Archive for category Tick Tubes
Is Global Warming Affecting the Tick Population?
Posted by janegwalker in Deer ticks, Life cycle of the tick, Lyme disease, Tick Protection, Tick Tubes on January 23, 2012
Global warming has been a hot topic the past few years resulting in a greater awareness of Mother Nature, her ever-changing status, and what we can do to protect her. According to PlanetSave, a blog focused on saving the planet, global warming could lead to the extinction of over a million species. Ticks, however, is not one of them.
Ticks thrive in warmer weather. Whether it’s the heat of the summer or dead of winter, ticks can become active anytime the temperature rises over 40 degrees and there isn’t snow and ice on the ground. For many areas around the country, that’s the case right now.
With ticks coming out earlier in the year and staying later, their population has increased in many areas, resulting in more cases of tick-borne illnesses like Lyme disease. On a recent warm day here in Virginia a friend of mine asked me if I continue to give my dog flea and tick medication throughout the winter. The answer is yes as you never know when a tick is on that plant my four-legged friend is sniffing so intently. Depending on where you live, it’s important to protect yourself, your kids and your pets from ticks all year round (for those of you in states with inches of snow right now, you’re safe).
How can you protect yourself from ticks and the illnesses they carry? It’s all about being observant and proactive:
- If you are going outdoors, wear light colored and loose clothing that covers the majority of your body. Ticks’ dark bodies are easier to see on a light background.
- Check yourself. Check your clothing and skin for ticks when coming indoors. Make sure to check those hard-to-see areas like behind the ears, armpits, etc.
- Remove all ticks immediately. Here’s a guide to remove ticks properly from the CDC. Record the date and location of the bite and place the tick in a baggie if you can in case you notice any symptoms in the future.
Mosquito Squad kills ticks dead
Ticks are small, but they can be big trouble. If you want to rid your yard of ticks, contact Mosquito Squad. Our tick tube application will get to the ticks before they get to you.
Chalk one up for mama mouse and preventing Lyme disease
Posted by Robin Steele in Deer ticks, Lyme disease, Tick Protection, Tick Tubes, Tick-borne illnesses and diseases, Types of ticks on October 6, 2011
Mice nesting in auto air filter
Recently I took my car in for an oil change. The technician told me I needed a new air filter and proceeded to show me the reason why. It seems that a mama mouse had decided to use my car’s air filter for her nursery this year, my filter was full of tissues and other bedding materials that she was using to “feather” her warm, fall nest deep within my cars inner workings. No wonder every time I needed a Kleenex lately the box was empty?
Naturally I had the technician change the filter, but the point of the story is that mice are building their nests now for a warm spot to have their babies, this includes the white footed mice that are responsible for facilitating the cycle for Lyme disease. These mice will need, and will find, by one means or another a material to fill their winter nests. Why not provide the mice with nesting material ( so they will leave my tissues alone) and kill the Lyme carrying ticks that harbor on the mice and within their nests?
Does this sound too good to be true? Well, it’s not, and it is happening more often with the use of tick tubes. Tick tubes are small tubes that contain an insecticide treated cotton to provide a way to kill ticks that harbor Lyme disease by using the mice as couriers. The insecticide is safe for humans and animals, but kills the ticks quickly and efficiently. The insecticide used to treat the cotton is a mild, plant-derived insecticide. Tick Tubes have been proven to reduce the chances of coming into contact with a tick infected with Lyme disease by up to 90%. This innovative tick abatement product presents a win/win answer for us and the mice. The mice get help building their nests and we reduce our chances of coming into contact with this tick-borne illness on our property.
This image shows tick tubes placed in the tick's environment for optimum results.
Here is a breakdown on how it works. Mosquito Squad places these tubes at random throughout the areas on your property where mice frequent. The mouse find the tick tube, and along with being a happy mouse for finding great bedding for her winter’s nest, she carries the treated cotton within the tube back and starts building. The young deer tick feed on the mice, this is part of the evolution of Lyme disease. The treated cotton in the nest and around the mouse breaks the chain of disease before it can infect a human because once exposed to the insecticide treated cotton, the tick perishes.
Mosquito Squad stops ticks dead in their tracks
Mosquito Squad uses these innovative tick tubes within their tick abatement program. Contact Mosquito Squad to learn more. Using tick tubes will keep the mice happy, and will give you peace of mind against tick-borne illnesses and disease. 804.353.6999 • info@mosquitosquad.com
Is our U.S. blood supply safe from insect-borne illness?
