Yesterday, Lohud.com published an article that announced a mosquito had tested positive for West Nile in Ramapo, which is located in Rockland County, New York. Officials say this is the earliest sighting of the virus they have seen and it is due from the hot and dry weather the county has been experiencing. All of the other 110 mosquitoes they sampled tested negative. People MUST be on the look out for mosquitoes and protect themselves properly. The virus now is in our area and people must take precaution. Learn how to protect yourself from mosquitoes. For more information or help with a tick, mosquito, or any other problem feel free to contact us by phone 800-479-2284, email, live chat, facebook, or twitter. We even offer a special VIP Program that protects your lawn specifically from ticks, mosquitoes, and rodents. Read more about mosquitoes in our Mosquito Blog. JP McHale is one of the leading pest control companies in Westchester, New York & would love to help you with your pest problems!
Ticks: Deer Ticks are coming out! Westchester County, New York, New Jersey, and all states are affected with ticks. They are very hard to feel when they bite and can be on your skin for days. The problem with ticks is that they can transmit diseases such as Lyme’s Disease to humans.
Mosquitoes: Everyone slaps their skin once in a while to get rid of mosquitoes, but they keep coming back. Mosquitoes can also transmit diseases like the West Nile Virus. When you go to bed at night, try sleeping with a fan, mosquitoes will go with the stream and away from you. Mosquitoes like to lay eggs in stagnant water, so make sure there is none laying around.
Consumer Reports rated Top insect repellents against ticks and mosquitoes. Most of the products contained 30% DEET. Here are some other ways to keep off ticks and mosquitoes: Ware long sleeved clothing when outside, ware light colored clothes, use yellow lights instead of white, use candles outside but position them in the corners and on the floor of the space, cut your lawn often, and tuck your pants into your socks. If you get bit by a tick, freeze the tick once you remove it so you can bring it to your doctor if you feel sick within the next few days.
Termites: Termites are very destructive pests that come out in the spring and summer. Colonies can form with thousands of workers. Read more about termites.
Carpenter Ants: Carpenter ants and termites can get confused with one another. The difference is that termites eat wood were the ants only hollow it out. Read more about carpenter ants.
Carpenter Bees: Carpenter bees are not only destructive to homes, but they are a nuisance to humans. Carpenter bees like to hollow out the wood so they can nest in it. Read more about carpenter bees.
Summer has arrived and everyone loves to enjoy the outdoors. Mosquitoes and ticks are very active during the late spring so people have to be cautious not to get Lyme disease or the West Nile Virus. Yesterday on WebMD an author published an article rating the top 6 insect repellents judged by Consumer Reports, focusing mainly against mosquito and tick bites. The top repellents included the following: Off Deep Woods Sportsmen, Cutter Backwoods Unscented, Off FamilyCare Smooth & Dry, 3M Ultrathon Insect Repellent 8, Repel Plant Based Lemon Eucalyptus, Natrapel 8-House with picaridin. 5/6 of these products contain between 15 and 30% DEET, an active and very effective chemical in repelling insects. Consumer Reports had volunteers spray on the repellents and put mosquitoes and deer ticks on the volunteers. The repellents protected the volunteers for seven or more hours! Consumer Reports also notes that people should not use DEET on babies and no higher than 30% when using both a sunscreen and insect repellent in one. DEET is safe in proper amounts but when people apply sunscreen, they usually apply excessively so they do not get burnt. Other ways to prevent insects from biting you include the following:
Wear long sleeve, light clothing
Do not be outside at dawn or dusk when mosquitoes are most active
Make sure there is not stagnant water built up
Inspect your body to look for suspicious marks or spots on your body
When using candles outside in a space, position them in the corners on the floor
Water down the area before a gathering because bees do not like water or wet areas
By following these tips you will have a happy and healthy summer. For more information or help with a tick, mosquito, or any other problem feel free to contact us by phone 800-479-2284, email, live chat, facebook, or twitter. We even offer a special VIP Program that protects your lawn specifically from ticks, mosquitoes, and rodents. Read more about ticks and mosquitoes in our other blog posts! Tick Blog, Mosquito Blog. JPMcHale is one of the leading pest control companies in Westchester, New York, we would love to help you with your pest problems!
