8 Ways to Keep Mosquitoes at Bay

Don’t let these blood suckers ruin your outdoor fun

Getting rid of the swarming summertime pests doesn’t have to involve harsh pesticides or gimmicky products, but it does require vigilance. 

For people who want to keep their yards both livable for humans and ecologically healthy during the buggy summer months, here’s the bad news: There is no proven effective mosquito solution as simple as buying a zapper or lighting a citronella candle. Still, that doesn’t mean homeowners are helpless. Consider the following:

1. Play water detective: Get rid of any standing water around your home—that’s where mosquitoes lay eggs! Remember that mosquitoes can lay eggs in tiny pools—even the size of a bottle cap. Also, check the places you can’t see, such as rain gutters. 

2. Employ fish: If you have an ornamental pond in your yard, find out if your local health department hands out mosquitofish, or Gambusia. As with all species not native to your region, exercise caution in releasing the fish.

3. Screen it: If you collect rainwater for irrigation, be sure to put a screen or filter—even an old pair of pantyhose will work—over the opening of the barrel.

4. Use mosquito dunks: If your yard has any unavoidable standing water, use mosquito “dunks”—usually donut-shaped disks of biopesticide that kill mosquito larvae but are harmless to humans, pets and wildlife.

5. Don’t be fooled: Remember that “natural” or “plant-based” doesn’t always mean safe—or effective. Do the appropriate research to ensure that your mosquito-controlling pesticides aren’t harmful to wildlife or pets.

6. Avoid what DOESN’T work: Studies have routinely shown disappointing results for just about every nonchemical means of repelling or killing adult mosquitoes: ultrasonic repellents, zappers and traps. 

7. Use repellant: The most popular repellant is the chemical N,N-diethyl-mtoluamide, or DEET. Because of rare cases of human adverse reactions to the chemical, you might try lemon eucalyptus, a natural repellent that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says provides “reasonably long-lasting protection.” Regardless of which repellent you use, always read and follow the manufacturer's dircetions. For more about the safe use of repellents, visit the CDC website.

8. Call in the pros. Almost every state or municipality has some sort of vector control agency—often run out of the health department. Along with a practiced eye, a vector control officer can look beyond a backyard to a larger area for the source of a mosquito infestation.

SOURCE:  National Wildlife
Text adapted from "Better Ways to Swat Mosquitoes" by Hannah Schardt, National Wildlife

Octopus Eats Shark! Huh?

Eight Arms and One Hefty Appetite!!

This video was so amazing that I just had to share it.  I know many of our Beach campers and RVers will enjoy this one!  You won't believe your eyes!


Source:  CNN.com, Rick Sanchez

American RV Giving Away Apple iPad Grand Prize to a Fan!

American RV will be drawing a name from our Facebook, Twitter and Blogger Fans and Followers for our 2010 Grand Prize Give Away......the revolutionary Apple iPad!  One Lucky Fan will be a proud new owner of the new Apple iPad in December of this year..... just in time for Christmas and just after the latest and greatest iPad Upgrade Release!  A magical and revolutionary product, check out its features here!  With prices starting at $499, this is a prize you don't want to miss!

So if you haven't already become a Facebook Fan and a Follower of our Twitter Page and  Angela's "Buzz" Camping Blog, be sure you sign up now and start following us!  The lucky winner will be announced in December on our social networks, so be sure you keep up with us in all of our postings and updates to see if you are one of our lucky winners!  If you are already an American RV follower, stop by our dealership in Olive Branch, MS and put your name in the box for our 2011 prize sweepstakes drawing.  Double your chances of winning!

Be on the lookout - we might just be handing out smaller prizes to a lucky winner randomly throughout this promotion.  We are trying to reach one million followers on our social networks .....but until we get there, we have plenty of time to come up with the "dream prize" for our lucky one millionth Camping Buzz Blog follower!!! Be sure to catch your Buzz with us!

Pass the word to all your friends and share the links to our networks below.  We look forward to meeting our lucky winners!

CAMPING NEWS BLOG

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER

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Don't forget to come to American RV in Olive Branch for the Memorial Day Celebration Prime Time RV Travel Trailers by Forest River!  4 Days Only!  May 27th, 28th, 29th & 31st!!!  Up to $500 in Prime Time RV Rebates!  Prices starting at just over $18K.  Financing Available  - Low Payments with Approved Credit!  Door Prizes, Hot Dogs, Cokes and Popcorn!

Family Still Missing After Sinkhole Swallows Home!

A Canadian couple and two young children are missing after their home collapsed into a massive sinkhole near Montreal.

VIDEO SOURCE:  CNN 

A family dog has been found alive at a rural property in Saint-Jude, Que., where the land gave way Monday night and swept away a house and several cars.