Posted by Robin Steele in Babesiosis, Barrier Sprays, CDC, Lyme disease, Malaria, Mosquito Squad, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Tick Protection, Tick Tubes, Tick-borne illnesses and diseases on September 16, 2011
Dread Skeeter of Mosquito Squad helps prevent tick bites by killing ticks in your yard
Is our United states blood supply safe from insect borne illness? Until just recently the answer, we all thought, would have been yes, but with the recent discovery of the tick-borne parasite Babesia being discovered in our nation’s blood supply sending a red flag as to just how vulnerable our blood supply is from insect-borne illnesses such as this. Babesia is the parasite which causes the disease Babesiosis which is similar to Malaria. Babesiosis has even been referred to as “America’s Malaria”. The disease itself can lead to anemia, organ failure and even death.
Symptoms of Babesiosis can be asymptomatic, and can display similarities with symptoms of the flu, colds or other common viral illnesses. Early on, many people do not even know they have the disease and therefore go about their normal everyday lives and usual routines, many of which may involve donating life saving blood to many organizations around the U.S. to help others. Since there is no test to detect Babesia in a blood sample at the present time, donors are asked if they have ever had Babesiosis, and many infected aren’t even aware they have it, let alone even know what the disease is due to the lack of media and knowledge about the disease. Most people are aware of illnesses such as Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, but when asked about Babesiosis, many people aren’t even aware it exists. This is certainly cause for concern and we need to make the public more aware of lesser known tick-borne diseases such as Babesiosis.
Is our blood supply safe from tick-borne parasites and disease?
The Babesia parasite takes up residence within the red blood cells of its victims, and right now there is not a way to test the donated blood for the presence of the parasite. To date there have been 159 documented cases of Babesiosis which were caused by receiving blood transfusions which contained blood tainted with the parasite. In those 159 cases, 136 of them were tracked down. 30 of these cases were caused by 12 donors, because donated blood is split into red blood cells as well as platelets. The cases occurred in 19 states, but 87% of them were within the 7 states where Babesiosis is considered to be endemic which are Massachusetts, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Rhode Island, Minnesota, Connecticut, and New York. These numbers however, reflect documented cases, with Babesiosis many cases go misdiagnosed or unreported because of the similarities with the symptoms of common illnesses such as the flu. Officials are taking heed and public health authorities are stressing the growing risks of Babesiosis.
The tick is a vector of many illnesses and diseases, so small yet so dangerous.
So what can we do about this dilemma? Advocates ask for better testing to come forth to detect the presence of tick-borne parasites within the blood. As it stands now, if a physician diagnoses a patient with Babesiosis then he/she must report the information onto that states health department, which in turn is supposed to pass the information onto the CDC ( Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Of course, since the disease and parasite which causes the disease is caused by the tick, preventing being bitten or exposed to an infected tick is top priority as well. Common sense practices within your living areas and property and avoiding possible tick infested areas is an excellent way to avoid becoming a victim.
This image shows tick tubes placed in the tick's environment for optimum results.
Common sense practices include increasing your knowledge of the tick-borne illnesses and their symptoms. Keep your property free of debris, heavy brush and tall grasses and keeping your property trimmed and mowed. Have a licensed professional treat your property. Conduct frequent examinations of your body and clothing after each visit outside. Shower immediately after exposure to outside areas where ticks can reside. Instilling the use of tick tubes, or other tick abatement practices if you reside within areas with heavy tick populations can also cut your risk of exposure significantly.
Mosquito Squad stops ticks dead in their tracks
Mosquito Squad offers a wide range of tick control services including the use of tick tubes and barrier sprays for your property. Contact Mosquito Squad to learn more about killing and preventing ticks in and around your property, and reduce your risk of infection from tick-borne illnesses and disease.
804.353.6999 • info@mosquitosquad.com
The Lone Star tick moves into the spotlight
Posted by Robin Steele in Amblyomma americanum, Ehrlichiosis, Lone Star tick, Lyme disease, Outdoor Living Bug Free, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Seed tick, STARI (Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness, Tick Protection, Tick Tubes, Tick-borne illnesses and diseases, Tularemia, Types of ticks on June 29, 2011
Dread Skeeter of Mosquito Squad-kills mosquitoes and ticks dead!
