House mice are said to be the most common mammals, so it’s no surprise that many homeowners report dealing with infestations at one time or another. Because mice are so common, you may think you already know all there is to know about this household pest, but think again!

Here are eight fascinating mouse facts you probably don’t know:

1. If you have a mouse infestation, rest assured you are not alone. Each winter, mice and other rodents invade homes. Mice typically enter our homes between May and August, looking for food, water and shelter from the cold.

2. Mice have big appetites. Despite their tiny bodies (and even smaller stomachs!), mice eat between 15 and 20 times a day. Because of their frequent eating habits, they prefer to build their homes near food sources.

3. They are little gymnasts…Mice are good jumpers, climbers and swimmers. In fact, mice can jump a foot into the air, allowing them to easily climb up onto kitchen counters or into pantries to access food. To prevent mice and other pests from getting into your food, store all pantry items in hard, plastic containers with a tightly sealed lid.

4. …and little Houdinis! Mice can squeeze through openings as small as the size of a dime. This means that a small crack or opening on the exterior of your home (such as where utility pipes enter) is like an open door for mice. Prevent mice from gaining access to your home by sealing any openings on the exterior with a silicone caulk. You can also fill gaps and holes inside your home with steel wool.

5. They have relatively short lifespans. In the wild, mice usually only live for about five months, mostly because of predators such as cats, snakes etc. In a lab setting, mice can live for up to two years.

6. They spread more germs than you know. Sure, you know that mice can spread diseases like Hantavirus and Salmonella, but that’s just the beginning. In fact, mice can actually carry as many as 200 human pathogens!

7. Mice aren’t potty-trained. Okay, so you already knew that. But did you know that a house mouse produces between 40 and 100 droppings per day? In addition, house mice constantly give off micro-droplets of urine as they travel around their territory every day. However, if you’re looking for a silver lining, house mice (like all rodents) do not vomit.

8. One mouse can turn into many mice…quickly! A female house mouse can give birth when they are only two months old, and they are able to have to up to a dozen babies every three weeks. This means she could have as many as 150 offspring in a single year! If you spot a mouse in your home, it is safe to assume there are more or there will be soon. It’s best to contact a licensed pest professional before the infestation grows out of control.

Dr. Jim Frederick

Here’s what to expect at the Sandton Convention Centre in two weeks’ time.

A competition-packed show, with the Global Pizza Challenge, Barista Championship, cook-offs in the SA Chefs Village, and much more

This is your best opportunity in two years to make contact with scores of different hospitality industry experts under one roof - so take advantage!

Hostex takes place at the Sandton Convention Centre from 17 to 20 March 2013. Entry is free for visitors who pre-register on www.hostex.co.za.

For an overview of the show and for easier navigation around the activities, join Hostex online and make use of the ‘Hostex Visitor Zone’ feature, which puts you in total control of your visits to the exhibitors, features and attractions at Hostex Gauteng 2013.

The V&A Amphitheatre will be showcasing some of Cape Town’s best school bands from 18 to 24 March in their Battle of the School Bands. The week will culminate with Marshall Music donating R20 000 worth of musical equipment to the best supported performance of the week, so make sure to come and cheer for your favourite band.

The SACS Big Band will set the bar on Monday 18 March with their tight ensemble. Their show is sure to keep you on your toes as they are known for their creative improvisation and challenging arrangements. They are regulars at the Grahamstown National Jazz Festival and were the only band outside of Gauteng to be invited to perform at the inaugural Gauteng Big Band Festival in 2012.

The Rustenburg Girls’ High School Jazz Band will keep you entertained with their fully-fledged ensemble and versatile Jazz Combo on Tuesday 19 March. The band has had masterclasses from many prominent jazz musicians allowing them to fine-tune their performance skills. They appear annually at the Cape Town Big Band Jazz Festival and at the Standard Bank National Youth Jazz Festival in Grahamstown.

Wednesday 20 March will showcase the St Joseph’s Marist College Jazz Band. This versatile group have a broad repertoire ranging from local legends such as Abdullah Ibrahim to George Benson and have shared a stage with the highly acclaimed local group, Coda. The band prefers to focus their musical talents on local artists while translating our heritage with their music.

