The Legend of the Poinsettia

The Introduction       
    Every year my grandmother puts out a poinsettia plant in her window.  I have always wondered why she puts out that red, star-shaped flower out.  I did some research and it turns out there is a whole story behind it.  The story takes place in Mexico with a girl named Pepita.
The Legend
    Pepita and her cousin, Pedro, were walking to the chapel in their small village.  It was tradition that everyone in town had to bring a gift to offer to the baby Jesus.  She could not afford a gift so she felt sad.  Her cousin told her, trying to cheer her up, that even the most humble gift, if given in love, would be acceptable.  

    Pepita didn't know what to do, so she knelt down on the ground and picked some weeds.  She put them in a small bouquet and walked into the chapel.  She that she felt so embarrassed almost started to cry.  As she walked towards the alter she remembered her cousin's words.  She place the bouquet at the foot of the Nativity scene.  At that instant, the weeds miraculously bloomed vivid red flowers.  This was truly a Christmas miracle.
     This story teaches us that it does not matter how extravigent a gift is.  What matters is that it is gven with love.
The Description
     The poinsettia, when full grown, can reach anywhere from 2 to 16 feet.  It is mainly found and is native to Mexico.  Their leaves are usually a brilliant red but can be orange, pale green, cream, pink, or white.  In order for them to get their bright color they have to be in complete darkness for at least 12 hours and during the day, be in bright sunlight during the day.
Who plants poinsettias?
     One of the largest cultivaters of poinsettia plants is the Ecke Ranch.  Until the 1990's, the Ecke ranch basicly had control of the poinsettia market.  This was the result for grafting two kinds of poinsettia together to get a more full plant.  In the 1990's, the method of grafting the two breeds together was discovered and published.  Soon many companies started producing more of the plants.  The company moved into Latin America and started buisness there.  Today, Paul Ecke III is the owner of the ranch.  Despite the competion, the Ecke ranch still produces 70% of the poinsettias in the U.S. and 50% of them world wide.
The Conclusion
    conclusion, the poinsettia plant has a rich history.  The legend got me thinking.  Do you think more people appreciate the gifts they get, even if they are very humble, or do people onlt want- and expect- the priciest gifts.  I would love to hear your opinion on the matter.

Check this video out if you want to know how to decorate with poinsettias
Further reading-
http://www.ecke.com/new1/poinsettias.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poinsettia

What Causes the Common Cold?

During this time of year, many people become ill with the common cold.  You are probably wondering- what causes the common cold?  Well, the main cause of the common cold rhinovirus is a virus called rhinovirus.  The reason it is called the rhinovirus is because the Greek prefix "rhin" means nose, where they usually reproduce.  They have to be between 33 and 35 degrees Celsius to reproduce.  The nose is the perfect temperature.  There are 99 known rhinoviruses know to infect humans.  These viruses are relatively small compared to the smallpox virus.
The cold is transmitted two different ways.  It can be transmitted though coughing and/or sneezing or by direct contact.  The most colds in the United States happen between September and April.  This is because this is the start of the school year where many kids are close together.  During this time of year, more people stay indoors, which increases the chance of the transmission of the disease.
The common cold has many symptoms.   Symptoms include runny or stuffy nose, itchy or soar throat, a cough, body aches or a headache, a mild fever, and sneezing.  The cold is contagious.
There is no cure for the common cold.  Luckily, the ailment is harmless.  The only thing you can do is to drink a lot of fluids and to rest.  The transmission of the disease can be prevented if you wash your hands frequently.  If you are sick, you should stay home from work or school so more people do not catch it.

           

http://www.bing.com/health/article/mayo-125207/Common-cold?q=common+cold&qpvt=common+cold
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhinovirus

     Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches can live for 5 years on average.  They are one of the largest species of cockroach.  They can reach up to 4 inches long.  They mainly eat vegetable matter.  Now that you know the basics on this cockroach, you are probably wondering why they hiss.

     As we all know, Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches make a distinctive hissing sound. Have you ever wondered how they do this? Well, they hiss by forcing air through breathing pores, called spiracles. They are the only insects that can make noise like that. Most insects make noise by rubbing different body parts together.  Hissing genes are passed down from generation to generation.

     They have different hisses for different circumstances. They sometimes hiss when they are disturbed. They also have a certain hiss that attracts females. The males hiss when they see females. Males that hiss the loudest are most likely to mate. Their other hiss is used when fighting. A study was conducted in which a male, who could hiss, and a male, whose spiracles were covered, were placed in an enclosure. The male who could hiss almost always won.

     These cockroaches can be kept as pets if you wanted to.  I find these roaches very interesting because of their unique ability to hiss.  I find it weird that they hiss to attract females.  What do you think?

