There have been snow flurries, and people have hung up lights and ornaments for the winter holidays. It is December, and winter has officially begun. So why did you get bit by a mosquito in your own home? Mosquitoes typically shut down as the weather gets colder, but they have become more active despite the cold temperatures due to many factors. Let’s look at some and how they can be avoided or eliminated.
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Are Ticks Still a Concern in Winter?
Autumn and winter are times for fall festivals and other outdoor events. From skiing, ice fishing, and other winter sports, it is a time of many outdoor entertainment options. Along with spending time outdoors comes the risk of exposure to ticks. But how bad is that risk?
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Can I Have Mosquitos Inside in November?
The time has changed. The leaves are falling. So it should be time for mosquitos to be a distant spring and summer memory, but on Long Island, that’s not always the case. The sneaky flying pests might be hiding in your house for one last hurrah of the year.
Having mosquitos in the house in November used to be unheard of. The little blood-suckers preferred to be active from about May to October on the island, but climate change is at work, extending the mosquito season.
The shift in the seasons has meant New York has been inundated with flying pests, and it takes more than just some colder temperatures to kill them off. You’re less likely to run into mosquitos on the lawn or the tennis court, but they may have found a new place to linger: inside your home.
Why Are Mosquitos in Your Home?
Much like many other insects in the fall, mosquitoes seek a place where they can stay warm for a few more days or weeks. They may come in the front door when you come in, or they may have found holes in your screens.
Many of us like the fresh air of fall and turn off the air conditioning in favor of open windows. If there is damage to your screens, it can provide an opportunity for all manner of insects to find their way inside.
One of the best things you can do to prevent mosquitos inside in November is to check your screens. Pay particular attention to the screens near where pets like to hang out, as a stray claw can easily rip a screen open.
After that, it’s time to do a thorough plumbing check of the house. Just like when they are outside, mosquitoes are looking for warm damp places to lay their eggs. Making sure there is no standing water in bathtub drains or under sinks can not only prevent mosquitoes this fall it can help reduce their reappearance in the spring.
The laundry room and the garage may also be hidden sources of a mosquito problem. Be sure to search them for mosquitos as well. The warmth and humidity of both spaces make them ideal for mosquitos to breed.
Why Is It Important to Get Rid of Mosquitoes?
In addition to that irritating buzzing when they are about to land on you for lunch and the annoying itches, mosquitoes carry diseases that can be dangerous to you and your family. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend not only taking immediate action to kill mosquitos that have moved inside but also checking your home for any places where they might be lurking and breeding.
East End Tick Control Eliminates Mosquitoes
To get rid of mosquitoes currently plaguing your Long Island home, contact us. We can help you get rid of the flying pests now and prevent them in the future with family and pet safe options. For those living 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.
The Time to Start Preparing for Winter is Now
Most people believe that colder temperatures kill ticks but we’re here to let you know that myth is FALSE. During the fall season (October and November), ticks are active and looking to feed as they know winter is on the horizon and they’ll need to survive until spring.
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Ticks in Winter: Cause for Concern?
Are ticks active in winter?
It’s winter here on Long Island and while the amount of bugs we see regularly dwindles in the wintertime we know they will be back once springtime rolls around again. While it is usually bitterly cold outside there can be warm periods in the winter where the temperature can get above even 60 degrees Fahrenheit. This is a great time to go outside and enjoy a brief intermission from the cold and get a little taste of spring with the added bonus of there being no ticks, mosquitoes, or other disease-carrying bugs to worry about. Except that may not be entirely true.