The well-travelled Con Amore orchestra will no doubt entice your enthusiasm for their musical talents on Thursday 21 March. Orchestra members come from various schools in the Vaal Triangle with ages ranging from 11 to 18 years. The group have performed internationally in France, Reunion and Austria in a number of concerts across many cities.

The 18-piece DELFT BIG BAND will command the stage on Friday 22 March. Their quick rise to fame through claiming their place as one of the country’s top big bands has seen them perform at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival, the Artscape and twice for the Queen of Sweden.

The Sans Souci “Jazz Cats” are well-known for captivating their audiences with their enthusiastic musical performances and can be seen at the Amphitheatre on Saturday 23 March at 17h00. They have many accolades behind them including a 10 year tenure at the Baxter Theatre Big Band Jazz Festival and are frequently asked to perform at distinguished events. The Jazz Cats will hand the stage over to the Wynberg Girls’ High School Big Band at 18h00. This fun band will add a touch of flavour to your day with their performance including a mix of swing, rock, funk and Latin jazz also featuring vocalists from the school.

Wrapping up the school band showcase on Sunday 24 March will be the Bergvliet High School Band at 17h00. This recently established tentet are keen to share their passion and enthusiasm for music with local audiences. They’ll hand the stage over to international act, Milton Academy Jazz Band (USA) at 18h00. The band will be on their 9^th tour of South Africa from 14 – 30 March. The group have been the recipient of several national awards for their performances featuring music from Cuba to South Africa. Their ties to South Africa began twenty years ago with a visit from Abdullah Ibrahim.

Performances start from at 17h00 or 18h00 on various days and end at 19h00 on all days.

Cape Town, 13 February 2013: The V&A Waterfront, in collaboration with the Sports Science Institute of South Africa (SSISA) and Virgin Active, will host a series of free outdoor health and fitness classes, workshops,  demonstrations and health screening  during March and April. The V&A Outdoor Active campaign will take place in two parts, with the first leg in partnership with SSISA from 7 to 15 March and the second in partnership with Virgin Active from 29 March to 10 April.

All classes and workshops are free and are centred on health and fitness. Some of the sessions to watch out for in March include: Boot Camp, Pilates, OptiFit running, strength training and Yoga. The expert staff from the SSISA will help Capetonians get back on track through their free health screening sessions and thought-provoking workshops such as the one entitled “2013 Health Trends- what to expect” . The V&A Pier Head and North Wharf both situated on the water’s edge; the Croquet Lawn near the Portswood Hotel; the Amphitheatre and the new Boardwalk running route will  provide inspirational  settings for the Outdoor Active events.

Signing up for the classes is easy; simply register online at the V&A Waterfront website at www.waterfront.co.za. Once you have registered, you will receive a confirmation email as well as a reminder email the day before the class or workshop for which you have signed up.. Plus, the V&A Waterfront will be providing all class participants with a booklet of special offers, redeemable at a range of food and beverage and retail outlets at the V&A Waterfront.

“With all that our seaside city has to offer, it’s no wonder Capetonians are outdoor fitness fanatics,” says Carla White, Spokesperson for the V&A Waterfront.

“The V&A Waterfront is another ideal location where locals can be active and get fit and we wanted to offer them something special. One of the unique features of the V&A Waterfront is its wide open picturesque public spaces, and this initiative is the perfect way to take what are usually indoor activities, such as Pilates, outdoors - and to share these spaces with our community and our visitors,” says White. “We are excited to have experts from the SSISA and Virgin Active on board to motivate and activate those who are keen to make healthy choices – but just a bit of a push and a beautiful setting to inspire them”

The recently built boardwalk is a path that runs along the breakwater side of the property and has a number of lookout spots along the route that offer great viewing points. The boardwalk also forms part of a scenically posted running route through the property, with 2.2km and 5km sign posted route options.

The V&A Waterfront’s location on the edge of town as well as the surrounding CBD and Atlantic Seaboard areas makes it perfect for urban living flat dwellers to exercise outdoors in a safe and picturesque environment. The campaign takes place at the tail end of summer and is ideal for making the most of the great Cape Town weather before the cold weather sets in.  For added convenience, exercisers can even pick up dinner at one of the many food and beverage offerings before heading home.

