#alternative pest control

[pestcontrolecolatermite]

Different Termite Species Require Different Solutions

Do you suspect a termite problem? Before you can solve it, you’ll need to know what type of termites you’re dealing with so you can get the right treatment.

What do all termites have in common? They’re incredibly destructive, eating 24/7, year-round. They eat wood, tree roots, paper, and cardboard. By the time you notice them, they’ve already started doing damage. That damage usually isn’t covered by your homeowners’ insurance, so an infestation can also eat through your finances. Ignoring termites could cost you tens of thousands of dollars.

Drywood and subterranean termites are the two species we encounter most. Treating them requires different approaches.

Drywood termites, known as “above ground” termites, nest inside the wood they’re eating. They’re hard to detect and you won’t notice damage just by looking at it. Termites can be inside wood for five years without showing evidence of being there. They don’t eat paint, so try pressing painted wood to see if it crackles.

Other signs include discarded wings and droppings that look like coffee grounds or salt and pepper. The shade of those droppings will generally match the color of the wood they’re feeding on.

Fumigation is one option to get rid of dry wood termites. Eco-friendly, non-chemical alternatives include heat or electricity treatments.

Subterranean termites are a different story. They live underground and come up to feed on your home and tree roots. They can cause significant structural damage, even to the point of collapse.

Underground colonies get as large as 2 million and mud tunnels can be as high as 6 feet tall! Because they’re out of sight, subterranean termites could be building tunnels and feeding on your home for years. Even though their nests are underground, they’ve been found as high as the sixth floor of buildings.

Subterranean termites love moisture: Leaks in walls, rotting wood, and condensation are all very attractive to them. Fumigations don’t work on subterranean termites; you’re going to need a soil treatment. Visit: www.ecolatermite.com

 We recommend placing monitoring stations around your home — not bait stations, which could draw termites closer to your home. After inspecting the monitoring stations, we’ll suggest treatment options and the next steps for eliminating that colony.

Whether dry wood or subterranean termites, you can’t get rid of them on your own, and delaying treatment will cost you more in the long run. Your best chance of escaping termite damage is prevention and early detection, including expert inspections of the attic and sub-areas. The good news is that many reputable, professional termite inspections are free, so you have nothing to lose.

Thank you for joining us today! Please like, share, and subscribe so you never miss another pest control tip.

[farmerstrend]

Study reveals invasive Apple Snail could spread further in Africa

New research led by CABI and including the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) reveals that the invasive Apple Snail – which threatens rice crops – could spread further in Africa. A team of researchers from CABI’s regional centre for Africa in Nairobi, working with KEPHIS, suggest that South West along Tana River, Western Kenya and areas coastal areas are suitable for Apple Snail…

[biosblades]

1.) I’d rather have cats keeping mouse populations under control over people leaving poison out, which is way more harmful to the environment and other animals

2.) Some places are safer for cats than others. Busy roads or places with a lot of predators are good reasons to keep your cat inside. But it’s up to the individual owners to assess their circumstances and make an informed decision

3.) Letting your cats out is not inherently neglectful. Done right, it’s actually safer for them. A cat that’s determined to escape WILL get out, and they’re safer if they’re supervised, familiar with the environment, brought in at night, know how to get back in, have the skills to fend for themselves, trained to come in when called, are wearing a tracker, etc, etc. It’s the same way teaching your kid to swim is better at preventing drowning over a lifetime than banning them from going to pools as children

4.) Same thing with vaccinating your cats, fixing them, and knowing how to patch them up. They’re much better off being medically prepared to be out than getting out anyway and being way more vulnerable to health threats

5.) Cats have different personalities. Some are happy exclusively indoors and would hate being outside, others are not satisfied indoors at all. Some cats are happier/healthier indoors, but others are healthier/happier with access to the outside. It’s again up to individual owners to make a decision based on the specific circumstances, not just black and white

6.) If you embrace the cat’s natural instincts rather than trying to suppress them, you can actually teach cats to hunt mice/rats specifically. Again, it’s not about it’s always right/wrong to let cats hunt, it’s about being intentional with whichever choice you make

7.) Cats in homes are better than cats on the street. All the arguments you’ve listed are larger threats with larger stray populations than with a well cared for cat being allowed outside in a controlled way. That cat that you advocate for re-homing despite having a home would be taking that home from another cat who needs it way more

8.) The blanket claim that all cat owners who let their cats out are unqualified is not only misleading, it’s actively harmful. It’s not realistic to be all or nothing. Do you also think all farm cats should be re-homed?? Reminder that farm cats are typically feral and not determined to be good candidates to be adopted as pets, so the alternative is them being strays. Are you anti tnr too?? It’s not the perfect solution so why bother at all??

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, overdramatic accusations do more harm than good. Calling people abusive/neglectful for making an informed decision about their pets both waters down the impact of calling out ACTUAL abuse and negatively impacts those pet owners and their pets. Maybe find a way to actually concretely help cats (or local bird populations if that’s your bigger concern) rather than being nasty (in a naive way, no less) on tumblr

Friendly reminder to "outdoor cat" proponents that the common housecat (felis catus) is on the list of top 100 most dangerous invasive alien species and are listed as a worldwide threat.

Friendly reminder that the common housecat (felis catus) are credited with the extinction of at least 33 species of wildlife globally, primarily birds, small reptiles, and rodents.

Friendly reminder of all the hazards that exist out in the world including diseases, other animals, humans, cars, environmental dangers, and so on.

Friendly reminder that domesticated species are not suited to natural environments and can not support or defend themselves.

Friendly reminder that negligence is a form of animal cruelty.

Keep your cats indoors. I don't care that you think your cat is so much happier outside. I don't care that you think he's living a fuller life by being able to massacre local fauna. Either keep him inside and enrich him properly like a good pet owner, or rehome him to someone who can and never own an animal again. This is non-negotiable.

[fatuismooches]

Angst time :3 💕

The Traveller takes down several Fatui resources to cripple them, specifically Dottore's channels since he is currently the biggest threat so far between the Eleven, he had presented himself as someone cunning and wouldn't stop for anything for his research. Rigid and unreasonable unless there is a bargaining chip.

