Treated seed contains pesticides and must be handled and discarded with care. Doing your part will help protect the health and safety of people, animals, and the environment.

Disposal options
Before disposing of treated seed, you should always read and follow the information on the pesticide label or bag. Here are several ways to safely get rid of it:

• Store. If you plan on using the treated seed in the future, return any excess seed to its original container and keep it in a cool, dry, and well-ventilated area.

• Plant. Leftover treated seed can be planted in fallow ground, in an unused parcel of land, or in an area that won’t impact other crops. Make sure to follow any restrictions on the planting rate and depth outlined on the pesticide label or bag.

• Bury. If the pesticide label says that it’s safe to do so, you can dispose of one gallon or less of treated seed by burying it. Make sure that it’s buried in a location away from bodies of water and that it’s not accessible to people, pets, livestock, or wildlife.

• Destroy. If you have treated seed that’s more than a year old or has lost germination, bring it to a hazardous waste facility or municipal landfill that’s licensed to dispose of it. Be aware that this may be costly and require special permits.

In addition, make sure you never burn treated seed, spread it at higher-than-normal seeding rates, or use it as pet food or livestock feed.

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With the cost of gasoline set to spike, using gas efficiently will save money. Follow these tips to help you maximize your vehicle’s fuel economy.

Maintain a quarter tank
Some think that driving to the last drop in the tank saves money since they’re using every drop they buy and not storing it. But that can harm the car and decrease gas mileage.

In fact, according to carID.com, drive with at least a quarter of a tank at all times so that the fuel pump is submerged in gas and stays cool. As gas drops below a quarter tank, condensation forms in the tank, diluting the fuel and causing rust. On an empty tank, the pump can pick up these rusty bits, which can hurt the pump and the motor.

Keep your speed steady
Plan routes that will keep your travel at a steady speed, even if they might be a little longer. This can actually be more fuel-efficient than stop-and-go driving, according to The Next Trip.

Pre-cool hybrids
When the weather is hot, turn on air conditioning while the car is still plugged in and let it cool, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. This will extend the car’s range.

Windows up on the highway, down in the city
On the highway, keep windows rolled up and air conditioning on to maximize fuel economy, according to the US Department of Energy. Open windows create drag from wind resistance.
But in slow, stop-and-go conditions, turn the AC off and roll the windows down to increase fuel efficiency.

Cruise control on flat roads
Cruise control is great for straight, flat terrain, but in hilly conditions, turn it off. Cruise tends to gulp gas to make the vehicle accelerate up hills. Turn it off and, instead, go steadily up hills, allowing your speed to decrease slightly on the ascent and then increase when you go downhill.

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National EMS Week, which takes place from May 16 to 22, presents an annual opportunity to acknowledge the dedicated men and women who work as emergency medical service providers. It’s also an ideal time to learn how you can support first responders in an emergency.

It can take at least five to 10 minutes for first responders to arrive at the scene of an emergency, and what bystanders do to help in the interim can mean the difference between life and death. However, according to a national poll conducted by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), a majority of adults feel unprepared to assist in a medical emergency until help arrives.

Fortunately, ACEP created Until Help Arrives, a one-hour training course designed to teach the average person basic life-saving skills and empower them to step in to help during an emergency. Through this concise, hands-on course, participants learn how to:

• Assess the level of safety at the scene of an emergency
• Communicate effectively with emergency dispatchers
• Recognize the signs of sudden cardiac arrest
• Perform compression-only CPR
• Stop severe bleeding with or without a tourniquet

For more information about how you can host or sign up for an Until Help Arrives course in your area, visit acep.org/uha.

Become an instructor
ACEP members are automatically eligible to teach the Until Help Arrives course. You can also apply to become an instructor if you’re a licensed MD, DO, RN, NP, PA, DPM paramedic, EMT, or EMR. People studying to become designated medical professionals may also qualify.

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One day in the 1950s, someone dumped an overgrown aquarium grass into a Florida waterway.

In 2021, the grass, called hydrilla, has taken over freshwater lakes in the east, south, and Midwest. What hasn’t been known until now is that the invasive plant hosts unique bacteria deadly to birds, including eagles.

