Posts Tagged ‘pet grooming supplies’

After a long, hard day at work, wouldn’t it be a nice stress reliever to get outside and take a walk…with your cat? It sounds pretty strange but there are people out there who have a harness and leash made especially for their felines so that they don’t miss out on going outside and getting some exercise.

Today, it’s recommended that cat parents make their cats indoor-only. There are way too many dangers of having a domestic cat roaming about and coming into contact with another animal (or who knows what else!) and getting hurt or picking up some kind of illness. But cats still need to log some exercise to stay healthy.

Cats Can Be Trained

Cats can be trained to be on a leash, although it’s not the same type of training that you would use on your dog. The keys to leash training a cat are patience and perseverance; the process is a lengthy one and it can take months to get your cat accustomed to the harness and leash (a collar and leash will not work on a cat because they could easily slip out of it).

The training involves a number of steps that need to progress slowly and only when your cat is ready. It could take weeks for your cat just to get used to wearing a harness and leash around the house before you’re ready to practice outside (this is where patience comes into play). Your cat may also be very distracted by the harness or try to fight the leash, at which point it’s time to to a break and go back to it later (this is where perseverance comes into play).

Some Cat Experts Beg to Differ

Arguing against the concept of a cat needing to go outdoors for exercise, feline experts are adamant that you can give an indoor-only cat sufficient stimulation by playing games with them and providing them with entertaining toys and climbing stands.

Moreover, dogs and cats don’t react in the same way when something scares them. What if there’s a noisy truck or a dog that decides to come over and investigate the situation while you’re on a walk? Your cat could try to flee, maybe hurting themselves or even you.

It’s also debated that once you give your cat a taste for the outdoors, they might want to go outside all the time and dart for the door when it’s open. You could potentially have an escapee on your hands whenever you’re coming and going.

Leash Laws for Cats

In addition to pet experts making a movement for house cats to be exclusively indoor cats, now some towns are mandating it. For residents in New Orleans, Dallas, Green Bay, and Houston (and a couple dozen other municipalities around the US) if owners want their cats to go outdoors, they must be on a leash. Cats that are allowed to be “at large” may end up in neighbors’ yards leaving behind a mess or killing other wildlife, two big reasons that these cities have enacted the leash law.

It’s Up to You

It’s not bizarre these days to walk around Central Park in NYC, or other areas across the US, and see a couple of cats on a leash. Ultimately, the decision to take your cat for a walk is up to you. Even if your town has a leash law, you can always make the effort to play with your cat inside for exercise so that being outdoors isn’t necessary. If you do want to work with your cat on leash training, starting very early on in her life and getting her used to the concept could give you more of an advantage than starting when she’s older.

About the Author

Kim Salerno is the President & Founder of TRIPSwithPETS.com. She founded the pet travel site in 2003 and is an expert in the field of pet travel. Her popular pet travel site features pet friendly hotels & accommodations across the United States, along with other helpful pet travel resources. Her mission is to ensure that pets are welcome, happy, and safe in their travels.

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If you have had to seek assistance to stop your dog from biting, you will know how big of a problem it can be. When a dog is a pup it can easily be a rather annoying problem.

If the puppy dog hasn’t been taught the correct way to socialize with human beings, you can have a really large trouble on your hands.
In particular if your pet is a large breed.This kind of canine is unsafe, and all too often you hear of neighbors and youngsters getting bitten by this sort of puppy. Whatever the age of you animal, it is possible to teach them not to bite.

Biting is an organic and natural behavior for dogs, and it is solely instinct that makes your puppy want to learn to bite. The very best way to stop dog biting is to nip it in the bud when the dog is still a puppy. Pups that are around six months are the least difficult to train, this is due to the fact they are intelligent enough to catch on, and they are still young enough to be open to theeducation. A lot of people believe wrongly that when their puppy dog bites them, they are only playing. This is not the case, and in in reality the pup is laying claim to their place in the pack. Biting is a way to show dominance.

When they do bite you, you must clearly show them that it is you that is the boss. Doing this why they are still learning is fundamental, because it will set the behavior for the rest of the puppy’s life. There are a number of different strategies you can use to teach your dog to stop biting. You can start to train your puppy when it is still in the pack with his mother and siblings. Giving a whimper when a dog bites you lets him know that it hurts and you don’t wish to be bitten. Yet another method is to give it a small nip on the neck to demonstrate you are dominant. An extra thing you can certainly do is give your pup a designated chewing toy to gnaw on as an alternative to you and your family. Each time the dog goes to bite, give him his toy. He will get that he is to bite the toy and not you. Make certain everyone in the family knows what to do. If all this hasn’t worked you may want to enroll your dog in to obedience class, or hire a professional trainer.

