Best Answer: Calamondin or Kalamansi (x Citrofortunella microcarpa) is a fruit tree in the family Rutaceae and a member of citrofortunella that was developed in and is very popular throughout Southeast Asia, especially the Philippines, where it is most commonly used for cooking. In the west it is variously known as acid orange, calamondin orange, or Panama orange, and in the Pacific Islands it is called kalamansi. It is a shrub or small tree growing to 3-6 m, and bears small citrus fruit used to flavour foods and drinks. Although sometimes described as a native of the Philippines or other areas of Southeast Asia, the tree is in fact the result of a hybrid between species in the genera Citrofortunella and unknown in the wild. Hybrids between Citrus subspecies have been cultivated for so long that the origins of most are obscure. It is generally held that most species in cultivation are ancient apomictic hybrids and selected cultivars of these hybrids, including crosses with other genera such as Fortunella and Poncirus. The calamansi is usually described as a cross between Citrus reticulata (Tangerine or Mandarin orange) and Fortunella margarita (Kumquat). The fruit of the calamondin resembles a small, round lime, a little bigger than the size of a thumbnail, 25-35 mm in diameter. It has the inviting odor of a tangerine with a very thin green or orange colored peel. In spite of its appearance and aroma, the taste is quite sour. The fruit can be frozen whole and used as ice cubes in beverages like tea or ginger ale. The juice extracted by crushing the whole fruit makes a flavorful drink similar to lemonade, and a liqueur can also be made from the whole fruits, in combination with vodka and sugar. In Asia the juice is used to season fish, fowl, and pork. Calamansi is commonly used as a condiment for dishes such as pancit bihon. Calamondin marmalade is made in the same way as orange marmalade—with a bit more sugar, providing a delicious spread for toast at breakfast. Like other citrus fruits, the calamansi is high in vitamin C, and the juice can be a good vitamin source. In North America, the calamondin is grown mainly as an ornamental plant; it can be especially attractive when the fruit are present. It is frost sensitive and therefore limited to warm climates (e.g., Florida, south Texas, and Hawaii in the U.S.). If the plant is potted, it may be brought indoors during the winter in areas with cooler climates. Source(s): termites and Termite Damage There are over 2,700 known species of termites throughout the world. In the U.S., subterranean termites, including Eastern, Western, desert and Formosans, are a concern in every state except Alaska. Subterranean termites, which build underground nests, can be extremely destructive. They can tunnel to wooden structures (like your home), which damage by using it as a food source. Termites all share a virtually insatiable appetite for wood and other cellulose-containing materials. Given enough time, they can cause extensive damage and will feed on the wood until nothing is left but a shell. Termites are social insects that live in colonies where populations can reach more than one million. A termite colony consists of several structurally differentiated forms living together as castes (including reproductives, soldiers, and workers) with different functions in the colony community life. About Termites Termite Colonies Termites are social insects that live in large colonies where populations can reach more than one million. A colony consists of several structurally differentiated termite forms living together as castes (including reproductives, soldiers, and workers) with different functions in community life. In the spring, winged reproductives leave the parental nest in swarms to create a new colony. The swarming lasts less than an hour, so its very likely youll never even see it. The winged reproductives themselves look quite a bit like flying ants, for which they are often mistaken. Subterranean and Drywood Termites Formosan subterranean termites are one of several termite species that threaten homes and other structures in Hawaii and the southern half of the continental United States. The Western subterranean termite is a problem for homeowners in the western part of North America from British Columbia in Canada, south to western Mexico and east as far as Idaho and Nevada. Desert subterranean termites are commonly distributed throughout the lower deserts of northwestern Mexico, southern California and southern Arizona. The Eastern subterranean termite is a problem for homeowners from southern Ontario in Canada, south throughout the Eastern United States and as far west as Montana. Drywood termites threaten homes in southern California, Arizona, Utah, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Louisiana, New Mexico, Texas, Puerto Rico and Hawaii. When it comes to gaining access to your home, termites are amazingly proficient. The last thing you want to do is make their job easier. Follow these 3 steps to effective termite prevention and make sure that your home doesnt become their home. Step 1: Call a pest management professional to uncover, control and prevent termites Small holes in wood, crumbling drywall, sagging doors or floors, insect wings and small shelter tubes are some of the more obvious signs of a potential infestation of termites. But even if you dont notice any of these signs, that doesnt necessarily mean termites, or the conditions that invite them, arent