Summer is almost here, and that means spending more time outdoors. More outdoor time means more exposure to mosquitoes, ticks, and other biting insects. With the risk of pest-borne illnesses on the rise, we all want to choose the best possible product to repel the ticks and mosquitoes that spread them.
Are Ticks on Every Continent?
Due to a changing climate, forest management issues, and other factors… tick habitats are expanding, and tick populations are booming. Unfortunately, more ticks mean more instances of tickborne disease.
In the past 20 years, cases of some tickborne illnesses have nearly doubled. It seems like it’s impossible to avoid these parasitic arachnids – even in urban areas. Is there anywhere in the world that’s safe from ticks?
Bug Bite Treatments
Where there are bugs, there will be bug bites and stings. With warmer weather right around the corner, we’ll soon see an increase in the number of bites, stings, and other less-than-pleasant human-bug encounters.
Luckily, most of these are nothing more than an annoyance – causing minor itching or discomfort. But some may require treatment at home or from your medical provider.
Mosquito-Borne Disease: Chikungunya
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?
What Are the Symptoms of Chikungunya Fever?
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.
How Is Chikungunya Detected?
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.
Who Is at Risk for Chikungunya Fever?
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.
East End Tick Control® Can Help Protect You from Mosquito-Borne Illnesses
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
Now Is the Time To Get Winter Tick Shield Protection
When temperatures dip, you may think pest-related threats have ended for the winter. This is true for some pests but not so for ticks. April through October is considered tick season in the northeast United States, but these disease-carrying pests can thrive well into autumn and winter. Ticks are active when temperatures are above 40 degrees Fahrenheit, emerging from mulch beds and from under wood piles. Our Tick Shield granular treatment will kill new ticks as they hatch, providing year-round protection.
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When Is the Best Time To Begin Mosquito Control Services?
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.
What Time Of Year Should You Start Mosquito Spraying?
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.
When Is The Best Time Of Day To Spray For Mosquitoes?
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.
Should I Mow Before A Mosquito Spraying?
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.
Should I Wait Until After It Rains To Spray For Mosquitoes?
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.
We Are Your Mosquito Control Expert
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!
Planning Your Winter Tick Prevention
Now that the official start of winter is only a few short weeks away and the temperatures have been steadily growing cooler, many of us tend to forget that ticks still pose a genuine threat when we go outside. On any day that the temperature is more than 40 degrees, ticks will be active and looking for their next meal. So how do you protect yourself when you don’t know what the temperature is going to be? Fortunately, we have the ideal off-season protection solution – Tick Shield Granular Treatment.
Tick Shield Provides Off-Season Protection
On the temperate days of winter, ticks emerge hungry from breeding grounds in mulch beds, leaf piles, woodpiles, and tall grasses. These newly hatched ticks will latch quickly onto unsuspecting passersby who don’t even know there is a threat. So homeowners who choose the warmer days of winter to do yard work or spend some leisure time outside are exposed to a budding crop of hungry ticks.
Tick Shield uses Talstar XTRA granules that are applied to the areas where ticks tend to emerge. The first treatment is scheduled for December, with subsequent treatments scheduled for later months. Since early winter temperatures tend to fluctuate significantly and recent Long Island winters have been warmer, the need for full-year protection has become apparent.
Ready Your Property to Prevent Off-Season Tick Bites
Aside from scheduling our granular Tick Shield application, there are other ways that you can help protect against tick bites during the wintertime.
- Move woodpiles away, far from your house. Many of us enjoy having a roaring fire in our home’s fireplaces during the winter, but that doesn’t mean that you need to keep woodpiles close to the house. Ticks love to hide in wood, so keep the piles far from home and only bring in what’s required.
- Get rid of leaf piles and other seasonal debris. Another favorite hiding place for ticks is piles of dead leaves. Be sure to get rid of these piles as quickly as possible. Bag leaves and pile them as far from the house as possible. If your kids and pets like to jump around in the leaves, be sure to check them thoroughly for ticks afterward.
- Trim the lawn and bushes. Don’t make it easy for ticks to find an easy meal this winter. Before it gets too cold, make sure your grass is trimmed low and your bushes and hedges are cut back, particularly those which grow close to your house. Ticks hide in tall grasses and wait for unsuspecting victims to walk past.
Call East End Tick Control® for Year-Round Tick Prevention
East End Tick and Mosquito Control® is Eastern Suffolk County’s most-experienced pest control company. Since 1997, we have provided the Twin Forks and East End with the most effective extermination methods. Protect yourself and your family year-round by requesting a free estimate now or call our Southampton office at (631) 287-9700, our East Hampton office at (631) 324-9700, or our Southold office at (631) 765-9700.
Fall Tick Bite Prevention Tips
Many long-time Long Island residents would argue that the fall is the best time of the year on the East End. Farm stands are full of locally grown pumpkins, squash, and apples. Every weekend in October, there are fall festivals and events for all ages. But there is a hidden outdoor predator that lurks amid the pumpkin patches and hayrides. Ticks remain active until the temperatures dip under 40 degrees. Here are some tips to help prevent tick bites while you are out enjoying all that a Long Island autumn has to offer.
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5 Tips to Protect Your Pets from Ticks and Mosquitos
Tick season is still going strong and will be until temperatures drop below 40 degrees. It is essential to protect not only yourself and your family but your pets as well. Not only do you want to keep your precious pet safe and prevent them from contracting Lyme disease or other tick-borne diseases, but your pets can also unknowingly introduce ticks into your home. Even worse, mosquitos can transmit the parasite, leading to heartworms, a preventable yet potentially deadly disease. So how do you protect yourself and your dog or cat?
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Three Tips to Prevent an Indoor Tick Infestation
When you hear about tick prevention, the main focus is usually on preventing ticks from biting you while you are outdoors. While this is important, not bringing ticks into your home is critical as well. Having an infestation in your home can be dangerous to your health if the ticks are carrying bacteria or infections such as Lyme disease. The tick extermination experts at East End Tick and Mosquito Control® are here to give you three tips to prevent an indoor tick infestation.
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