The Traveller spares nothing. From the Traveller partnering up with Beidou to sink multiple Fatui vessels carrying materials. To going after the many, many Fatui stations in Sumeru with Dehya and Candace.

The Traveller did so in hopes of making Dottore more agreeable, he won't listen to anything unless control has been taken from him.

It works, but not in the way the Traveller had anticipated.

Dottore laid down arms not because of his experiments slowing down to a mere crawl, no - it's because his lover's condition has grown severe.

All those channels the Traveller had pruned? They had the materials needed to create the medicine his lover needed on a daily basis.

All those rare cultivated materials, gone. Either lost to sea or set ablaze. Ever since the cut-off, Prime himself and his segments have been scrambling to look for alternatives in Snezhnaya until they could get a hold of the proper materials.

But it is not enough, his lover his rapidly deteriorating and he could only stall it.

What has the Traveller done...? Unwittingly holding the Second Harbinger's heart hostage by chance. They can now make their demands, but - the Traveller is certain that Dottore will soon retaliate once this crisis is over.

The Doctor was not a man to mess with.

Well, any normal person wouldn't mess with any of the Harbingers in general, but it's no surprise that Il Dottore is especially on this list, taking into account his sheer strength, along with intelligence and cleverness that was hard to find elsewhere. The Traveler was no stranger to this, considering everything that went down in Sumeru as well as the numerous other deeds the Harbinger had done. Not to mention they remember how tough the Knave was, they couldn't fathom what Dottore was capable of. So although this isn't their usual course of action, they don't hold anything back. It's a lot of work, so much, to even cause a dent in the Harbinger's operations considering how many steps he is ahead of them. The blonde almost thinks it's all for nothing. Until it's not.

It is quite strange - one would think you would need to outwit Dottore with a superior mind, but instead, he falls due to his heart, something most people think is absent from the Harbinger. The Traveler had heard of you only a few times, all when they were eavesdropping on other agents. Every time they hear a whisper about the person called [Name], they believe it to be mere rumor and gossip, for it is that ridiculous. The Doctor having a lover? The Doctor having a partner he genuinely respected and loved? Who would ever believe that?

It's not until now the Traveler realizes it's no rumor. Childe is the one who ends up telling them, because there was no way Dottore would admit his weakness to them. From the Eleventh's expression and their heart, the blonde knows they've done something very, very, wrong. But how could they have known? How could they have known a man as cruel as the Doctor would care for another as well?

Regardless, the Traveler may be temporarily ahead, but anyone could guess that Dottore doesn't take any sort of aggression against you lightly in the slightest.

(You fluttering in and out of consciousness, waking up to blurry sights of a new segment every time. When they notice your blinking eyes, they simply place a hand over your eyes and a kiss on your forehead, motioning you to go to sleep once again so the pain is more bearable. You beckon for them to squeeze your hand tightly, so you know that both of you are still here. The only thing Dottore can promise is that he'll make it better soon. As soon as he deals with some pests.)

[orbital-inclination]

Moltendreams - Error Sans Alias - Static Pronouns: he/him, they/them Personality: Petty, holds a mean grudge, Big Tsundere, Complete Shut-in, Quick Tempered and Moody, fanatic with his interests, externally aggressive when in actuality he is quite shy. An absolute troll. His favorite passtime is messing with others. Paradoxically touch starved and suffers from haphephobia. Reckless with his own well being.

This variant of Error is capable of both love and compassion, he just hides it under a grumpy exterior and several layers of denial and self-destructive dogma. Other Notes:

Reluctant to harm Papyrus directly, though Static can't articulate why, and will generally avoid encounters Papyrus in any given AU.

Had a good relationship with his dad/W.D Gaster, actually.

Relates to "pest" pets; rats, mice, snakes, spiders, beetles, he loves them all.

Would have a pet rat of his own if he wasn't afraid of it shocking itself by chewing on his wires.

His favorite kind of chocolate is mixed with a hazelnut filling.

Views Frisk as a younger sibling.

Into Parkour.

-More Info undercut! -

Abilities: Static uses wire instead of string. Wire and summoned attacks can and do hold an electric charge. His presence alone messes with electronic devices. Residents of a particular AU may get a few minutes or seconds of warning as sweaters get staticy, computer screens glitch out, and anything with a battery spontaneously dies or gets super charged. By creating a circle of alternating RED and CYAN bones, Static creates a sort of reverse faraday cage. While Static can produce electricity, he can't directly control the voltage. He can only hope to direct it. The voltage of a charge is directly influenced by his emotional state. If you touch him, you will find his clothes zappy with static. Do NOT attempt to fight him in humid or watery environments for, hopefully, obvious reasons.

About: Static originates from a pre-Pacifist timeline that was followed by a looping Genocide Route. Through repetitive iterations, and an escalating instability in the timeline, the monsters of the underground began to recall events they didn't witness and memories they shouldn't recall.

Working together, Static, at that point still Sans, and Alphys were able to pin point the root cause of their timeline's instability. They made a plan to save the underground and separate Frisk from the Anomaly but when it came time to execute their plan something went catastrophically wrong. As a result Sans was torn from reality, and caught in the space in-between. Eventually, he escaped but not unscathed. Static has vague conflicting memories of his past, and to this day, questions if any of it was real. He can't find his original AU and secretly fears it may have been the first world he destroyed. He is still looking for it.

Outcode Politics: Static views all outcodes the same way he views every iteration of the original timeline that even slightly deviates: as glitches to be terminated. Bugs in the code he needs to hammer out before it all goes to hell. Static believes that by destroying deviating timelines and AUs, he is preserving the stability of the original. He is “saving’’ it from corruption by trimming the branches back. Despite his position as the self proclaimed Destroyer, Static is not above biases and making exceptions. 