Police say a family of four has not been heard from since the geological incident caused part of the house to sink near the Yamaska River.

It created a large crevice, damaged a two-lane road and prompted the evacuation of five other houses in the town located about 50 kilometres northeast of Montreal.

"It's a pretty gigantic crater," said Francois Gregoire, a spokesperson for the fire department.

The incident, which happened during the time that the Montreal-Pittsburgh playoff game was being broadcast on TV, remains under investigation by officials.

Still missing are a couple -- an electrician and a daycare worker -- and two young girls who live inside the house.

CTV's Genevieve Beauchemin said police have tried to call the man's cellphone, but have only heard it ringing inside the house.

"He apparently carries his cellphone all the time with him. He has it on his belt, even when he is within the house," Beauchemin told CTV's Canada AM from Saint-Jude on Tuesday morning.

"So, what they tried to do overnight is to call that cellphone to try to see whether he would answer that and they could hear the cellphone ring at times, but there was no one who picked up. No signs of life."

CTV Montreal's Cindy Sherwin said the man had lived in the area for much of his life. 

He has grown up here and been in this area for generations," Sherwin reported Tuesday from Saint-Jude. "His father lived on a plot of land just nearby."

Sherwin said police have not revealed where they found the family's dog on Tuesday morning.

Rescuers have made several attempts to make their way inside the house, having to call off two overnight attempts because of safety concerns.

On Tuesday morning, a third attempt was set to go forward.

Family members have gathered near the house as they wait to find out the fate of their loved ones.

"They said that they will stay here all day until there is news -- either way," Beauchemin said.

At the Aux Quatre-Vents elementary school in Saint-Jude, students heard what had happened at the house where one of their fellow students lived.

Principal Chantal Gagnon said the school had never been so quiet.

"We told them that since there is no official word we can still cross our fingers," she said.

"We told them that in times like these we have to take care of each other."

Mayor Yves Bellefeuille said residents are in shock after seeing what happened to the house in Saint-Jude.

He said counselors will be made available to people who need help.

Click here to watch News Story of Missing Family & Family Dog Found

SOURCE: CTV News

With files from The Canadian Press

Relatives of a family of four who are missing after their house was swept away in a landslide take care of Foxy, the family dog that was recovered by rescuers, Tuesday, May 11, 2010 in St. Jude, Que. (Ryan Remiorz / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

A Quebec family of four was missing Tuesday after a massive sinkhole swallowed their home, according to reports from CNN affiliates. Authorities said the home fell 30 feet into the hole when it opened around 9:30 p.m. Monday. A couple in their 40s and two children, ages 9 and 11, were believed to be inside, according to a report by CNN affiliate CBC news. 

The couple’s vehicles were seen outside the house and efforts to reach them by cell phone were unsuccessful, authorities told the CBC.

"We tried to reach them by phone, because the father always wears his cell phone on him," Quebec Provincial Police Sgt. Ronald McKinnis told CBC. "The firefighters heard the cell phone, but they weren't able to [locate] it."

The hole was about 500 yards long and forced the evacuation of five other homes in the town of Saint-Jude, in a rural area near the Yamaska River about 40 miles northeast of Montreal, CNN affiliate CTV reported.

McKinnis told the CBC that the hole was first reported by a truck driver whose rig fell into it Monday night. He suffered only minor injuries, McKinnis said.

Search-and-rescue dogs were being called in to help the search, according to a report in the Montreal Gazette, and a helicopter was circling the area looking for signs of movement.

SOURCE:  CNN

Trappers Capture 800 lb. Alligator in Mississippi Bayou

Trappers capture two giant alligators from Gulfport, Mississippi's Brickyard Bayou. WLOX reports. How would you like to have one of these living in your backyard?  Sheese!



Just another reason to camp in an RV!

RESOURCE:  CNN

Keystone Montana: #1 Fifth Wheel for 9th Straight Year

For the ninth consecutive year, Keystone RV Co.’s Montana has been named the No. 1 retailing fifth-wheel, according to Statistical Surveys Inc. In addition, retail sales numbers for the first two months of 2010 show Montana with an 18% market share increase, outselling the nearest competition by nearly two-to-one, according to a news release from Keystone.

In a letter to Keystone, Tom Walworth, president of Statistical Surveys Inc., recognized Montana: 

“We at Statistical Surveys Inc. congratulate Keystone RV’s Montana division for achieving number one retail sales leadership in 2009 calendar year. According to our records, this is the 9th consecutive year Montana has earned the No. 1 ranking; it is very rare for an RV company to hold the No. 1 brand ranking for this period of time. This is something that happens due to the hard work of the Keystone team.”

