East End Tick Control - Tick & Mosquito Pest Control
Serving Southold, The Hamptons, and Montauk
Late winter in Long Island can be unpredictable. Some days feel like we’re living in a deep freeze, and others seem like we skipped right over spring and fell headlong into summer.
Deciding when to start spraying for mosquitoes can be confusing, to say the least. Luckily, mosquitoes are predictable creatures that always emerge from their overwinter dormancy under the same conditions every year.
Just one drop of your blood contains billions of strands of DNA; the building blocks of life. A DNA strand like me is a blueprint for building a living thing, and sometimes animals that went extinct millions of years ago, like dinosaurs, left their blueprints behind for us to find…”
-Animated DNA Strand, Jurassic Park, 1993
So began the explanation of how a drop of blood extracted from a 100-million-year-old mosquito could be used to create a living-dinosaur theme park in the 1993 Steven Spielberg movie “Jurassic Park” and provide fodder for its multiple sequels. Based on Michael Crichton’s 1990 novel, the premise of the science fiction/action movie is that ancient mosquitos preserved in amber could contain enough DNA for scientists to recreate dinosaurs.
While the winter months can offer us a brief reprieve from some pests out in nature, it’s always short-lived. One of the biggest persistent pests on Long Island remains the mosquito, an insect that’s active most of the year from the spring going well into the fall. Not only do their bites cause itchiness and discomfort that can last days, but they also spread diseases.
Mosquitos are known for carrying several diseases, one of the most well-known of which is the West Nile Virus. Today we’re going to highlight a lesser-known mosquito-borne illness, Chikungunya Fever. While this disease is rare in the United States, it has increased over the past decade. As travel continues to increase as the pandemic wanes, the risk of Chikungunya becoming more common here will increase. So, what do we need to know?
Symptoms of Chikungunya Fever typically develop between three to seven days of the initial exposure. The most common symptoms are fever and joint pain. While fever won’t necessarily persist for long, the joint pain can be crippling and severe and could linger for months. Accompanying symptoms may include headache and joint swelling in addition to joint pain. Another disease symptom is Chikungunya rash, which can occur in patches over the face, torso, and limbs.
The only way to detect if you have Chikungunya Fever is through a blood test. The Chikungunya virus remains detectable in your blood for at least a week. Because of this, it is vital that if you think you may have contracted this disease, you avoid mosquitos biting you again, as that is how the disease continues to spread.
Such as the case with many diseases, Chikungunya Fever will more severely impact infants and the elderly. Those with comorbidities, including heart disease, high blood pressure, or diabetes, will also be at higher risk for more severe symptoms from Chikungunya Fever. You are also more at risk if you travel to a part of the world where an outbreak occurs. It’s always important to research where you’re traveling beforehand for any diseases you may be at risk of contracting while abroad.
The only way to decrease your risk to zero is to keep mosquitos away from you and your family. And the best way to keep mosquitos away from your home is to consult with trusted mosquito control professionals in your area.
Mosquito-borne illnesses like Chikungunya Fever can have debilitating symptoms that last for months and, unfortunately, have no treatments or vaccines to fight against or prevent it. The only way to avoid some mosquito-borne illnesses is to avoid contact with a mosquito. If you reside on eastern Long Island, you need trusted mosquito control that is safe for your family and pets. For those living near Southampton, please call (631) 287-9700. If you are closer to East Hampton, please call (631) 324-9700. If you reside near Southold, please call (631) 765-9700. You can always send us a message, and we will get back to you as soon as possible
As insects increasingly become resistant to pesticides, scientists seek innovative ways to decrease their numbers. Genetic pest management is one of the techniques being explored in the U.S. and around the globe. From mosquitoes that transmit dangerous viruses to moths and flies that destroy crops, scientists are altering insects’ genes to prevent them from reproducing and causing harm.
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Mosquitoes are an unavoidable part of life for most New Yorkers, and there are approximately 70 different species of mosquitoes in our state alone. And while mosquitoes can potentially be active any time of year in New York under the right circumstances, they are most active between April and October.
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The days are short, the nights are cool, and the leaves are starting to turn. It’s another lovely Long Island autumn day! So why are there still mosquitoes in your yard? You’d think they’d be gone by now, but they aren’t.
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In “The Art of War,” Sun Tzu wrote, “If you know the enemy… you need not fear the result of a thousand battles.” The general probably wasn’t thinking of mosquitoes when he wrote his influential treatise on military strategy. However, the wisdom still applies: By understanding how mosquitoes function, we are better equipped to fight them.