Static includes himself on his long list of glitches in the code to be terminated. Static has a different view on the Spirits of Creation that Fable/Ink does. (Spirits of Creation are the in-universe term and stand-in for the creator of an AU). He calls them eldritch parasites. Abominations that should be avoided at all costs. And absolutely should not be encouraged or interacted with. Though he won't admit it out loud, Static is terrified of them. OG Error @.LoverofPiggies/CrayonQueen) Moltendreams @.me Edit: he has been named! Edit 2: revised his profile a bit

[thedansemacabres]

Introduction To Supporting Sustainable Agriculture For Witches and Pagans

[ID: An image of yellow grain stocks, soon to be harvested. The several stocks reach towards a blurred open sky, focusing the camera on he grains themselves. The leaves of the grains are green and the cereals are exposed].

PAGANISM AND WITCHCRAFT ARE MOVEMENTS WITHIN A SELF-DESTRUCTIVE CAPITALIST SOCIETY. As the world becomes more aware of the importance of sustainability, so does the duty of humanity to uphold the idea of the steward, stemming from various indigenous worldviews, in the modern era. I make this small introduction as a viticulturist working towards organic and environmentally friendly grape production. I also do work on a food farm, as a second job—a regenerative farm, so I suppose that is my qualifications. Sustainable—or rather regenerative agriculture—grows in recognition. And as paganism and witchcraft continue to blossom, learning and supporting sustainability is naturally a path for us to take. I will say that this is influenced by I living in the USA, however, there are thousands of groups across the world for sustainable agriculture, of which tend to be easy to research.

So let us unite in caring for the world together, and here is an introduction to supporting sustainable/regenerative agriculture. 

A QUICK BRIEF ON SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE 

Sustainable agriculture, in truth, is a movement to practise agriculture as it has been done for thousands of years—this time, with more innovation from science and microbiology especially. The legal definition in the USA of sustainable agriculture is: 

The term ”sustainable agriculture” (U.S. Code Title 7, Section 3103) means an integrated system of plant and animal production practices having a site-specific application that will over the long-term:

A more common man’s definition would be farming in a way that provides society’s food and textile needs without overuse of natural resources, artificial supplements and pest controls, without compromising the future generation’s needs and ability to produce resources. The agriculture industry has one of the largest and most detrimental impacts on the environment, and sustainable agriculture is the alternative movement to it. 

Sustainable agriculture also has the perk of being physically better for you—the nutrient quality of crops in the USA has dropped by 47%, and the majority of our food goes to waste. Imagine if it was composted and reused? Or even better—we buy only what we need. We as pagans and witches can help change this. 

BUYING ORGANIC (IT REALLY WORKS)

The first step is buying organic. While cliche, it does work: organic operations have certain rules to abide by, which excludes environmentally dangerous chemicals—many of which, such as DDT, which causes ecological genocide and death to people. Organic operations have to use natural ways of fertilising, such as compost, which to many of us—such as myself—revere the cycle of life, rot, and death. Organic standards do vary depending on the country, but the key idea is farming without artificial fertilisers, using organic seeds, supplementing with animal manure, fertility managed through management practices, etc. 

However, organic does have its flaws. Certified organic costs many, of which many small farmers cannot afford. The nutrient quality of organic food, while tending to be better, is still poor compared to regeneratively grown crops. Furthermore, the process to become certified organic is often gruelling—you can practise completely organically, but if you are not certified, it is not organic. Which, while a quality control insurance, is both a bonus and a hurdle. 

JOINING A CSA

Moving from organic is joining a CSA (“Community supported agriculture”). The USDA defines far better than I could: 

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), one type of direct marketing, consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farm operation so that the farmland becomes, either legally or spiritually, the community’s farm, with the growers and consumers providing mutual support and sharing the risks and benefits of food production.

By purchasing a farm share, you receive food from the farm for the agreed upon production year. I personally enjoy CSAs for the relational aspect—choosing a CSA is about having a relationship, not only with the farmer(s), but also the land you receive food from. I volunteer for my CSA and sometimes I get extra cash from it—partaking in the act of caring for the land. Joining a CSA also means taking your precious capital away from the larger food industry and directly supporting growers—and CSAs typically practise sustainable and/or regenerative agriculture. 

CSAs are also found all over the world and many can deliver their products to food deserts and other areas with limited agricultural access. I volunteer from time to time for a food bank that does exactly that with the produce I helped grow on the vegetable farm I work for. 

FARM MARKETS AND STALLS 

Another way of personally connecting to sustainable agriculture is entering the realm of the farm stall. The farmer’s market is one of my personal favourite experiences—people buzzing about searching for ingredients, smiles as farmers sell crops and products such as honey or baked goods, etc. The personal connection stretches into the earth, and into the past it buries—as I purchase my apples from the stall, I cannot help but see a thousand lives unfold. People have been doing this for thousands of years and here I stand, doing it all over again. 

Advertisement

Farmers’ markets are dependent on your local area, yet in most you can still develop personal community connections. Paganism often stresses community as an ideal and a state of life. And witchcraft often stresses a connection to the soil. What better place, then, is purchasing the products from the locals who commune with the land? 

VOLUNTEERING 

If you are able to, I absolutely recommend volunteering. I have worked with aquaponic systems, food banks, farms, cider-making companies, soil conservation groups, etc. There is so much opportunity—and perhaps employment—in these fields. The knowledge I have gained has been wonderful. As one example, I learned that fertilisers reduce carbon sequestration as plants absorb carbon to help with nutrient intake. If they have all their nutrients ready, they do not need to work to obtain carbon to help absorb it. This does not even get into the symbiotic relationship fungi have with roots, or the world of hyphae. Volunteering provides community and connection. Actions and words change the world, and the world grows ever better with help—including how much or how little you may provide. It also makes a wonderful devotional activity. 

RESOURCING FOOD AND COOKING 

Buying from farmers is not always easy, however. Produce often has to be processed, requiring labour and work with some crops such as carrots. Other times, it is a hard effort to cook and many of us—such as myself—often have very limited energy. There are solutions to this, thankfully:

Many farmers can and will process foods. Some even do canning, which can be good to stock up on food and lessen the energy inputs. 

