Wanda Lam our expert of the day, writes:

So you want to know how to kill bed bugs?  Bed bugs are a big problem for many people.  If you think you are being victimized by these pesky little creatures, then you may have already obsessed about getting rid of them. Killing these guys and destroying the eggs they lay is the only way to get your life back to normal. Bed bugs are pests that hide inside your mattress and box spring during the day as well as in the cracks and crevices of your bedroom floor and walls…  While you are asleep at night, they crawl out of their favorite hiding places and feast on your blood. 

V.K. Melhado our expert of the day, writes:

Few plants evoke more attention than an orchid; once so rare and costly, their exclusive reputation still renders them precious. Orchids in a living room immediately seem to lift the area into another dimension of luxury and ease of living. Many orchids will only have one bloom open at a time, yet people can gaze and appear mesmerized for several minutes whilst absorbing the intricate details of the bloom.

It is only fairly recently that people have thought about growing their own orchids, yet already ‘orchid societies’ have grown up all over North America to give advice, to offer orchid ’swaps’ and encourage the growth of them. If you have ever thought of growing and displaying your own orchids, then it is advisable to put them in an east or north window as they prefer bright, filtered sunlight. South windows are best shaded for orchids.Orchids do not grow in soil, but rather in charcoal, fir bark, cork or stones.

Eric Wills our expert of the day, writes:

Are you tired and worn out at the end of a hectic day? This has become a common problem today with people becoming increasingly busy with their work schedules. In this mad rush to achieve success the one thing that we have left behind is family bonding. Today it is common to see members of a family heading out to different directions to cool off and relax. Bonding with family is very important and we must not sacrifice that at the cost of being successful professionally. The one thing that can help you connect better with your family is a swimming pool. The advantages of installing a swimming pool are numerous and until you actually have an above ground swimming pool installed in your house you will never be able to enjoy the fun completely. Just make sure that you are getting the swimming pool installed from reputed dealers like Blue World Pools.

Bill Garlough our expert of the day, writes:

However, the recent adverse weather could put a damper on much of the merriment. Our world’s shifting weather patterns have made it challenging for grape growers across the globe. Locally, with the recent rainstorms and flooding, I was concerned about its impact on Illinois wine production.

Harvest forecast

Overseas, it has been very difficult for grape growers. France experienced a cold, wet summer and had widespread attacks of vine mildew, translating into lower production this year.
South Africa and Argentina also have repeated poor harvests. Parts of Australia have suffered from a very hot, dry growing season and fires. The resultant ash will dominate their grape juice with notes of smoke and bacon.

Paul Duxbury our expert of the day, writes:

Compost can act as a great fertilizer, enriching the soil with organic materials rather than making use of chemicals that can do more harm than good if used badly. Composting is a great way to save money as well. Using compost requires that you completely mix it into the soil, reducing compaction and providing oxygenation to the soil. Compost can help plants stay healthier, and that contributes to their ability to repel diseases and survive insect attacks. A healthy landscape can be achieved with a little help from composting.

It is critical to note that composting does require a little extra work. The mound needs to be turned, and you need to make certain that you have adequate break down of the items in your compost pile. You need to be selective in what you put in your compost: it ought only be items that will break down naturally. Plant matter (including pulled weeds) and various foods are excellent in compost and will add to the health of your soil, and so to your landscape over all. There is no reason, though, that your compost pile needs to be a true pile. A bin can help you better hold your compost and preserve it from being spread across your compound in a smelly mess by animals or a really ferocious downpour.

Vera Pappas our expert of the day, writes:

Roses are one of the most beautiful flowers in the garden. They can also be one of the most difficult to grow. Caring for roses may take some time, but the rewards are worth it. There are many, many different types of Roses. Tea, Grandiflora, Floribunda, Old English, Ramblers, Climbers, Miniature, etc. Many of the newer hybrid varieties will bloom off and on throughout the growing season, while others have one spectacular show, with intermittent flowers later on. The “Knock Out” variety rose is a vigorous grower with fantastic flowers all season.