“We’ve long been a hub of great water-based activities. The basin has been a popular spot for dragon boat racing where rowers can be seen both training and racing year-round. The canal is used frequently by swimming squads, stand up paddle boarding and surfski enthusiasts and is also used regularly for triathlon training,” continues White.

The property is nearly equal in size to 180 rugby fields – excluding the water – and now Outdoor Active gives the surrounding communities yet another way to enjoy this everyday destination which offers so much more than shopping, dining out and entertainment.

People of all levels of fitness are invited to take part, from beginners to fanatics – there is something for everyone.

SA Tourist Tally Jumps 17%: (Fin24 – 28/01/13):Johannesburg – The number of overseas tourists to SA jumped by 16.5% year on year (y/y) to 242 475 in October 2012‚ compared with an overall increase of 8.7% y/y in the number of foreign arrivals in SA‚ Statistics SA (Stats SA) said on Monday.
In October 2012‚ the distribution of overseas tourists was as follows: Europe‚ 146 550 (60.4%); Asia‚ 35 805 (14.8%); North America‚ 34 311 (14.2%); Australasia‚ 11 638 (4.8%); Central and South America‚ 10 822 (4.5%) and Middle East‚ 3 349 (1.4%).
Virtually all tourists from Africa came from the SADC countries at 521 290 (96.5%).
The distribution of the remaining tourists from Africa was as follows: West Africa‚ 10 345 (1.9%); East and Central Africa‚ 7 084 (1.3%) and North Africa 1 366 (0.3%).
This was one of the reasons why total income for SA’s accommodation industry rose by 9.1% y/y in October.
Total income for the industry rose by 12.3% in the three months ended October this year compared with the three months ended October last year‚ figures showed. Read More
Total income includes income from accommodation‚ restaurants and bar sales‚ and “other” income.
Stats SA said that income from accommodation alone rose by 13.7% in the three months ended October 2012 compared with the three months ended October the previous year.
The rise was mainly due to a 6.6% increase in the number of stay unit nights sold‚ and an increase of 6.7% in the average income per stay unit night sold.
There was a 14.2% y/y increase in accommodation income in October.
The number of stay units available increased by 1.8% in the three months ended October this year compared with the same period last year‚ while the number of stay units available rose by 1.7% on a y/y basis in October.

Stats SA describes a stay unit as a unit of accommodation available to be charged out to guests. Examples include a powered site in a caravan park or a hotel room.
Stay unit nights sold also rose on an annual basis‚ Stats SA reported. Stay unit nights sold refers to the total number of stay units occupied on each night during October.

W Cape visitor numbers soared in December (hotelandrestaurant.co.za, 29/01/13).  By Andrew Moth: Official figures have shown that visitor numbers to the major tourist attractions in the Western Cape grew by 8.9% in December from the figures for the same month in 2011. The figures were released today by the Western Cape’s Minister of Tourism, Alan Winde, at a press conference held at the Cheetah Outreach Centre in Somerset West.

Robust 2013 forecast for global tourism (04/02/13)

WHILE leisure bookings for the 2012/13 holiday season reached record levels for a number of South African wholesalers and travel agencies, the latest forecast by the UN World Tourism Organization has supported the overall expectation of another year of growth. A stronger-than-expected fourth quarter helped push international tourist arrivals over the one billion mark at the end of 2012, according to the UNWTO’s World Tourism Barometer.  Read More
Asia and the Pacific was the best performer, up seven% South East Asia and North Africa grew nine% and central and Eastern Europe eight%, with Asia/Pacific at seven%.
Africa recovered from 2011with six%.
UNWTO Secretary General, Taleb Rifai, said the growth showed, despite economic volatility that international tourism managed to stay on course and called on governments to support tourism and recognise its potential to stimulate economic growth.
The organisation forecast growth for 2013 at a slightly slower three% - four%.

The "Suedafrika-perfekt" guest guarantee!