Value-added products: farms also try to avoid waste, and these products often become dried snacks if fruit, frozen, etc. 

Asking farmers if they would be open to accommodating this. Chances are, they would! The farmer I purchase my CSA share from certainly does. 

Going to farmers markets instead of buying a CSA, aligning with your energy levels. 

And if any of your purchased goods are going unused, you can always freeze them. 

DEMETER, CERES, VEIA, ETC: THE FORGOTTEN AGRICULTURE GODS

Agricultural gods are often neglected. Even gods presiding over agriculture often do not have those aspects venerated—Dionysos is a god of viticulture and Apollon a god of cattle. While I myself love Dionysos as a party and wine god, the core of him remains firmly in the vineyards and fields, branching into the expanses of the wild. I find him far more in the curling vines as I prune them than in the simple delights of the wine I ferment. Even more obscure gods, such as Veia, the Etruscan goddess of agriculture, are seldom known.

Persephone receives the worst of this: I enjoy her too as a dread queen, and people do acknowledge her as Kore, but she is far more popular as the queen of the underworld instead of the dear daughter of Demeter. I do understand this, though—I did not feel the might of Demeter and Persephone until I began to move soil with my own hands. A complete difference to the ancient world, where the Eleusinian mysteries appealed to thousands. Times change, and while some things should be left to the past, our link to these gods have been severed. After all, how many of us reading know where our food comes from? I did not until I began to purchase from the land I grew to know personally. The grocery store has become a land of tearing us from the land, instead of the food hub it should be.

Yet, while paganism forgets agriculture gods, they have not forgotten us. The new world of farming is more conductive and welcoming than ever. I find that while older, bigoted people exist, the majority of new farmers tend to be LGBT+. My own boss is trans and aro, and I myself am transgender and gay. The other young farmers I know are some flavour of LGBT+, or mixed/poc. There’s a growing movement for Black farmers, elaborated in a lovely text called We Are Each Other’s Harvest. 

Indigenous farming is also growing and I absolutely recommend buying from indigenous farmers. At this point, I consider Demeter to be a patron of LGBT+ people in this regard—she gives an escape to farmers such as myself. Bigotry is far from my mind under her tender care, as divine Helios shines above and Okeanos’ daughters bring fresh water to the crops. Paganism is also more commonly accepted—I find that farmers find out that I am pagan and tell me to do rituals for their crops instead of reacting poorly. Or they’re pagan themselves; a farmer I know turned out to be Wiccan and uses the wheel of the year to keep track of production. 

Incorporating these divinities—or concepts surrounding them—into our crafts and altars is the spiritual step towards better agriculture. Holy Demeter continues to guide me, even before I knew it. 

WANT CHANGE? DO IT YOURSELF! 

If you want change in the world, you have to act. And if you wish for better agriculture, there is always the chance to do it yourself. Sustainable agriculture is often far more accessible than people think: like witchcraft and divination, it is a practice. Homesteading is often appealing to many of us, including myself, and there are plenty of resources to begin. There are even grants to help one improve their home to be more sustainable, i.e. solar panels. Gardening is another, smaller option. Many of us find that plants we grow and nourish are far more potentant in craft, and more receptive to magical workings. 

Caring for plants is fundamental to our natures and there are a thousand ways to delve into it. I personally have joined conservation groups, my local soil conservation group, work with the NRCs in the USA, and more. The path to fully reconnecting to nature and agriculture is personal—united in a common cause to fight for this beautiful world. To immerse yourself in sustainable agriculture, I honestly recommend researching and finding your own path. Mine lies in soil and rot, grapevines and fruit trees. Others do vegetables and cereal grains, or perhaps join unions and legislators. Everyone has a share in the beauty of life, our lives stemming from the land’s gentle sprouts. 

Questions and or help may be given through my ask box on tumblr—if there is a way I can help, let me know. My knowledge is invaluable I believe, as I continue to learn and grow in the grey-clothed arms of Demeter, Dionysos, and Kore. 

FURTHER READING:

Baszile, N. (2021). We are each other’s harvest. HarperCollins.

Hatley, J. (2016). Robin Wall Kimmerer. Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge and the teachings of plants. Environmental Philosophy, 13(1), 143–145. https://doi.org/10.5840/envirophil201613137

Regenerative Agriculture 101. (2021, November 29). https://www.nrdc.org/stories/regenerative-agriculture-101#what-is

And in truth, far more than I could count. 

References

Community Supported Agriculture | National Agricultural Library. (n.d.). https://www.nal.usda.gov/farms-and-agricultural-production-systems/community-supported-agriculture

Navazio, J. (2012). The Organic seed Grower: A Farmer’s Guide to Vegetable Seed Production. Chelsea Green Publishing.

Plaster, E. (2008). Soil Science and Management. Cengage Learning.

Sheaffer, C. C., & Moncada, K. M. (2012). Introduction to agronomy: food, crops, and environment. Cengage Learning.

Sheldrake, M. (2020). Entangled life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures. Random House.

Sustainable Agriculture | National Agricultural Library. (n.d.). https://www.nal.usda.gov/farms-and-agricultural-production-systems/sustainable-agriculture

[milf--adjacent]

All these liberals crying and whinging about losing all these government things like it's not a perfect opportunity to start planning and creating alternatives. Social strife creates space for political action. Do more than vote.

Start a breakfast program. Feed some people.

Learn to cop watch.

Protest death penalties.

Start a mask bloc and help prevent the spread of communicable disease.

Talk to working class folks about cooperative childcare.

Figure out how to get HRT to people who can't get it (kinda like Plan C Pills for trans folks).

Community pest control/plumbing/maintainence organizations.

Visit the old folks home every week.

Run a self-defense class.

Organize student organizations.

Start a disaster relief co-op.

Learn to forage and teach others.

Start a guerrilla farming movement.

That's just shit I thought up in the 5 minutes It took me to type and format this post on my janky-ass phone. You and your comrades can probably think of even more and then take action where you live. Do it. Fucking shut up and fight fascism with action instead of wishing you could just ignore it.