     
   


Information from http://lhsfoss.org/fossweb/teachers/materials/plantanimal/hissingcockroaches.html
                          http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madagascar_hissing_cockroach
                         

Winter Survival 101- For Bugs

     During the winter, you usually do not see bugs very of often.  That is because they have special techniques to help them survive the winter.  Some of these tactics include migrating, going through the winter while changing stages, and hibernating.
     Some insects, such as the Monarch butterfly, migrate south for the winter.  They do this to get to warmer temperatures.  They start to migrate when they notice that the weather starts to get cooler.  The Monarch butterfly has one of the world's largest migration.  They travel over 3,000 miles from the northern U.S. and Canada to Mexico in groups of  thousands.
     Another method to surviving the winter is changing stages in the life cycle.  Many bugs survive the winter by changing its stage.  Insects stay a certain stage of their life cycle throughout the winter.  They can go through the winter as pupae, eggs, or nymphs.  They adapt to there surroundings to make it possible to "weather the winter weather".  For example, some nymphs, lay dormant n frozen rivers for the winter.
     Insects can also hibernate cold, bitter winter.  This dormant state is caused diapause.  During this diapause, insects produce this chemical called glycerol that acts like an antifreeze.  Insects also lower their water content.  Bees cluster together and flap their wings to keep warm.  Other insects burrow underground or into trees.
     Insects like to keep warm in the winter.  If you were an insect, which way would you want to keep warm in the winter?  Why?



Information courtesy of- http://www.colostate.edu/Dept/CoopExt/4DMG/Pests/winter.htm
                                     http://www.si.edu/encyclopedia_si/nmnh/buginfo/winter.htm
                                     http://www.fs.fed.us/monarchbutterfly/migration/index.shtml

All Hail Emperor Scorpions

     Emperor scorpions are very gentile creatures.  These all black, shiny arthropods can reach lengths up to 8 inches (20 centimeters).  Their average lifespan is about 8 years on average. Although the seem intimidating due to their massive size, they are mostly harmless.  A sting from an Emperor scorpion only burns for a few minutes and then fades away.  If an Emperor scorpion were to pinch you with its large claws, it would be very painful.  The only reason it would pinch you would be because it was handled the wrong way.  The correct way to handle an Emperor scorpion is to cup it in you hand.

     Emperor scorpions have become increasingly popular over the years.  They are common pets because they are the most easily handled scorpions in captivity.  Another reason they are mainstream pets is because of their glow in black light.  This isn't recommended because it will stress out the scorpion and eventually cause death.  Emperor scorpions are threatened because to many of them are being put into captivity.  I think that it is inhumane to threaten the well being of a specie just because they are good pets.  What do you think?

http://animal-world.com/index.html
http://www.wikipedia.org/

A Hundred Legs You Don't Want Crawling Around

Centipede

Centipede bite in early stage

     Centipedes are low-profile bugs.  They usually remain hidden in leaf litter or other subterranean areas.  Did you know that there are over 8000 species of centipede?  They are scattered all over the world except in extremely cold conditions.  Centipedes are usually shades of reddish brown.  Centipedes can be from a few millimeters to 30 centimeters.  They can sometimes be translucent in color due to being in the dark for extended periods of time.  Centipedes have one pair of legs per body segment.  All centipedes must have an odd number of pairs of legs.  Ironically, it is impossible for a centipede to have 100 legs because it would need an even set of pairs to have 100 legs. 

     Centipedes have a very painful bite.  Although centipede bites are meant to paralyze their prey, if a human gets bitten, it can be tragic.  The victim will get paresthesia, the itching sensation around the bite.  They may also experience edema, when a serum secretes from the bite.  Necrosis may also occur.  Necrosis is when the cells around the bite die off.  If left untreated, it can result in death.  Luckily, there is anti-venom that will prevent further damage.  Unfortunately, it cannot reverse previous damage.  I would not be able to make it if a centipede bit me.  I would panic.  What would you do if a centipede bit you?

Video courtesy of http://www.youtube.com/
Medical information courtesy of http://www.pubmed.gov/

This Bug Is No Lady

     Despite popular belief, lady bugs are not only ladies.  In fact, there are male lady bugs.  Ladybugs also can be called ladybird beetles.  The reason they are called ladybugs (or ladybird beetles- whichever one you prefer,) are because Mary (Our Lady) in the Catholic religion, was often painted wearing a red cloak.  The seven black spots on the ladybug are said to represent Mary's Seven Sorrows and her Seven Joys.  It is a myth that the amount of spots on a ladybug gives away its age.  In reality, most ladybugs have seven, distinct spots. 

