Archive for February 7th, 2008

Don’t Let The Bed Bugs Bite

Thursday, February 7th, 2008
by Sadie Bedgegood

“Good night, sleep tight”. When you have bed bugs in your home, this simple sentiment can seem little more than a faraway dream.

Bed bugs have a history that’s hundreds of years old. As far back as medieval times and classical Greek history, there are documents of these creatures.

It’s certainly uncomfortable trying to sleep in an infested bed, but the real discomfort happens when you wake up. The bites can cause redness, swelling and itch, but bed bugs are not able to transmit disease. Perhaps the greatest amount of grief comes with the shameful stigma associated with having bed bugs in the home. Many people believe that a bed bug infestation is detrimental to a relationship and may cause psychological strain.

Of course, bed bugs can cause both mental and physical anguish. The real mystery, however, lies in the best way to deal with the bugs and treat their bites.

Bed Bug Bites

The bite of a bed bug will first appear as a welt, not unlike a mosquito bite. This will eventually become a red mark. The marks last for up to five days and, unlike the random appearance of mosquito bites, will appear in an orderly pattern.

Unique Characteristics of Bed Bug Bites:

* Bite marks in an orderly pattern

* Irritation, inflammation and destruction of localized tissues

* Delayed or immediate allergic reactions

Bed bugs bites cannot transmit harmful diseases, and their medical significance is limited to the basic itching and inflammation. Immediate treatment for the affected areas should involve a thorough washing with soap and water. Scratching is strongly discouraged, as this can lead to an infection that may require more advanced medical aid. Another recommendation is to treat the affected area with ice or an herbal remedy to help speed the healing process.

Herbal Treatments

Herbal remedies can be successfully used to control infection and treat pain and itching. These applications can also help to improve symptoms, correct imbalances, increase energy and boost the immune system. Of course, keeping your body strong is important in promoting better overall health and quality of life.

Chinese herbs are advantageous when used in conjunction with other herbal remedies, depending on the status of the bed bug bite. Treatments that combine an optimized herbal mixture are highly effective in treating illnesses and addressing symptoms.

The following herbs can be used to treat bed bug bites:

Plantain: Known as the band-aid plant, pig’s ear and ribwort, this herb is commonly found growing wild in parks, playgrounds and even driveways. There is a series of five parallel veins that run on each leaf that characterize this herb from others. A narrow leaf plantain has long, thin leaves, with a small flower head that looks similar to flying saucer. A broad leaf plantain has a taller seed head and long, thin leaves. Some members of this plant family have leaves and seeds that may be eaten as food and used as medicinal treatments.

Mud: The simplest and oldest poultice known to mankind is plain old mud. A bed bug bite can be soothed with powdered white clay that has been mixed with herbal tea. Clay can be successfully stored for a prolonged time, as it is unlikely to contain fungal spores. Painful, severely itchy bites caused by bed bugs and other insects may also be treated with bland starchy substances such as arrowroot powder, grated potato and mallow root, or finely ground grains such as oatmeal or rice.

Fresh Herb Poultice: These are slightly more complicated to prepare than other herbal treatments. The fresh herbs should first be chewed, and then applied directly to the bed bug bite. For maximum effect, the poultice can be covered by an adhesive bandage or large leaf to keep it in place.

Some of the more popular choices for fresh herb poultices are:

* Chickweed - Stellaria media

* Comfrey - Symphytum uplandica x

* Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum)

* Wild mallow - Malva neglecta

* Yellow dock - Rumex species

Natural Leaves: The best natural leaves to treat bed bug bites are those that come from maple, oak, willow and hazel trees. If you can’t positively identify these leaves, don’t chew them. The safest and most easily recognized are the leaves of maple and oak trees. Do not chew leaves with a slick or shiny appearance, and don’t use the leaf as a treatment if you’re not sure where it came from. If you chew a leaf and it tastes bitter, spit it out right away.

You can still have a good night, even when bed bugs bite. These remedies can take away the pain and itch and help you rest a little easier.

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Earn A Good Income By Investing In Real Estate

Thursday, February 7th, 2008
by Jacques Coquerel

Television and Internet commercials about strategies on making money in real estate abound in our late night viewing and Internet surfing today. The common question on people’s mind now is how exactly can they join and earn an income by investing in real estate. Investing in real estate is pretty much like other types of investment wherein the investor will purchase a property to be sold later for a higher price.

For example, when you purchase stocks today, you can sell it later to make profit when its value has already risen. Like stocks, you purchase real estate property today to appreciate in value so that you can sell it at a higher price later to make profit.

Your success in real estate investing depends on the strategy you use to purchase a property as low-priced as possible and sell it as high-priced as possible. Seasoned investors have found various strategies to achieve this. These different strategies are what they’re offering to people to help them earn income in real estate, too.

One strategy is to buy property that’s priced below its market value then resell it at a higher price. The difficulty comes in finding houses that are priced low. Even if you’re able to negotiate a lower purchase price, you might only make a few thousand dollars in profit, tops. If you’re investing in real estate just to make a living, then this isn’t a bad strategy. However, if you’re investing for riches, you need a strategy that will yield more than a few thousand dollars in profit.

Buying foreclosed homes can prove to be a profitable strategy for real estate investing. Since foreclosed homes are auctioned off, it’s possible to purchase the home for a price that’s much lower than the market value. This is especially true if the owner’s had a considerable amount of equity in the home. Assuming the property doesn’t require any major repairs; foreclosures are a great opportunity for making money in real estate investing.

Another strategy to make money in real estate is with tax lien certificate. If property owners cannot meet their property tax obligation, the government will issue a tax lien certificates for those properties, which an investor could buy for profit. It is a win-win solution for all three parties: the property owner, the government, and the investor.

The government gets its tax payment on-time - paid by the investor - the property owner is given a grace period to pay his obligation, and the investor is given a chance to earn in two ways through the tax lien certificate that he bought.

The tax lien certificate gives the investor the right to earn a much higher interest rate compared to other investments; this interest rate is mandated by law. But the most exciting thing about it is that if the property tax will not be paid during the grace period given to the owner, the investor is given the chance to purchase the property at a bargain price.

Knowledge in other forms of investment is a good start when you want to try real estate investment - although it’s not necessary. Real estate investment is not as difficult as people might think; it closely resembles other forms of investment. All you need is the basics of investing and the rest you need to learn will follow when you’re doing the actual investing.

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