There’s a better and safer way!

Deet was first created by US Military during World War II and in 1957 was introduced to American households. The oil is a main ingredient in most bug sprays and is said to protect against mosquito and tick bites when applied to the skin. The bugs are supposedly repelled by the smell and back away when introduced to it.

Deet, in some areas, is becoming less effective against mosquito bites. The London School of Hygiene and Tropical medicine decided to test the theory that mosquitoes become immune to deet. As Dr. James Logan from the school explains; “The more we can understand about how repellents work and how mosquitoes detect them, the better we can work out ways to get around the problem when they do become resistant to repellents.”

In the test, a (very nice) volunteer offered his/her arm to mosquitoes after it has been sprayed with deet. At first, the mosquitoes wouldn’t bite the arm (nor did they die). However, when they were given another chance just a few hours later, the deet didn’t stop them from biting. They smell of the product didn’t seem to bother them enough to stay away from the treated arm.

Dr. Logan explains that more research is needed to truly understand how the mosquitoes’ reaction can change so drastically in a short amount of time, but hopes that it will lead to better mosquito control options.

Deet is a strong chemical that when used incorrectly can be damaging. If you use the product, please refer to the EPA’s page on deet and how it should be applied.

I personally have never liked the smell of bug spray. Although I would put it on before hiking or walking in the woods, I always showered as soon as I could to get the stench off. At Mosquito Squad, we do not provide topical mosquito control or repellent, but instead protect against mosquitoes by treating vegetation. Our spray kills mosquitoes on contact and continues to protect for up to 21 days. We do suggest applying some kind of bug spray to the body when spending times in untreated areas, but it’s not needed in your Mosquito Squad protected yard.

While we can’t guarantee that you will never see a mosquito on your property, we do guarantee your satisfaction with our service. If you aren’t happy with the reduction in your mosquito population, Mosquito Squad is happy to come out and respray your property. Contact your local office to schedule your first application.

Delightfully sweet and refreshing.
Photo by Jaymi Heimbuch

Sangria is a refreshing drink to enjoy on warm summer nights.   Here is a new "sparkling" twist on an old favorite.

• 1 bottle of Moscato (sparkling)
• 1/2 cup of white grape juice
• 1 can of lemon lime or club soda
• 1  carton of raspberries
• 1  carton of strawberries
• 1 medium pear
• 1 lime
• 2 apples,  (Granny Smith,  Galla, Fuji or your favorite)
• 1/4 cup of sugar

Dice apples and strawberries. Chop  lime into thick chunks. Layer fruits in a  tall pitcher and top with pepper.  Sprinkle in sugar and add wine, club soda and grape fruit juice.   Stir and chill!

With a few substitutes, you can try an entirely different flavor sensation!

• 1 bottle of Moscato (sparkling)
• 1/2 cup of white grape juice
• 1 can of lemon lime or club soda
• 1 cucumber
• 2 medium pears
• 1 lime
• 2 apples,  (Granny Smith,  Galla, Fuji or your favorite)
• 1/4 cup of sugar

To kick things up a notch, we found another recipe that adds a Serrano pepper.  Click here for this variation. 

She had been feeling very tired for quite some time and went to the doctor.  After running some blood test he confirmed she had West Nile. It is unclear if the former child star caught the illness overseas or at her home in a Dallas suburb. Dallas has been the center of last year's near record outbreak of the mosquito borne illness.

She announced her results on Twitter saying "“Dr. just called with blood test results, I have West Nile. Ugh. I’m fine, just tired.” Source

The strange thing about those infected is that about 80 percent have no symptoms, according to the CDC, and the other 20 only have mild flu-like symptoms.  Some though, can can suffer a serious infection, some form of neuroinvasive disease such as meningitis or encephalitis. These patients can suffer permanent neurological injury or death.

If you have questions about protecting your family from mosquitoes or ticks, please give us a call.

The material causes no harm to mice or other mammals, and have proved highly beneficial to tick control in areas all over the country. The tick tubes are environmentally friendly, and are approved by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency).  Attacking the tick at the source with our tick tubes reduces the chance of you or your family being exposed to a Lyme disease carrying tick.