If not biting was not part of a puppy’s training, when he’s 1 year old he will begin to bite while in play. Several different factors may be at play when your puppy reaches this stage, and is still biting.One of the causes could be that the games you are playing such as wrestling or tug-of-war are dominance style games, and need to be stopped right away. You will need to show your canine friend that there are limits in your house. Crate training is a great way to train a dog. Not only does it help with aggressive behavior, but it will be able to also help with house-training, and it can help to relax most dogs with anxiety difficulties. No matter which technique you decide to use to train your dog, you must be consistent with it.

If the doggie was not trained appropriately when he was young, when thbey reach adulthood you can easily have a real problem on your hands. Dogs like this can be a ticking time bomb, and can easily turn on you, a member of your family or a neighbor. If your dog does have a biting problem he obviously thinks that he is the alpha. I solidly advocate that you look for the assistance of a reliable dog trainer if you dog is around one year old, and they bite and nip people.

It is vital that you start training your pet not to bite when your pet is still pretty young. In nearly all cases of adult dogs that bite, the issue could have been fixed if the dog was given suitable training when it was a puppy.

About the Author

If these tips to stop dog biting were useful to you, you will find many more here, click here to download your free dog training book now!

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Is beekeeping a hobby you have always wanted to pursue, but just haven’t had the courage to actually take that first step? Are you holding back from fulfilling a dream because you are unsure of where to start and what is involved? If you have a passion for observing the intriguing world of bees, then beekeeping could be for you.

Bees live a simple, yet fascinating life. However, their mission to protect the queen bee and their environment does not stop at the hive. The tasks they perform contribute to society, as well. In order to fully understand how bees live and how to safely keep bees as a hobby, it is important to learn as much as you can before you get started.

Why Invest in a Beekeeping Guide?

Not really. There’s a ton of information all over the internet. The problem is it’s “all over” the internet and while much of this information is reliable some of it is not so much. A beekeeping guide is usually a more researched, formal, complete guide that can save you a lot of time and grief that you might get if you decide to go the “research-it-yourself” route. So if you really want to get serious, you need a beekeeping guide.

What Type of Information can be found in a Beekeeping Guide?

A quality guide for beekeeping will first and foremost ensure you are ready to become a beekeeper. It will prepare you for what is involved in this hobby, and it will ask you several serious questions that you need to take into consideration before you even think of pursuing beekeeping as a hobby.

More information you can expect to receive in a beekeeping guide:

- Basics – A guide will give you an outline of the entire process. It will tell you exactly what you need to know from start to finish, pending there are not any problems.

- Benefits – A beekeeping guide will give you more in depth information on how this hobby can benefit not only you, but others, as well. Did you know that the bee produces a natural dietary supplement that can increase energy? A guide will explain this in more detail on what to look for and how you can benefit.

Beekeeper Supplies – You should get a a list of the supplies you will need as well as the basic maintenence you will need to perform. It should also tell you why you need new equipment (so you don’t introduce disease), the best supplies to get and, for bees, why it is better to have a local supplier.

Problems – A good guide will cover some of the most common problems you are likely to encounter. You need to remember that while problems are usually minor, bees are capable of causing serious injury and death. The guide should help you prepare for both minor and major problems.

- Safety – A guide will give you methods to implement that will keep you and those around you safe. A hobby is supposed to be fun and insightful. You don’t want to be the one responsible for the harm of someone else because of your hobby. Be accountable and learn what you can to be safe.

- Process – You will learn the entire process from start to finish on how to collect honey. It will explain strategic steps you can take to ensure you get the highest quality and quantity honey possible.

Beekeeping is an awesome and enjoyable hobby and it can be a rewarding business. A beekeeping guide is a great way to kick-off that hobby or business to help you do it safely, responsibly, and with the least amount of money and problems.

About the Author

Looking for a good beekeeping guide? Check out our site and get a 10-lesson eCourse as well.

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I have been a keen ornithologist for many years and owls have always fascinated me, especially the local barn owl which I watched hunting over nearby farmland on summer evenings. But I always wondered what they were catching for dinner.

Eventually I tracked the owl to its daytime roost – a deserted cow shed in the middle of a field. As I approached the derelict building, the barn owl flew silently away. I pushed open the rusty metal door and looked around. Lying on the floor beneath the roof beams were large, shiny black bundles of fur, about the size of my thumb. I picked one up and broke it open to find an incredible array of small bones, teeth, and two tiny animal skulls. This was my first glimpse into what gradually became a major interest, and I have collected and examined hundreds of owl pellets from many species of owls over the years.

