Tick, Tack … No!

Ticks and mosquitoes are summer publicity hounds. Like mosquitoes, ticks should not be ignored. Ticks cause more than a dozen illnesses including Lyme disease. Though cases of Lyme disease have been reported in colder months, most cases are reported during the summer months when young ticks are active and people are outside more. According to the CDC, nearly 95% of Lyme disease cases have been reported in the Mid-Atlantic, Northeast and Central states.

As a mother of two, I’m not only adamant about protecting my own children, but all children. I know that it’s important to keep families safe from ticks.

Here are tips I have collected from the CDC:
• Avoid wooded and brushy areas with high grasses and leaf litter.

• Wear long sleeves, long pants, and long socks when in wooded areas.

• Wear light-colored clothing to spot and remove ticks.

• Apply DEET, insect repellant or an insecticide called Permethrin (only to be sprayed on clothing).

• Check clothing and skin after time in the woods.

• Use tick medicines or collars on cats and dogs. Check pets frequently for ticks.

• Create a tick-safe zone if you live in an area with ticks by removing leaf litter and brush around your home and at the edges of your lawn.

• Apply a pesticide to your yard in early spring and another during the heat of summer to reduce tick populations by 68 percent to 100 percent.

After spraying:

• Stay inside during spraying

• Shut windows, turn off fans and air conditioners during application

• Bring pet supplies inside

• Cover outdoor toys

• Cover bird-baths and fish ponds

• Wait for pesticides to dry before walking on

AMMM-August Means More Mosquitoes

“Water plus seven days equals mosquitoes,” Dr. Dina Fonseca, an associate professor of entomology at Rutgers University, told the Wall Street Journal, recently. Throughout the mid-Atlantic region, mosquito season runs from April through October, with a definite uptick in the hottest months, especially August. While we may be bigger than they are, they do outnumber us. By point of fact, there are 60 different species of mosquitoes in the Mid-Atlantic region; however, it’s important to note, it’s only the female that bites. Why? She needs your blood to give birth. If you’re the sympathetic type, that fact might tug on your heart-strings, after all, she’s just being a mom trying to look out for her offspring. The only trouble is, these “pests” do carry diseases from West Nile Virus to encephalitis  (Eastern equine encephalitis, Japanese encephalitis, La Crosse encephalitis, St. Louis encephalitis, West Nile virus, Western equine encephalitis).

The CDC (Centers of Disease Control), Maryland Department of Agriculture and departments of agricultural throughout the United States are focused on protecting children and families from diseases carried by backyard insects such as mosquitoes and ticks, which also have a population growth in August.

Every year 1,000 Americans suffer serious illness or death because of mosquito bites. Worldwide, researchers hypothesize that the mosquito can be blamed for more human deaths throughout history than any other organism. But really, the mosquito is not the bad guy, she is just the messenger, if you will, the carrier, because the mosquito carries bacteria and parasites that cause disease. For this reason, it’s important to keep your family safe from mosquitoes.

Here are some great tips:

• Empty and remove containers with standing water  (if you empty but don’t remove the container, make sure to return weekly or after rain storms to empty again).

• When outside, protect family members with products that contain DEET. Suggests Bruce Robinson, a clinical instructor of dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, “as long as you don’t bathe in DEET or inhale too much of it, you should be fine.”

• Keep ankles and legs covered to protect again the low-flying varieties

• Wear light-colored clothes. Believe it or not, mosquitoes such as the Asian Tiger “like” or are “attracted to” dark colored clothing.

After spraying:

• Stay inside during spraying

• Shut windows, turn off fans and air conditioners during application

• Bring pet supplies inside

• Cover outdoor toys

• Cover bird-baths and fish ponds

• Wait for pesticides to dry before walking on

• Apply a pesticide to your yard in early spring and another during the heat of summer to reduce mosquito populations

• Apply a pesticide to your yard during the heat of summer to reduce populations

Mosquito Squad a West Nile Solution

Last night, our local Fox News had a report about the recent diagnoses of 2 West Nile cases in Maryland. The report covered the all- important preventative measures we all need to take on our properties, especially tipping over anything that can catch even a small amount of water. As part of the report, Mosquito Squad was shown as a solution. In fact, I was featured talking about our service and demonstrating how we apply the product to the foliage which kills mosquitoes that are present and creates an invisible barrier against additional mosquitoes that try to come in for the duration of the time-released product–21 days.

Mosquito Squad has been protecting families since 2004, beginning in Charlotte, NC.  For many areas including most of Montgomery County, Md, this is the first year that our service is available.  With county and city budget cuts residents are left on their own to find solutions for mosquitoes in their own yards. It’s no wonder that Montgomery county has welcomed us with open arms this year!

Click here to see the news video .

Certifikid’s Deal of the Day

WOW the mosquito population is exploding! With all the storms coming through and the heat that speeds up the reproduction of asian tiger mosquitoes, this is the time to go outside and tip and turn over everything that can hold even just the smallest bit of water.