What can you do? Keep you yard and areas around it trimmed and free of brush piles or clippings.  These are good preventative steps.  Also, avoid wooded and densely brushy areas which are hot spots for tick activity. Always check yourself and your pets after each encounter with any wooded or grassy areas.

Contact Mosquito Squad  to find out more about tick control and ways to prevent ticks and tick-borne illness in your neck of the woods. Call us at 262-784-9480 to find out more.

That is right.   A recently discovery in shale deposits found prehistoric mosquitoes that are extremely similar to the mosquitoes of today.   There are "morphological difference that distinguish specific species....but overall they are extremely similar" says Dale Greenwalt about the fossils.

Greenwalt and his team have found of 20,000 insect fossils at their site at Kishenehn Basin in northwestern Montana.

For more information and some amazing pictures click here to the source article.

Mosquito Squad is your number one source to fight off these pesky suckers to make sure your outdoor events don't go extinct!  Call today for more information about our guaranteed solutions and to free quote.

Psorophora ciliata more commonly known as gallinippers are large mosquitoes that have developed an outsized reputation because of its relatively intimidating heft and persistent biting behavior.  The species is notoriously aggressive and has a painful bite.

Gallinippers are 20 times larger than the ordinary mosquito and are native to the eastern half of the U.S.  These quarter-sized mosquitoes hatch after a flood or rainstorm.  They have yellow scales on the thorax and the 'shaggy' or 'feathery' scales on the hindleg segments.  Sometimes they are also called 'shaggy-legged' or 'feather-legged gallinipper.'

After last summers Tropical Storm Debby struck Florida  saw a bumper crop .  The females laid eggs in soil at the edges of ponds, streams and other water bodies that overflow when heavy rains come. The eggs can remain dry and dormant for years, until high waters cause them to hatch.  A rainy season is just what they are waiting for.

Check out the story and video on USA Today page.  For pictures click here.

Who you gonna call to keep these coin size buggers in their place?  Mosquito Squad!

Mosquitoes, as many of you know, are the deadliest animal on the planet, killing millions of people every year! How do they do it? They transmit diseases including malaria, West Nile, Encephalitis and Dengue fever through their bite. The most serious and deadly illness they transmit is malaria. Malaria kills a child in Africa every minute. Every minute! The worst part? It is both a preventable and treatable disease. Many people don’t realize that malaria was a serious issue in the United States in the 1950s until it was eradicated, yet the epidemic continues in other parts of the world.

Dread Skeeter and the rest of the Mosquito Squad is happy to support Malaria No More in their mission to end malaria deaths in Africa

While Mosquito Squad fights mosquito-borne disease domestically with our mosquito control options for the yard, we help fight malaria internationally through our support of Malaria No More. Malaria No More has made huge strides in fighting this deadly disease in Africa by providing protective bed nets, malaria tests and malaria treatment. While malaria deaths in Africa are down 33% since they started, we have a long way to go to reach their goal of ending malaria deaths in Africa by 2015.

Next Thursday, April 25^th, is World Malaria Day. On this day, we ask our clients and supporters to help fight malaria by making a donation to Malaria No More through SwatMalaria.net. Any amount will help to save the lives of children in Africa.

The day after World Malaria Day is Mosquito Squad Service Day where our franchisees are committed to giving back to their local communities. From planting trees or picking up a public park, our franchisees are donating their time. At our corporate office in Richmond the support team is teaming up with other offices to plant trees on a city block. I’ll be sharing pictures and details of the day after the event. Who knows, Dread Skeeter may even make an appearance!

Every day, we at Mosquito Squad are lucky enough to protect our clients’ properties from annoying and dangerous ticks and mosquitoes. Our mosquito control services are effective in enhancing the outdoor living experience on a property. We are thrilled to provide our service, but we are happy to give back too.

If you are interested in learning more about Mosquito Squad, our services or our partnership with Malaria No More, please give us a call.

When temperatures start to rise in the spring, mosquitoes begin to emerge and threaten to ruin our outdoor fun. For many parts of the United States, they’ve been active for several weeks now. Some of our Mosquito Squad locations are already out and about protecting yards from mosquitoes.