So what exactly is an owl pellet? It’s the undigested remains of the bird’s previous meals. An owl does not rip the meat off its victims, as a buzzard or eagle does. Nor does it chew its food. Instead, it swallows its victims – mainly small mammals – whole. Once the food is swallowed, it passes into the gizzard, where the food is broken up, and then to the stomach for digestion. Some of the harder parts of the prey are not (or only partly) digested. These solid remains are prevented from passing any further down the gut. Instead, they are squeezed in the gizzard into a compact mass. This is then coughed up, or regurgitated as a pellet.

As pellets do not pass through the intestine, they are quite different from droppings. They do not smell, and are not unpleasant to work with. They consist of bones, teeth, claws, beaks, insect wing cases, frog skins, seed husks etc. These are enclosed by softer material like fur and feathers.

Studying owl pellets is extremely worthwhile because, with a bit of detective work, you can find valuable information about the diet of the owl. The solid remains can easily be extracted and identified. Most species of small mammals are easy to identify by their skulls and jawbones. It is therefore possible to identify precisely what the bird has been feeding on, which provides key information about the numbers of prey in that area, the food chains and the precise part the owl plays in them. Without studying owl pellets, this information would otherwise be very difficult to discover.

Dissecting an owl pellet is an easy process. It is advisable to use surgical gloves at all times. These can be obtained from your local pharmacy. Pellets can be teased apart when they are dry, but it is best to soak them first. Half fill a bowl with water and a drop of liquid disinfectant, and leave the pellets to soak for half an hour. Then take each one out and tease the pellet apart carefully using tweezers and cocktail sticks. As you come across bones, pick them out and lay them on kitchen paper. They will soon dry, after which they can be identified.

The most distinctive bone of a small mammal, and hence the easiest to identify, is the skull, followed by the lower jaws. There are four ways in which a skull or jaw can be identified: the actual size of the skull; the dental formula; teeth cusp patterns; and root patterns.

There are many books available showing clear illustrations of these four elements of a small animal’s skull. You can also email me for a simple guide to the identification of skulls and jaws found in owl pellets.

The first study I conducted on my local barn owls threw up some interesting data. From the 138 pellets I analyzed over that summer, I discovered that the owl had eaten 481 prey items. These were 277 field voles, 119 common shrews, 41 wood mice, 22 pygmy shrews, 14 bank voles, 3 brown rats and 3 birds. In other words, in percentage terms, the owl’s preferences were for field voles (58%) and common shrews (25%).

Contrast this data with an analysis I conducted of pellets of the tawny owl, which seems to eat a greater variety of prey items: bank voles (31%), wood mice (29%), common shrews (21%) and beetles (10%) forming the bulk of its diet. At the other extreme is the short-eared owl. A study I completed on this owl revealed that over 92% of its diet was composed of field voles.

These statistics reflect the different habitats of these three species of owl. The barn owl generally confines itself to open fields – the domain of field voles – but also hunts alongside hedgerows and canal banks, where shrews can be found. The tawny owl’s hunting area is generally woodland, a rich habitat for all kinds of small animals, but also extends into parks and gardens, hence its very diverse diet. The short-eared owl is very much a bird of the upland moors; a harsh environment where only the field vole can breed successfully.

Analyzing owl pellets is a fun, harmless occupation for young and old, and it leads to simple but fascinating insights into the diet of these creatures of the night.

About the Author

Denzil Walton runs a technical copywriting service from his home near Brussels, but also writes on nature and the environment, and has published four books entitled Nature Walks Near Brussels.

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Prior to taking delivery of bees, you need to start getting things ready and that includes getting the right beekeeper supplies. To prevent diseases from other bee hives from infecting your new hive, it’s highly recommended that you purchase new beekeeper supplies instead of buying used.

Beekeeper Supplies for the Bees

- Hive – There are many different types of beehives, and choosing one will be largely influenced by whether or not you intend to do beekeeping as a business or hobby as well as your decision to purchase at beehive or build your own. If you’re going to build your own beehive you can find a lot of different plans on the internet – just make sure the plans contain step-by-step instructions, diagrams or pictures, and contact information should you need further support. Tip – to make collecting the honey easier, put a wax foundation in.

- Sugar Syrup – While bees usually find their own food, there are times when food is scarce. It is recommended to supplement with sugar syrup. It will help to eliminate starving.

- Feeder – A feeder is used to feed the bees syrup. A top feeder will hold several gallons of syrup. There is a screen to prevent the bees from drowning. Make sure the cover fits tightly. This will prevent bees from other colonies from robbing the syrup.

