Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

That name might conjure an image of a bucktooth rodent zooming in a bubble-topped flying saucer to save the world in a kids movie.

The real Gopher X, however, is not the least bit gopher friendly.

Gopher X is also the reason that on a rainy morning in June, Paul Zimmerman of Z Pest Control unloaded his gopher-eradication machine into a vineyard just off Braden Road.

Zimmerman explained that he cant do much pest spraying on rainy days. But the precipitation didnt keep him from cranking on the 6.5-horsepower Briggs & Stratton engine used to eradicate burrowing pests.

It works very well on gophers and voles but not so much on moles, Zimmerman said, noting that fortunately moles dont cause as many problems in gardens. But gophers and voles do. And the latter seem to be on the upswing.

The voles, they seem to follow peaks in cycles for their populations. Zimmerman said. And right now they seem to be nearing high numbers in their cycles.

In the old days, Zimmerman would have set grip traps to catch the varmints. But in 2000, use of most grip traps which clamp onto an animals body became illegal for certain uses in Washington. And, Zimmerman noted, various poisons have also been eliminated over the years because of the threat they pose to humans.

But there is one odorless and colorless gas that is quite deadly, and as common as a combustion engine.

It turns out carbon monoxide, or common engine exhaust, is just as deadly to rodents as it is to humans. And the Gopher X engine is designed to pump the carbon monoxide it produces into a gopher hole via a tube attached to the exhaust pipe.

Paul Zimmerman of Z Pest Control operates his Gopher X machine in a vineyard off Braden Road.

Once Zimmerman finds the gopher tunnel, he inserts the tube and cranks on the engine. After three to six minutes of exhaust, he is finished, as are the gophers.

Zimmerman adds color to the exhaust so he can spot it if it vents out through a tunnel opening.

It should be noted that gophers arent always considered pests.

According to the Department of Fish and Wildlife, gopher tunnels can keep the ground from getting compacted. And in the mountains, their tunnels help to collect rain and snow melt, thus reducing runoff and erosion.

In addition, some animals rely on gopher tunnels for shelter, while others rely on the gophers for food.

Some species, like the Mazama pocket gopher on the West Side, are endangered and protected, which means no Gopher X for them.

But the common pocket gopher predominates the East Side of the state. Problems they cause include the destruction of plant roots, damage to underground irrigation lines and unwanted holes in pastures.

Grip traps are still allowed to reduce their numbers. But land owners wanting to use a grip trap must first get a waiver from Fish and Wildlife officials.

Gopher X, however, is legal, and lethal.

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Walla Walla firm's gopher-eradication setup breaks new ground in pest control - Walla Walla Union-Bulletin

TyraTech Inc ( LON:TYRU) has received a big endorsement of its household pest control technology through a licensing deal with a major global consumer company.

The company's intellectual property and household pest knowledge is currently licensed to its US joint venture Envance, but this will now be sub-licensed to the global group.

Tyratechs range of personal care products, including its Vamousse head lice treatments and Guardian range of insect repellents are not included, nor is its range of animal health products.

Bruno Jactel, chief executive, said it was an excellent endorsement of TyraTechs technology by one of the largest consumer products companies in the world.

Although the agreement is not expected to be transformational in terms of profitability, it provides us with further confidence in the significant value of our IP and knowhow and the potential and value of our Animal Health and Personal Care portfolios."

Jactel added it will be a benefit in three ways: First, through the sharing of technology, joint ownership and access to any new intellectual property developed; secondly through a small share of the profit Envance makes and an additional upfront cash fee of US$500,000.

Finally, TyraTech will receive a fee for research and development services in line with the terms of its existing agreement with Envance, a joint venture between American Vanguard Corporation (NYSE:AVD 86.67%) and TyraTech 13.33%. AMVAC is also a 15.15% shareholder in TyraTech.

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Tyratech Inc gets major boost as global group licenses pest control ... - Proactive Investors UK

Fresno Bee

Bugged by pests? Here's how to find a good company to control them Fresno Bee Action Line: Weather can play a huge role in pest issues and many of us are experiencing critters where we haven't previously. Don't be tempted by a cheap price. You would be wise to look beyond the low price to find a responsible pest control ...

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Bugged by pests? Here's how to find a good company to control them - Fresno Bee

The annual competition raises funds for New Hope for Kids, a Central Florida charity.