In the pursuit of tick control and helping homeowners avoid tick-borne illness and disease Mosquito Squad takes heed to another tick moving into the spotlight. The Lone Star tick (Amblyomma americanum), also known as the seed tick can be found as far north as Maine all the way down into Texas. The tick is found in wooded areas such as forests and other areas with dense vegetation. The population of the Lone Star tick is quickly rising along with the areas it is being found in. The CDC ( Centers for Disease Control and prevention) has reported an increase in the distribution, range and abundance of this tick over the past 20-30 years.
The Lone Star tick gets its name from the predominant white spot located on the back of the female, also known as a “lone star”. Even though the females are easily recognizable from this distinguishable characteristic, identification can prove difficult because the Lone Star tick feeds off humans and other animals such as pets during all three life cycles, larva, nymph and adult. During the nymph stage the Lone Star tick is comparable in size to a mite. The tiny size of the tick during this stage can result in victims not being aware they have been bitten at all until problems begin to arise.
Small ticks such as the Lone Star tick during nymph stage are hard to see and identify
Lone Star ticks are known carriers of diseases such as Ehrlichiosis, Tularemia and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. A newer disease associated with the Lone Star has come into the forefront called STARI,( Southern Tick Associated Rash Illness), which mimics symptoms usually seen with the onset of early Lyme Disease. These include a rash, or expanding red “bulls eye” lesion that develops around the site of the bite itself. This is accompanied by fatigue, headaches, fever, and joint and muscle pain. Even though STARI has not been linked to any arthritic, neurological or other chronic symptoms it is still an uncomfortable and scary undertaking to experience. STARI is easily treatable with oral antibiotics, and symptoms resolve promptly following treatment.
Mosquito Squad can treat your property to kill and prevent ticks, even in dense and wooded areas
Avoidance of wooded and densely brushy areas is key to prevention of tick-borne illness. Checking yourself and your pets after each encounter with any wooded areas is a must. Keeping your property trimmed and free of brush piles or clippings is a good preventative measure as well as having your property treated for ticks by a licensed professional. A licensed professional can go over what tick control program is best to suited to the circumstances and individual traits of your property. Barrier sprays such as the ones used here at Mosquito Squad are an effective weapon in tick control as well our use of the Damminix tick tubes.
Damminix tick tubes
Damminix tick tubes are an innovative and effective solution to tick control. These tick tubes are filled with Permethrin treated cotton balls which are used by small animals such as mice as nesting materials. Since the deer tick and other ticks feed off the mice in large numbers, the ticks are exposed to the Permethrin and are killed at the source. The Damminix tick tubes cause no harm to mice or other mammals during this process and have proved highly beneficial to tick control in areas all over the country.
Mosquito Squad stops ticks dead in their tracks
Mosquito Squad uses Damminix tick tubes as well as a barrier spray which kills adult ticks on contact. Contact Mosquito Squad to find out more about tick control and ways to prevent ticks and tick-borne illness in your neck of the woods. Call us at 877-667-7823 or email us at info@mosquitosquad.com to find out more.
Are you letting the bedbugs bite?
Posted by Robin Steele in 364D Rickettsiosis, Anaplasmosis, Borrelia burgdorferi, Dengue Fever, Eastern equine encephalitis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Malaria, Mosquito Bites, Mosquito Control, Mosquito misting, Mosquito-Borne Illnesses & Diseases, Outdoor Living Bug Free, Rickettsiosis, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, STARI (Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness, Tick Protection, Tick Tubes, Tick-borne illnesses and diseases, Tickborne relapsing fever (TBRF), Tularemia on January 24, 2011
Dread Skeeter fights the Mosquito and Tick bites
“Night, night sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite”. The sweet, innocent bedtime saying many of us say to our children when it is bedtime. The elusive bedbug however is not so innocent. During the 1990’s the bedbug made a comeback. The resurgence of the bedbug can be attributed to several reasons. Shifts in pest management play a role as well as resistance to certain pesticides. During the last ten to twenty years international travel has become commonplace allowing the bedbugs to hitch a ride so to speak on our clothing and luggage. We, as a society have also let our guard down to these resilient little bugs by thinking that bedbugs are a thing of the past.
