your pet has a home that is not a tick friendly zone. We always recommend that customers make their yard as unattractive as possible. Remove litter, clear tall grass, mow the lawn frequently, remove clutter of any kind such as trash, wood piles, and yard debris, discourage unwelcome animals such as skunks, deer, etc, and finally place a 3 foot barrier of wood chips or gravel around the perimeter, said Hermenegildo.

Treat your yard for Ticks Pest Pros are leaders in treating yards for ticks and mosquitos. Treating a yard for ticks involves spraying a fine particle treatment into the tall grass and brush around the edges of the lawn. This creates a barrier that will stop ticks from entering your lawn. This makes it a very popular service at Pest Pros. The number one reason people call us for tick treatment is concern for health. Its no longer just a nuisance issue. Theres a real desire to keep yourself and your pets safe, said Hermenegildo. The treatment is fast and pet friendly. Your pet will be able to be outside as soon as its dry usually within an hour.

If youre part of the 70% who own a pet, its more important than ever to keep your pet safe from what could be a deadly tick bite. Spraying your yard is easy and effective. Contact Pest Pros today for an absolutely free home visit and inspection. They are more than happy to access your yard and help keep your pet safe from ticks this summer.

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How to Keep Your Pet Safe from Ticks - CapeCod.com - CapeCod.com News

Thanks to recent rains, fire ant mounds are popping up in lawns across the state. An Alabama Extension entomologist says what appear to be new mounds have been around for probably several months at least.

"Just because you don't see fire ants doesn't mean they aren't there," said Dr. Kathy Flanders, who is also an Auburn University entomology professor. "When it is hot and dry, colonies don't build the high mounds we are all familiar with.

"But when the rains come, they resume mound building and that's why they seem to pop up overnight."

She adds that understanding fire ants, Solenopsis invicta, is key to managing them. "Usually people work too hard, spend too much money and use too much chemical to control fire ants, but it's really easy to control these things if you understand their biology."

Colony basics

Most fire ants in Alabama live in highly territorial single-queen colonies, which may produce on average about 40 mounds per acre. However, in some portions of Alabama, fire ants live in multiple-queen colonies, which are more tolerant of each other and may produce in excess of 200 or even 300 mounds per acre. A colony contains around 300,000 worker ants. The queen ant lays all eggs, and only queens can perform this function.

"When a queen is in full form and has worker ants to help her, a queen can lay up to a 1,000 eggs per day," Flanders said.

The worker ants forage for food, build mounds and protect the queen. When a queen dies, the entire colony will die because there will be no replacements for older workers.

Fire ant baits

Flanders recommends homeowners use fire ant baits as their primary means of control.

Fire ant baits are small particles that contain both a soybean oil food attractant and active ingredient for ant control. Following the bait packaging instructions, homeowners should spread the bait over their entire lawn. The ants will pick up the bait and bring it back to the nest, passing it between colony members including the queen.

"With this method, you take advantage of the ants' normal behavior because they will be foraging for food anyway," Flanders said.

The bait method usually will control 90 percent of fire ant colonies. It is effective and inexpensive at $10 to $20 per acre. Flanders also said the bait is the safest method for children, pets and the environment.

Many people do not understand fire ant biology and try to control the insects using individual mound treatments. Treating individual mounds can be costly and may not offer good control.

First, not all colonies have a visible mound. This means that homeowners will miss treating some colonies. Also, worker ants will often move the queen ant, eggs and larvae away from danger. Worker ants will move the colony if they perceive a threat to the queen or colony and reestablish in a different area. While individual mound treatments may kill worker ants, they are not as effective as the bait method in killing the queen.

"If we miss the queen, we haven't controlled that colony," Flanders said. "Once we kill the queen, we kill the colony."

Two-step method

Flanders said a two-step method that combines bait treatment of an area with spot treatment of nuisance colonies that move into the bait treated area is an effective control strategy. Learn more at http://www.aces.edu/go/752.

"I don't want you to work too hard to control fire ants," she said. "I don't want you to spend too much money, and I don't want you to use too much insecticide.

"That's why baits work for me."

Information on products currently available to treat fire ants in Alabama can be found at http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-0175-A/ANR-0175-A.pdf.