     Ladybugs are like any other insect.  They have three body parts and six legs.  Lady bugs are usually a bright red used to ward away predators that try to harm them.  If a predator attacks them they spray out a venomous toxin and secrete a chemical that prevents it from being eaten.
     Ladybugs live for between 1 to 2 years.  They begin as eggs.  After 3 to 4 days, the eggs hatch into larvae.   After two weeks, the larvae start to pupate.  After a few days the become adults. 
     Ladybugs eat aphids and other small bugs.  In fact, farmers introduce ladybugs to crops infested with pests.  It is a safer alternative to pesticides ,but can wipe out native species of bugs.  This has happened in many places.  Do you think that farmers should use foreign ladybugs to control pests?

Special Post #3

     I had fun this week off of school.  I did a lot of fun things like going out to lunch, hanging out with friends, and lounging around the house.  During the course of the week I also did homework.  I had things such as assignments, projects, and papers.  Frankly, I think that I had too much homework.  Luckily, that didn't ruin my week.
     On Wednesday,  I went out to lunch with a couple of friends to this restaurant called Gabrielle's.  The food was okay but the part I liked best was that it had a bunch off different games, such as pool and fuseball. I had a lot of fun that day.
     Today, I went to a Boy Scout meeting at a friends house to clean the dishes from a previous campout.  The cleaning part was boring but what we did afterwards was ten times better.  In his basement he had these really cool things such as a piano that played by itself and a fake slot machine.  The other boys and I had a blast.
     I had a fun weekend and I hope your weekend was just as good. 



The piano was similar to this.  Video courtesy of http://www.youtube.com/

Special Post #2

     This Halloween had to be one of the best one I've had so far.  This year I went trick-or-treating as a hobo.  It was the easiest costume to put together last-minute.  I scavenged the neighborhood door to door in search for the most delicious thing in  the world- candy.  As I was roaming around the neighborhood, with a couple of friends, I noticed that I wasn't the only one to dress up as a hobo.  I think that had a toll on my candy intake because every time I went to a house.  I think I got less candy than the other kids I went with.
     I was mostly happy with my half-pillowcase of candy except for the fact that most of my candy had nuts in them.  Most people like candy with nuts, such as Reese's and Butterfinger, but I don't.  The reason is because I am allergic to nuts.  Luckily, the people I was trick-or-treating were nice enough to trade with me for candies I can eat, such as Whoppers and Kit-Kats.  Now, I am probably going to have a "sugar rush" lasting until the end of the month.  I hope next year I get more candy than I got this year.

  

I hope your Halloween was better than Charlie Brown's !

Video courtesy of www.youtube.com

Special Post #1

     In class, we have been using multiple "tech" tools to help make it easier to work on the computer.  My personal favorite "tech" tool is Google Docs.  I like Google Docs for a variety of reasons.  One reason is that it is much easier to send as an attachment to an E-mail than it is to do with a Microsoft Word document.  Another reason I like Google Docs is because its free.  Otherwise, you would have to pay hundreds of dollars for Microsoft Word.  A really great asset to Google Docs is that it automaticcly saves your work as you type.  What fascinates me is that not only can you type "word" documents, you can also do presentations similar to Microsoft PowerPoint.
       V.S.
Google Docs is powered by http://www.google.com/

The Original Social Network

     When you think social the first bug that comes to mind is the ant.  There are many kinds of ants that share one thing- that they work together to ensure the safety of the colony.  They use a series of chemical signals to communicate.  It is like their alphabet.  Sometimes, an ant goes out looking for food and leaves a trail of chemicals so that the colony can follow them and retrieve the food.  This continues until an obstacle gets in the way.  Then they find a new route to the food.  When the food source is depleted, they repeat the cycle.
   
     They also use chemicals to alert other ants.  When an ant is squashed, it  sends an alarm chemical to alert other ants to attack.  This chemical also makes enemies that are attacking the colony attack each other.
                                                                               

                                                                              

     Ants are also social with other insects.  They provide shelter for aphids in exchange for honeydew- a by-product of the tree sap they eat.  The ants also herd caterpillars so that they could help them find food and make honeydew.  In exchange, they provide shelter for it and give them any larvae to eat.

                                                                                 

     Not all ants are social.  Some ants, such as the bulldog ant, are solitary.  They hunt by themselves and seldom work together. 

     I think that ants are the most social creatures out there.  They work together to let the colony thrive.  They only think about the other members of the colony.  I think that if we work together like ants do, the world will be a better place. 



http://www.wikipedia.org/
http://theedublogger.com/2010/11/12/share-your-blogging-experience-and-win-big/

"Wood" You Want Termites?