A mosquito’s body has three parts – the head, the thorax, and the abdomen. Each segment contains organs that make the species efficient, effective hunters. Some of these organs are found only in female mosquitoes because they carry the burden of laying eggs and hunting.
Do mosquitoes have brains? Yes, they do! The mosquito’s head contains its sensory organs, including the brain and eyes. It’s also home to the proboscis, the mosquito’s “Swiss army knife” multi-function mouthpart.
Although a mosquito’s brain lacks complexity and is proportionally very small, it’s more than adequate to fulfill its functions: sight, movement, taste, and detecting scent and temperature.
One of the more fascinating processes in the female mosquito’s brain is how it integrates olfactory and visual cues to create a behavioral response. When a female mosquito picks up certain scents, her brain triggers the visual system to seek out shapes that are likely to be potential prey. After identifying a likely blood meal, her brain directs her to track and hone in on it.
Mosquitoes have two compound eyes with photosensitive cells that detect variations in light. Their eyes are covered with “ommatidia,” tiny lenses that function as dozens of individual eyes-within-an-eye.
Arguably the most exciting and complex part of a mosquito is the proboscis, the long, needle-like “straw” through which a female extracts blood while biting a person. The proboscis comprises six individual needles, each of which has a function, whether it is to cut into the prey’s skin or hold tissues apart. At the same time, the mosquito feeds to locate blood vessels underneath the skin, inject saliva and blood-flow enhancing chemicals, or siphon the blood. Unfortunately, it is also the part of the mosquito through which diseases like malaria, Zika virus, West Nile virus, and others are transmitted.
A mosquito’s thorax is where its legs and wings are located. Mosquitoes have six legs, each with tiny claws used for gripping surfaces. Mosquitoes’ wings are large, considering the size of their body. They fly to hunt for food and mates, but strangely, despite the power in their wings, they rarely travel more than a few hundred feet from where they were hatched.
The mosquito’s long, narrow abdomen is where it takes in air and digests fluids. This section has small openings on either side called “spiracles,” which allow the mosquito to draw in air. It is also where the female mosquito holds blood drawn from her prey. The abdomen usually contains a small amount of water, which is squeezed out as blood comes in. If you watch a mosquito as she feeds, her belly will go from nearly clear to red as it fills with her prey’s blood. The abdomen is also home to a mosquito’s reproductive system.
Contrary to widespread misinformation, a mosquito has a single heart, but it doesn’t function like a human heart. Like other insects, mosquito hearts have two sections – an abdominal heart and a thoracic aorta. The heart pumps a substance called hemolymph, a compound that functions like our blood. A mosquito’s organs rest in this liquid, and the heart pumps it around the mosquito’s body. The mosquito’s heart reverses direction periodically, sometimes pumping hemolymph toward the front of its body and sometimes toward the rear.
Sometimes it feels like these aggravating predators never sleep, a partly true impression. Mosquitoes don’t sleep in the way that humans understand the process. Instead, they become “inactive,” resting during their off-peak hours when they’re not actively seeking a host on which to feed.
You don’t have to fight alone if you are combating mosquitoes at your Long Island home. We can eliminate them and ensure that they do not return. We are proud to note that all our options are family and pet safe. For those living near Southampton, please call (631) 287-9700. If you are closer to East Hampton, please call (631) 324-9700. If you reside near Southold, please call (631) 765-9700. You can always email us as well.
Do mosquitoes frequently bite you? Does it seem like mosquitoes go after you more when you wear perfume? Or other types of fragrance, like scented lotion? Do you imagine it, or does your perfume attract them? Let’s take a look so you can be appropriately prepared for spring and summer outdoor events.
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Not many decades ago, it was commonplace for children to chase the mosquito control truck, running in the street and frolicking in its spray. Those days are long gone, and even though mosquito control products have become safer over the years, we’re all more careful about what we may be breathing in or letting touch our skin.
Mosquito spraying and residential mosquito treatments are critically important for protecting ourselves, our families, and our communities from mosquito-borne diseases like Eastern Equine Encephalitis, Zika virus, and West Nile virus. But how safe are the products we use? And how effective are they?
Community spraying and home treatments for mosquitoes are regulated by the EPA and deemed safe for humans. Commonly used products have a low toxicity level, and some pest control companies, like East End Tick Control®, go out of their way to ensure the safety of your family, your pets, and the environment.
Still, it is advisable to stay indoors when spraying takes place and to avoid inhaling or having direct contact with any outdoor mosquito treatment. Inhaling large quantities of mosquito products can lead to skin, eye, and throat irritation, nausea, headache, dizziness, and vomiting. Children, the elderly, and those with respiratory issues should avoid direct exposure. Fortunately, the ingredients in these products break down in the body, and these rare symptoms typically resolve quickly with no lasting buildup.
