The Hidden Bedroom Pest

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Posted on 22nd December 2011 by socialchange in Animals |Medical

Bedbugs (called Punaise de Lit in France) are a big problem all of a sudden recently. Bedbugs are small parasites that live anywhere they can feed on humans, but they are most often found in bedding such as a mattress or futon. Bedbugs live on blood that they suck out of your body while you sleep. They can cause sores, bleeding, itching, and also transmit disease. If you have lots of tiny itchy bumps or unexplained wounds on your arms and legs (or other places), you might have bedbugs.

Most of the time people pick up bedbugs from a hotel or motel or hostel, where the pests climb into their luggage or hitch a ride on the people themselves. Bedbugs are a real problem for landlords and hotel or motel proprietors so they try very hard to prevent the pests – but nobody’s perfect. It only takes one or two bedbugs to cause an infestation because like so many other household pests, bedbugs are incredibly prolific and they reproduce quickly. Even if there is no evidence of the bugs themselves, they could have still laid eggs in bedding, luggage, or clothing which will later hatch into a colony of bedbugs to continue the infestation.

If you stay in a hotel, motel or hostel, or with a friend who you suspect might have an infestation, do not put your luggage or clothing under the bed. This is the single biggest mistake most people make. Leaving suitcases or dirty clothes on the floor can even be a problem so it’s best to put your bag up on a chair or stand and make sure to put your dirty clothes in a plastic bag or back into your luggage right away. When you get home, unpack right away and wash all of your clothes in hot water – this will kill any eggs or bugs that have hitchhiked in on your soiled items.

If you have bedbugs you have to call an exterminator right away. You are probably not going to be able to eliminate any infestations on your own. The procedure is time-consuming and difficult and it’s easy to miss a step or make a small mistake that will result in you not completely eradicating the colony or even just a few eggs. It only takes one or two eggs to cause the whole problem all over again.

To check for bedbug bites you should carefully check your body when you bathe. It is unlikely that you will find an actual bug on your body but you will find evidence that they’ve bitten you overnight and the shower or bath is the best time to notice such a thing.

If you have to try and get rid of an infestation on your own you can try sealing up your mattress in plastic, washing all bedclothes in hot water and drying them on a high temperature, and thoroughly clean any carpet or rugs that are near your bedding. If you successfully seal off the mattress from any air you should kill all the bedbugs and their eggs. But your best course of action is still to call an exterminator.

Horse Liability Insurance

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Posted on 12th December 2011 by socialchange in Animals |Insurance

Finding cheap horse liability insurance (günstige Pferdehaftpflicht is the german word for this) can be difficult, and one may wonder whether it is worth insuring at all. Truth is, you never do know when your horse might be responsible for property damage or an injury to a person or another animal. Any horse owner would be familiar with the unpredictability of horses and the damage they are able to cause on a daily basis to fences and floats. If you’re lucky, these incidents will be of a minor nature and will only cause damage to your own property rather than anyone else’s.

Many riders use the roads without thinking of the consequences. Imagine your horse becoming started by a passing car and bolting, causing a traffic accident. You could quickly find yourself responsible for the costs of vehicle repairs as well as medical costs for anyone involved.

Similarly, have you considered what would happen if your horse were to kick someone as they walk or stand nearby? Many people are not aware of how dangerous horses can be, and will happily approach them or stand behind them without realising what could happen. Even the most well trained horses can become startled at times. Most horse owners will be familiar with the force with which a large horse can kick – What would you do if you found yourself in a situation where your horse kicked another person, and they decided to sue for damages? While we all like to believe our horses would never do such a thing, such incidents can and do happen more frequently than we might like to admit.While you may not think you are at fault in such a case, the person on the other end of your horse’s kick may feel otherwise, and once again may find yourself responsible paying for medical costs should your horse cause an injury.

Horses are often involved in large events that carry with them another set of risks altogether. To begin with, the horse must be transported to the event, during which time they may cause damage while being locked in the float. Once at the event, your horse will be amongst many other animals and people, not to mention the unfamiliar sights and sounds that may cause the horse to react in an unpredictable manner.

Another thing to keep in mind is that you, as an owner, can be held responsible for your horse’s behaviour even if it is under the control of another person, whether at an agistment facility or riding school, or simply while another person is riding or holding it. In fact, many equine facilities such as these will have you sign a waiver for this particular reason

When deciding on the type of coverage to purchase, it is wise to consider the odds of such an incident occurring. Is the horse living on your own property, or do you agist? Are you the only person to come into contact with your horse, or do others handle or ride it? Do you ride on the roads or within an enclosed arena or paddock? Do you often take your horse to large events or perhaps a pony club? Do you own one horse or many? All of these factors will help you to decide on the most suitable level of coverage for your horse.

The most important thing to remember is that while the likelihood of your horse causing damage may be minimal, the costs that you could incur should such an incident occur could be more than you can afford. Cheap horse insurances (Pferdeversicherungen is the German KW for this) are possible to find and well worth the money for the peace of mind a suitable policy can provide.