America’s Independence Day is this weekend! Hopefully this weather will holdup and it will be nice and hot outside, great for barbequing.

As we all know mosquitoes are one of the biggest nuisances to humans during the summer. This weekend, if the rain holds up mosquitoes and ticks will be outside with us. There are several steps that you can ensure that you, your family and friends have an enjoyable holiday weekend.

1. Remove standing water.
   1. Remove old tires from your yard, check birdbaths and clean out your gutters. Mosquitoes can breed in just one tablespoon of water!
2. Keep away from eco-tone
   1. The eco-tone s the area of your yard that turns from grass to woods. Children like to play in the woods, and in the yard. It is imperative to keep them away from this area as it is a perfect breeding area for ticks. Ticks cannot stay alive in the open sun on your yard. When going into the woods, make sure you have high socks and long pants on, and always check your body once you get inside for ticks.
3. Most active at Dawn and Dust
   1. Mosquitoes are the most active during dawn and dusk. While you will see them doing the day, they are even more common at night.
4. Evening protection
   1. We all like to be outside in the evening and so do mosquitoes. They are attracted to sweet aromas, so make sure to place candles outside around the perimeter your enjoyment area. Citronella candles work best. Don’t use those electric “zappers” as they attract the mosquitoes, and when they smell the carbon dioxide from your body, they will focus their attention on you.

We know that inspects are the last thing we want to worry about on a holiday weekend, but it is a reality. Keep these several tips in mind, and you should have a pest-free weekend. From our family to yours.. happy 4^th of July!

Nutsedge is a weed commonly found on lawns. Nutsedge is green, with yellow tips that grow faster then grass. Nutsedge grows flower-like, spouting from one central steam. This bottom of the nutsedge, is often called “tubers”, which are also referred to as “Nuts” or “Nutlets” is found underground. If you can eliminate the tuber, the nutsedge can no longer survive.

Lawns will begin to see nutsedge growth because of the massive amount of rain the northeast has seen. There are several control methods you can follow.

There are many different ways to control nutsedge. The first is to remove the weed along with the soil around it. You must then replace the hole with topsoil and grass seed. Dehydration of the weed can also be down, but poses a risk to surrounding grass and plants. You must disable the irrigation zone near the nutsedge and make sure rain doesn’t help feed it. This method is also very hard to carry out because that risk of rain. This method can only be used in early stages of the nutsedge’s lifecycle. If more then 3-5 blades of nutsedge are spotted, more intensive measures must be taken.

Nutsedge is also commonly found in beds of mulch. When mulch is applied, a weed fabrics is typically installed. Many over the counter fabrics cannot protect from nutsedge because the tips of the weed are so thin. The University of California did a test of the most effective weed fabrics. The results showed that Geoscape landscaper fabric and Dupont Typar 307/ 312 are the most effective.

Herbicides can be used to manage the weed, when applied correctly by a pest control operator.

This information is brought to you by the Tree and Turf Department of JP McHale Pest Management.

Picture is from Purdue University

About.com wrote an article about bed bugs appearing in upscale hotels. Over the past 10 or so years, bed bugs have reappeared in North America. Bed Bugs feed off human blood, and are nocturnal, only showing themselves when you are sleeping. The hide in sheets, mattresses, headboards, and furniture when they are not feeding.

Because of Integrated Pest Management, IPM, pesticide use has been greatly reduced, and now treatments have become targeted at certain pests. About.com writes…

“Concerns about health and the environment led to many of these broad-spectrum pesticides being removed from the market. Today, pest control methods are more focused, designed to kill a particular species (like cockroaches). Bed bugs, since they are not specifically being treated for, are slipping through the cracks.”

Bed bugs travel in suitcases, and if they are present in a hotel that you sleep in, you most likely will carry them to your next destination.

The most upscale hotel and motels have the same chance of being infested. Sanitation has NO EFFECT on the presence of bed bugs. The only way that a hotel/ motel can prevent bed bug infestations is from weekly or monthly inspections. Years ago this was a tedious and expensive task for hotel and motel management, and time consuming for pest management inspectors. As of the last five years we have seen an increase in K-9 bed bug inspection dogs.

K-9 bed bug inspecting dogs are becoming more popular because they are about 90% effective and cheaper for hotel/ motel management. K-9 inspections will only take about 3-5 minutes a room, while human inspection can take a lot longer and are not as accurate.

We wrote previously about how to choose a K-9 bed bug inspection company.

The About.com article about the reappearance of bed bugs can be found here.

We are the experts in pest management, environmental care and tree and turf management, so our question to you is..

What do you want to read?

