Older&Wiser

The only remedy is to pull the affected leaves off before mid-August.

1. Is this correct?

2. How many leaves can the tree stand to lose before it dies?

3. Does it help to only pull half the leaf off where possible, or does the remains of that leaf die anyway?

We have two male hamsters in separate cages and we let them run (separately) in a blanket chest that has sand and toys in it. When they get in, they sniff around and then seem to scent-mark everywhere by rubbing their bodies on things. They seem active and interested and not stressed by the smell of the other. They run around the house in separate balls and take no notice of each other. So, my question is... is the use of the same blanket chest for two different hamsters causing them stress that I can't see and is it cruel?

He's recently moved his toilet corner and I was pleased because his food was now separate from his toilet, but today he's started storing food in his toilet corner again. I wipe up the wee with tissues every time I see any but it isn't very hygienic. Why does he do it? He used to wee in a sand tray but has stopped doing it. I kept it very clean. Our other hamster wees in his sand tray and never has food near his toilet.

My son (12) came off his bike and damaged a car boot. The cost to repair the car will be around £800 because the lady says that she has a contract on the car that involves having a new car every three years (I think), so it has to be repaired by VW. But £800 seems an awful lot. She won't get another quote because that would invalidate her agreement on the car. So... two questions... is there a way for my car insurance to pay it? I don't see how since my car wasn't involved. Second question... surely if my car had been involved, my insurance company would only pay up if there were two quotes. So how can this contract that she has with VW be ok if it insists that all repairs are done by VW? Who is to say that the boot really needs to be replaced? Maybe my local body shop would tell me they could repair it for £200? Any thoughts welcome!

He continuously fills his pouches with as much food and bedding as he can and demands to go in his exercise ball, whereupon he finds a quiet corner of the house and empties his pouches. He has a large cage with four floors and plenty of bed choices (containers, wood shavings, tissue). He is in a quiet part of the house (my daughter's bedroom) on a chest of drawers near a window where the curtains are kept shut most of the time. Is he really unhappy? He only started to do this a week ago but he's moved bed within his cage four times since we've had him. He's 4 months old.

I have a French friend who wants the English word for 'furet'. It was a 3 metre long metal (steel?) wire.

Also, any tips to ensure it doesn't bite would be useful.

that says it is free turns out to be just a scan - even when it says "absolutely free" and then gives loads of testimonials about how wonderful it is. You can't find out things aren't free until after you've downloaded the free bit (along with anything else that gets added on.... spyware?). Ok, I've ranted enough. But do you know where to get a free driver update for an HP Photosmart 7150? Thanks!

The inside of a car windscreen is often covered in a black film (wipe with a tissue to see) - but this doesn't happen if you recycle the internal air instead of letting it come in from outside via the bonnet. Presumably the black stuff is engine oil and presumably we breathe a fair bit. And... presumably that would be carcinogenic, wouldn't it? For this reason I always recycle the internal air and then open a window to change the air. Am I being paranoid? Does anyone know anything about it?

It costs over £1200 (for a liftetime's use). For that you get 4 two-hour training sessions and a review after three months. For the sake of argument, let's say the review is worth two hours. That's ten hours, or roughly £120 per hour.......paid by each person in the group.

How can that be justified? If there were six in the group (as in the example sent to me), that's £720 per hour.

I've tried bathroom products and I've tried washing soda but nothing seems to work. The marks are from where we stand in the bath to shower. I suspect they are just dirt and grease.

Thanks in advance for any advice. (But please don't suggest American brand names because I'm in the Uk!)

I've tried internet searches but with little success. I wondered if estate agents would get involved but it seems not (at least the ones I've tried). Do you have to contact farmers directly?

My next-door neighbour's rabbit spends his days on our decking, but I'd like to treat the wood since it hasn't been done for 6 years. The rabbit doesn't chew the decking, but I'm worried about fumes or poisons that might get on his fur.

** Obviously I'd let the treatment dry well before he was allowed back on the decking! **

I've considered oils (not good because need to be done twice yearly), wood preserver (poisonous?) and yacht varnish. Any thoughts?

Does anybody know? Do they have to be registered or can a registered walker just take their dog? There was a dog walking last year, but he was registered and had sponsors.

This is such a silly idea, leading to the need to put a line under the figure on cards so that you can tell which way up it is meant to be read. If 9 were printed as we were taught to write it, with a straight stick, there would be no confusion. So.... why don't the powers that be recognise that and change it?!!!

(Oh, and sorry about the category; couldn't find an appropriate one.)

I read in the Paper today that the Reading Guinea Pig Rescue centre never rehomes rescued guinea pigs with rabbits. Why would that be?

I read a book (Free at last) about a school that only teaches when the pupils ask to learn something. Has anyone been there? I'm curious to know more.