That knowledge is the result of a 20-year investigation by U.S., German and Czech researchers into the mysterious incidences of the mass deaths of eagles and water birds.

The first identified mass death was in the fall of 1994 and winter of 1995 when 29 bald eagles died near Lake DeGray in Arkansas. A few years later, mass deaths of eagles, geese, coots, and ducks were found in the Carolinas, Georgia, and Texas. Birds were observed to be stumbling on the ground, unable to fly, and finally appearing paralyzed. The birds then become easy prey for eagles, who eat the birds and get the disease, too. One chilling question stands out: What if humans eat the ducks? There is no answer yet to that food chain murder mystery.

In a paper published in March in the journal Science, an international team of scientists has finally identified the killer: A cyanobacteria. Scientist Susan Wilde, professor of aquatic science at the University of Georgia, named the bacteria Aetokthonos hydrillicola, meaning ‘the eagle killer that grows on hydrilla.’

German scientist Timo Niedermeyer was able to grow the bacteria in a lab, and he identified one other substance on the hydrilla leaves: bromide. An ingredient used in sedatives, fuel additives, and water sanitizers. The plant appears to enhance the bacteria using bromide.

Not all hydrilla-infested waters are infected with the bacteria. The question is: How does the increased presence of bromide occur? It may come from human pollution, or maybe even the herbicides used to kill hydrilla.

While the research continues, it is crucial for people to not dump aquatic plants in waterways. Boaters can remove aquatic plants from propellers and hulls. Report sightings of odd behavior in birds to wildlife agencies.

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Technology has made it easier than ever to stay safe and connected in the event of an emergency. National Hurricane Preparedness Week, which takes place from May 9 to 15, is the perfect time to learn about the latest communication tools and technology you can use to plan ahead and stay informed if a storm strikes. Here are a few tech tips to keep in mind when preparing for hurricane season.

Social media
Social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter can help you stay in touch during a hurricane. For example, you can use Facebook’s Safety Check feature to let your friends and family know that you’re safe. Also, you can sign up for Twitter alerts from trusted government agencies to help you stay up to date on the latest information from local officials.

Smartphone
Download the FEMA application to your smartphone as well as local radio, weather, and news apps to stay informed about the latest warnings and advisories in your area. In addition, you can use your smartphone to take photos of any damage to your property or assets.

Cloud server
Before hurricane season hits, you should back up all the information on your digital devices to a cloud-based server. Make sure you have digital copies of IDs, passports, drug prescriptions, and other key documents.

Online banking
It’s a good idea to sign up for a direct deposit and electronic banking through your financial institution. This way, if you’re evacuated from your home, you can still access your funds and make electronic payments.

For more information about how to prepare for a hurricane, visit the National Weather Service website at weather.gov/wrn/hurricane-preparedness.

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This is an exam so rigorous that only 10 percent of those who take it pass.

In the entire 45-year history of the test, only nine have ever passed the exam on the first try.

There is no writing in the exam. Candidates speak their answers, demonstrating both their knowledge and style. If they pass, they get a simple lapel pin.

Have you figured out the riddle?

This is the Master Sommelier Exam. Its winners go on to be wine stewards in the finest restaurants in the world. Their role is on par with the chef. They must have knowledge of the characteristics, prices, and food pairings for wine. Since the Master Sommelier diploma was introduced in 1969, there have been just 269 Masters awarded (as of 2020).

Candidates for the Master diploma have three chances to pass the test.

They must be able to demonstrate knowledge of the history, geography, soil, and climate of key towns, villages, and vineyards of wine regions, as well as the key wines. They have to know winemaking techniques in each region, and identify wines from the region by taste, according to Fine Dining In Gloves. They also must know the best vintages from each region from the 1970s to the present, including the appropriate terminology in every language of each region.

When you are at a fine restaurant and the sommelier (with his tastevin hanging at his neck) approaches to help you select just the right vintage, look for the lapel pin. While many can be a sommelier, few can be a master.

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