What's In Your Frosty Flakes?

Discovering "bugs" in your breakfast cereal may be disgusting, but it isn't unusual -after all, pantry pests (a.k.a. stored product pests) enjoy munching on the same type of foods that we do.  We recently received a text from a young lady panicking over the worm-like things appearing on her counter top.   What she thought were maggots, actually ended up being a sign of pantry pests.  No one is exempt from the infestation possibility.  In fact we brought them into our home a few months ago.  We purchased some dog treats at a specialty pets store and discovered upon getting home that the bag was  a-l-i-v-e.  We were fortunate to have found the problem right away, rather than after the treat munchers infested other items in our pantry.
There are several different varieties of pantry pests and whenever possible it is best to determine which one is causing havoc in your home.  It will help narrow down possible food resources that they are using and harborage areas.  Typically the first signs of a pantry pest problem are moths, small brown beetles or tiny worms on the wall, counter, shelf or pantry floor.
Of course these insects can't roll up in the McDonald's drive thru for their next meal---that's why they are at your house.  Their favorite foods include dried goods-especially those containing grains, dried fruits and nuts.  Baking mixes, flours, spices, cereals, powdered milk, pastas, bird seed, dry pet food and pet treats---(obviously-refer to 1st paragraph).  Even unopened boxes of cake mixes, puddings, cereal, crackers, popcorn, etc. can have an infestation.  Some varieties will even feed on dried flower arrangements and some eat...chocolate-Oh ya-I went there!  Chocolate! 
Ok...So what do you do about it?   First thing is inspect.  Everything.  It is time consuming, boring and yep tedious, but you will never get rid of the problem if you try to skim thru it.  Empty your pantry, your beloved cookie or cereal cabinet or the pet food/treat stash.  You are checking for holes in unopened packages, looking for bugs (or parts of them) in clear bags, check areas where crumbs gather-behind appliances or canned goods, look for any webbing and check the shelves-and above them in each of these areas.

Infested items need to be sealed up and removed from the home immediately.  Your other option is to throw the item into a freezer bag then in to the freezer to kill off the bugs.  Items not infested need to be sealed in an air tight container.  Thoroughly vacuum -all areas including crevices and wash cupboards, pantry shelves, floors, etc. to remove any spilled food stuff and any insect fragments.  Seal the vacuum bag in a plastic bag immediately after vacuuming and take it outside.
The bright side?  Once you locate and eliminate all infested foods, you have cleaned thoroughly, and repackaged the remaining items in sealed containers, any remaining adults (beetles or moths) will be looking for another food source to deposit their eggs.  -But you have done your job, which means they can't do theirs.  Nice.
Yeah, It's a pain in the butt to get rid of them. But... once you have eliminated your problem you can help avoid future infestations. Repackage materials in properly sealed clear containers.  Inspect new items-as soon as you bring them into the home, especially discounted or nearly expired products.  Rotate your food products to use older items first.
Now you can sit back and enjoy that bowl of cereal once again....and know -it's just a bowl of cereal.

The Smell Of Love Is In The Air

Oh...wait a minute maybe that is the smell of chocolate.  Yep it is!   
Whether you love it or hate it...Valentines Day is on its way.  If your day is going to include some chocolate (whether from your special someone or you buy it yourself) we hope you enjoy it while keeping this in mind.
Your special treats can be harmful to your furry friends.  Chocolate can be toxic to dogs and cats and must be kept out of their reach. Enjoy your day while keeping them safe.

Just Do It!

How often do you try to accomplish something? Perhaps weight loss, exercising more, getting organized, spending more time with the kids/pets, nixing the smoking habit, saving more/spending less or something business related?  Do you ever give up and walk away from the new idea saying "well at least I tried?"
I believe it is important to try new things and not avoid starting a new project or diet just because you don't want to fail. ....but here is an interesting perspective... Dr. Steven Gundry (a wellness team expert for Jillian Michaels) has made a very interesting point in his post..about Not trying.  He is discussing his ideas on becoming healthy/losing weight BUT his point could be applied to anything in your life even your business.

Want to know what it is? Check it out here!

Getting There

Are you getting ready yet for the holidays? We had some cooler weather in Florida and took advantage of it by bringing home and setting up the tree. It is always more enjoyable decorating when its not 90 degrees outside. lol

As you prepare your home for the holidays don't put your pets in harms way. Remember that some plants, common cleaning products or prescription medication can be poisonous to your furry friends. While things are hectic around the home and new guests may be staying with you it can be easy to overlook the dangers. Keep in mind that Christmas tree water may contain fertilizer or bacteria that can cause gastrointestinal upset. Electrical cords, batteries, glass ornaments and our own special treats need to be considered, as well as, ribbons and tinsel which can become lodged in the intestines (mostly in felines). For their sake {and your sanity!} keep a list of emergency numbers on hand...just in case. If you live in the Manatee/Sarasota, Fl. area here are some numbers.

ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center: (888) 426-4435

Sarasota Veterinary Emergency Hospital (941) 923-7260

Animal ER of University Park (941) 355-2884

Keep those 4 leggers safe while you enjoy this holiday season.

Ever Changing

If you live nearby or visit often enough, you already know that the Gulf waters are constantly ever-changing, just as life is for us, as well. Some days the water is so clear you can see the bottom, beautiful shells to be found, interesting beauties of nature like star fish and sea horses, and yet other days the water can be murky or filled with sea weed. Some days the water and under toe can be very rough and dangerous or occasionally almost as smooth as a lake. The waters can hold dangers like jelly fish or in a far distance a sting ray, dolphins playing innocently or maybe even a fin of a shark can be seen.

As in life, the easy times and rough ones, the pretty things and ugly ones, the safe moments and possibilities of danger..we all deal with them . As life under the water, some are more pleasant and enjoyable than others, but all necessary.

This past Sunday we had an amazing experience. Gamble, my mother and I were out on the sandbar floating in waist deep water, a couple of feet away from each other, chatting when we noticed a giant dark mass coming towards us. It startled us at first because of all the possibilities that it could be. Then Gamble noticed the characteristic aspects of it-the shape of the body, the rounded back fin, he knew it was a manatee. We thought it would see us and go around or shift direction, but instead it swam right between us. Gamble reached down and petted it as it slowly swam by. It was something very special for us to experience.

If you don't know a lot about manatees they are interesting creatures. You can learn more about them here and read about Snooty who just celebrated his 61st birthday. He lives in Bradenton and you can go visit him daily. It is fun to watch the handlers feed him. They are very gentle but big, not necessarily the prettiest thing that you have ever seen (after all they are also called the sea cow), but they still hold that puppy dog kind of face--at least I think so.

Dog Days

The "dog-days" of summer have definitely arrived here in Florida. We took a day this past weekend to take the kids (the two and the four legged ones) to the beach to play. If you can't tell by their faces...they all had a blast.

It's funny how Banyon (our male Chinook) hates to take a bath, but Loves to play in the water. Nikki, on the other hand, has always loved the water-any kind.

Happy New Year to Everyone Out There!

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Meet Our Fur Balls

These are our beautiful four-legged babies. Banyon (5 yrs old) and his daughter Nikki (1 1/2 yrs old) are Chinooks. They are wonderful dogs and our family adores them. To find out more check out the the Chinook website.