Other names include panther, American lion, fire cat, screamer, yuma puma, Florida panther and painted cat.
Cougar is the largest cat in the Americas. It is the largest of the small cats.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Facts about Cougars (Puma Concolor) - The Fourth Biggest Cat in the World
A cougar (or also called as puma, catamount, mountain cat, or mountain lion) is a large tan colored cat. It holds the Guinness record for the animal in the world with the highest number of names (40 names in English alone!).
Other names include panther, American lion, fire cat, screamer, yuma puma, Florida panther and painted cat.
Cougar is the largest cat in the Americas. It is the largest of the small cats.
Other names include panther, American lion, fire cat, screamer, yuma puma, Florida panther and painted cat.
Cougar is the largest cat in the Americas. It is the largest of the small cats.
How to Stop Rats and Mice From Entering Your House
Keep the windows and doors of your home closed at all times if possible. Although mice and rats are active at night but they can enter through your open windows and doors during the day when they are under real pressure to find shelter and food. Cover or fill any holes or gaps around your home that are 0.635 cm or larger. The rib cages of rats and mice can be flatten to fit through very small gaps and if their head can fit through, their body can follow. Mice can fit through an opening as small as 0.635 cm and rats can fit through an opening as small as 1.27 cm.
Remove all food sources. Rats can eat the same food as we do (fruits, snacks, cakes, fats, oils that have been spilled, grains, rice, vegetables, oats, and many more. Dont leave pet food outdoors. Use birdfeeders with trays and clean up spilled seeds. Dispose of rubbish promptly and keep your bin lids tightly closed. Any covers or plugs used should be rodent-chewing proof.
Watch for signs of rat infestation, such as chewed boxes or droppings. Before you go to sleep, you can try coating your floor and counter tops with a thin layer of talcum powder and look for tracks the next day in order to determine where the rats are coming in.
You can set traps in the places where you see their droppings or other signs of infestation. Before you do this, be extra careful especially for those who have pets or young children. Make sure all these traps are out of reach from young children, you can place them inside the cabinets instead of placing them on floors or counters.
Wear gloves when removing a trapped rodent. After that you should wrap it in a bag and then place it in the garbage outside. Traps should be remain in places for a few weeks, so that you make sure there are no more rodents in the house. Do not try to trap a mice with a rat trap or vice versa.
Facts About House Lizards, or the Common House Geckos
A house lizard is also called a gecko (or Asian house gecko). Native to the southern Asia, house lizards are named so because they are found mostly on the ceilings and walls of human home.
These small geckos grow to a length of about 7.5 to 15 cm and live for about 5 years. It has a concave forehead with a long snout. Geckos also have large eyes but without eyelids. They have broad padded toes without webs and an elongated tail that tapers toward the end. The color of their body varies between grayish white to pale yellow.
They are found in Indonesia, Thailand, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Mauritius, Andaman Nicobar Island, Taiwan, Bangladesh, Somalia, Polynesia, Phillipines etc. It was introduced to other countries like Brazil, Mexico, Australia, United States, Eastern Africa etc.
Geckos may be nocturnal but these small lizards rely on light – they eat insects that are attracted by light. They like to stay motionlessly under artificial light in order to hunt down insects.
They can withstand cold climate, they can even withstand hotter months as well. House geckos like to take shelter around structures in crack and crevices.
House geckos are considered by many as friends, not foes. They keep our houses safe from spiders, cockroaches and other insects. They are also harmless and are not venomous. In fact, in Spanish they are called “housecleaners”.
When they feel threatened, geckos will run back to their shelter. Like many geckos, this species will leave its tail when alarmed or grabbed by the tail – it does this as a defense mechanism. A new tail then grows back later.
When gecko drops its tail, the tail will keep wriggling around on the floor so that the enemy can be distracted while the gecko makes its escape. They also produce a high-pitched call or squek when alarmed.
Geckos have several hundred thousand fine hairs on their toes which allow the animals to ‘stick’ to most surfaces including glass and mirrors. And for that reason a house gecko can impressively walk along walls and the ceiling to hunt down insects.
Teflon is the only known surface to which this small lizard cannot cling.
These species will usually attain their sexual maturity in one year. In order to attract the females for mating, the male geckos will produce a sound.
Common house geckos are popular among pet owners because these animals are very small, inexpensive, harmless, and relatively easy to keep in captivity.
These small geckos grow to a length of about 7.5 to 15 cm and live for about 5 years. It has a concave forehead with a long snout. Geckos also have large eyes but without eyelids. They have broad padded toes without webs and an elongated tail that tapers toward the end. The color of their body varies between grayish white to pale yellow.
They are found in Indonesia, Thailand, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Mauritius, Andaman Nicobar Island, Taiwan, Bangladesh, Somalia, Polynesia, Phillipines etc. It was introduced to other countries like Brazil, Mexico, Australia, United States, Eastern Africa etc.
Geckos may be nocturnal but these small lizards rely on light – they eat insects that are attracted by light. They like to stay motionlessly under artificial light in order to hunt down insects.
They can withstand cold climate, they can even withstand hotter months as well. House geckos like to take shelter around structures in crack and crevices.
