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Plant enthusiast’s simple solution to get rid of pests

<p dir="ltr">A plant enthusiast has come up with an easy way of getting rid of gnats and fruit flies around houseplants for good.</p> <p dir="ltr">Graphic designer Brad Canning created his own bug “trap” using three products, dishwashing liquid, apple cider vinegar and honey.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 29-year-old man, who owns more than 60 indoor plants, mixed the three ingredients in a small bowl and placed it near his houseplants. </p> <p dir="ltr">The method works because fungus gnats and fruit flies are attracted to the sweet smell and taste of apple cider vinegar and honey, once they try to drink it, the sticky dish soap would trap them. </p> <p dir="ltr">“How annoying are these tiny little bugs? They’re flying around because you’ve got a couple of houseplants. Lets get rid of them. It’s pretty straight forward,” Brad said in his <a href="https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/%20bradcanning">TikTok video</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">He made his DIY solution by combining a couple of tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, a dollop of honey and a splash of dishwashing liquid. Braid said white vinegar will work in lieu of apple cider vinegar. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Give it a little bit of mix," he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The gnats will be completely attracted to it. They’ll fly in there and will die,” Brad said, adding: “So this will only help to get rid of adult gnats.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The video went viral with many saying they can’t wait to give the method a go at home while those who tried it said it did in fact work. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I did this and it 100 per cent worked for gnats - took a day or two so be patient,” one said. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credit: TikTok</em></p>

Home & Garden

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Culture vultures may live longer

<div class="copy"> <p>Those who think enjoying a good dose of culture is <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/arty-farty" target="_blank">arty-farty</a> could be missing out, with a new study linking arts appreciation to living longer.</p> <p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Researchers at University College London, UK, found that people who regularly go to the theatre, concerts, the opera, museums or art galleries have a lower risk of dying than those who refrain.</span></p> <p>This adds to <a rel="noopener" href="http://www.euro.who.int/en/publications/abstracts/what-is-the-evidence-on-the-role-of-the-arts-in-improving-health-and-well-being-a-scoping-review-2019" target="_blank">evidence</a> linking art engagement with physical health and wellbeing.</p> <p><span style="font-family: inherit;">The “universality of art and the strong emotional responses it induces”, leads some researchers to suggest it has evolutionary benefits, write Daisy Fancourt and Andrew Steptoe, although others question whether art is “an evolutionary parasite”.</span></p> <p>Fancourt and Steptoe argue that creativity and imagination have been linked to increased survival throughout human <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19900185" target="_blank">evolution</a> and that arts engagement enhances cognition, empathy, social perception and emotional intelligence.</p> <p><span style="font-family: inherit;">The arts could also give life a greater sense of meaning, reduce risk taking behaviours, get people out and reduce sedentary behaviour and loneliness – all of which are associated with better health outcomes.</span></p> <p>Titled “The art of life and death”, the study, <a rel="noopener" href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.l6377" target="_blank">published</a> in the journal BMJ, followed more than 6000 adults aged 50 and older for 14 years in the English Longitudinal Study of Aging (<a rel="noopener" href="https://www.elsa-project.ac.uk/" target="_blank">ELSA</a>).</p> <p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Participants self-reported arts engagement at the study’s inception, along with a comprehensive range of demographic, behavioural, socio-economic and health factors. Mortality data was sourced from National Health Service records.</span></p> <p>While cognition, mental health and physical activity were protective, arts involvement was independently linked to lower mortality after these variables were factored in, and this persisted through several analyses.</p> <p>Overall, people who engaged in the arts once or twice a year had a 14% lower chance of dying than those who never got involved, while enjoying culture more regularly was associated with a 31% lower risk.</p> <p>The study’s strengths include its size and scope, although the researchers acknowledge that it only recorded arts engagement at one time point and it was observational.</p> <p>In a related <a rel="noopener" href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.l6774" target="_blank">commentary</a>, Nicola Gill and co-authors from Canterbury Christ Church University, UK, note that people with lung disease, depression or loneliness, who could derive the most benefits, were least likely to engage in the arts.</p> <p><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Work must now be done to ensure that the health benefits of these activities are accessible to those who would benefit most,” they write – including children.</span></p> <p>“The current study should add weight to growing concerns about the decline in arts subjects and music in schools and universities.”</p> <em>Image credits: Getty Images    <!-- Start of tracking content syndication. Please do not remove this section as it allows us to keep track of republished articles --> <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=34527&amp;title=Culture+vultures+may+live+longer" alt="" width="1" height="1" /> <!-- End of tracking content syndication -->          </em></div> <div id="contributors"> <p><em>This article was originally published on <a rel="noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/people/society/culture-vultures-may-live-longer/" target="_blank">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Natalie Parletta. </em></p> </div>

Art

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Enthusiastic dog tries to imitate horses

<p>Imitation is the highest form of flattery, and this dog is actually rather convincing.</p> <p>He eagerly hops around the children playground hoping to attract the attention of the disinterested stallions, but they just don’t seem to want to give him the time of day.</p> <p>The happy pup doesn’t seem to take it to hear though.</p> <p>Has your pet ever tried to imitate another animal? Let us know in the comments below. </p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/06/do-our-pets-dream/"><em>Do our pets dream?</em></a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/05/dr-chris-brown-secrets-to-dealing-with-allergies-to-pets/"><em>The secret to dealing with pet allergies</em></a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/05/reasons-your-dogs-health-is-as-important-as-your-own/"><em>6 reasons your dog’s health is just as important as your own</em></a></strong></span></p>

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