Roses have very particular needs. Roses need a minimum of 6 hours of sunlight per day. They also like light, well drained soil. The soil around their roots should be kept loose by cultivating often. This brings necessary oxygen to the roots of the plants. They also like to be fed a good organic fertilizer regularly and mulched around the base of the plant to help keep the roots cool in the heat of summer and warm in winter.

Chanaka Dunuwila our expert of the day, writes:

Home owners with large yards probably find normal lawn care equipment to be inadequate to meet their needs. Large yards are one of the primary reasons why people upgraded from push mowers to riding lawn mowers, as they could cut the same area of yard in a much shorter timespan. If you’re a lawn care professional or simply like to take care of your yard, then commercial lawn care products are perfect for getting the job done quickly. Professionals will find this equipment absolutely necessary for their job, although home owners may wish to save some money on the products they buy.

Durability is the Key
Commercial lawn care products are generally much larger and more durable than their consumer counterparts. They are designed for professionals who need to do a lot of work in a reasonable amount of time, and they need to last so businesses don’t spend too much time or money repairing them. Also, you can find more targeted approaches to taking care of problems. Consumer products generally tend to have broad focuses, like generic “pest control” products. Professional lawn care products have entire lines of tools dedicated to pest control, and they generally target specific types of pests, like termites, Japanese beetles, or grubs. Commercial lawn care products are marketed on quality and not the brand producing them.

Michael Clark our expert of the day, writes:

Have you ever wondered why organic lawn care is talked about so much at garden centers and lawn care product stores? Or have you wondered why you would want to use organic fertilizer instead of the standard man-made fertilizer?

I wondered that for many years as well, until I started researching the benefits of organic lawn care. Now that I have done my own researched and talked to many different people in the lawn care industry, I will always use organic products on my lawn. And I will do so not only because it is better for the environment, but because in the long-run it is much better for my lawn and will make it so I actually
don’t have to do as much yard work.

Many people think that if they pay someone $400 a year to spread fertilizer and weed killer on their yard that their yard should look great. However, if they do not pay attention to the quality of their soil then they will never have the yard they dream about, and the grass will literally be greener on the other side (i.e. the neighbors yard you always envy).

Anthoney Grigsby our expert of the day, writes:

It didn’t take long for the 143 million pound recall of frozen beef to begin an E-Mail circulation that probably hit your Inbox as well as mine. Last month, I received an E-Mail taking on a humorous outlook on our food industry only three days after the recall story was reported.

Can’t eat beef, Mad cow

Can’t eat chicken, Bird Flu

Can eat eggs, Salmonella

Can’t eat pork, Trichinosis

Can’t eat fish, Water Poisoning

Can’t eat fruits and veggies, Insecticides and Herbicides

I believe that leaves CHOCOLATE!!!!

Of course chocolate isn’t an option because that, too, comes from the cocoa bean plant as well as does damage to our dental work.

But right when you think it ends there, it doesn’t. Just two days, Michigan-based Meijer Inc. recalled over 2,000 pounds of their “Discover Cuisine” frozen dinners for possible contamination of listeria, a microorganism that can cause illness or death. The good news is there’s no need for a worldwide alert, this only affected four states. The bad news is what is happening to our food supply?

Vicki Duong our expert of the day, writes:

If you’re a Gene Kelly fan like me, you relish the days and nights when it rains and run to find your old yellow rain slicker and umbrella and head to the closest light post to do your rain dance. But if you live in Southern California (again like me) where it doesn’t really rain all that often, your Gene Kelly moments are quite limited. However, there are a couple creative ways for you to get your “Singin’ in the Rain” moments on no matter what season it is.

The first method and probably one of the funnier ones is to suit up in your rain slicker and umbrella on a hot summer day and set off your neighborhood’s local fire hydrant. Even though you may be looked upon strangely for dancing around in the middle of the street in front of the fire hydrant, wearing a rain slicker, the neighborhood kids might appreciate the strong spray of water. As fun as this method may sound, you should consider it a temporary method because someone is surely bound to call the fire department to shut off the water.