Mosquitoes need two things to reproduce: blood and standing water. Male mosquitoes do not bite, but instead only feed on plant proteins. Females, on the other hand, need the protein from blood to lay their eggs. They smell carbon dioxide and know they can find blood at the source. After a blood meal, the mosquito then needs standing water to lay its eggs, and it doesn’t need much. Up to 300 mosquito eggs can be laid in as much as a bottle cap full of water!

While the itch from bug bites is enough motivation to rid your yard of mosquitoes, they also carry and transmit dangerous diseases. Last year there was an increase in the numbers of confirmed West Nile cases in the US. The Centers of Disease Control reports a total of over 5,300 cases over 48 states. Symptoms can include fever, headaches, fatigue and joint pain. As a result, many states and municipalities are increasing their mosquito control efforts this year to help fight the spread of West Nile.

Despite enhanced efforts to fight the spread of West Nile and other vector-borne disease, Mississippi is reporting the first human case this year, a full two months before the first human case in 2012. Even with municipalities doing more to cut down the mosquito populations in public areas, homeowners should be protecting their properties from mosquitoes as well.

Dread Skeeter of Mosquito Squad

At Mosquito Squad, we offer our clients three residential mosquito control options:

1. Our 21-day mosquito barrier spray program brings a trained applicator to your home once every three weeks. The spray is applied to the vegetation on your property where mosquitoes are known to feed and harbor.
2. The barrier spray is also available in an all-natural version. As opposed to the standard barrier spray, the all-natural option should be applied to the property every two weeks.
3. If you would like something more permanent, an installed mosquito control misting system may be a good option. The misting system emits small bursts of mosquito spray at times of the day when mosquitoes are most active.

As spring and summer begins, it’s important to make sure you can get the most out of your outdoor spaces. If you have a mosquito problem, reach out to your local Mosquito Squad office. Dread Skeeter and his squad are sure to help!

Public health employees in Tarrant County, Texas, where 11 people died of West Nile last year, have already begun trapping and testing mosquitoes. As Dr. Anita Kurtian, chief epidemiologist explains, the plan this year “is significantly more aggressive in terms of surveillance and response.” Source. They’ve increased the number of traps so safety communications to the public can be more proactive.

Dallas County, Texas is also increasing their mosquito trapping as a result of 19 deaths last year.

On the east coast, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in Virginia approved the “Disease Carrying Insect Program” to help measure and prevent not only the spread of West Nile Virus but also Lyme disease that has greatly affected the area in past years.

We at Mosquito Squad are thrilled to see that plans are already in place to be more proactive with respect to the spread of mosquito-borne disease!

Tick paralysis is a relatively common illness that mostly affects cows and sheep, but has been known to affect dogs and some humans. Tick paralysis occurs when a tick attaches and feeds for an extended period of time. A female tick causes the disease with toxins in the salivary glands. Weakness in the legs is usually the first symptom and begins 2-7 days after the tick bite. The symptoms can worsen very quickly, spreading to the trunk and head within hours, but rarely ends in death.

The treatment for tick paralysis is simple: remove the attached tick. Unlike other vector-borne diseases, tick paralysis isn’t caused by a virus or bacterium that stays in the body long after the parasite is removed. Instead, it’s a chemical reaction to the tick, so when the tick is properly removed, the symptoms fade quickly.

Although it is most common in dog and Rocky Mountain ticks, over forty species of ticks are known to cause tick paralysis. The best way to protect your animals from the dangers of ticks is to protect them as best you can. Mosquito Squad’s barrier spray, misting systems and tick tubes are a few ways to protect your property and animals against ticks (and mosquitoes of course!). All of our services aim to get mosquitoes and ticks before they have the opportunity to bite.

Tick control in your yard isn’t always enough to protect some of your pets from ticks, especially dogs that may go hiking with their owners.   You can protect your property from ticks with our barrier sprays, but you should still give your dog a topical medication if you hike or walk in wooded areas where ticks are known to be. Additionally, it’s imperative that you check your animals for ticks on a daily basis during tick season to ensure they don’t have time to attach and transmit any dangerous diseases.

If you have questions regarding any of our tick and mosquito control services, reach out to your local Mosquito Squad office.