[bowelfly]

Honest question from someone who also dislikes "invasive species control that amounts to kill on sight": what do you suggest as an alternative control effort should I encounter say a spotted lanternfly or a spongy moth? I really hate just killing bugs for being in the wrong place. Thanks!

i honestly don't think there is much that any individual person can do. like in general once an exotic species has established in an area there's almost nothing short of a fast and concerted multimillion dollar years-long eradication program that even stands a chance of actually removing them entirely. and this is a rant for another day but generally nobody wants to pay for the kind of program that stands an actual chance of being successful. it doesn't matter how many concerned citizens you convince to go around smashing animals, if even a handful get missed, and many many more than a handful will get missed, the survivors can lay enough eggs and rapidly enough that the population will have no trouble rebounding. the way to eradicate an invasive species, when it's even possible, is through very strategic and large-scale application of pesticides, environmental control, parasitoids, and other integrated pest management strategies.

and that's not even mentioning that the whole smash-on-sight thing requires people to recognize the target and not just smash every bug they see which is also another rant for another day because you would not fucking believe how bad people are at identifying insects like i've had fucking crane flies reported as "murder hornets" (another rant). i genuinely believe that entomology should be a core primary and secondary education subject alongside history and math. the world is mostly bugs and it's important to know at least a little about them. without mass knowledge, the whole campaign just engenders a further generalized fear and disgust and violence towards all insects which is fucking nasty to me.

anyway i'm getting distracted. back to your question, what should you do if you encounter a spotted lanternfly or spongy moth or japanese beetle or whatever? report it to your state's department of agriculture if you live in the united states, or to whatever the equivalent is if you live elsewhere. chances are they're already aware of the infestation in your area but there's always the chance that they're not. with any luck they're one of the few ones that actually has the funding to operate a large-scale control program and are working on it already. again i'm very fatalistic about these things and don't think that eradication is possible in most cases by the time the exotic insect is discovered but at the very least it is often possible to keep the populations in check to the point that they're not an ecological/economic catastrophe using the IPM methods mentioned above--with enough funding. you can kill the bug if you want but smashing one bug or a dozen or a hundred or a thousand isn't going to do shit in the long run or the large scale and it's not the bug's fault that it is where it is.

[andr0nap]

cowboy au worldbuilding with the thoma

as you can see im taking some creative liberties with the giant emu by making them more diverse bc canon isnt enough for me and i have the brainworms

extra notes below the cut

standard thoma:

the original thoma and most common type available

perfect for travel, can pull wagons or carry light cargo

fast with good stamina, fastest over short distances

friendly, intelligent, energetic and quick to learn

the most diverse in terms of colors, patterns and extra traits

well rounded in all departments (theyre like the AQ horses of trigun)

draft thoma:

uncommon outside of major cities (kept by specialized breeders)

used for construction work and long haul heavy cargo transport

gentle, patient and eager to work

not built for speed but can walk for days at a steady pace without rest

dense feather coat protects them from the heat and sand

expensive to maintain and keep due to their size

theyre a relatively new type that came from selective breeding

"wild" thoma:

actually feral (aka. previously domesticated), not wild

originating from lost/runaways that have not been in contact with humans for generations

rare and elusive with a small population, sometimes spotted living near shipwrecks

people will pay top $$ for their capture

begin to exhibit adaptive mutations that help them survive the wastelands

smaller and less fluffy than their standard counterparts

dont come in many colors, mostly bays, chestnuts and blacks

hardy with incredible endurance

very stubborn, temperamental and intelligent, cant be forced to do something they dont want (like donkeys)

rarely ridden, mostly kept for crossbreeding

cattle-type thoma:

related to the standard thoma but NOT the same species

common pack animal in caravans, sometimes ridden as a cheaper alternative to the standard thoma

mainly bred for meat, hide and eggs

kept in huge open range herds that travel along worm swarms for feeding

sometimes kept as a form for anti-worm pest control

keratin crests are lightweight and used for protection and display

ranchers will paint patterns on their crests as a form of identification

not the sharpest tools in the shed, tend to bite and trample people

[amurih]

Fuck it ima put it out anyway.

COTL AU where instead of staying in the cult Narinder leaves and builds his own little plot of land that becomes a rare occurrence you find while crusading through the different biomes post game.

Like it starts off when the lamb like spares Narinder and he’s like sent to the cult. And is in such a state of shock and bewilderment of what just happened that he doesn’t really know that the lamb is setting up their wedding until he’s at the alter. And he just SNAPS. To trade one prison for another? And to be stuck with the same being that not only took your crown, but your title as the god of death as your jailer? No thank you. Proceeds to walk out while the service is still going.

(I’m not the kind of person to think that he would be murdering or plotting to kill the lamb at every turn or possibly. No I would think that Narinder is smart enough to realize that he cannot fight the lamb in the condition that he is reduced to.)

Anyway, I want Narinder to experience life post-godhood by himself outside the cult. Maybe progressing over time you see how his plot of land develops into a pretty nice home for himself complete with a garden and an actual building/house. Not a hut, but an actual house.

All the while the lamb is going through it. It’s normal game play like one would post Narinder fight. Lore, upgrades, reviving the bishops, mystic seller, etc. All the while experiencing the highs and lows of ascension. I think the lamb would ask the other bishops once they get indoctrinated of how they went through their ascensions went. Only they would tell them that each went through theirs differently, so in the end it wasn’t really helpful.

So going through a process that you have no idea how to get through and the only person who does has fuck off into the land and hates your guts. Really fucking sucks man. So they try to “catch” Narinder while out crusading. Only they don’t find him physically, they find his place of residence while he is away.

I thought of a way to incorporate the quests that Narinder gives you when he is usually established in the cult. Could still be used: like there’s a book left on a table where you could peak in and see what’s going on with the cat that is currently away from his house.