ORLANDO, Fla. Truly Nolen participated as part of Team Yellow in the 24th annual Mascot Games June 17-18, at Amway Center in Orlando. The team captured second place on both days of the event. Captain Fear, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers mascot, won Day Two of the two-day competition. Other Team Yellow participants included Knightro of the University of Central Florida Knights, Jaxson de Ville of the Jacksonville Jaguars, ThunderBug of the Tampa Bay Lightning, and Lil Red of the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers.

On both days of the competition, Team Yellow was led onto the arena floor by the Truly Nolen Mouse Limo, and fans in Truly Nolens section went home with backpacks and Team Yellow placards. With the Day 1 title on the line Friday, Lil Red was defeated by Team Greens Tommy Hawk of the Chicago Blackhawks during the Joust, one of the many fun events on tap each year. Sponsored by the Orlando Utilities Commission, Team Green also won Day 2 this year while Team Yellow settled for second again; however, Team Yellow did win the Lip Sync contest on Day 1 and Dodgeball contest on Day 2.

Mascots from MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL, ECHL, MLS and NCAA were divided into four teams as they competed against each other in wild and zany games to determine the true champions of the mascot world.

All proceeds from the Mascot Games Presented by Wawa benefit New Hope for Kids, which provides support to children and families grieving the death of a loved one, and grants wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses in Central Florida. Since its inception, the event has raised more than $500,000 for New Hope for Kids.

"Our Central Florida service enjoy participating in the Mascot Games each year and the monies raised go to a worthy cause," said Toby Srebnik, public relations and social media manager, Truly Nolen Pest Control. "In addition, our mouse limo makes an entrance at the Amway Center each and every year that is TRULY second to none!"

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Truly Nolen Participates in 2017 Mascot Games - PCT Magazine

Many people think trees and shrubs take care of themselves. After all, theyre heartier than grass, right?

Its important to remember, though, that the suburbs do not provide the same kind of environment as a natural forest. Just like your lawn, trees and shrubs need the right combination of nutrients in order to thrive. Our specialty injections and root feeding programs ensure that your trees and ornamental plants are healthy and strong, so you can enjoy their presence for years without having to worry about replacing them. Read more about our tree and shrub care services below.

You can nourish and protect your trees and shrubs for a fraction of their replacement cost with Spring-Greens tree and shrub care programs and services.

Spring-Green utilizes a deep root feeding method of a pressurized soil injection to deliver important nutrients into the plants root zone.

Tree trunk injections can allow your Spring-Green team to provide nutrients that are essential for your tree care, or to fight certain types of leaf diseases or insects.

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Tree & Shrub Care - Spring Green

Starting trees from seed can be one of the most rewarding gardening activities, but tree seeds often require a little more preparation than many common flower or vegetable seeds.

In most cases, there are two ways to start tree seeds: The natural way, which often includes sowing the seeds in the fall, or through forced or assisted germination, which is initially done indoors.

Seeds have been sprouting and trees have been growing for an awfully long time without any help from humans. The natural way to germinate tree seeds, then, is to allow nature to take its course. Most seeds, when sown in the fall without any pre-treatment, will begin to germinate the following spring. Be sure to sow the seeds at the recommended depth. If the seeds are planted too deep, this could delay or inhibit the spring germination process. With some seed varieties you may see germination spread over two or three years with some seeds germinating in the first spring and others taking longer to break dormancy and germinate.

It is important to remember that many species originated in cooler climates where seeds drop to the ground and are covered by leaves in the fall. Over the winter, the seeds remain bedded in this cool moisture environment. As the warm spring weather arrives the seeds then begin the germination process. For many types of seeds, the embryo inside the seeds is immature and unable to germinate (this is called dormancy) until it matures in this manner. The delay in the germination process is vital to the survival of many tree species. In a natural forest, if seeds germinated immediately upon falling to the ground in late summer or fall, the tender seedlings would die off during the cold winter.

Although natural germination is an acceptable way to start most tree seeds, sometimes better and more consistent results can be achieved through forced or assisted germination. Basically, it means using various techniques to mimic the role nature plays in causing tree seeds to germinate.

There are several techniques that may be involved to force the germination of any given tree seed. Please carefully read the recommended steps listed on each individual seed package.

Many seeds require one or more treatment steps to stimulate the germination process. The three steps are: 1) Scarification, 2) Cold Stratification, and 3) Warm Stratification. Keep in mind that not all seeds require all of these steps. In fact some seeds do not require any pre-treatment whatsoever.