When booking an entry on our REISE KNOW-HOW  website,

www.suedafrikaperfekt.de, we will give you a guarantee that you will reach new guests.  Read more on www.owner.suedafrikaperfekt.de

Better Earth Natural Cleaning Products were again finalists in the 2012 Fairlady Best Buy Awards for their Laundry Gel. This year they will be bringing out a car wash gel and a furniture polish.  Please contact Kerry if you have any questions or would like to know about specials: Kerry@betterearth.co.za

Just over a month remains before Hostex returns to Gauteng. With an established 26-year reputation for bringing the industry together, this year will once again see visitors to the show being treated to four full days of hospitality industry networking, edutainment, industry relevant seminars, service and product sourcing from more than 220 exhibitors, and always the favorite part of the show – the exciting culinary competitions!

Get Ready to:

The show takes place from 17 to 20 March so make sure you diarise the dates and pre-register today on www.hostex.co.za.

Kind Regards

The Hostex Team

P.S To avoid an entry charge of R50 log on to www.hostex.co.za and pre-register

Some of the action to expect at Hostex Gauteng 2013 includes:

South African Chefs Village

Visitors will be able to learn secrets and tricks from top chefs as they perform demonstrations daily.  Aside from the demonstrations, The Chefs Village has undergone a facelift and will feature a brand new stand design.  The South African Chefs Association will be putting chefs - young and old - to the test with exciting competitions, including the City & Guilds Student Skills Challenge and Nestlé Professional Golden Chefs Hat competition, as well as two new surprise competitions.

The City & Guilds Student Skills challenge will see four teams of two students from South Africa’s top culinary schools competing against each other to demonstrate their skills. They will be tested over the four days of Hostex and be put through their paces in the daily challenges.  The winning team will take home the highly coveted City & Guilds Skills Challenge Trophy, R5 000 cash prize, and the 2013 City & Guilds Skills Challenge Winners title.
The Nestle Golden Chefs Hat award is a prestigious competition the world over.  Chefs who have won this coveted award have gone on to international fame and glory.  It is a team mystery box challenge using an assortment of Nestlé Professional products and guarantees excellent entertainment value at the show.

Another great attraction at the Chefs Village will be Culinary Team South Africa. Our Culinary Springboks returned from the IKA Culinary Olympics in Germany in October last year with one gold medal, one silver medal and five bronze medals. Visitors will be able to see Culinary Team South Africa members showcasing their award-winning culinary skills. Team management will also be on the look-out for new talent at Hostex Gauteng 2013.

The South African Chefs Association will also be giving out the Prestigious Bryan Montgomery Award, sponsored by Specialised Exhibitions Montgomery, the organisers of Hostex, to a deserving young chef student. The bursary carries a value of R26 000 and will enable one future chef to realise his or her culinary dreams.

Global Pizza Challenge

The Global Pizza Challenge (GPC) has become a tradition at Hostex, attracting pizza lovers to experience the thrill as around 30 pizza makers create the recipes that earned them a place in the 2013 GPC.  Staged in paired cook offs, finalists will battle it out over the four days of the show, culminating in the grand finale, with acclaimed local and international chefs making the decision on who will take the title of South African Global Pizza Challenge champion.

Barista Championship

The Specialty Coffee Association of Southern Africa (SCASA) will once again host the Barista Championship, where Baristas will be expected to prepare four espressos, four cappuccinos and four original signature drinks to exacting standards in a 15-minute performance set to music. Judges will then evaluate each Barista’s performance, including the taste of beverages served, cleanliness, creativity, technical skill and overall presentation to determine the winners.

SCASA is also proud to host a Cup Tasters, Latte Art and  Aero Press competitions, all aimed at giving visitors an even more interactive and entertaining experience of coffee.  The Cup Tasters competition will test the skills of competitors to distinguish between different coffee tastes.

For more information on the Hostex Gauteng 2013 exhibition please visit www.hostex.co.za or call (011) 835-1565. Pre-register online to avoid the registration queues and need for an entry ticket. Entry without a ticket or by pre-registering is R50. No under 18’s, prams, toddlers or babies permitted. Entry for third year students only on the final day of the show by prior arrangement with the organisers via the website.