Now you can add more protection from mosquitoes and ticks for your family and pets. Our mosquito barrier spray is an environmental remedy, like a time-released force field.

In addition, today is a great day to sign up for service to eliminate 85-90% of the mosquitoes in your yard. For a great deal, go TODAY to http://certifikid.com/area/washington-dc and buy the deal of the day, only $79 for your first spray (normally $150-$200), and get 3 weeks of comfort without the threat of bites.

West Nile Confirmed in MD

West Nile virus has been confirmed in Anne Arundel County. According to officials this is the time of summer that this disease typically appears. This is not a human case nor a dead bird case, but the virus was found through regular surveillance in a mosquito pool. In past years we have had as high as 73 human cases (2003) but the virus has migrated westward. Last year there was only one human case, dropping from 14 in 2008.

“The confirmation of virus-positive mosquitoes serves as a reminder to all residents to continue protecting themselves against mosquito bites and to conduct backyard mosquito control activities.”

- Secretary of Agriculture Buddy Hance

Read the article here: http://bit.ly/aWSK4X

For information on options we offer for backyard mosquito control, call 301-444-5566 or go to www.mosquitosquad.com and enjoy happy, healthy outdoor living.

Summer Safari Festival

Dread Skeeter protects kids

Thanks to all the great folks who visited our booth at the fun Summer Safari Festival in The Kentlands yesterday! We had a great time sharing our coloring books with the kids and meeting their parents.We really appreciate Dread Skeeter making a live appearance at the festival and hope he’ll stay in town for a while!

For many, it was the first they’d heard of Mosquito Squad since we are in our first year serving Rockville,  Gaithersburg and all other parts of Montgomery County. In fact, there are 8 locations serving in the State of Maryland.

Not surprisingly, this concept has been well received and the feedback from our customers has been very positive. One new customer who is an avid gardener told us the other day, “The fact that I can go out and not get bit is like MAGIC!”

Since our Grand Opening in May this year, we have grown quickly thanks to a combination of word-of-mouth, yard signs, auction donations, and customers who spotted out truck in their neighborhood. We serve protect customers for  one-time special events, or all season long.

Remember the Summer Safari Special is only good for new customers who sign up for service within a week of the festival. Call Susan now to schedule your consultation or your first regular or all natural mosquito control spray–301-444-5566.

The Business Gazette features Mosquito Squad

The folks at the Business Gazette based in Montgomery County, MD were wondering how the heat wave was affecting businesses in the area. So they called us! Larry Johnson of the Frederick and Washington Counties Mosquito Squad explained that the Asian tiger mosquito populations increase more quickly as temps rise. I have seen more mosquitoes even in the middle of the day when I am out inspecting new accounts. Fortunately, I know what we do can have an impact on that rising population either with our traditional product or our all natural option.

See The Business Gazette article  http://bit.ly/9YM2yY

Dengue Fever Hits Key West

In the summer of 2001, we took our toddler to the Yucatan in  Mexico and by the middle of the first night there, his face was swollen, especially his eyelids, from mosquito bites. I remember a conversation with a policeman who saw him and casually suggested he might have contracted Dengue Fever. As a mom, hearing that was disconcerting, to say the least.

According to the CDC, as many as 100 million people are infected yearly. There is no vaccine, and the most effective protective measures are to prevent mosquito bites. If you have any plans to visit the tropics or subtropics, take precautions. Read the ABC News article here.

If you are staying closer to home, here in the swampy DC area, you are not likely to be in danger of contracting Dengue Fever, but it is still best to avoid mosquito bites. The sooner you start the service the more effective it will be in your yard. With all the snow and rain, we will surely be having a strong mosquito season.

Call before Memorial Day for our Grand Opening Special: 301-444-5566

Maryland-Coming to a Backyard Near You!

Remember the mosquitoes last year? Did you feel that you just couldn’t go outside to garden, do yard work or let your kids out to play in the back yard? Well this year if you are in Montgomery County, Frederick County or Washington County, you are in luck! Mosquito Squad is coming to a backyard near you!

Service is available for individual spray treatments, special events, or seasonal coverage. There are traditional and organic options to choose from. In addition, tick control is offered through sprays and supplemental tick treatments to protect you from contracting Lyme in your outdoor living area.

The Grand Opening of Mosquito Squad of West Montgomery is May 3rd.  Call 301-444-5566 for schedule and pricing.

RBBA’s Mosquito Squad Pee Wee’s win!

Mosquito Squad of West Montgomery is the proud sponsor of two of  Rockville’s Little League teams this Spring, one Pee Wee and one Rookie level. Spring is a great time to burst outside after what this year was a long, deep winter. That All American Past time is full of important athletic and life skills for kids.

We are so proud of the Pee Wees that won their first game this evening. Way to go Skeeter Squad!

For more information on Rockville’s Little League, go to www.RBBA.org