Supplies for the Beekeeper

- Personal Protective Equipment or PPE – PPE is critical to your safety. It includes a beekeeper hat, a beekeeper veil, a beekeeping suit, and gloves. Some consider the gloves optional, as bees usually sting the face and neck the most. It’s also important that the beekeeper suit is white as bees often associate darker colors with creditors (think bear).

- Smoker – This is not the type that the Surgeon General provides warnings for, it’s a small tool designed to blow smoke at the bees to calm them down. How does this work? Well guard bees produce and release pheromones when the hive is under attack. The smoke masks these pheromones allowing the beekeeper to get into the hive and work. Smokers burn a variety of fuels.

- Honey Extractor – To handle the honey you’ll need a honey extractor and a container to hold the honey. Honey extractor is allow you to remove the honey from the honeycomb without damaging it.

- Hive Tool – This tool opens the hives. It scrapes wax and propolis and pries the frames apart.

How to Purchase Bees

To reduce the likelihood of introducing foreign diseases, a local beekeeper is a great source to purchase your bees. As an added bonus, these bees will be acclimatized to the weather and seasonal conditions in your area.

normally you have two options to buy bees. The first method is to purchase them as a package, which is not recommended, as the bees are usually assembled from several different hives and a queen bee is added. Not only is this stressful, but increases the chance of disease. A better alternative is to purchase a Nuc hive.

A Nuc hive is similar to a regular hive, except that it is a smaller version. Bees are just split off from the same larger hive, which will include five frames of honey, brood, and pollen. This supply will help give them a head start in the spring without forcing them to go out to find their food source immediately. It is also important to claim your bees during the winter months. You can do this by putting a down payment on them. Bees will be hard to get if you wait until spring.

And that’s it! Once you have the basic beekeeping supplies, you’re ready to go buy your very first swarm of bees.

About the Author

Get your free 10-lesson beekeeping mini-course and learn more about beekeeper supplies and other beekeeping resources? Just visit Jeff Morgan’s beekeeping site .

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Follow these 10 pieces of advice and you should be able to set up your tropical freshwater aquarium without any major set backs.

1. The Tank?

Whether you have an acrylic or glass tank it must be sterilized before you can start putting anything in it. And you must have a hood/cover/canopy to reduce water loss by evaporation, stop the fish from jumping out and it holds your lighting system

2. What About Heating The Water?

You need to maintain the water temperature by means of a heater and thermostat combination. For tanks greater than 3 feet in length you may need a couple of these to ensure an even temperature throughout. Thermostats can be either internal or external to the tank and must be adjustable by the aquarist. A thermometer will be needed to check the temperature

3. How Much Lighting?

You will need sufficient lighting to encourage plant growth but not too much giving you an algae problem. Use fluorescent tubes or tungsten lighting or a combination of the two. Experiment to achieve the desired result. Lighting the aquarium for ten to twelve hours per day is common

4. What About Filtration and Aeration?

A filtration unit (internal or external) to the tank will remove suspended material from the water. An air pump attached to an air stone can aerate the water and boost the oxygen supply along with the small amount from the plants; although many do not see mechanical aeration as compulsory if the aquarium is properly set up.

5. What Do I Put In The Tank?

The bottom of the tank is covered with washed gravel substrate arranged so the level rises up towards the back and deep enough for aquatic plants to be rooted. Rocks can be placed to disguise corners.Tall plants behind bushier species will give the impression of depth. The front and foreground of the tank will be fairly open for the fishes to swim around in.

6. How do I Fill The Tank?

Install the heating and filtration system. Pour water into a cup on the bottom of the tank and continue till it the tank is two thirds full. Insert your plants, top up, switch on heating, lighting and filtration systems. Now run your aquarium for at least two weeks to establish your plants and the biological system before adding your fishes

7. How Do I Stock The Aquarium?

Before you add your fishes calculate how many fish you can accommodate based on the surface area of the tank. A rough guide for tropical aquarium fish is to allow 12 square inches per one inch of fish. For example, if your tank’s surface area is 408 square inches then you could have 36 one inch fish or 18 two inch fish etc.

And also take into account the fishes particular swimming and behavioral characteristics.Introduce the fish into the tank by keeping them in their plastic bag till the water temperature equalizes that of the aquarium. You could add some of the aquarium water to the bag. Then release the fish into its new environment.

8. Is The Diet And Feed Correct?

Generally speaking fishes do not have specific dietary requirements though its is always best practice to do a bit of research and determine if a particular species your have has any. Dried foods area available in a wide range of forms; flakes,pellets, tablets and powder. Live foods can also be introduced to give a varied diet.