“We are grateful to our strong dealer network and loyal customers for Montana’s ongoing success,” added Montana general manager Aram Koltookian. “The entire Montana team is looking forward to making it 10-in-a-row. January and February sales increases certainly start us off with great momentum.” 

Among the steps Montana is taking to further solidify the brand’s leadership position:

Ramping up production by 25% during the coming months in order to meet growing wholesale and retail demand. 

Continuing to introduce new floorplans that deliver what the customer is asking for, floorplans like the 3750 FL (front lounge) and the 3580 RE (walk around island kitchen). 

Accelerating shipments of the Montana High Country models which offer customers luxury features and quality while saving over 2000 pounds in weight. 

Progressing with plans to open a new Montana factory that is 30% larger than the existing Montana facility and that will further increase Montana production.  

SOURCE:  RV Business

Need an RV?  Contact American RV - Worldwide Delivery!  American RV is an approved  Keystone Dealer who carries the Keystone Montana and a full line of Keystone Brands in Inventory! Low Internet Pricing!

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Best Secret Islands on Earth

Thirty under-the-radar islands, from Oregon to the Greek Aegean, where you can kick back and let yourself go.

Warm blue water, pristine white sand, swaying coconut palms: Belize’s South Water Caye is a tropical paradise pared down to the alluring basics. Some 30 years ago, only fishermen inhabited this 15-acre islet; today, because it lies distinctly off the Caribbean’s beaten path, frankly, not too much has changed. You can still enjoy the surf’s rhythmic, soporific whush-shhh over sunset drinks at a sandy-bottomed bar.

There’s something magnetic—almost primevally compelling—about a fleck of land bounded by endless sea. And having to share the space with a crowd of tourists can ruin the magic. Fortunately, secret islands like South Water Caye still exist. And for those willing to search for solitude, the reward may be your own maritime Shangri-la.

“People rarely follow the road less traveled,” says Kelly Shea, a Travel + Leisure A-List agent who organizes journeys in Greece. “They have their minds set on Mykonos and Santorini.” But Alonissos—in the country’s Northern Sporades archipelago, in the Aegean Sea—is tougher to access. “Americans have never heard of it,” she says, “and there are no luxury hotels. But it has isolated coves where you won’t see another person all day.”

Alonissos’s primary lure is its marine park—at 875 square miles, Europe’s largest—where striped dolphins and endangered monk seals abound. The isle also features hiking trails that meander through fields of ruby-red blooms, olive groves, and pebble beaches. In the cobblestone streets of the old town of Chora, cheery, Venetian-designed tavernas grill up the catch of the day while live Greek music drifts out of open pub windows.

Ferries make the trip to this 14-mile-long ribbon of flowering rock in a couple of hours from nearby Skiathos, where there’s a small regional airport. But Alonissos remains comparatively remote, so—unlike in Mykonos—the beaches and restaurants and bars have space to spare.  

While seclusion has helped hide places such as Alonissos, it’s neither a guarantee (think St. Bart’s) nor a necessity. Just 10 miles from Portland, OR, sprawls a 24,000-acre stretch of river-encircled farmland called Sauvie Island. Known among foodies as the epicenter of the Northwest’s locavore movement, the place bursts with fresh, pick-your-own harvests: plum-colored marionberries, sweet corn, plump pumpkins. And with Stumptown only a 15-minute drive away, Sauvie also represents that rare find: a weekend getaway that’s easy and affordable.

So whether you’re looking for a secluded atoll renowned for its beauty or a little-known enclave just around the corner, T+L’s list of 30 secret islands is sure to reveal a dream destination you’ve been craving. —Catesby Holmes 

See the Full Story here.

SOURCE:  Travel & Leisure

Fun Time RV - Largest Single-Site RV Dealership in U.S. Closes Doors

Fun Time RV – the largest single-site RV dealership in the U.S. by sales volume – has closed its doors, sources tell RV PRO. The dealership, located outside of Fort Worth in the small community of Cleburne, Texas, closed its doors Thursday (May 6).

Calls to the dealership by RV PRO were not returned late Friday. However, Clark McEwen, executive director of the Texas RV Association, confirmed to RV PRO that the dealership has ceased operations.

“They’re gone,” he said simply. McEwen said Fun Time RV was the largest dealership in Texas in terms of towables and of overall volume. “At one time – in the heyday, say four years ago or so – they were approaching close to $100 million a year. They were, up till right now, the largest fifth wheel dealer in the nation,” he said. 

“It’s quite a shock,” said Tom Walworth, director of Statistical Surveys, commenting on Fun Time’s closure.

