Q: Any burn can be a major burn if it is over the joints or covering the majority of the body. It is also major if the burned person is having complications with vital signs or difficulty with normal activities because of the burn. These should be treated the same as third-degree burns, with immediate medical attention. If your burn is bleeding or looks a little bit black, you may have a third-degree burn. Third-degree burns burn through all layers of skin: the epidermis, dermis, and the underlying fat. These burns may appear white, brown, yellow, or blackened. The skin may look dry or leathery. They are not as painful as first or second because the nerves have been either damaged or destroyed. These burns require immediate medical attention. Call for emergency services or get to an emergency room. These burns can become infected and your skin may not grow back correctly. If your clothes are sticking to this burn, do not pull the clothes away. Get help right away. If you or someone near you gets a third degree burn, call 911 immediately. While waiting for EMS to arrive, check to see if the person is responsive. Responsiveness is established by gently shaking the victim. If there is no response, look for signs of movement or breathing. If they are not breathing, start CPR if you have been trained to do so. If you do not know how to perform CPR, you can ask the emergency dispatcher to talk you through it. Do not attempt to clear the airway or breathe for the other person if you do not know CPR. Instead, focus only on chest compressions. Lie the person on her back. Kneel next to her shoulders. Place your hands over the center of her chest, and move your shoulders so that they are right above your hands with your arms and elbows straight. Push straight down on her chest for about 100 compressions per minute. While you are waiting on emergency personnel to arrive, remove any constrictive clothing and jewelry. Do not do this if the clothing or jewelry is stuck in the burn. If this happens, leave it as is and wait for help to arrive. Removing it will pull off skin and cause further injury. You should also keep yourself (or the patient) warm, as these severe burns can cause you to go into shock. Do not soak the burn in water, as you would with minor burns. This can lead to hypothermia. If possible, elevate the burn above heart level to help reduce swelling. Do not give any pain medication. You do not want to give anything that could interfere with the emergency medical treatment. Do not pop blisters, scrape dead skin, or apply aloe or salve. If it is possible, you should try to cover the burn so it does not become infected. You need to use something that will not stick to it, such as lightweight gauze or a moistened bandage. If the bandage will stick due to the severity of the burn, wait for EMS. You might be able to use plastic wrap. If used for a very temporary amount of time, plastic wrap has been shown to be effective as a dressing. It protects while maintaining a low level of transmission of outside organisms to the burn. When you arrive at the hospital, the staff will move quickly to be sure to treat the burn effectively. They may start an IV to replace any lost electrolytes from your body. They will also clean the burn, which can be very painful. They may give you pain medication. They will apply ointments or creams to the burn, and cover it with a sterile dressing. If needed, they might create a warm, humid environment to help the burn heal. They might have a nutritionist suggest a high protein diet to aid with healing. If necessary, the physician may talk to you about follow-up skin grafting. Skin grafting is when you take a piece of skin from another part of the body to cover the burnt area. Expect the hospital staff to teach you how to do dressing changes at home. After discharge, dressings will need to be changed. Follow-up will continue with the physician to assure adequate healing.
A: Recognize major burns. Recognize third-degree burns. Respond to the situation. Take care of the burn victim. Cover the burn. Get treatment at the hospital.

Q: After three years, or two if you started the asparagus from crowns, it's time to enjoy your harvest. Cut the spears every few days using a sharp knife or scissors. As your plants produce more spears, you may have to harvest them more often. Spears are ready to be harvested when they are about 6 inches (15 cm) high, and the tips begin to loosen. Limit the first harvest to two or three weeks, picking spears every few days, and taking care not to pick too many from the same plant. Spears will come up thinner the longer you harvest. A good rule of thumb is to stop harvesting once the spears are about the size of a pencil, allowing the plant to devote energy to its root systems from then on. The following year, extend your harvest time to four or five weeks. In the succeeding years, you can extend it to six. At the end of the growing season, stop picking the spears and allow them to grow to their natural height. Keep the asparagus bed weeded, watered, and free of pests throughout the summer. In the fall, cut the fronds down and remove them from the area so no pests will overwinter in the asparagus bed.
A: Pick the spears. Prepare the plants for next year.

Q: Fleas don't survive well in cold environments. Keeping your house as cold as possible while you are not there will force the fleas to migrate to your pets, where they will die. Purchase an electronic programmable thermostat that can turn your heat down or off while you are at work or asleep. Leave windows wide open while you are out of the house whenever possible. Doing this will keep fleas from hiding inside your cushions, under pillows or under throw blankets. Squeeze the juice out of an orange or a lemon and rub the rind over your pets' fur. Your pet will smell great, and your pet won't be harmed if it licks the citrus juices from its fur. Note that concentrated citrus oil is toxic to pets if licked, so only use the juice never essential oils. You can purchase "beneficial nematodes" from a pet shop, a gardener's supply store or a store that focuses on organic lawn care. Beneficial nematodes consume flea larvae, which prevents the next generation of fleas from invading your home. Don't worry these aren't the nematodes that can cause your pet to have heartworms. Add one teaspoon of vinegar for every four cups of water in the dog's water bowl. As your dog drinks the water, the vinegar gets into their system and make their blood taste bad to the fleas. It will take two to three bowls of water before you start to notice a difference, but it works great once the vinegar gets into the dog's system. There is no scientific evidence to back this method, though some people report having luck.
A:
Keep your home as cold as possible when you are not around. Place covers on your furniture after you treat your house. Rub your pets' fur with citrus. Use natural predators in your yard. Use apple cider vinegar.