Common bedbugs , their proper name being cimex lectularius, were thought to have originated in the Middle east in caves inhabited by bats and humans. Bedbugs were mentioned as far back as 400 BC in ancient Greece. Bedbugs were a serious problem during World War II, General MacArthur actually commented that bedbugs were the “greatest nuisance insect problem….at bases in the U.S.”
With the introduction of more effective pesticides during the 1940’s the bedbugs nearly disappeared completely in Western countries. Bedbugs are parasites that are usually no more than 1/5 of an inch in length. Bedbugs feed on blood of humans and other animals. Bedbugs are nocturnal and most often feed when people are asleep. An adult female bedbug can lay up to 500 eggs during her lifetime. When a bedbug feeds it injects a salivary secretion to the bite to discourage coagulation, the secretion can cause itching and swelling. Although bedbug bites are not known to carry any human blood-borne pathogens, the bites can be painful, and can cause distress. Scratching the bites can lead to secondary infections and some people have been shown to have allergic reactions to the bites. Bedbugs reside and lay their eggs in your furniture, the box springs and folds of your mattress, they can hide in the cracks of your hardwood floors, in your carpet, behind pictures, in your luggage and even behind baseboards and other places in your home.
Dread Skeeter from Mosquito Squad fights mosquito and tick bites
There are many ways to pick up bedbugs. One way is travel. Hotels, motels and resorts have a constant turnover of guests. You can bring them home unknowingly on and in your luggage and clothing. It is a common misconception that bedbugs thrive in filth, this is not true. Bedbugs can infest any type of dwelling. They can show up in luxury resorts as well as the cheaper “chain” hotels and motels. Bedbugs can also come into your home by way of infested furniture. Make sure any “second hand” furniture purchases from garage sales, consignment shops, antique shops and thrift store purchases are cleaned thoroughly before entering the home. Pets can bring the parasites into your home. People visiting from a source of infestation can also bring them into your home. People who live in nearby dwellings such as apartments and town homes can have the bedbugs come into their home by way of duct work if there are easy routes. Bedbugs are common with wild animals too, especially bats, rodents and birds. Bedbugs will often nest near animals that have also nested in a dwelling. A well fed bedbug can live anywhere from four to six months. A dormant bedbug can live without feeding for as much as 18 months. With the long span and capability of a dormant bedbug to lie dormant for that amount of time and emerge and begin to feed it is a good idea to make sure any items that you bring into your home and are unsure of their history should be inspected and thoroughly cleaned. An infestation of bed bugs can get out of control quickly with the number of eggs a female is capable of laying in her lifetime.
Now that you’re fully “grossed out” and probably itching just reading this article, you can fight the bedbug war. Detection of bedbugs is not as difficult as you may think. Even though these parasites are tiny, they still can be seen with the naked eye. They are experts at hiding however and are nocturnal and usually only come out at night. You can look for signs that you have an infestation by examining your mattress and bedding for any blood spots or brownish or reddish spots. These are called fecal spots. You can also sometimes identify an infestation by checking for evidence of their skins that have sloughed off during moulting. In severe cases sometimes a pungent odor is prevalent. This is a result of the oily liquid they emit. The most obvious of all the signs that you may have a bedbug infestation is the bite itself. The bites can be red and blotchy or welt like. Early detection is always a plus in helping control an infestation.
Knowledge is always power with the treatment of bedbugs. The best course of action once you have determined you have an infestation is to contact a professional. Remember that the bed is usually ground zero (hence the name), but it is not the only place they reside. It is a good idea to eliminate clutter around your home. Anything you deem is infected and decide to discard should be sealed and labeled so no one else will become infected. Mattresses and box springs that are being disposed of should also be labeled and sealed in the same manner for safe disposal. Treatment will depend on how serious the infestation is and the range of action taken by the professional could range from industrial vacuuming to heat treatments , encasement of mattresses in plastic cover and /or the application of pesticides . Follow up visits may be necessary by your professional to ensure the problem is taken care of.
Like mosquito and tick bites, it’s good to be vigilant and take some time to inspect your bites. While bed bug bites are annoying and cause frustration and concern, at least they aren’t known to carry disease like mosquito and tick bites.
Remember, mosquito and tick bites can be prevented before they happen and in that case, prevention is the best cure. Have your yard sprayed on a regular basis during the spring, summer and early fall season. You can also take extra precautions against ticks by having an expert lay a product called tick tubes which animals will take back to their breeding and sleeping grounds. Click here to read more about tick tubes.
877-667-7823
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