Scarification is the process of reducing or breaking the seed coat so that moisture can penetrate and the embryo can begin the germination process. Scarification is commonly required on seeds with dense or hard seed shells. Many tree seeds do not require any scarification, and for those that do, the most common treatment is a simple water soak.

Hard seed coats can be broken down by a) a water soak, b) a physical or mechanical breaking of the seed coat, or c) a chemical or acid treatment (not commonly required).

a) Water soak: Pour water over the seeds and let them soak for the recommend time, often 6 to 24 hours. Most water treatments are done using room temperature water. It is best to use a glass container for soaking the seeds. Some seeds may require hot water as per instructions. Follow the above noted directions, using water at the recommended temperature.

b) Physical/Mechanical: Using a small file or sandpaper, rub the outside of the seed coat to reduce its density or to nick the seed coat so that moisture can more easily penetrate to the embryo. Take care to avoid damaging the seed embryo.

c) Chemical (Acid) Wash: The chemical wash method of scarification is generally used by commercial growers for select seed varieties and is often not required for home gardening purposes. If you are attempting it, you may want to consult a more detailed protocol and follow these basic guidelines: 1) Wear goggles and protective clothing. Wash immediately if any is spilt on your skin 2) Use a large glass jar or vessel 3) Place seeds in the dry glass container 4) Add the sulphuric acid concentrate at a volume about twice the volume of the seeds 5) Stir the mixture with a glass rod 6) Periodically check the seed for coat thickness by extracting a few seeds and cutting in half with pruners. Even in the same lot, the coat thickness may vary from seed to seed. 7) After soaking the seeds, decant acid and seeds through a screening device and wash for 5 to 10 minutes under cold water 8) Spread the seeds on a paper and allow to dry at room temperature. - be sure to spread the seeds out so that they do not clump

Stratification is the process of mimicking the natural over-wintering process by exposing the seeds to cool, moist conditions. The easiest way to undertake the stratification process is:

1) Take a few handfuls of peat moss and soak it in water until it is saturated 2) After soaking, use your hands to squeeze out as much water as possible 3) Place a layer of the moist peat moss in the bottom of a zip-lock plastic sandwich bag 4) Place the seeds on the layer and fill the rest of the bag with the peat moss 5) Seal the bag closed 6) Store the sealed bag in the bottom of the refrigerator for the appropriate stratification time.

During the cold stratification process, occasionally check the seeds for signs of early germination. If the seeds begin to germinate in the refrigerator, remove them and plant as normal.

After the prescribed stratification time in the refrigerator, remove the seeds and sow them in the normal manner.

The warm stratification step is designed to mimic the seeds summer dormancy when it is often imbedded in warm damp soil or mud. For warm stratification, follow the same steps outlined in cold stratification, except place the zip-lock bag in a warm location at or slightly above room temperature for a target temperature range of about 72 to 86 degrees F. (Often placing the bag on top of the refrigerator achieves this.)

During the warm stratification process, occasionally check the seeds for signs of early germination. If the seeds begin to germinate, plant as normal.

Seeds may be sown into individual containers or into seed trays. It is important to ensure that the seeds are planted at the recommend soil depth. Most tree seeds are planted much shallower than other annual seeds, but it typically depends on the size of the seed. Please follow the directions on each seed packet for appropriate planting depth. The seeds should be sown in a well-drained medium, such as a mixture of peat moss and vermiculite.

When sowing the seeds, fill the container or seed tray to about inch form the top with the moist medium (soil). Level the medium by gently shaking or taping the container.

For larger seeds those over a 1/3 of an inch tall, press half the seed into the medium. For smaller seeds, sprinkle them lightly over the surface of the soil. Cover the seeds with a fine layer of sand to a depth about the thickness of the seed.

After planting the seeds, gently water them and keep them moist but not wet. Maintaining high moisture and relative humidity is critical to germinating seeds. You can increase the humidity by enclosing the seed tray in a plastic tent. Be sure to poke some holes in the plastic cover to ensure adequate air circulation. Keep the trays in a warm but dimly lit location.

Germination can be as quick as a few days or as slow as several months, depending on the species and the environmental conditions. Once the seeds germinate, move the seedlings to a brighter location. You may need to nurse the seedlings indoors for a few months before planting outdoors. Try to give the young plants as much sun light as possible.