“Experience has shown that when exhibitions offer good value and excellent opportunities for exhibitors to boost their sales prospects, they tend to be successful, even in recessionary times. We’re finding that more and more, companies see leading industry exhibitions such as Hostex as an opportunity to create brand awareness and product or service preference through experiential marketing, which goes a long way towards creating a sound connection with customers and potential customers, possibly more so than other more traditional selling methods,” says Brad Hook, Portfolio Director at Specialised Exhibitions.

Another reason why you just cannot afford not to be part of the show is that when it was last in Johannesburg in 2011, over 80% of the 11 500+ visitors indicated that they either make or influence buying decisions, more proof that Hostex attracts the perfect kind of market for a show of its calibre.

Backed by a range of some of the best known industry associations and organisations, which include the SA Chefs Association (SACA), Bed & Breakfast Association of South Africa (BABASA), Federated Hospitality Association of Southern Africa (FEDHASA), Guest House Accommodation of South Africa (GHASA), National Accommodation Association (NAA), Restaurant Association of South Africa (RASA), and Speciality Coffee Association of Southern Africa (SCASA), the 2013 show will also present, for the first time ever, concepts and innovations including the Unilever Food Solutions Hostex Inspirations Conference, offering free-to-attend ‘on the floor’ educational seminars.

“We will also give some of the features and other visitor attractions a ‘facelift’ in 2013, which will ensure that the events and activities that have become so popular over the years remain fresh and up to date, bringing quality visitors to the show,” concludes Hook.

There is still time to book your stand and be part of the ‘who’s who’ in the South African hospitality industry.  For more information on the 2013 show and stand bookings contact Lindy Taylor on (011) 835-1565 or e-mail lindyt@specialised.com.

For more information on the Hostex Gauteng 2013 exhibition or to pre-register as a visitor, go to www.hostex.co.za. If you are planning a visit to Hostex, you can also make use of the new online facility by joining the Hostex Visitor Zone to maximise your visit by identifying exhibitors and activities you want to visit and automatically diarising them in your Outlook calendar.

Hostex Gauteng takes place at Sandton Convention Centre from 17 to 20 March 2013 between 10:00 and 17:30 daily.

_______________________________________________________________________________

ISSUED ON BEHALF OF SPECIALISED EXHIBITIONS BY STRATEGIC PUBLIC RELATIONS. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT VINOLIA MOKHUTLE (011) 672-2037 OR E-MAIL vinolia@stratpr.co.za.

"The World of Media embraced the concept and has done us extremely proud with vast coverage throughout South Africa.

The consequence of this is that enquiries have streamed in and bookings have been made for the first Rhodes Stoepsitfees – to be held on the 15th and 16th February 2012.

Interested people are therefore urged to conclude their domestic arrangements, contact us and finalise their Stoepsitfees bookings as soon as possible in order to ensure their participation.

Given the vast prestige that will accrue to participants in the very first Stoepsitfees, it is important that allpartakers are aware that a strict anti-doping regime will be in force. More importantly, in view of thepopularity of cycling in Rhodes, it is appropriate to use the L A Protocol, which may be summarised as follows:

1. All kinds of performance enhancing drugs, including Brandewyn, Coke, Caffeine, EPO,amphetamines, steroids etc, are permissible provided that you do not get caught.

2. Random drug tests may be carried out. Evasion of these tests is important.

3. Lying about whether you use performance enhancing drugs is mandatory.

4. If at first you don’t succeed, lie again.

5. If some of your former teammates accuse you of doping, deny, deny, deny, and accuse them of sour grapes.

6. If more than ten of your former teammates admit to doping with you and accuse you of doping, you are in deep doo-doo. You will be banished to Maclear and banned from the Stoepsitfees, and the Centre of the Universe, for life.

NB. One can’t be too careful in professional sport these days – and after all, Stoepsitting is indeed a worthy profession.

As anticipation of the Stoepsitfees grows, Stoepowners are hard at work making preparations by way of making goodies such as pottery-ware, works of art, cheese, fly fishing flies and much more. Even the chickens in Rhodes are hard at work practising their version of the professional sport of stoepsitting!

For more information, contact Dave Walker at 045 974 9290 or e-mail to:

contact@rhodestourism.