Included in this category are insect larvae, micro-worms, freshwater crustaceans, and brine shrimp young.If vegetarian diets are needed use lettuce, oat flakes and chopped up spinach. It is important to make sure that the fishes only eat what you feed them in a few minutes. Otherwise the excess food will rot and pollute the water.

9. What Maintenance Do I Need To Do?

Daily: Check on temperature and how the fish look. Weekly: Measure water quality (nitrite, nitrate, ammonia, pH), prune aquatic plants, remove debris from floor, clean and/or filter media. Monthly or longer: Partial water changes of 10-20% of the tank volume with the water at the same temperature and make up if possible. Algae on the tank front can be scraped off. The sides can be left for the fish

10. What about Illnesses?

Isolating fish is a great way to reduce the chance of illness occurring. Before you add new fish to your community, quarantine them or him/her in an isolation tank for a couple of weeks so you can see if they were bought with an illness established. Make the tank comfortable with plants and substrate just like the main tank and maintain the same conditions.

There are some illnesses you need to know about. Mouth fungus – cured by antibiotics. White spot – tiny white spots on the fish. Raised water temperature, salt treatment and medications are potential solutions. Fin rot – this infection happens after physical damage and is cured by antibiotics in clean water. Fungus – appears like cotton wool on the skin. Cured by salt baths or methylene blue or malachite green treatments. Use your isolation tank for treating your ill fish from the main tank.

So there you have it, 10 issues you have conquered in setting up your tropical freshwater aquarium.

About the Author

Paul Curran is webmaster at Fresh-Water-Aquariums-Guide.com and provides a care information system for fresh water aquariums. Get your FREE E-Course on how to set up and maintain a beautiful aquarium, have the healthiest, happiest fish around AND learn more about your tropical freshwater aquarium

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Three fish for your fresh water aquarium are described here. Scientific names, preferred conditions, colors description, sex differences and breeding advice are given for the Upside down Catfish, the Variatus Platy and the White Cloud Mountain Minnow.

Upside Down Catfish – Synodontis nigriventris (Family: Mochokidae)

As its name describes this fish exhibits different postures than most other fish do. Its main position is upside down as it eats from underneath the leaves. Its upside nature continues on into its color as its back has the lighter colors and the belly the darker colors.

They can be kept in a community tank but the lighting really needs to be dim so select your choice of occupants carefully to meet this particular criteria. A water temperature range of 22 to 26 degrees centigrade is adequate. These fish are scavengers but their food diet must be varied and consist of a high proportion of vegetable matter.

A special feature of this fish is the presence of long barbels that might irritate the other fish now and again. The eye is particularly large, the back is a light gray to cream color with dark brown to black irregular shaped spotting. The belly of the fish is almost black. It can grow to about 10 cms.

The large caudal fin is split with spots and colored tints on it. The dorsal fin has the same tints. Breeding wise there is no recommended techniques to pass on although it has been bred on rare occasions.

Variatus Platy – Xiphophorus variatus (Family: Poeciliidae)

Due to lots of breeding there are a wide range of colored varieties. This is an extremely popular fish with beginners. It is not difficult to maintain in a fresh water aquarium and will even breed in it. Platys are not fussy eaters, are sturdy and temperatures between 20 and 27 degrees centigrade will be fine.

The male is smaller then the female which is a bit dull color wise being greenish or silvery. A males color will depend on its type. For breeding the pair should be kept apart prior to it and a breeding tank used. Moving an egg carrying female is dangerous, unless in the early stages, as the brood and the mother can be lost.

It can take two months to give birth to over one hundred fry and most should survive as these fish are not particularly cannibalistic. Infusoria can be fed for a short time before you move on to fine dry food and brine shrimp.

White Cloud Mountain Minnow – Tanichthys albonubes (Family: Cyprinidae)

Another good peaceful community fish for your fresh water aquarium and the beginner. There are no feeding problems and it likes to eat little and frequently. Too much heat will hurt this fish so a water temperature range of between 18 and 20 degrees centigrade is best. The water should also be a bit hard and there needs to be lots of space for it to swim around in.

The main color is often silver (with purple blue tints) along the flanks and green on the back. Adults will reach a size of about 4 cms. In the young fish there is a blue green stripe on it that appears to change color as the angle of view changes. This runs from the caudal peduncle to behind the eye but gradually fades and cannot be seen in older fish.

Both the caudal fin and the dorsal fin have a red area on them. The anal fin is a bit longer than the dorsal fin. It has a small mouth that faces upwards slightly. The female is more full bodied than the male. The male has a longer dorsal fin.