Today on the Geneva Sun’s website, the top story is how the West Nile Virus season is just around the corner. Humid temperatures and stagnant water are the two main breeding areas where mosquitoes like to live. Everyone still likes to enjoy the outdoors during spring and summer, so the two precautions you should take when spending time outside are to wear clothing that will cover your body and always apply bug spray. In the last two years there have not been too many cases of humans contracting the West Nile Virus, but this season could be different. The Culex mosquitoes are the only breed who can contract the virus. The way the cycle works is the virus originally starts on a bird who carries the disease, then a mosquito will feed on the bird, then bite a human. Not all people bit are affected by the virus, but if you experience a fever, headache, or body aches you should contact your local doctor. The article lists a few tips in order to avoid getting the West Nile Virus including the following:
Dawn and dusk are the times where mosquitoes are most active, so try and stay inside during these times.
Always cover your body when outside; wear long shirts, pants, socks, and sneakers.
When applying bug spray, make sure it includes DEET, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus.
Make sure to keep bird bath water changed, and maintain wading pools daily.
After rain storms, make sure no water is gathered in one place, like in barrels, tires or pots. Try and prevent stagnant water from being present as much as possible.
By using these tips you will have an mosquito-free and healthy summer. To learn more about mosquitoes and to see how JP McHale Pest Management can help you and your family manage a mosquito problem, feel free to contact us by calling (800) 479-2284, email us, live chat, twitter, facebook, or check out our website. Have a safe summer!
On May 13, 2010 our very own Doug McHale who oversees the Tree and Turf Division here at JP McHale Pest Management Inc. had a brief interview with an ABC 7 News correspondent about the rise in mosquitoes in Rockland County. Mosquitoes are know to carry the West Nile Virus which can be spread from mosquitoes to humans and can be very harmful. According to the CDC, some symptoms include headache, fever, rashes on the skin, tiredness, and body aches. If you feel if you have any of these symptoms please contact your local doctor immediately.
If you are interested in learning about our mosquito services or have any questions feel free to contact us via email, twitter, live chat, or on facebook.
We all know about the devastating earthquake and after shocks that occurred in Haiti. JP McHale is proud to donate cases of Mosquito dunks to the relief effort. Mosquitoes can carry West Nile Virus and Malaria. These dunks will be placed in any stagnant water (where mosquitoes love to breed) and will assist in the prevention of mosquitoes. The last thing that any residents of Haiti, or any relief workers need is West Nile Virus or Malaria while they are helping to rebuild the country.
If you would like to donate to the relief afford please visit the Red Cross’ website.
Scientists at Vanderbilt and Yale University have been working a proposed “Mosquito Nose Transplant.” What they do is take the nose of a mosquito, which is the center of their antennae which is filled with nerve cells and “odor receptors” that react to different compounds and transplant them to either frog eggs or fruit flies. The scientist have done a great job, successfully transplanting most of the nose. The key to this whole operation, however, is that these mosquitoes carry malaria, the deadly disease that affects 500 million people. They transplant these cells and put them into frog eggs or fruit flies. By doing this, they are trying to combat this disease that is crippling and killing millions of people.
The two strategies have produced similar results, but are different in the set up. The process of transplanting the odor receptors to the frog eggs complex. DNA is injected into the eggs, while the odor receptors are put on the outside of the egg. The process with the frog eggs is rapid, very sensitive and you get a precise measurement. The fruit fly takes up to 3 months to engineer with the odor receptors in their antennae. However, despite the length, there are advantages to the fruit fly process. You can study compounds that don’t dissolve in water as well as detecting chemicals in the receptors rather than exciting them. The result of these studies have been encouraging. There are some compounds that will attract the mosquitoes more than humans do and also compounds that will repel the mosquitos. These developments are encouraging in the prevention of the spreading of malaria, a disease that kills millions.
The “Bronx Swamp” has finally been drained by multiple departments within New York City’s government. After nearly a decade of local residents pressuring the city to do something, they finally have. The cleanup efforts cost nearly $350,000 and required the Environmental Protection Agency to pump out about 650,000 gallons of waste water, and the city Sanitation Department removed about 60 tons of waste after the water was drained. The “Bronx Swamp” has been a breeding ground to mosquitoes, rats and diseases over the past decade. Residents are happy, and the city is trying to figure out who owns the land to get compensated for the cleanup efforts.
The Bronx Swamp is located on the abandoned railroad tracks in Mott Haven.
For more information or help with a tick, mosquito, or any other problem feel free to contact us by phone 800-479-2284, email, live chat, facebook, or twitter. We even offer a special VIP Program that protects your lawn specifically from ticks, mosquitoes, and rodents. Read more about mosquitoes in our Mosquito Blog. JP McHale is one of the leading pest control companies in Westchester, New York & would love to help you with your pest problems!
Dawn and dusk are the times where mosquitoes are most active, so try and stay inside during these times.