We have posted a ton of information in the past few weeks about summer pests, and do it yourself tree care. We are always open to questions and comments. Please let us know if you would like any information about what we do, don’t hesitate to leave a comment here, email us, live chat with us, twitter us, or just call us at 800-470-2284.

Later this summer, NoPests.com (Main Site) and this blog will be moved to the new design. The reason for this is so we are able to connect to our customers online more efficiently and effective. The main site, nopests.com will describe all the services that JP McHale Pest Management, Tree and Turf and Environmental Care divisions perform. We will also be expanding and making the bug library more descriptive and effective for website visitors.

This blog will be changed a little bit and integrated with the main website. We will keep regularly posting, and keeping readers informed of the pest control industry, along with seasonal updates and do-it-yourself tips.

Stay tuned for the launch later this summer!

In the mean time, check out, Westchester Pest Control.com. Westchester Pest Control is sponsored by JP McHale and offers residents of Westchester County, NY pest information. Obviously all of our customers can benefit for the information and services posted there, it is just concentrated to Westchester County residents. Check it out!

A Las Vegas Company, K-9 Sweeps located in Las Vegas has a K-9 Bed Bug inspecting dog. A news station in Las Vegas interviewed the trainer.

We wrote a post a few weeks ago on how to choose a K-9 bed bug inspecting company.

Could you imagine being hospitalized, and having to worry about a mice chewing away at your ear? Pretty disgusting if you ask me. An 89 year old war veteran was a patient at an Australian Hospital. This problem was uncovered when a work found the man covered in blood one morning after mice got to him. Morphine had to be used after the incident to calm the man down.

Situations like these are unacceptable. The hospital should have been shut down immediate. The reason for the bad infestation was because the Environmental Protection Agency was preventing pest management companies from using poison for controlling mice in hospitals. Evacuating the hospital would have been an option of the pest control did not help the issue.

This hospital should have been using Integrated Pest Management techniques along with asking the EPA to use approved pesticides to control this problem.

Video Below.

After the queen bee left this massive hive, the massive hive followed her. This nest was located between 80^th and 81^st street. Around 8,000 to 10,000 bees were flying in a half block radius. “It was a three foot column of bees,” bystander Doug Becker, 40. A bee keeper for the New York City Police department captured most of the bees. He said that this was the largest swarm he has ever saw. The bees were brought to a bee keeping farm in Connecticut.

Source: NY Post

Picture Credit

As this rain continues, the pests that enjoy the moisture habitat will be thriving this summer. Earwigs are considered an occasional invader and are not commonly spotted in a home.

The term “earwig” is from Europe, implying that earwigs enter the ear of a sleeping person and bore into their brain. This is not true, and is simply just a myth. Earwigs have forceps that look like they could do serious damage. These are used to capture prey. Earwigs are fairly large, measuring in at 5/8” including the forceps located at the hind-end of their bodies. Their forceps can grow up to ¼.” They have a reddish head, lighter colored wing covers, legs and antennae. Thought they have wing covers, they are not a flying insect. Earwigs are nocturnal, so they are active at night.

Earwigs feed on dead plants and insects, and enjoy spending time under stones, logs and in mulch. Therefore, to cut down and possibly eliminate the risk of getting earwigs in and around your house it is imperative to use several Integrate Pest Management (IPM) methods to control Earwigs. On some occasions, earwigs can be found eating living plants in a garden.

Walk around your home and remove any dead plants, logs, wood piles, and stones from around the foundation. Over usage of mulch can attract earwigs because of how well it holds moisture. The goal is to create a low-moisture area around the perimeter of your home. Treatment by the technician is usually performed outside on the foundation of the home. Indoor treatment and the methods of treatment are always left to the discretion of the technician.

As most of you know, here in the northeast we have been receiving a massive about of rain fall this month (June). We have said before, this rain will bring out high populations of Ticks, Mosquitoes and Carpenter Ants. These pests also carry diseases which are harmful to humans.

Ticks can carry Lyme Disease. When not spotted and dealt with, it can lead to major peoples. Residex was awesome enough to provide us with a great Q&A regarding Lyme Disease. Here is what they had to say…

1. What causes Lyme Disease and how would I contract it?

Lyme Disease is caused by a bacterium from a group of bacteria known as Spirochetes. Spirochetes are corkscrew-shaped bacteria that can actually bore into essential organs and other tissues of the body, and can go into dormancy for long periods of time. The Lyme Spirochete is called Borrelia burgdorferi, and it is transmitted to humans and pets by the black legged (deer) tick and the lonestar tick. When an infected tick bites, it transfers spirochete bacteria into the blood stream of humans and pets.