Breeding the white cloud mountain minnow is not difficult. To start with you need to separate the selected pair and condition them as this will help the breeding success rate. The breeding tank should be planted with thick bunches of fine leaved plants and have shallow water; about 15 cms.

After getting together the eggs will be laid among the plants. The eggs are not sticky. Although there is no reputation for eating their eggs or fry it is best practice to remove the parents after spawning. Three days later and fry should appear. Rear as normal.

About the Author

Paul Curran is webmaster at Fresh-Water-Aquariums-Guide.com and provides a care information system for fresh water aquariums. Get your FREE E-Course on how to set up and maintain a beautiful aquarium, have the healthiest, happiest fish around AND learn about more fish for fresh water aquarium

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If you are venturing into the hobby or business of honey bees beekeeping, it is important to understand how the honey bee works to make the honey. Making honey is not an easy task for this tiny insect. In fact, the honey bee works hard every morning.

The Process of How Bees Make Honey

The process of making honey starts with the flower. Plants use nectar to lure the honey bees to them. The honey bee gathers nectar from the flower by using its straw-like proboscis to “drink” the nectar and store it in its “honey stomach.” In return, the honey bee will transfer pollen grains from one flower to another, which pollinates the flower.

Making honey from nectar requires more than one be. Normally, the older worker bees are the bees to go out and collect the nectar. The younger worker bees finished the honey conversion back at the hive.

Nectar is largely made up of water and it also contains a small amount of complex sugars. Bees convert nectar into honey because honey contains less than 20% water and is more efficient than nectar both in terms of an energy supply and for storage.

When the older worker bees ingest the nectar, special enzymes inside your stomach break down the complex sugars and convert them into simple sugars using a process called inversion. Back at the hive, the bee regurgitates the nectar inside a honeycomb cell.

At this point the younger worker bees take over. They continually fan the nectar/pre-honey with their wings. This helps dry up any extra water. Once this is complete, the younger worker bees complete the process by capping the honeycomb cell which seals in the honey for long-term storage.

Harvesting the Honey

Okay, the bees have done all the hard work – now it’s your turn. Collecting honey is actually a fairly easy process. Once the frames are full of honeycombs and all of honeycombs are capped, you can start harvesting by pulling out the honeycombs. Before you do that however you need to put on your beekeeping protective equipment. Then you can start removing bees from the hive.

To do this you can try applying products like Bee-Go or Fishers Bee Quick. Bees find either one of these products very offensive and will abandon the super once they smell them. Because no damage to the bees and the bees will return, they just give you enough time to collect honey.

Once you have access to the honeycomb, you will need to extract it. To do this, use a warm metal knife to remove the wax caps. A warm knife will make it easier to cut the wax. Simply dunk the knife in hot water to keep it warm. Remove the caps with a cheese cloth and place into a pot. The honey will drain right through the cloth. Now it is time to extract the honey.

Tips for Selling Honey for a Profit

If you’re running your beekeeping operation as a business you will need to understand how to sell your honey, what kind of honey will sell, and some basic marketing.

Two kinds of honey, liquid and comb, are usually sold. The honey is placed in a jar is liquid honey is used for cooking and baking. Comb honey is more solid and is purchased for eating. You need to know this because you’re going to be offering each type to a different type of buyer.

If you only have a little bit of honey to sell, then consider selling it locally to neighbors, friends, and family. If you end up with a farm, then consider current Internet marketing strategies to attract online customers.

The honey bee is an amazing insect and creates great tasting honey. You can reap the benefits by harvesting high quality honey by either eating or selling honey. Either way, the honey will be tasty for someone!

About the Author

For a free 10-lesson eCourse and more information on honey bees and beekeeping check out our website at BeekeepingStarterguide.com.

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When anyone sees that their freshwater aquarium is cloudy they usually get scared and rush to the nearest fish or aquarium store for the expert advice from the store clerks. While this is a good idea, it is not always the best way of going about this because the store clerk will not know the particulars of your fish tank and will decide on extreme measures to get you the results that you want quickly. This immediate resolution can sometimes make the problem worse for your fish. You need to know the basics of what is wrong with your tank water and basically how to solve it. Being knowledgeable means that you won’t panic when and if this happens, and that you will have a basic idea of what is wrong and what to do about it. You will also know what to expect in terms of the time that it will take to solve the problem, and how serious the problem is depending of the color of the cloudiness. This will allow you the aquarium owner, to handle the problem with very little support from their fish store and get satisfactory results quickly and safely.

there can be several reasons that a tanks water can become cloudy and an expert will have many possible answers for the tank owner, as there are many different causes. the waters color and conditions in the tank determine the possible cause.