After spraying or yard treatment, remain indoors or avoid the area for about 30 minutes; the spray will have settled by that time. As with any pest control treatment, these precautions also apply to your pets. Bring them inside during spraying, and keep them away from sprayed areas for at least a half-hour.
Spraying is an essential component of mosquito abatement. To understand the effectiveness of spraying and other treatments, it’s critical to know what they do and don’t accomplish.
Both community spraying and home treatments kill the mosquitoes they touch. These treatments then settle and leave a residue that repels other mosquitoes that would otherwise populate the area. Spray-based treatments are most effective at killing mosquitoes at dawn and dusk when they are most active.
A treatment will temporarily reduce the number of mosquitoes in the area, but it is not a permanent solution. The battle against mosquitoes is an ongoing one, and treatments need to be reapplied on a regular schedule throughout the mosquito season. Some other things you can do to provide a less hospitable environment for mosquitoes are:
Both public spraying and home treatments work quickly. Mosquitos should decrease dramatically within 24 hours. Adulticide treatments kill flying mosquitoes immediately and will repel other mosquitoes for at least several weeks. Larvicide treatments kill larvae that hatch from eggs. Larvicides work within 24-48 hours and can last several months or more, depending upon the product and method of application.
Residential treatments are an integral component of overall mosquito abatement. By keeping your yard mosquito-free, you can help prevent the spread of diseases like EEE, Zika virus, and West Nile virus. At East End Tick and Mosquito Control®, we are proud to say that all of our options are family and pet safe. For those residents living near Southampton, please call (631) 287-9700. If you live closer to East Hampton, please call (631) 324-9700. If you reside near Southold, please call (631) 765-9700. You can always email us as well. We look forward to hearing from you.
It seems to happen overnight. The days get longer, temperatures rise, flowers burst into bloom, and then you hear the whining drone of a mosquito moments before you become its latest meal. You may not be expecting or prepared for them, but mosquitoes are predictable pests, always returning when conditions are ripe for their arrival.
To know when mosquitoes will return (and when to spray for them), it’s essential to understand their life cycle and how they respond to temperatures and the changing seasons.
Mosquitos don’t fare well in cool or cold weather. They function most efficiently when temperatures are between 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit, become lethargic at 60 degrees F, and cannot function at temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. In New York, mosquito season lasts from April through October, but climate change will likely extend the season even longer in the coming years.
There are two main species of mosquitoes in this region, and both become problematic around the same time. The common house mosquito, culex pipiens, emerges from hibernation when temperatures consistently reach 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The Asian tiger mosquito, aedes albopictus, often doesn’t survive winter temperatures. Still, the eggs they lay in late fall hatch at roughly the same point on the thermometer when their culex cousins emerge.
The best time of year to start spraying for mosquitoes is right before the season begins. It is more efficient to attack emerging and larval mosquitoes than trying to get rid of fully developed, fully functioning adult mosquitoes. If you miss this window, the fight will be a bit more complicated, but homeowners cannot ignore the battle.
The best time to spray for mosquitoes is when they are most active. Spraying is most effective when they feed, at dusk and dawn. This isn’t always practical, though, especially if you engage the services of a professional mosquito control company. They will visit your property during daytime hours, considering the differential between the time of treatment and peak mosquito activity.
Mow your grass a day or two before having your yard sprayed. This will discourage crucial pollinators like bees and butterflies from being in your yard and protect them from anti-mosquito treatments. Shorter grass provides less cover for mosquitoes and other unwanted pests, so it’s sensible to keep it trimmed regularly anyway.
Mosquito sprays and foggers target flying insects, so rain does not necessarily affect spray treatments. Other mosquito treatments are usually oil-based and water-insoluble, so they will not wash away in the rain. It is wise to give these some time to bond to surfaces and foliage before exposing them to rain, lawn sprinklers, or other water sources. Your mosquito control professional will provide detailed instructions on how long you should wait before allowing a specific treatment to get wet.
One of the best things you can do to defend your family, pets, and property from this pest is getting a mosquito yard spray treatment from East End Tick and Mosquito Control®. If you wish to schedule a preventative yard spray, give our experts a call today. We have been Eastern Suffolk’s most trusted name in tick and mosquito control for 25 years. If you live near Southampton, please call (631) 287-9700. If you are closer to East Hampton, please call (631) 324-9700. And if you reside near Southold, please call (631) 765-9700. You can always email us as well. We look forward to hearing from you!