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Fire ant mounds popping up after recent rains - Randolph Leader

Smart Talk

Smart Talk is a daily, live, interactive program featuring conversations with newsmakers and experts in a variety of fields and exploring a wide range of issues and ideas, including the economy, politics, health care, education, culture, and the environment. Smart Talk airs live every week day at 9 a.m. on WITFs 89.5 and 93.3.

Listen to Smart Talk live online from 9-10 a.m. weekdays and at 7 p.m. (Repeat of 9 a.m. program)

Host: Scott LaMar

Like the flap of a butterfly's wing generating a typhoon a half a world away, a warmer than average winter has led to a seemingly random consequence. Warmer winters allowed oak trees to generate more acorns which allowed more mice to produce bigger litters in the spring, more mice carry more ticks. And more ticks create a broader vector for Lyme disease.

7,351 Pennsylvanians had confirmed cases of Lyme though the CDC estimates the actual number to be nearly 10 times higher. The disease is caused by a bacterial infection transmitted by ticks. Symptoms include fever, rash, lethargy, muscle pain and loss of sensation and movement. If left untreated, the infection can linger for months leading to chronic motor and sensory impairment, physical pain and mental distress.

While Lyme disease has a presence throughout the entirety of the United States, 99% of reported cases occur in the Northeast with Pennsylvania being the epicenter. Between the lush forests of the Commonwealth and the draw of outdoor activities, ticks have an abundance of hosts to choose from - both feral and human.

On the Monday edition of WITF's Smart Talk, we discuss Lyme disease with a young woman who contracted it and has been battling its effects for two and a half years. Samantha Perry was sidelined her freshman year at Penn State when the infection overwhelmed her with pain and exhaustion. She and her mother, Carrie, joined Project Lyme to spread awareness of the disease.

Samantha and Carrie Perry - Project Lyme

We'll also speak with Dr. Loren Robinson, Deputy Secretary for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention at the Pennsylvania Department of Health about the state's efforts at vector control and prevention. Dr. Chris Turnpaugh, founder of the Turnpaugh Health and Wellness Center in Mechanicsburg, will parse out the signs and symptoms of the disease as well as treatment techniques.

Dr. Loren Robinson - Deputy Secretary for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Pennsylvania Department of Health / Dr. Chris Turnpaugh - Founder, Turnpaugh Health and Wellness Center

emails

- I was diagnosed with Lyme Disease. I am among the lucky folks. But I was diagnosed early because of my dog-YukiOnna. She was limping one day one paw second day another paw and so forth for over a week.

So being confused went to Vet. It is called "ghost pawing" and a classic sign of Lyme in dogs. Vet put her on medication. So I then went to my doctor as I had a bite mark-itchy but not bullseye. I was tested positive.

Went on medication and till this day no serious consequences-VERY LUCKY. I do believe that because I was diagnosed very early-due to my dog I came out on the lucky side.

Just an interesting aside that those who have pets need to also keep eye on their pets. - Sabina

-Has there been any thought given to bringing back the Lymrix vaccine discontinued in the late 90's? Some people had problems with it, but I got the series of three shots and experienced no long term effects.. - Art, Harrisburg

-One of your guests said there was no spray for ticks. I get a lawn treatment for fleas and ticks. Does this mean that this treatment is not effective? - Ken, Camp Hill

-On the angle of patients not being listened to, and we as the patient or the parent having to often do our own research and find out what's going on FOR the doctors, I'm curious to know how the medical community responds to us having to do this for them? Having special needs kids, I have to do this all the time. I have a daughter that I am fairly convinced has Lyme. I have all the backing of my own research, but I can't get a doctor to believe me because I don't have an MD behind my name, and I don't have the means to seek the help of a private lab. How do we get the medical community to start listening to us and working with us instead of against us? - Valerie, Lancaster

-What is in place for families who have loved ones suffering with the many facets of this disease, but do not have the financial resources to seek the additional services that would bring them better health? Some families are barely able to put food on the table and meet the basic needs of the family, much less cover the "out of pocket" costs needed to bring back good health. - Jan, Hershey

-I am very surprised you had some ineffective Lyme information on the program. Lyme disease is full of quack treatments, such as massage, homeopathic medications, and so forth.

Instead research the CDC, Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins, Penn State's urban entomologist, the University of Connecticut, and other science based resources. - Cindy

Visit link:
PA at center of Lyme disease outbreak - witf.org