What causes white or grayish water?

Gravel Residue

When you fill your freshwater aquarium with water the first time and after a couple of hours your tanks water turns cloudy, the gravel that you put in your fish tank may not have been washed thoroughly. when the water runs clean into the drain from rinsing the gravel, then you can use it in the tank. It is not surprising for new rocks and decorations to cause cloudy water even if they were rinsed prior to placing them in the tank. When they get soaked in the tank, tight dirt that was not washed away by rinsing, loosens up. You can get all of the dirt loose by soaking the gravel for 2 to 3 days in a separate container, and then give them another rinsing before you place them in the tank

Dissolved Elements

What happens if washing the gravel doesn’t solve the problem? As mentioned above, there are several answers as there are several causes. So if thorough gravel cleaning does not solve the problem, the second most likely cause is dissolved elements such as heavy metals, silicates or phosphates. Test the water to determine the pH level and if it is found to be high, water conditioners can generally solve the problem.

Reverse Osmosis (RO) may be chosen because not only does it help in resolving cloudy water issues, but if the water contains toxic elements. Using an reverse osmosis unit purifies and softens the water.

Bacteria Bloom

There are instances when after the aquarium is set up, water remains clear for days, sometimes for several weeks. everything is going great, then out of nowwhere the tank water becomed cloudy. When this happens, the gravel is not the cause anymore but bacterial bloom. While doing your research prior to your purchase of the tank and the rest of the equipment, you surely have read something about ‘cycling’ the tank. cloudy water is the typical, expected result of a new fish tank that is being cycled for the first time. This is because after several days or weeks or even months, bacterial colonies begin to start that will clear waste from the water. Once the cycle takes place, the cloudiness clears itself.

New fish tank keepers sometimes tend to panic upon seeing the water in the tank turn cloudy. Our advice is whatever the cause, never panic. Instead find what’s causing it because that can always be resolved. Keeping the aquarium free from debris such as decaying plants and excess food, regular gravel vacuuming and doing partial water changes are all steps to maintain cleanliness of the tank and will resolve most bacterial bloom cases. Flocculates, sold at fish shops, are also used as water clearers as they make debris bunch together which then are cleared by filters. So be sure to regularly clean your filters too which will help maintain their efficiency.

What causes green water?

Needless of an explanation, green water is caused by algae growth. The difficult part comes in its removal especially if you do not know what’s causing the growth.

Excess light is the most probable cause and the cure is easy. When a freshwater aquarium is placed in a spot where it gets direct sunlight like in front of a window or when tank lights are on for too long, or the tank lights are far too strong, it promotes algae growth. Simply move the tank out of direct sunlight or lessen the time the lights are on and that will do it. If it is not possible to move the tank, try a UV sterilizer to control the algae.

Too much nutrients such as phosphates and nitrates also makes a good reason for algae growth. a water change will provide the owner with a quick fix but the problem will come back. But the source of the excess nutrients has to be removed or the problem will persist.

The presence of high phosphates can come from a couple of sources which are the old water in your tank, and decaying substances. Also, you may need to reduce the amount of food you give to your fish.

Fish wastes’ byproduct makes nitrates naturally rise in the aquarium after some time and that is why a water change is a required maintenance as part of upkeep of an aquarium. So do not over crowd your tank with too many fish, or you will regularly face a problem with high levels of nitrates.

In general, a partial water change removes about 10-15 % of the water and can clean the gravel and help remove any excess uneaten food in the tank. Your fish are a good telltale sign of a real problem so check them if you’re not certain of the tank water being bad. If they are alright, you just might need to give it some time, because if it’s bacteria that is causing the problem, it will resolve itself. This may not be applicable in all cases. There are times when you will really need to make sure that the problem is under control.

It is advisable to keep a smaller ‘quarantine tank’ in such cases so that you can transfer your fish to the other tank and deal with the problem in a more direct fashion. If you need to relocate your fish to an guarantine tank, then be sure beforehand that the quarantine tanks temperature and water PH are the same as the main tank or your fish may get very sick quickly and die.

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To recieve professional help in getting your maintenance for your aquarium done right and learn more about what is wrong with your fish tanks water, read: http://www.freshwateraquariumcenteronline.com/freshwater-aquarium-cloudy/ .n

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It has never been easy to set up an aquarium like these days. To pump prime their aquatic business, marketing professionals in this industry came up with freshwater aquarium kits to attract customers to the aquarium hobby. To the busy young professionals, keeping an aquarium is now easier and will not consume much of their precious time. Attracting more hobbyists is the ultimate purpose of freshwater aquarium kits. A kit will make it not only easier to learn what is needed for proper set up but also what is required for proper upkeep.

