Problem: Article: Aspen shavings make one of the safest and most natural forms of bedding. They also make for the best form of bedding following a mite infestation. Make sure you acquire Aspen shavings from a pet supplies store or website, as it will have been specifically treated keep mites away. Unfortunately, Aspen shavings do have one drawback: they are not quite as absorbent as some other manufactured options. Your hamster's cage may develop an unpleasant aroma more quickly with Aspen shaving bedding than with another option however, this may be a good things, if it prompts you to clean the habitat more often. Your choice of bedding should account for several factors. Namely, choose a bedding that does not pose a risk to your hamster's health or safety. There are several other good options that satisfy these criteria. In particular, consider: Carefresh Ultra or Carefresh Colors. Carefresh hamster bedding is soft, safe, and free of scented chemicals. It is made from cellulose fiber, which helps it absorb a considerable amount of moisture a vital feature for hamster bedding. While most colored bedding is not recommended, Carefresh Colors uses a safe dye that will not harm your hamster. Kaytee Clean & Cozy (unscented). This is a plant-based paper bedding that excels in absorption and odor control. Avoid the scented options; some hamsters can suffer from breathing complications when exposed to scented bedding. If you have ordered bedding and are waiting for it to arrive, or want to temporarily house one of your hamsters away from the others, you may use finely shredded paper as bedding. Make sure the paper is both non-toxic and free of any inks. Accordingly, do not use newspaper. Do not attempt to use paper as a continual source of bedding, as it will do an extremely poor job with absorption and aroma control. Whatever you use, you should take one final measure to ensure it is entirely free of mites or any other critters that may harm your hamster. To do so, place the bedding you'll use in a new Ziploc bag and place it in the freezer for at least 48 hours. Allow the bedding to return to room temperature without the application of artificial heat. Simply leave it on the counter in the bag. Add it to your hamster's habitat once it has returned to room temp. Believe it or not, there are several types of hamster bedding that are commonly sold, but that may actually harm your hamster. In particular, avoid pine and cedar shavings, and these may splinter into sharp, potentially injurious pieces. Further, these materials may give off toxic fumes when exposed to your hamster's urine. Finally, avoid "fluffy bedding", which is made from artificial fibers that your hamster may not be able to safely digest, as well as cat litter, which is also dangerous for hamsters to eat.
Summary: Refill your hamster's habitat with Aspen shavings. Consider other types of bedding. Use shredded paper temporarily. Freeze new bedding before refilling the habitat. Avoid certain types of widely-available hamster bedding.

Problem: Article: You may not see direct evidence of termite infestation, but that doesn't mean you should remain ignorant of it. Sagging floors, holes in woodwork and hollow parts of your foundation are all serious warning signs of termites. You may actually see the termites themselves, as well. Take a screwdriver and flashlight with you to your basement, and examine crawlspaces and foundation beams by tapping on the wood to check for hollowness and to push the screwdriver into the wood to test for strength. If the wood gives easily and falls apart, you may have a termite problem on your hands. When performing this examination, also be sure to keep an eye out for termite wastes. Termite droppings are wood colored or darker brown pellets of excrement. The presence of these droppings near weakened wood could indicate an infestation. You may also find a termite nest on your property; a subterranean termite infestation will build a system of tunnels and tubes of mud, while a drywood termite infestation will present itself in a nest inside the wood. There are two general types of termites that might infest your home: subterranean and drywood termites. The former are found in both the soil around your home and the wood of your home, while the latter thrive solely in wood. Drywood termites are found mostly in warm, coastal regions - primarily California, Texas, Louisiana, Florida, and Georgia. Subterranean termites can be found anywhere in the states. Subterranean termites can be found in wood and compost piles around your home, in addition to the foundational wood. Subterranean termites typically do much more damage to a home than drywood, and may require different treatment methods.
Summary: Look for signs of an infestation. Determine the type of termites you have.

Problem: Article: It's best to read over the assignment more than once so you know exactly what it's asking you to do. Note if there's a prompt or a question you need to answer. Additionally, review the listed requirements for receiving full credit. If your instructor provides a rubric, read over it thoroughly to identify the expectations for full credit. Later, you can measure your essay against the rubric before turning in the assignment. If you have questions about the assignment, ask your instructor for clarification. potential story ideas for your narrative. At first, let your ideas flow freely without trying to narrow your topic. Choose whether you want to write a personal or fictional narrative. Once you've got a good list of potential topics, you can choose one that works for you. For example, you might write about the first time you slept over at a friend's house, the day you brought home your first puppy or a fictional story about a boy who is struggling to build a fire for his campsite. Here are some ways to brainstorm ideas: List the first thoughts that come to mind when you think about the prompt or question. Make a mind map to sort out your ideas. Use freewriting to uncover story ideas. Simply write whatever comes to mind without worrying about grammar or making sense. Make an outline to help put your ideas in order. Review your list of ideas to find an event that fits the assignment. Then, narrow down your topic to a single, specific incident so the event fits into a single essay. Don't try to cover too much in one essay, as this will be too hard for your reader to follow. For example, let's say the prompt reads: "Write about a setback that taught you perseverance." You might want to write about an injury you overcame. To narrow down your story, you might focus on the first time you exercised your injured limb after the accident, as well as the difficulties you faced. Relate your story idea back to the prompt, and think about how the story makes you feel. Additionally, consider how you want the reader to feel after they read your essay. Based on the answers to these questions, identify a core theme or message for your story. For instance, the story about recovering from an injury might have a theme of overcoming hardships or persevering to reach a goal. You might want your reader to finish your story feeling inspired and uplifted. To achieve this feeling, you'd want to focus on your successes throughout the process and end the story with a positive thought.
Summary:
Read your assignment to identify the prompt and expectations. Brainstorm Choose a single meaningful event to detail in the story. Decide on a theme or message for your story.