there. Regular inspections by a licensed pest management professional are the best way to help ensure your home truly is, and remains, free from termites and the damage they cause. Qualified pest management professionals have the training in termite biology and behavior to identify, prevent and treat termite infestations. A Termidor®termiticide/insecticide Certified Professional will perform a thorough inspection of your home to determine if, where, and how termites are getting in. They can also explain how to correct any conditions in your home that invite termites. For example: • Dont affix wooden trellises to exterior walls. • Keep mulch, wood debris, scrap lumber, sawdust and firewood away from your home. If you do keep firewood outside your house during the winter, keep it raised and off the ground. • Dont stack, store or bury wood debris adjacent to your home. • Trim all shrubs, bushes and other dense greenery away from the foundation of your home. Move mulch away from the foundation as well. • Remove infested trees and stumps. • Repair leaking faucets and water lines, both indoors and outdoors. • Fix leaky roofs and gutters. • Dont allow leaves to accumulate in gutters and drains. • Grade soil so that water (including air-conditioning condensation) runs away from foundations. • Ventilate crawl spaces and attics to reduce humidity. • Remove all wood to soil contact. • Cover at least 90% of the soil in crawl spaces with plastic sheeting. • Ideally, wood siding, stucco and foam board should be at least six inches away from the ground. • Seal all cracks and holes in your homes foundation, which may provide a handy access point for termites. Step 2: Request Termidor for unsurpassed termite control and prevention If the inspection reveals termites, your pest management professional can get rid of them and keep them from returning. If it appears that your home is currently free of termites, congratulations! Now, its time for your pest management professional to take preventative action to ensure it stays that way. For the most effective way to address either situation, your pest management professional will recommendTermidor, Americas #1 termite defense product. Step 3: Safeguard your Termidor termite treatment with regular inspections A clean bill of health from a doctor today doesnt mean its not important for you to get regular check-ups in the future. Your home after aTermidor treatment is no different. Regular check-ups by your pest management professional will make sure Termidor continues to do its job and that your home remains termite-free for as long as you live there. Chemical control is an effective strategy used extensively in daily life (Pavela, 2009a). However, the widespread use of synthetic insecticides has led to many negative consequences (Pavela, 2008), resulting in increasing attention to natural products (Pirali-Kheirabadi and da Silva, 2010). Among biopesticides, botanical ones are experiencing a revival due to their eco-toxicological properties (Cosimi et al., 2009). Plants play pivotal roles in ecological systems (Garcıa et al., 2007). They may provide potential alternatives to currently used insect-control agents because they constitute a rich source of bioactive chemicals (Qin et al., 2010). Essential oils are among the best-known substances tested against insects (Pitasawat et al., 2007). These compounds act as fumigants (Choi et al., 2006), contact insecticides (Tang et al., 2007), repellents (Islam et al., 2009) and antifeedants (Gonzalez-Coloma et al., 2006) and may affect some biological parameters such as growth rate (Nathan et al., 2008), life span and reproduction (Isikber et al., 2006). Risks and problems associated with the use of chemicals lead to increasingly stringent environmental regulation of pesticides (Pavela et al., 2010). There is therefore an urgent need to develop safer, more environmentally friendly and efficient alternatives that have the potential to replace synthetic pesticides and are convenient to use (Tapondjou et al., 2005). In this context, screening of natural products has received the attention of researchers around the world (Kebede et al., 2010). Many secondary plant metabolites are known for their insecticidal properties (Lopez et al., 2008), and in many cases plants have a history of use as home remedies to kill or repel insects (Kim et al., 2010). In recent decades, research on the interactions between plants and insects has revealed the potential use of plant metabolites for this purpose (Kamaraj et al., 2010). It is known that some chemical constituents of essential oils have insecticidal properties (Pavela, 2009b). In some studies, essential oils obtained from commercial sources were used (Amer and Mehlhorn, 2006a, Amer and Mehlhorn, 2006b and Amer and Mehlhorn, 2006c). Specific compounds isolated from plant extracts or essential oils were tested for fumigation purposes (Maciel et al., 2010). In the search for alternatives to conventional pesticides, essential oils extracted from aromatic plants have been widely investigated. Their toxicities on pests were of special interest during the last decade. With the objective of contributing to these studies, a literature search on the use of natural products (essential oils) which have already been evaluated particularly for insecticidal activity, has been carried out. sciencedirect/science/article/pii/S1319610311002407
Posted on: Sat, 10 Jan 2015 10:39:08 +0000
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