Beginners are not just the target market of fish tank kits. There are also high end kits that are customized to fit and complement particular interior designs in homes and offices. They also use top of the line equipment and accessories that promote ease of set up and convenience in maintenance. Promotional items and many of the latest breakthrough products are also being offered in the newer kits. People are given different options through packages that come with the kits. For example, one kit may include substrate and decor in the package while another package excludes substrate and decor, but includes a special type of filter or heater. The price, type and style of kit will determine the quality of the equipment included in the kit.

Standard kits consist of a tank, a stand, a cover with a fluorescent fixture, a fluorescent tube, an air pump, air line tubing, an under gravel filter, a power filter, a heater, a floating thermometer, an aquarium net, fish food, some water conditioner and pebbles.

Small table top and tiolet base kits are available for children and adults alike and make a great first fish tank. These kits come in 2.5 to 5 gallons and are also ideal for small offices and classrooms. They are great for kids and can help the kids understand the basics of taking care of something that is alive at an early age. These kits are easy to set up but do not include the substrate, decorations and fish. The kits do include the tank, a quiet flow filter (with cartridge), a light hood with one incandescent bulb, some water conditioner and a premium fish food sample, and the aquarium set up and care guide. For beginners, these kits are the best start up aquariums they can get their hands on with minimal budget and time.

Specialized freshwater kits are offered in a series. They offer the basic set up and vary on the size of the tank. One of these specialty kits are the Eclipse System series. It boasts 3 stages of filtration, easy set up and operation, and no tubing or noisy air pump. It has a biological filtration system called the BIO-Wheel. It contacts air and water as it rotates and provides oxygen to bacteria that remove ammonia. The BIO-Wheel does not get clogged and is practically maintenance free. It has an injection- molded acrylic tank that provides a 360 degree viewing option. Included in these fish tank kits are a food sample, some water conditioner, a basic light, a basic filter, a matching filter cartridge, an acrylic tank with a matching hood and the BIO-Wheel for movement of water and nutrients.

Other specialized aquarium kits are called River Treasures complete aquarium kits. They come with cylindrical acrylic tanks. These tanks have custom built top and a base crafted with non-toxic materials and comes with a 3 stage submersible filtration system. You can easily remove and clean the accesories and parts of a kit which is another plus. The kit includes some substrate and a heater.

There are small to medium sized freshwater aquarium kits that range from 10 to 50 gallons. In this category, there are packages that have plenty, but stick to the simple equipment and accessories like the standard kit that was mentioned earlier. The giant type of fish bowl aquarium complete with a 5 stage filtration system in the bottom, is also very popular but has 10 times more water capacity than the standard goldfish bowl. The kit comes with a tap water conditioner, a biological filtration booster, a 10 watt halogen light, an air pump, and an instruction manual.

There are also compact aquarium systems with built in light and filtration which allow for convenient set up. They have an advanced filtration and improved lighting system and include a protein skimmer, UV sterilizer, a mini hydrometer and a customized stand. An aquarium that is fit for either the home or office and that is a designer tank is the Fluval Edge Aquarium. It has a hidden lighting and filtration system and includes filter media, a tap water conditioner and a biological aquarium conditioner.

High end freshwater aquarium kits are for huge aquariums. There are packaged with custom cabinet stands and a canopy. Many plants, rocks and accesories are well suited to go into a high end fish tank. This one includes a shatter proof heater,an underwater pump, a system of lights that can be accessed without taking the lid off and very effecient water flow and filtering systems. These types of aquarium kits are for affluent hobbyists who have plenty of money to spend.

Aquarium dealers and traders came up with kits to give the hobbyist and aquarists plenty of choices among the various equipment and accessories in the market. If these items are offered in a package, they have a greater chance of being purchased and utilized by the consumer. In a kit, components and accessories are properly matched with the aquarium.

Beginners will have a sort of learning kit where they simply read the detailed instructions from a written guide and apply what they have read. With everything that they are going to need in the box except for the fish, the rocks for the bottom of the tank and some decorations, all of which they can get when they purchase their kit making getting an aquarium this way, convienient as well as easy to learn and easy to set up.

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Who Else Wants a Clean, Vibrant Worry-Free Freshwater Aquarium Full of Happy, Healthy Fish That Will Make Your Friends Jealous, in 7 Days or Less- Guaranteed? Read:n http://www.freshwateraquariumcenteronline.com/setting-up-a-freshwater-aquariumn

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