Because fleas grip tightly to hair and fur, and their eggs can be tightly attached as well, a tight comb must be used to remove them. There are combs specially designed for this purpose. Make sure the teeth of your comb are the right length and tightness for your pet. This will allow you to drown any fleas you comb out. It will also help to wet your pet as you comb, helping to control the movements of any fleas. Make sure the water is warm, but not hot. Go from root to tip, and from head to tail. This is an especially important technique when combing out fleas. Fleas like to hold on by the root. If you do not comb up the entire length of the hair, you are likely to miss some. It may seem tedious, but the time you put into manually removing the fleas can pay off. This can be a very effective measure in controlling and eliminating your pet's flea problem. Don't rush through combing your pet, or it might lengthen the treatment process. Comb your pet for fleas more than once. It will give you an opportunity to monitor you pet for new fleas, as well as check the condition of their skin. Look not only for fleas, but check for signs of irritation or injury from treatment.
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One-sentence summary -- Get a flea comb or tight-toothed comb. Keep a bucket of water nearby. Comb out the fleas always in the direction of fur or hair growth. Take your time. Repeat this every couple of days. Be aware that the fleas only hop onto the pet to feed and mostly live in the environment - thus it takes a long time to bring an infestation under control by combing.


Positive self talk means talking to yourself using kind and encouraging words. Think of it as a pre-competition pep talk! If you feel negative thoughts creeping in, combat them with positive ones. If you find yourself thinking, “I’m going to mess up,” tell yourself, “You can do this. You’ve practiced a ton, and now it’s time to give it all you’ve got.” Have a few go-to phrases or images that make you feel confident and ready to perform. Hold them in your mind before you compete. You might have a phrase like, “Time to crush it,” or visualize yourself winning the competition. Thinking that way will only make you more nervous. Instead, think of this competition as an opportunity to improve your skills and get outside of your comfort zone. If you have a stellar performance, great! If not, you’ll have more opportunities in the future. . Don’t drive yourself crazy worrying about what could go wrong. Instead, think about what could go right. Imagine the audience cheering for you after an awesome performance. Put your energy into providing a good show for the audience rather than worrying about what they’re thinking.
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One-sentence summary -- Use positive self-talk on competition day. Find phrases or images that make you feel optimistic. Don’t think of this competition as your one and only chance. Focus on the potential for success instead of failure


Make a V-shaped cut right beneath one of the bamboo nodes. A node is one of the joints in the bamboo pole that looks like a knee and divides the cane into segments.  Make your cut narrow if the bend you desire is slight. Make your cut wider if the bend you need is more dramatic. The cut can be as deep as two-thirds the diameter of the pole. Cuts can be shallower for less dramatic bends. Cutting near a node makes this alteration less visible. Secure it either by lashing it, or using an adhesive to set your bamboo in place.
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One-sentence summary -- Cut your bamboo. Make multiple node cuts in the same cane to create a circular shape. Bend your bamboo into shape.


To build the balance beam you will need six 8 foot (2.44 m) pieces of 1-by-6 pine beams, four 12-inch (61 cm) pieces of 2-by-4 wood planks and four 24-inch (30.5 cm) pieces of 2-by-4 wood planks. You will also need to purchase everything listed below in "Things You'll Need". These items can all be found at your local hardware supplier or stores such as Home Depot and Lowes. Use soap, water and a washcloth, sponge or coarse brush to scrub the wood pieces thoroughly. This is very important as dirt and grime can prevent the wood glue from working as effectively. Let the wood sit for a while until it is completely dry before adding the glue. Place the pine beams vertically next to one another as that is how they will need to be administered. Glue the largest sides (the flat sides with the most surface area) of the wooden beams together with an industrial-strength wood glue (preferably waterproof). Use a very generous amount of glue in this process as that is what keeps the wood beams together. Make sure they dry before the next step!  When finished the fronts and backs of the beams should be completely flush, creating 1 large beam measuring 8-feet (2.44 m) long and around 4.5-inches (10.2 cm) wide. The 4.5-inch (10.2 cm) surface will be the top of your homemade beam. The best solution for securing the beams together is to use wood clamps. If you don't have clamps, lay the beams flat on their widest part and apply a heavy weight to help fuse the boards. Allow the beams to dry for at least 24 hours. When the glue has dried, remove the clamps or the weights, and sand the entire surface of the beam. Use a sanding plane or sand belt to ensure the surface is uniform and even. Screw the angle holders (the angle holders will come with screws) to the underside ends of your balance beam approximately 12 inches (30.5 cm) from the end of each side.
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One-sentence summary --
Purchase the required lumber from your local hardware supplier. Wash the entire surface area of each wood piece. Glue the six 8 feet (2.4 m) wood pieces together. Secure the beams together while the glue dries. Sand the wood. Mount steel galvanized angle holders to the beam.