House geckos are considered by many as friends, not foes. They keep our houses safe from spiders, cockroaches and other insects. They are also harmless and are not venomous. In fact, in Spanish they are called “housecleaners”.
When they feel threatened, geckos will run back to their shelter. Like many geckos, this species will leave its tail when alarmed or grabbed by the tail – it does this as a defense mechanism. A new tail then grows back later.
Geckos have several hundred thousand fine hairs on their toes which allow the animals to ‘stick’ to most surfaces including glass and mirrors. And for that reason a house gecko can impressively walk along walls and the ceiling to hunt down insects.
Teflon is the only known surface to which this small lizard cannot cling.
These species will usually attain their sexual maturity in one year. In order to attract the females for mating, the male geckos will produce a sound.
Common house geckos are popular among pet owners because these animals are very small, inexpensive, harmless, and relatively easy to keep in captivity.
How to Repel Cockroaches Naturally
Cockroaches are a high risk pest to have in your home as these dirty insects carry a range of serious illness such as dysentery, salmonella, and gastro-enteritis and typhoid. Although cockroaches are large in some parts of the world, the ones in your house are usually small. The problem is they generally hide during the day, and therefore if you cant find any of the insects in your place, it doesnt mean they are not there.
Facts About Formosan Termites
Like other subterranean termites, Formosan termites also have 3 forms – alates (swarmers), soldiers and workers. However, identification requires only the study of the soldiers and alates. The Formosan termite soldiers are identified by their head, which is a teardrop shape and brown-orange in color. The Formosan termite alate is 12 – 15 mm long with a yellowish-brown body.
The soldiers have white bodies and curved mandibles. Another characteristic is that when attacked, Formosan termites will secrete a milky white substance from their head. Their wings are also covered in hairs. Soldiers comprise about 10% of the colony.
Formosan termites are also called as the “super termite”, this is because they are more destructive and aggressive than their relatives. A single colony may contain several million individuals whereas other subterranean termite species only several hundred thousand). They also have the ability to consume wood at a rapid rate. A mature colony may consume as much as 13 ounces (about 400 g) of wood a day and can seriously damage a structure in as little as 3 months.
In the United States, this species is commonly found in the following Southern States Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee, Louisiana, Virginia, Souh Carolina and North Carolina. However, they have also been found in Arizona, Texas, Hawaii, and California as well. Formosan termites are in fact originated from southern China to Formosa (Taiwan, where it gets its name).
Formosan termites feed on wood and paper products (like all termite species). They can infest and destroy otherwise healthy trees. They also have been known to attack over 49 plant species, and even some non-cellulose objects like plastic, rubber, soft metals, asphalt, mortar and creosote when looking for moisture and new food sources.
Formosan termites are most visible during their annual mating flight. Queens can produce 1,000 eggs a day.
The nests that Formosan Termites create are called “carton nests”. They use wood and soil cemented together with their feces and saliva to build these nests, within walls. These nests house thousands of Formosan termites as well as hold moisture. Large cartons can actually cause walls to bulge. Once established, these termites can live indefinitely without soil contact.
What makes Formosan termites different from other subterranean termites is that they make their carton nests that resemble packed cardboard inside a wall and in many cases you can find entire walls full of this “carton” material.
Formosan termite control begins with eliminating sources of moisture both outside and inside of your home. Inside, homeowners should reduce humidity in areas such as crawl spaces, basements and attics with proper ventilation.
The soldiers have white bodies and curved mandibles. Another characteristic is that when attacked, Formosan termites will secrete a milky white substance from their head. Their wings are also covered in hairs. Soldiers comprise about 10% of the colony.
Formosan termites are also called as the “super termite”, this is because they are more destructive and aggressive than their relatives. A single colony may contain several million individuals whereas other subterranean termite species only several hundred thousand). They also have the ability to consume wood at a rapid rate. A mature colony may consume as much as 13 ounces (about 400 g) of wood a day and can seriously damage a structure in as little as 3 months.
In the United States, this species is commonly found in the following Southern States Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee, Louisiana, Virginia, Souh Carolina and North Carolina. However, they have also been found in Arizona, Texas, Hawaii, and California as well. Formosan termites are in fact originated from southern China to Formosa (Taiwan, where it gets its name).
Formosan termites feed on wood and paper products (like all termite species). They can infest and destroy otherwise healthy trees. They also have been known to attack over 49 plant species, and even some non-cellulose objects like plastic, rubber, soft metals, asphalt, mortar and creosote when looking for moisture and new food sources.
Formosan termites are most visible during their annual mating flight. Queens can produce 1,000 eggs a day.
The nests that Formosan Termites create are called “carton nests”. They use wood and soil cemented together with their feces and saliva to build these nests, within walls. These nests house thousands of Formosan termites as well as hold moisture. Large cartons can actually cause walls to bulge. Once established, these termites can live indefinitely without soil contact.
What makes Formosan termites different from other subterranean termites is that they make their carton nests that resemble packed cardboard inside a wall and in many cases you can find entire walls full of this “carton” material.
Formosan termite control begins with eliminating sources of moisture both outside and inside of your home. Inside, homeowners should reduce humidity in areas such as crawl spaces, basements and attics with proper ventilation.
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