Asthma Caused by Thunderstorms?

Summer thunderstorms are great theater—sky-spanning fireworks followed by crackling, crashing booms. But thunderstorms are also linked to some negative effects on health, from breathing disturbances to heart problems, reports the August 2010 issue of the Harvard Health Letter.

Lightning. Getting hit by lightning isn't as deadly as you might think. In fact, many people survive this rare event, although their injuries can be serious. Direct strikes aren't the only danger. The current from lightning can travel through the ground to a person standing nearby. Lightning can also “splash” from one person to another or from a tree to a person. Lightning can even be dangerous to people inside a building who touch lightning-charged plumbing or telephone wiring. Survivors of lightning-related injuries may end up with neurological and eye problems.

Thunderstorm asthma. Some thunderstorms trigger an increase in the number of people seeking medical attention for asthma. These occasional episodes of “thunderstorm asthma” have been correlated with high pollen and spore counts. How might thunderstorms increase pollen and spores in the air? According to one theory, the gusts of wind that signal the approach of a thunderstorm storm whip pollen off of grass and trees.
Sleep apnea. Falling atmospheric pressure is a common feature of most thunderstorms. People with sleep apnea—periods during which they briefly stop breathing while they sleep—have more apnea “events” on nights when atmospheric pressure is lower.

Read the full-length article: “Storm’s a-comin (http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletters/Harvard_Health_Letter/2010/August/storms-a-comin?utm_source=mental&utm_medium=pressrelease&utm_campaign=health0810)’”

Bed Bugs in New York are Serious Problem

Maybe you saw the episode of the TV show "30 Rock" that joked about bed bugs. Well, when the mayor of New York City gets involved, you can be sure that nobody will be laughing.

The New York Mayor’s Office and the NYC Bed Bug Advisory Board will be holding a press conference at 2:00 p.m. at City Hall to discuss New York’s new bed bug public education initiative. As media-coverage of this story develops, you will likely want access to entomologists that served members of the NYC Bed Bug Advisory Board.

Expert research entomologists Richard Cooper (http://www.bedbugcentral.com/about/profile.cfm/richard-cooper) and Jeffrey White of BedBug Central (http://www.bedbugcentral.com/) are available to you to provide expert opinions and analysis of the situation as it develops.

As a nationally regarded entomologist, Richard Cooper was appointed to the New York City Bed Bug Advisory Board by Mayor Michael Bloomberg. With more than 20 years of experience in entomology and the pest control industry, Richard has become nationally recognized as an expert on bed bugs and bed bug management. Richard will be available all day for comment and he will also be present at the press conference. Richard has already been featured as an expert in an MSNBC article this week in addition to “Newsweek,” “Early Show,” “Dateline,” NBC’s “Today Show.”

Our other lead entomologist, Jeffrey White is also nationally regarded and has already spoken with the NBC Nightly News last night.

Jeffrey has over 10 years of experience as an entomologist and his expertise is in bed bug biology, behavior and treatment protocol. Jeffrey has been featured on major news networks such as NBC and CBS. He is also the host of Bed Bug TV; a video blog that addresses a wide variety of topics associated with bed bug. The site been viewed by over 100,000 people around the world.

BedBug Central will available all day to provide you with assistance and access to either of our entomologists.


BedBug Central is a national company headquartered in New York and New Jersey which serves as a resource and website available to the public for information regarding bed bugs and bed bug related issues concerning health, prevention, and treatment methods.

Summer Lawn Care For Unpredictable Weather

Summer showers seem to be making an appearance in every weekly forecast. And, although pop-up showers seem like a major improvement compared to droughts from previous years, they might not be enough to keep yards as healthy and green as desired. waterSmart, a water conservation education program, offers the following tips to help keep lawns healthy through rain or shine. These tips will help save water, time and money this summer—regardless of the forecast.

• Mulch –When showers are light or irregular, use mulch to maintain moisture in the soil. Pine bark, nuggets and hardwood chips are best, but rocks, gravel and marble retain heat which can cause evaporation. Another helpful hint – saturate a newspaper and place it on the ground before using mulch.
• Use Rain Barrels – Build or buy a rain barrel to capture water from pop-up showers. When scattered showers skip over lawns, rain barrels provide a conservation-friendly thirst quencher for plants. Materials can be purchased from local hardware stores. Screens can be used to keep out debris and insects. Visit www.watershed.cobbcountyga.gov for more tips on rain barrels.
• Know When To Water – Take advantage of pop-up showers and only water yards when necessary. Established yards can remain healthy on one inch of water for up to seven to 10 days. By setting up sprinklers to run once a week, individuals will save water, time and money, and plants will be healthy too! Or, look for natural signs. When plants turn a gray-green color and their leaves wilt, they need to be watered.

“Use the water from pop-up showers to your advantage,” says Becky Mixon, project manager for waterSmart. “By implementing waterSmart lawn care techniques, you can keep beautiful landscaping while helping to conserve Georgia’s drinking water supply.”
For more tips on how to have a waterSmart landscape, as well as other water conservation techniques, visit www.waterSmart.net.
Statewide watering restrictions went into effect June 2, 2010. Outdoor watering hours are 4 p.m. to 10 a.m. Details regarding the Georgia Water Stewardship Act can be found by visiting www.georgiaepd.org.