Link:
How to Grow A Tree or Shrub From Seed from TreeHelp

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Nation's Restaurant News

The Telegraph

North Macon restaurant closes, construction on new eatery begins The Telegraph An Italian restaurant that opened five years ago at The Shoppes at River Crossing has closed, and another restaurant is preparing to open. Orlando, Florida-based Buca di Beppo closed its restaurant Sunday at 5080 Riverside Drive, said a company ...

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North Macon restaurant closes, construction on new eatery begins - The Telegraph

Want your home to look its best? You should consider our professional pressure washing services. By power washing your deck, siding, driveway, and other exterior areas around your home, you can quickly and effectively remove built-up dirt, sediment, and other debris. This not only helps the areas look beautiful, but it can also reduce wear and tear by getting rid of mold, algae, chalk, insects, weeds, and more. Such build-up will, over time, break down and cause damage to wood / masonry and degrade paint / stains.

Other benefits to pressure washing:

You may be tempted to pressure wash your own home, but the truth is it can be a costly, frustrating, and time-consuming endeavor. Most pressure washers cost $100 per day to rent. You will also have to travel to the rental location, stand in line, get the machine ready, clean the machine, refuel the machine, and return it by the deadline. Instead, contact Mr. Handyman, and we will arrive with the machine, as well as all of the other necessary equipment and detergents / degreasers, and expertly clean the area for you.

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Pressure Washing Services for Your Home - Mr. Handyman

TAMPA Both men killed Thursday at the Big Bend Power Station in Apollo Beach were using pressure washers moments before lava-like slag gushed out of a tank and burned them, according to preliminary reports released Saturday by the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner.

The reports do not list an official cause of death for either man, but both were "covered in slag," the reports said.

Molten slag can reach temperatures of more than 1,000 degrees. Officials for Tampa Electric said workers were trying to unplug the clogged tank when the accident occurred.

RELATED: In an instant, molten slag gushed over workers at Tampa Electric power plant

Both Michael McCort, 60, a senior plant manager, and Christopher Irvin, 40, a contract employee, died at the scene. Five others were transported to Tampa General Hospital.

Pressure washing is one of two common ways to clean out the inside of a slag tank, said Walter Godfrey, the president of Fire/Reconstruction Consultants Inc. in Cape Canaveral, which investigates fires and explosions.

"It's like using a sandblasting unit, except you're using water instead," he said.

McCort's family declined to speak with reporters. His daughter, Heather McCort, posted on Facebook Saturday morning that her father lost his life "helping others and being a hero."

"The world lost such a wonderful man, husband, grandfather and friend," she wrote.

Irvin's family also declined to speak with a reporter Saturday, saying they were in mourning. Irvin was never married, but was a father to one child and was expecting another, the medical examiner wrote. He worked for Gaffin Industrial Services in Riverview, one of Tampa Electric's contractors at the plant.

In 2007, a Gaffin employee was killed in White Springs while using a power washer to clean the inside of a hot-well tank, according to an investigation by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The worker accidentally clipped his leg with the stream of water, which was so powerful that it cut his femoral artery. Gaffin was fined $35,000.

Four workers injured at the Tampa Electric plant remained in the hospital Saturday with life-threatening burns: Antonio Navarrete, 21, and Armando J. Perez, 56, both of Wimauma; and two Tampa men related by marriage, Frank Lee Jones, 55, and his stepson, Gary Marine Jr., 32.

RELATED: Father and stepson both severely injured in Tampa Electric Co. accident>

Marine and Jones worked for Gaffin, like Irvin, the Times reported Friday. Navarrete and Perez worked for BRACE Industrial Group, the Times reported, along with an unidentified fifth worker, who was treated at the hospital and released.

McCort was the only worker who was a Tampa Electric employee.

Family members for the surviving workers could not be reached or declined to comment Saturday.

Tampa Electric spokeswoman Cherie Jacobs said the company could not release new information about the accident Saturday. "This is a very complex investigation and we are unable to provide updates," she said.

Two investigators from OSHA have started an investigation that could last six months.

Times staff writer Taylor Telford contributed to this story. Contact Sara DiNatale at sdinatale@tampabay.com or (727) 893-8862. Follow @sara_dinatale.Follow @sara_dinatale.

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Report offers glimpse of deadly accident at Tampa Electric power plant - TBO.com