“ I should head to Darkwoods and see if I can find more materials to build that fence and make more paper. Moving materials from one abandon home stead to this place has been challenging enough. My arms hurt after years of being bound to one position for so long...I wonder if camellias still bloom there now that Leshy is gone? If not I’ll have to develop a new alternative for this persistent strain and sharp pains I keep having. Got to get these walls up before it starts raining.”

“Bah! There’s not enough food at the last abandoned settlement let alone seeds. It’ll take long of a walk all the way to smuggler’s cove just to see if that sea louse got any thing. And it hasn’t been that long since the depletion of fish at pilgrim’s passage. I would have just stuck to what vegetables and berries I’ve got growing, but some animal or heratic keeps getting into my garden and stealing my food!when I find the person or thing that is stealing from me I’m going to make them into my fertilizer. In the meantime I should look into Anura and see if those foul mushrooms are still there. If I remember they are just as foul as Hecket when she would screamed about being hungry during dinner…Those should hold me over until I get this unwanted pest under control.”

“The wind and rain coming in through the holes on the side of the house that I use to see if any heretics come to kill me, has gotten too much. I’m tired of having to clean up the puddles of water that enters the home. And the curtains don’t do much in terms of trying to block both of these elements.That stupid squid Kallamar doesn’t need his crystals now that he’s gone. It didn’t help him when trying to hide from me. I’ll go to Anchordeep tomorrow and get some to make crystal windows. They sure would make it more beautiful than their temple…”

“Finally the loom is ready. It’s been a such a long time since I had decent robes. It’s easy to find cotton, but what I really want is a nice, soft, silk robe. One that doesn’t rub against these scars preferably. I miss the old one Shamura they made with their silk. But, that one got destroyed in the fight with that damn vessel. Maybe there is some in Silk Cradle. ”

(I’ll come back to this when I flesh it out more via work time daydreams)

[pestcontrolecolatermite]

Seeking termite solutions beyond traditional tenting? Explore effective methods like borate treatments, liquid barriers, and heat treatments. Consider spot treatments and bait systems for targeted control. Visit our guide for detailed info on each alternative and find the best fit for your needs. For expert advice and tailored solutions, check out https://ecolatermite.com/alternatives-to-tenting-for-termite-control/. Act now to protect your home with innovative termite control!

[moodcrab]

Fixing Skyrim's Daedric Quests

Introduction

Unlike my Oblivion character - a mere mortal who stumbled upon a shrine while lost in the wilderness, becomes somewhat obsessed with gaining the level requirement and collecting an offering, then undertakes the quest feeling like a dark god is testing their worthiness to be their champion - The Last Dragonborn has Daedric Princes falling over themselves to make them their champion straight out the gate. Level one? Who cares! No offering? No problem! Not my Summoning Day? We haven't cared about that since Morrowind! Literally told me to go fuck myself? Take the prize anyway Champ you've earned it!

Basically, much like factions, Skyrim shoves nearly all of the Daedric Quests in the player's face as soon as possible because they're widely considered to be the best and most rewarding by fans of the previous games. But the older games had them, to varying degrees, hidden away or locked behind mechanics, and Bethesda didn't want newer, more casual fans to miss them. In doing so the Princes and their cults lose that air of mystery and danger they once had.

On the other hand, it was nice to be doing something else entirely then have a surprise Daedric Quests blind side me, and it's not like the old Oblivion way was perfect. Find shrine, give offering, get quest for EVERY Prince? And just one quest and I'm the champion, dedicated my soul to your afterlife and all that jazz?

This series is going to try to maximise the good parts of Skyrim Daedric Quests, while bringing back some of the classic elements that it left out, starting with...

Part I - Namria

Quest A) A Taste of Death.

If you visit the Treasury House in Markarth you might overhear an argument between Brother Verulus and Thongvor Silver-Blood. This location change means you are unlikely to just run into this quest immediately as in vanilla, but also gives you a high chance of encountering it during The Forsworn Conspiracy, in which case it has the double benefit of acting as a kind of red herring in that quest and linking this quest with Markarth's corruption and secret society vibes.

Brother Verulus wants the city guard to stop their lockdown of the Halls of the Dead and to actually go in and deal with the draugr head on (in my alternative "Fixed" Skyrim the increased draugr population is connected with Alduin's return, who is raising his Dragon Priests to serve him, even within cities). Why doesn't he go pester the Jarl or the Captain about this, asks Thongvor, dismissively. Oh come on, don't act coy, we all know who really controls the guard in Markarth, why not let them do their job, replies Verulus. Thongvor counters that that would be a desecration of the Nordic dead, that guards putting them down like a pest would be dishonourable. What's more, perhaps if the glorious Nordic dead of the city weren't being tended to by a poncy Imperial Priest of Arkay instead of a proper old fashioned Orkey Shaman, maybe none of this would have happened. Verulus starts to lose his temper at this, and in anger implies that he knows that the draugr problem that plagues the other cities isn't the real issue here, that most of the ancient dead here are Reachfolk not Nord, and begins to demand a true explanation for being locked out but stops himself, he has said too much and leaves.

The quest begins by talking to Verulus who will ask you to investigate what's really going on in The Halls of the Dead. How you get in is up to you. If you're a sneaky type or a smooth talker you'll get in that way. You can also commit a crime to lure the guard away maybe. You could go find Thongvor who can be convinced to give you an alternative - take care of Verulus, but more on that later.

However you get into the Halls, on entering you start finding evidence of cannibalism, butchered bodies, cooking stations and so on. As you delve deeper you hear Eola, a Reachman Namira Devotee, goading and teasing you; "Not many would walk blindly into a crypt, smelling of steel and blood, but not fear... Don't you see what I am about down here in the dark? Is that disgust? Revulsion?... Or curiosity? Why don't you come deeper, and scratch that itch?" You can question her about who she is, what is her purpose here, why is Thongvor protecting her etc. but it will come down to convincing her to leave, killing her, or accepting her invitation to eat human flesh.

