We don’t believe in scaring our customers or basing our marketing on fear, but we do feel that it is our responsibility to share news that could affect you.
To put it bluntly, each year there are hundreds of reported cases of Zika Virus and West Nile in the state of Texas. Counties most affected by both are Harris (Houston), Dallas and Tarrant with cases in Collin and Denton counties as well. You can find the updates by clicking here to visit the Texas Department of State Health Services. The quickly viruses has raised travel concerns and also claimed lives.
Mosquito Facts
Male mosquitoes can subsist on nectar alone. Female mosquitoes, however, require blood to produce eggs and are therefore the ones we are most concerned about biting us and the ones that carry these infectious diseases.
Obviously for our purposes, we never want to be close enough to these pests to determine whether they are male or female. We just want them gone!
Mosquitoes don’t see as well as other insects. They can’t see prey until they are within 30 feet of it. As a result, female mosquitoes rely on our biological indicators such as sweat, carbon dioxide, lactic acid, and body heat to find their meal sources. High dew points increase the range of these receptors, which is why mosquitoes thrive in humid, moist environments.
TIP: Keep these climatic conditions in mind when planning outdoor gatherings.
Tips To Avoid Mosquito Bites
Because both Zika and West Nile are spread by infected mosquitoes, we wanted to pass on tips for keeping mosquitoes at bay and bites to a minimum:
- Wear light colored clothing covering arms and legs
- Utilize mosquito repellent Spray/Lotion/Bands etc.
- Identify & eliminate standing water
- Be wary of low shade trees, tall grass, heavy shrubs & standing water as harborage areas
- Mosquitoes are most active early morning and late evening so exercise caution at these times.
Preventing bites from these Zika and West Nile carrying mosquitoes is now a public health priority, and one of the best ways to do that is by breaking the breeding and life cycles of these formidable foes.
Get more prevention tips and answers to other questions on our Mosquitos Bug & Pest ID section.
If you have concerns, a licensed service technician from Castle Termite & Pest Control can inspect your entire property to identify harborage areas. Recommended corrections to help eliminate infestations may also be possible. Insecticides often need to be employed for the knockdown and kill of adult mosquitoes, but the key to a successful mosquito control program is to treat the problem at its source.
Larvicides prevent mosquito larvae from becoming biting, breeding adults in the water harborage areas where they feed and develop. Preventing their development will prevent breeding, which ultimately controls the mosquito population. For state of the art, optimal larvaciding control and effect our customized mosquito treatment will interrupt the egg development and hatching cycle as well as killing adult mosquitoes on contact. We can also implement larvacides for standing water, which is a safe alternative for other aquatic life.
Give us a call to schedule a free assessment at 817-485-4712.
– The Castle Family
