Biting Summer Pests

Posted on June 2, 2011 with No Comments

We all know how pesky mosquitoes can be, and how uncomfortable we become when they are present. The spring and summer season brings not only warmer temperatures, but greater moisture and precipitation. With the recent spring rain having followed such a snowy winter, we are noticing high levels of mosquito activity very early in the summer season. In addition to the discomfort we endure from these pests’ itchy bites, mosquitoes represent a human health risk with their ability to spread various diseases including West Nile Virus and St. Louis Encephalitis.

Mosquitoes lay their eggs and spend most of their life cycle in and around moist areas. Draining buckets, birdbaths, or other potential basins for stagnant water, as well as sealing entryways into the home with proper screening will help to reduce the severity of mosquito activity in and around your home. At JP McHale Pest Management, we offer our Vector Intervention Program, which targets disease-carrying mosquitoes as well as ticks and rodents capable of infecting humans with Lyme Disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Ehrlichiosis, Hantavirus and more. Any family that has small children or pets could greatly benefit from this program which will help in the prevention of itchy bites and harmful diseases. Make sure you take proper action to keep yourself healthy and comfortable throughout the summer months!

Aggressive Yellow Jacket Warning!

Posted on August 18, 2009 with No Comments

WASP WARNING

This is the time of the year queen wasp’s drop below the leaf litter to prepare for over wintering activities. They abandon their existing colony of wasps leaving working wasps without a leader.

Worker wasps try and find new colonies, but will be turned away at the door, because the pheromones do not link up. They will then take harborage around pools, parks and homes and become easily agitated.

To combat this, buy wasps traps, baited with orange soda or grenadine. Place these traps away from your sitting area. Eliminate sugar harborages such as dirty garbage receptacles.

West Nile Virus Found In Hall County, Nebraska

Posted on August 6, 2009 with No Comments

A dead bird tested positive for West Nile Virus today in Hall Count, Nebraska. This is the first case of West Nile the county has seen. Spraying has been conducted to cut down mosquito populations in the area.

West Nile originates in birds, then, mosquitoes feed on these dead animals, transmitting the virus to the mosquito. Then when a mosquito feeds of a human, they can transmit the virus.

You can follow our tips on cutting down mosquito populations and follow the three tips ABC in Nebraska gives us:

-Avoid being outdoors during times that mosquitoes are most active-dawn and dusk.

-While outdoors, cover up by wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants, shoes and socks and use mosquito repellent.

-Eliminate mosquito breeding sites, such as standing water in tires, plastic containers, or similar water holding devices.

Mosquito Breeding Area

Posted on June 19, 2009 with No Comments

We have had a lot of rain lately, so the mosquitoes, tick and carpenter ants will be out in full swing. We would like to give you a tip on keeping your landscape’s mosquito population to a minimum.

Get Rid of Stagnant Water

A perfect example is a bird bath. The picture on the right shows a typical bird bath in someone’s garden. While they do look nice, they attract mosquitoes. Other areas on your property that mosquitoes love are old tires. Old tires collect rain water and sit for months and even years. We previously wrote about foreclosed homes, and why they are perfect areas for mosquitoes, mainly because of the pool. Ensure that your pool is up kept properly to avoid breeding areas.

These are just a few tips on reducing the pest population on your property this summer. These tips are part of a program called Integrated Pest Management. IPM is a program designed that will keep pest populations to a minimum with reduced amounts of pesticides, and keeping a clean living area.