Now, IF you sided with Thongvor, the plan is to lie to Verulus to get him to follow you into the Halls of the Dead, this time you'll be confronted directly by Eola and Thongvor together. They intend to kill and eat you both and blame your deaths on Draugr. You can fight your way out and try to save Verulus, or you can prove yourself by killing Verulus yourself and tasting him by way of a test.

If you partake in cannibalism you will get a monologue from Eola about Namira, waxing poetic about the oldest god, The Black Fly, being the Daedric Prince of decay and squalor and all things ugly and repulsive... But also her significance to the Reachmen. To them she is the Spirit Queen who is the true god of death, not Arkay, the primal darkness that gives and takes life. You will gain the power to feast on a corps once a night or when underground, and unlock the second quest.

Quest B - A Guest for Dinner

The second quest will be even less obvious to the player and will hopefully take most people completely by surprise the first time it happens. The quest will only begin after the following criteria are met: You have used the lesser power to consume 10 or more corpses. You own a fully furnished player home. You spend the night there with either your spouse or a follower. When you sleep, a slow, loud, ominous knocking at the door awakens you.

At your door is a stranger in rags and a hideous face asking to come in. You can refuse or invite them to stay. Once inside they will take a seat at your table and ask what is being served for dinner. At this point your follower/spouse will be freaking out a little. You can offer food, like regular food, which will disappoint him and he'll leave. You can offer your spouse or follower as the meal and you'll have to attack them, the screen will darken for an gruesome audible muckbang. Or you can tell the Stranger he is on the menu, which will please him greatly and he will warn you against choking on him, depending on the disposition of your specific follower or spouse they will either join in or abandon you forever.

The Stranger, if he survives the night, will give you the Ring of Namira as thanks. If you ate him Eola, who incidentally will now double as a replacement spouse/follower, will arrive and give you the Ring. The Ring is a powerful reflect damage/magic ring, a unique enchantment in Skyrim.

[avesdraws]

headcrabs make great pest control alternate thumbnail. will you forgive me if i don't fully color this bc i am soo very lazy. sniff

[bestanimal]

Round 1 - Phylum Nematoda

(Sources - 1, 2, 3, 4)

Nematoda is a diverse phylum of animals commonly called roundworms or eelworms. Most are free-living and feed on microorganisms, but some are parasitic.

Nematodes are very diverse, but usually appear as small, slender worms. The smallest are microscopic, while the largest free-living species can be up to 5 cm (2 in) long. Some parasitic species can be even longer, reaching up to 8.4 m (27.5 ft) in length! Nematode heads are radially symmetrical and, in many cases, have head-shields radiating outwards around the mouth. The mouth has either three or six lips, which often bear a series of teeth on their inner edges. They have a dense, circular nerve ring which serves as their brain. They are covered in sensory bristles that provide a sense of touch. There are two small pits on the head that likely serve as chemoreceptors. Some aquatic nematodes have eye-spots, but it is unknown if they are actually sensory. They have seperate male and female individuals, with females usually being larger than males, though some species are hermaphroditic. They reproduce sexually, and females have a glandular uterus. They lay eggs, though some species are ovoviviparous. Larvae of free-living nematodes look like smaller adults, though parasitic nematodes usually have more complex life cycles.

Nematodes are perhaps the most successful phylum on Earth. They have adapted to nearly every ecosystem: from marine to freshwater, from soils to trees, from tundra to rainforest, at the tops of mountains, in deserts, in oceanic trenches, and up to 3.6 km (12,000 ft) below the surface of the Earth. They represent 90% of all animals on the ocean floor, and 80% of all individual animals on Earth. They often exceed a million individuals per square meter. This ubiquitous nature means they play a role in every ecosystem, most crucially in polar ecosystems where life is otherwise scarce. Of the parasitic forms, about a third of genera occur as parasites of vertebrates, and about 35 nematode species occur in humans.

Propaganda under the cut:

Nematodes play an important role in the decomposition process, aiding in recycling nutrients.

There are approximately 60 billion nematodes per human inhabiting the Earth’s topsoil. Those are your government assigned topsoil nematodes. Do with them as you wish.

One soil-living nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans (see first image), has had its entire genome sequenced, the developmental fate of every cell determined, and every neuron mapped. They are considered a model organism: a non-human species that is extensively studied to understand particular biological phenomena.

While some species of nematode are detrimental to agriculture, other species are considered beneficial as they prey on agricultural pests. These species are bred commercially as biological pest control agents which can be used as a much safer, environmentally-friendly alternative to pesticides.

The largest known nematode, Placentonema gigantissima, can reach sizes of up to 8.4 m (27.5 ft) long and 2.5 cm wide. It has been found living as a parasite in the reproductive tract of a sperm whale.

As stated by nematologist Nathan Cobb:

“In short, if all the matter in the universe except the nematodes were swept away, our world would still be dimly recognizable, and if, as disembodied spirits, we could then investigate it, we should find its mountains, hills, vales, rivers, lakes, and oceans represented by a film of nematodes. The location of towns would be decipherable since, for every massing of human beings, there would be a corresponding massing of certain nematodes. Trees would still stand in ghostly rows representing our streets and highways. The location of the various plants and animals would still be decipherable, and, had we sufficient knowledge, in many cases even their species could be determined by an examination of their erstwhile nematode parasites.”

