Opossums attract and then kill thousands of ticks per acre, per week, making them one of our best allies in stopping the spread of Lyme disease, researchers say.


A study compared squirrels, mice and opossums, which all eat ticks, and found opossums were the most effective exterminators.

Ticks favor opossums twice as much as the other rodents, the researchers, from Syracuse University, found.

Fortunately, for humans, possums are also the most effective at killing the disease-carrying pests.

Opossums kill almost every tick that occupies them, the study found. A single opossum kills over 5500 ticks per week.

“Opossums are extraordinarily good groomers it turns out – we never would have thought that ahead of time – but they kill the vast majority – more than 95% percent of the ticks that try to feed on them,” disease ecologist Rick Ostfeld explained.

“So these opossums are walking around the forest floor, hoovering up ticks right and left, killing over 90% of these things, and so they are really protecting our health.”

Worldwide, more than 1.3 million people die each year of infectious diseases transmitted by a vector, such as a mosquito, sand fly or tick, according to the World Health Organization.

Vector-borne diseases also inflict heavy tolls on crops, livestock and wildlife, the study’s authors wrote.

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The Blue Java is a variety of banana that has a taste and consistency that are strikingly similar to vanilla ice cream. It is also known as ice cream banana in Hawaii, Cenizo in Central America and Hawaiian banana in Fiji.

It has a sweet aroma and an aqua blue peel when unripe. When ripe, these bananas are greenish or pale yellow, and the inside is whitish yellow. It originates from South East Asia, and unlike other banana varieties, it can keep growing in temperatures as low as 20F / -7c.

Bananas are low in fat, but energy dense, so 100 grams of banana provide about 0.3g of fat, 22.8g of carbs, and 89 calories. They are abundant in potassium, that supports proper muscles contraction, and nerve cell response, and regulates heart pressure.

Blue Java bananas contain a fair amount of fiber, as well as several antioxidants that strengthen the immune system. They are also high in vitamin B6 and C, magnesium, copper, manganese, and protein.

The high pectin and resistant starch content moderate blood sugar levels after meals and suppress appetite by slowing the emptying of your stomach. These fruits also rank low to medium on the glycemic index (GI).

The high amounts of vitamin B6 help the body to synthesize its own serotonin, meaning that the consumption of these bananas significantly improves mood. A smoothie or delicious banana ice cream with 2-3 Blue Java bananas will provide over 75% of your RDA of vitamin B6.



Furthermore, these bananas are abundant in non-digestible fibers like cellulose, hemicellulose, and alpha-glucans, which prevent constipation and restore and maintain regular bowel function.

The resistant starch also escapes digestion and ends up in the large intestine where it becomes food for the beneficial bacteria in the gut.

This banana variety has wide, thick, and strong leaves, which can be used instead of aluminum foil, and parchment paper for cooking, as well as for The Blue Java Banana has wide, strong, and thick leaves like any other banana variety. These leaves can also be used for baking, boiling, steaming, grilling, and drying.

You can replace ice cream with these bananas, or add it to various recipes for an added vanilla flavor, like smoothies, banana cakes, oatmeal cookies, pancakes, and more.

Therefore, if you decide to grow a Blue Java banana here, and reap the benefits of these delicious fruits, you should know the following facts:

-- It the U.S. it is suitable for growing in the USDA’s zones 9b through 11, although some farmers grow from zones 8 through 11, which are part of the hardiness zones

-- It takes about 9 months from the time the first leaves appear for the fruits to mature if you plant a pseudostem

-- Bananas love mushy conditions and warm, rich soil, so you should water the banana tree frequently

-- They also require a lot of fertilizing, so you will need to use an NPK fertilizer with nutrients in the ratio of 3:1:6 to nurture it. You will need to spray a cup of fertilizer around the roots a month for a one-foot tall plant.

-- Also, you need to prune the secondary shoots around each rhizome, but leave at least one shoot around the plant to improve photosynthesis

-- Bananas require sunlight to germinate, but it is best for the banana tree to be partially to fully exposed to sunlight

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This Thai supermarket chain is now wrapping its fruits and veggies in an abundant biodegradable, renewable resource — banana leaves.


A supermarket chain in Chiangmai, Thailand, is doing its part to stem the tide of single-use plastics flooding into the ocean.

While most supermarkets bundle their strawberries in plastic boxes, their corn in plastic shrink wrap and their mushrooms in plastic produce bags, this grocer has come up with an innovative, eco-friendly solution.


Banana leaves are a plentiful and nearly free resource, except for the cost of gathering them.


They’ve been used for millennia as plates and food wrappers and are still used as stylish serving dishes today in Indian and Filipino restaurants.


Banana leaves are said to lend a special flavor to a dish and can even be used to steam foods like Vietnamese sausage.

Not only do the leaves make for a lovely presentation, but it is believed that an enzyme on the leaf, which is released into the food, aids in digestion.


So instead of contaminating our produce with hormone-disrupting BPA, we could actually be making it more nutritious.

Now the benefits of the banana leaf are being expanded beyond fine dining and into the grocery store. They’re large, flexible and waterproof, making for sturdy packaging.




Researchers in Sri Lanka have also perfected a technique for curing banana leaves so they can be kept for more than a month under refrigerated conditions without any change in color or quality.

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Plants are the most effective way to increase oxygen levels in the room and improve air quality. There are also beneficial plants that will help you improve mood, and fight anxiety, depression, and prevent panic attacks.

Researchers have found that there is a direct link between stress and oxygen levels and showed that high levels of toxins in the air lead to anxiety and stress. Therefore, you can drastically improve your mood and relieve stress and anxiety.

Scientists have conducted studies on mice and discovered that the aroma of jasmine plant and jasmine essential oil significantly calmed them, and made them stop all activity and sit quietly in a corner. Their brain scans showed that jasmine fragrance boosts the effects of a chemical called GABA on nerve cells, and thus relieves anxiety and encourages rest.

According to Professor Hanns Hatt, these findings published online in the Journal of Biological Chemistry can “be seen as evidence of a scientific basis for aromatherapy”.

Prof Hatt, of the Ruhr University in Bochum, Germany, added:

“We have discovered a new class of GABA receptor modulator which can be administered parentally and through the respiratory air. Applications in sedation, anxiety, excitement, and aggression relieving treatment and sleep induction therapy are all imaginable.”

Researchers found that jasmine is much more effective than sleeping pills, anti-anxiety medications, and sedatives, as it increased the GABA effect by more than five times.

Additionally, Kaliana.com reports:

“Research at Wheeling Jesuit University by Dr. Bryan Raudenbush, assistant professor of psychology, shows dispensing jasmine odor into a room where participants were sleeping “led to greater sleep efficiency and reduced sleep movement.” The research showed a greater quality of sleep even though there wasn’t more quantity of sleep.



Participants who breathed jasmine in the air “rated their level of anxiety and vigor lower, and performed cognitive tests more rapidly.” In addition, “level of alertness in the jasmine odor condition was greater during the afternoon hours, thus helping maintain students’ focus on academic work throughout the day.”

Jasmine essential oil is an effective natural way to improve sleep, boost happiness, regulate hormones, and treat anxiety and fatigue. It can be used to improve concentration, soothe spasms, and ease mild depression, since it:

• Reduces anxiety and nervous tension
• Boosts mood
• Improves cognitive performance and alertness
• Improves sleep quality
• Balances hormones
• Treats hot flashes and mood swings
• Increases libido

Therefore, keep a jasmine in your bedroom, and you will reap all the benefits of this amazing plant!
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