     Termites are the translucent insects that are notorious for causing damage to wooden structures.  Although they mainly eat soil, grass or other kinds of wood, they eat dry wood- the wood mostly used in making houses.  They also eat paper, cloth, and carpet.
     There are different kinds of termites in a colony.  There are queens, kings (males), soldiers, and workers.  The queens are female termites that have flown, mated, and are producing eggs.  A king is a male who has mated, flown and stays with the queen.  There may be multiple pairs of mating termites.  Worker termites retrieve food for the colony, store the food, and maintain the nest.  They are responsible for the digestion of celluse (the plant matter in the 'foods' above) with special enzymes.  The soldiers, are the defense of the colony.  They have enlarged jaws, larger heads and are blind.  They use their large heads to block tunnels from intruding, use their jaws to bite at ants and shoot a 'glue' at the ants.
     Termites are social creatures that live in mounds of dirt or in nests.  The mounds provide shade in hot climates.
     As you can see, termites are amazing organisms that work together to maintain a colony-wide bond.  Maybe we can learn from their behavior.

Information courtesy of http://www.wikipedia.com/

Lyme Disease

     Lyme disease is transmitted through ticks.  The infected tick carries a corkscrew-shaped bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto.  That is the bacteria that causes most cases of Lyme disease in the U.S., but is caused by bacteria of the sane genus in Europe.  Lyme disease causes headaches, chills, fever, fatigue, joint aches, swollen lymph nodes, and the infamous bulls eye rash.  Most people experience these symptoms in a matter of weeks.  If left untreated, this disease can affect your joints and your nervous system.

     Lyme disease was named after the town of Lyme, Connecticut because the first case of Lyme disease in 1975 was reported there.  The cause of Lyme disease remained a mystery until William Borgdofer found the cause in 1982.
     Lyme disease is a very serious illness but can prevented.  The easiest way to prevent Lyme disease is to wear lightly colored clothes that cover your whole body while in the woods.  You should also wear 100% deet tick repellent when doing activities outside.  Lyme disease is a terrible disease that can be avoided, so follow these tips and you can save yourself the trouble.   

http://www.wikipedia.com/

Mosquitoes Bite

     Mosquitoes are the fascinating insects that we are all guilty of swatting.  There are over 3,500 species of mosquitoes worldwide.  That's more swats than you can count.  Like most bugs, they have 4 stages of development.  They spend the first three stages of their lives as eggs, larvae, and  then pupae that develop in 4 to 15 days in still water like puddles.  After the pupa hatches into an adult, it lives about  another 4 to 8 weeks as a mosquito.

    

     Mosquitoes are infamous for biting people and spreading diseases such as the West Nile Virus and Yellow Fever.  Even though all mosquitoes carry diseases, only the female mosquito bite humans and other mammals.  The only reason they bite people is so that they can get extra nutrients such as iron and protein.  Mosquitoes are an important part of the ecosystem.  Guppies, bats, and dragonflies eat them to survive.  So next time you kill a mosquito, think twice about the affect it has on the environment.

http://www.wikipedia.com/

Venus Fly Traps

     Venus fly traps are like any other plant except for one thing.  They  eat bugs!!!  They Venus fly trap is famous for its snapping "jaws" devour any insect that lands on it.  They are like any other plants because they breath in carbon dioxide and exhale oxygen. They eat bugs because they populate nitrogen poor environments.  They get their extra nitrogen from the bugs they eat.  When a bug land in the mouth of a Venus fly trap, it sets of trigger "hairs" off.  Then the carnivorous plant snaps its mouth shut.  If the object it snaps on is inedible, it spits it out.   If the object is a bug, its mouth clamps and it starts digesting the bug. It takes 24 hours for a Venus fly trap to digest an insect.
     I think that a plant shouldn't eat an insect because it isn't nessary for a plant to gt more nutrients than it needs.  If the plant needs more nutrients, I think that it should adapt to living in a more nutritional environment. What do you think?



http://www.wikipedia.com/
http://www.botany.com/

Bed Bugs Invade NYC

This is the life cycle of a bed bug.

    An ongoing epidemic has been occurring in New York City, due to the bloodsucking bed bug.  These reddish-brown bugs can be from one eighth of an inch to one quarter of an inch.  They have been causing inconvenience to New Yorkers recently. They have been in many places including the AMC theater in Times Square and the Niketown in Manhattan.  They hitch hike on people's bags and clothing.  That is how they travel from place to place. 

These are bed bug bites.

     Although bed bugs can be a pain, there are ways to prevent them from coming into your home.  One way you can prevent carrying bed bugs into your house is to not leave any bags or luggage on the floor when you travel.  Another thing you can do to avoid bed bugs are to wash your clothes in really hot water.  Bed bugs like to hide in crevices so be sure to check any crevices for the big, red adults and the small, black eggs.  What do you think about about this problem?   Well as the saying goes- good night, sleep tight, and don't let the bed bugs bite.

This is an adult bed bug.

Information courtesy of http://www.newyorktimes.com/