Walworth said that Statistical Surveys data shows that in 2009 Fun Time RV sold a combined 1,606 units, making them the largest single-site dealership by unit sales in the country. The next closest was Lazydays with 1,355 units. Walworth added that Fun Time’s volume of unit sales probably made it one of the five largest in the country in several categories of RVs.

McEwen said reports he was hearing recently indicated that, even until just before closing, Fun Time was continuing to sell a lot of units. However, there were also reports that the dealership was having financial issues, and problems with access to credit, he added.

GE Capital provided financing for Fun Time RV. Bill Hughes, sales director for GE Capital in Tempe Ariz., said he couldn’t comment on the status of individual clients.

McEwen said Fun Time’s closure is a loss not just for its employees and customers, but for the entire industry.

“It’s a monster. It’s not good for the industry,” he said, adding, “Even his (owner Sam Kidd’s) toughest competitors don’t want to see that happen.”

SOURCE:  RV PRO

If you need an RV, contact American RV at http://www.americanrv.biz/,  Toll Free  888.337.6870

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200 Pound Bear Rescued from Oxnard Tree in California

I know as a camper myself, many of us have at least had a bear enter our campsite at night looking for food.  I remember as a kid camping with my family on the Tennessee River one year when I had my first bear experience.  We were all sleeping in our tents and I was the only one who woke up to the sound of him sniffing around the door of our tent.  I could see him from where I was sleeping through the screen mesh, and I was terrified!  I recalled that I had been taught to just lay still and play dead (which by the way is very difficult for a child to do when there is a big bear trying to get in her tent!).  I remember once he wandered off finally being able to breathe after holding my breath for what seemed like an eternity.  It was then that I woke my parents so they could scope out our campsite for safety.  Beautiful animals, but such terrifying power they hold! 

A 200-pound bear climbed a tree in Oxnard and fell asleep for more than two hours.

This bear had several tranquilizer darts stuck in its side and was perched in a precarious position.

Sleeping bear rescued in Oxnard. (KTLA-TV / May 4, 2010)

OXNARD, Calif. -- Fire crews on Tuesday morning were working to rescue a bear that ran around a Ventura County neighborhood for hours before climbing a tree at a cemetery and taking a long nap. 

The 200-pound bear was partially tranquilized and had at least three darts stuck in its side when it fell asleep about 25-feet up in the tree, wedged in branches. 

The bear was reported prowling a neighborhood near Santa Clara Cemetery just after 2 a.m. Tuesday. It was first spotted in the parking lot of a fire station on Vineyard Avenue, then up a tree in a condominium complex. 

The bear eventually climbed the cemetery wall and made itself comfortable in the tree for more than two hours with its head and feet dangling the entire time.

Fish and Game officials along with the fire department worked to safely remove the groggy bear using harnesses and a ladder truck.

Crews cut down some branches and, around 9 a.m., carefully lifted the sleeping bear out of the tree.

Fish and Game experts bundled the bear in a tarp, and police say it will be released in Los Padres National Forest.

Dramatic Rescue of California Black Bear Video from CNN.com

NEW STORY SOURCE:  KTLA News

Want to avoid Bears in the great outdoors?  Sleep in an RV from American RV!  Worldwide Delivery! Low Prices!

Man 'Survives Without Food' For 70 Years

Imagine getting lost in the wilderness while out on a camping trip with no food or water?  This guy thinks it's a piece of cake (no pun intended).  Indian doctors are studying a remarkable 83-year-old holy man who claims to have spent the last seven decades without food and water. 

 

Man 'Survives Without Food' For 70 Years

Military medics hope the experiments on Prahlad Jani can help soldiers develop their survival strategies.

The long-haired and bearded yogi is under 24-hour observation by a team of 30 doctors during three weeks of tests at a hospital in the western city of Ahmedabad.

Two cameras have been set up in his room, while a mobile camera films him when he goes outside, guaranteeing round-the-clock observation.

His body will be scanned and his brain and heart activity measured with electrodes.

"The observation from this study may throw light on human survival without food and water," said Dr G. Ilavazahagan, who is directing the research.

"This may help in working out strategies for survival during natural calamities, extreme stressful conditions and extra-terrestrial explorations like future missions to the Moon and Mars by the human race."

Since the experiment began on April 22, Jani has neither eaten nor drunk and has not been to the toilet.

"The exercise of taking this yogi under the medical scanner is to understand what energy supports his existence," Dr Ilavazahagan added.

"Jani says he meditates to get energy. Our soldiers will not be able to meditate, but we would still like to find out more about the man and his body."

Jani, who dresses in red and wears a nose ring, grew up in Charod village in the Mehsana district in Gujarat.

He claims to have been blessed by a goddess when he was aged eight, which has enabled him to survive without sustenance.

SOURCE:  Sky News