2. How will I know if a tick bite transmitted Lyme Disease?

There is an early warning bull’s-eye rash in the area of the bite that some, but not all, bite victims see. The other early warning sign is the embedded feeding tick itself. Unfortunately most victims of Lyme Disease never know that they were bitten by an infected tick, and go untreated until concerning health issues begin to manifest within the victim. Detection of embedded ticks is difficult because of the black legged tick’s extremely small size

3. What should I do if I find an embedded tick on my body?

The tick must be carefully removed either by a medical professional, or you can do it yourself or have someone assist you. A proper removal device is necessary to firmly grasp the tick by the mouthparts only and gently remove the tick from the skin. Do not grasp the tick by its abdomen because pressure will force the tick to regurgitate its gut contents, which may contain disease microbes, into the bloodstream. Save the tick for proper identification by a trained professional.

4. Are there removal methods that I should avoid?

Yes. Never use alcohol, lit matches, cigarettes, insecticides, repellants, gasoline, ammonia, or any other solvent or heat source to remove any embedded tick. All of these methods cause the tick to regurgitate the contents of its gut into the victim’s bloodstream, which further increases the likelihood of contracting a tick- borne disease.

5. What happens if I get Lyme Disease?

The nature of your illness will depend on the length of time that Lyme Disease goes untreated. Additionally, not all humans respond the same way to this very complex disease, and ticks can also transmit more than one type of disease with a single bite further complicating a proper diagnosis and treatment. Lyme Disease is a syphilitic-type condition that left untreated can cause severe debilitating issues both physically and mentally. This stage is known as chronic Lyme, and is very difficult to diagnose and treat. Early stages of Lyme Disease can be completely cured with common antibiotics issued by a medical doctor. However catching Lyme Disease in its early stages is difficult at best, and many physicians and laboratories lack the experience and testing protocols to properly identify the disease.

6. How can I prevent contact with Lyme Disease?

Currently there are only a few preventative measures to protect your family and self from contracting Lyme Disease and no method is guaranteed. Lyme Disease is a 49 State issue and not just a problem of the Northeast. At present time, it is known that black legged ticks and lonestar ticks are disease vectors of Lyme. Avoiding human contact with ticks is the critical element in prevention. Unfortunately there isn’t a human Lyme vaccine at this time, although there is one for your pets available through a veterinarian. So without a vaccine, all humans are vulnerable to this very serious disease.

7. Who is most at risk to contract Lyme Disease?

Since Lyme Disease is a disease of the active population who use the outdoors as their playground for sports, hobbies and other activities, children, athletes and outdoors adventurers are highly susceptible to coming into contact with disease carrying ticks. Playgrounds, parks, trails, fields and your very own backyard are the harborage areas for Lyme-carrying ticks. This condition is more related to the deer and mouse populations in these areas versus the human populations. The deer and the white-footed mouse are reservoir hosts of Lyme Disease, and wherever these animals are found, you are surely to find Lyme infected ticks. As deer and mouse populations go unchecked because of local and state regulations, the disease spreads at uncontrolled rates. Lobby your local and state legislators to get control of these out-of-control animal populations in densely human populated areas.

8. What is the most effective preventative control method available today?

An insecticide application to the lawn and wooded transition zone around your home is an effective method to kill ticks that are present in areas where humans and pets are active. These applications should be rendered by a licensed professional pest control operator with a deep understanding of tick biology and treatments. Most professional pest control operators understand the concerns of homeowners when applying insecticides in areas where pets and children play and use extreme care and sound judgment in the selection of the right product for your situation. Lyme-carrying ticks are a serious threat to public health, yet many legislators are banning the use of effective pesticides due to the unproven claims levied by special interest groups. Tell your state and local legislators that you demand protection against Lyme Disease, and effective pesticides are the only viable weapons for prevention at this time.

9. Are there any non-pesticide methods available?

Non-pesticide methods of prevention include staying out of areas where deer and field mice frequent including your yard, wearing white clothing for ease of detection, inspecting your body thoroughly after returning from areas where deer and mice live, using tick repellants on clothes and skin, maintaining a well-manicured lawn and removing all leaf and litter debris from the surrounding property, treating pets with a tick repellant, keeping field mice from entering the home or other out properties. All of these methods along with a residual insecticide application should be incorporated into a comprehensive tick control program. There are no guarantees that you or a family member will not contract Lyme Disease even if all of these methods are employed due to the number of variables outside of your control and the professional applicator’s control.

Lobby your elected officials to protect humans from the serious effects of Lyme Disease.

Written by Christopher Donaghy, Board Certified Medical Entomologist.

All rights to this information are reserved by

Residex, LLC, 2009.

www.residex.com

If you would like more information, or inquire about our Mosquito & Tick Abatement service please contact us at (800) 479-2284, email us, live chat us, twitter us or join us on Facebook!