[gallifreyanhotfive]

Random Doctor Who Facts You Might Not Know, Part 45

The Doctor owes Casanova a chicken because he helped save the world by making out with one of the most decorated Sontaran generals (thus giving the Doctor time to blow stuff up). (Audio: The House of Masks)

Braxiatel will one day have his own K9. It will be given to him by a friend he hasn't met yet. (Audio: Weapon of Choice)

Braxiatel owns a bar in the 27th century called the White Rabbit. (Audio: Everyone Loves Irving)

Fitz Kreiner once described the TARDIS kitchen as being a cross between a medieval kitchen and Frankenstein's laboratory. (Novel: Autumn Mist)

By some accounts, Morgaine is an alternate universe version of the Master where there were Magic Lords instead of Time Lords. (Novel: The Monster Vault)

The Forge is an English intelligence organization that often experiments with nonhuman lifeforms for their own purposes. Their Project Lazarus was the Doctor; they wanted to find a way to replicate regeneration. (Audio: Project: Lazarus)

Mickey and Martha encountered the Ninth Doctor, Rose, and Jack after they got married. Mickey had sent the Doctor a message to get some help because Martha was transforming into a Gargoyle. Both of them were quite annoyed that Mickey had managed to get the "wrong" Doctor. (Comic: The Transformed)

The Doctor speaks cow (telepathically, of course, because doing so verbally would be silly). (Audio: The End)

Quiquaequod is an alternate version of the Eighth Doctor who was a wizard. He summoned fire to defeat Darcoul, but he accidentally caught his apprentice's cape on fire. His apprentice then burned to death in front of him. (Comic: The Glorious Dead)

An alternate version of the Master that traveled with the Doctor was an android (that the Doctor had built to save him). His face kept on falling off. (TV/Novel: Scream of the Shalka)

There are legends that the Web of Time was woven by time spiders, but they were killed when the Time Lords started exploring the vortex. Occasionally, they had to do pest control as one would pop up every now and then. (Audio: The End)

The Master had a sword fight with the Eighth Doctor and ended up stabbing him in the chest. (Comic: The Glorious Dead)

Addison Delamar once tried to auction off the Ninth Doctor's memories, so he instead broadcasted them to everyone. They were all so overwhelmed by his grief that they ran away. (Comic: The Bidding War)

Attending this auction was the Church of the Evergreen Man, who consider the Doctor to be a Messiah. They called him "the Prophet, blessed be his divine countenance." (Comic: The Bidding War)

The Church of the Evergreen Man also maintained the Oakdown Gallery, where the only confirmed painting of the Master is. (Short story: Dalek: The Astounding Untold History of the Greatest Enemies of the Universe)

First 1 Prev 44 Next 46

[leslie057]

to kiss away the fevers of girls;

pairings: jonathan/nancy, jonathan/original female character

rating: m

word count: 3.5k (chapter 1)

summary: after a near-death experience, nancy clips through dimensions and incidentally fuses with the body of pierson adams—jonathan's girlfriend in an alternate reality.

read on ao3

@jancyweeks day 2: upside down

The name for it is paradoxical lucidity—clarity where there should be none. She knows this because of Titus Andronicus. How someone can be so sharp, so productive and driven, at the height of their madness…a dumb plot device, but realer than real. It happens. The biggest revelations, the most comprehensive strategies, they just come to her when she’s at rock bottom. This was her baby sister that was lost (still is lost), and what, everyone really thought she would wait an additional day for them to make their plan? When waiting might as well be surrendering?

She’s never cared any less about Elizabethan revenge tragedies than she does right now; Titus didn’t go through any of this bullshit.

All she can think about is being held. All she wants is to not be completely alone when she dies like this, paralyzed on a damp bed of failure.

The concept of terminal lucidity fits right in there with paradoxical lucidity. Premortem Nancy is currently experiencing a clarity more brilliant than the Cullinan Diamond. I shouldn’t have snuck into the radio station. I shouldn't have taken ammunition that belonged to Hopper. I shouldn’t have crawled onto my new ex-boyfriend in his camping cot just because I was sad, and I shouldn’t have told him we could try sleeping together as friends. I shouldn’t have snuck out of the radio station after. I should have never gone to the woods by myself. I should have never assumed that I would see signs of my sister. I shouldn’t have kept going when I noticed the layer of ash on the forest floor getting thicker. I shouldn’t have denied that I was already in the Upside Down, that it had come to me. I shouldn’t have made so much noise, and I shouldn’t have called out to Holly, and I shouldn’t have shot at the Inverwasps that Henry was somehow, somewhere, controlling. Nobody with a brain would shoot at giant, swarming wasp creatures. Nobody with a brain would try to shoot an ordinary wasp, for God’s sake.

How such insects thrive in a place as cold as this, she has no idea. How they developed fur and extendable teeth, she has no idea. There are more mutations than she could have ever imagined. It almost seems that the inactive sectors of the dimension were recently awakened (maybe when she tried to kill their puppeteer) and forced into a state of frenzy. If she had to guess, it won’t be long before they all pour out into Hawkins and beyond. The two worlds may very well coalesce within weeks.

It happened fast; she was weaving calmly and swiftly through the trees, pleading with a six-year-old to follow the sound of her voice, and then the nest fell suddenly, and then she was curled up on the ground and they were all over her. She wasn’t prepared for anything like that. She wasn’t prepared.

Her strategy had been courageous, not comprehensive.

Whimpering, she covers her head and face. They are not merely stinging, they’re also cutting with their conical incisors, over and over again. Her breath is quick, her pulse erratic as the territorial pests compete for her inside her clothing, each buzzing wingbeat sending tremors through her body. They have a weight to them, confusingly, a weight that bears down hard. She can feel fur that’s like crushed velvet as their teeth slice into her flesh, tiny cuts that should burn more but are becoming numb.

Years ago, at the front of a science classroom, she presented on the topic of snakes because Mike loved them so much. He was in the first grade, and his class often came to sit in for big kid presentations. Snake venom is a complex cocktail of proteins and enzymes designed to immobilize and subdue prey. In humans, certain types of venom, especially neurotoxic varieties, can interfere with nerve signals and lead to paralysis. By blocking the communication between nerve cells and muscles, the venom freezes victims and can rapidly incapacitate a person if untreated. He was itty bitty, and he was fascinated. Didn't scare him one bit.

She cannot say the same of herself.

A part of her had expected it to end this way. Not in these woods, not on an arbitrary Wednesday night, not under a colony of supernatural bugs, but in the collapse of everything she had tried to hold together. Holly is thoroughly missing and has been for days. Everyone else was pausing, resting, waiting to think of something while Nancy had rushed ahead, as always, unable to sit still when every moment felt like one wasted. She’d thought she could handle it. Now, as the unearthly creatures gnaw at her, she realizes she was treating her life a little bit like a game…

continue ↴