“One Child Dies Every 30 seconds”

As I gear up to start my new Mosquito Squad business, so many friends and acquaintances ask me the same question: Why did you choose this business? The answer is Malaria and Lyme Disease. These are two huge reasons for me personally. Both of these diseases have touched me personally. If you have ever experienced either ailment, or have a loved one who has then you know how I feel.

Mosquito Squad gives me a way to join forces against Lyme in your backyard by treating to eliminate ticks along with the mosquitoes. We are endorsed by the National Capital Lyme Disease Association. For more information visit:  www.natcaplyme.org

I know we don’t have Malaria in this country any more, but it is still destructively prevalent in too many parts of the world. This disease is preventable and treatable, yet daily it reduces productivity of workers and kills people, especially children.

How does my starting a  Mosquito Squad business in Maryland help people abroad? When I first heard of this franchised opportunity I learned that there was a social action.  In effort to help our global community, the corporate office of Mosquito Squad has chosen to partner with MALARIA NO MORE,  a compassionate organization with a proven record of reducing Malaria in African villages by way of multi-tiered treatment and simple, low-cost prevention. Now I can personally join this effort by raising awareness and funds through my new office coming this Spring.  To learn more take a look at this video about MALARIA NO MORE:

http://www.malarianomore.org/news/video/gogu

Sincere thanks for visiting this blog and the 2 links I feel are vitally important.

Susan Levi, Mosquito Squad of West Montgomery

HAGERSTOWN’S STINK BUGS

There was a warm welcome for Mosquito Squad in Hagerstown this weekend. Many visitors to the show had problems with mosquitoes and concerns about ticks and Lyme disease. Then there was the STINK BUG issue. It seems that about 90% of people coming through the show were bugged–yes, pun intended–mostly by stink bugs.

We were touched by the sharing of Lyme stories by a number of visitors. Clearly Washington County has it’s share of infected ticks, and mice which act as a vector in spreading this disease to dogs and people. It is our goal to help reduce the incidence of Lyme through our Barrier Spray treatment and the Tick Tubes.

The Barrier Spray is effective in eliminating mosquitoes and adult ticks. As you may know, the young ticks, nymphs, are active carriers of Lyme. They take their first blood meal from mice which can contract Lyme. As the tick grows to adulthood, it moves on to bigger mammals for blood meals. Deer are one choice, though they apparently do not contract Lyme. Other choices for blood meals are dogs, cats and humans all of which can contract Lyme.

Spring Home Shows

As we launch service to some new areas around suburban Maryland, we thought a good way to introduce ourselves is through home shows. See us at the following shows: Hagerstown, March 6-7,  Germantown in the Discovery center at the Soccerplex on March 12-14, and in Frederick at the Fairgrounds March 20-21. Be sure to introduce yourself when you come by.

Phantom in the Woods

The incidence of Lyme is increasing in number and spreading well beyond the original location of Lyme, Connecticut. Awareness has also been increasing and spreading. In our area of Metro Washington, DC it has gotten to the point that everyone either has it, has had it, or has a family member, friend, neighbor or dog who has Lyme Disease or has had it. It is the Mockingbird of diseases. The way it presents itself, when it does (there are people who get Lyme and seem non-symptomatic for years) is so varied that people are sent to psychologists, orthopedists, neurologists, cardiologists, and  dermatologists to give a partial list. Fatigue, joint pain, rash, mood disorders…any one or combination of symptoms may present. The lucky ones are those who have the “classic” bull’s eye rash along with flu-like symptoms. I say lucky, because they are the ones who get the right treatment right away. I put the word classic in quotes because, though it is considered classic, it presents in a small minority of cases.

Lyme is a fact and it’s here to stay. Unfortunately, this gives parents more reason to fear letting our kids play outside. I remember once a few years ago talking to a mom who was afraid to let her kids play in a wooded area next to their home. We hold an image of the woods as being a dangerous place with the big bad wolf or strangers lurking. Theoretically, the woods next to your home should be a wonderful, magical, educational and healthy choice of environments for children to play, explore, and learn in, lest they develop “Nature Deficit Disorder” as coined by Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods.

The reality is that there is some thing big and bad in the woods. Like a phantom, it is there, and BEWARE, it’s not just in the woods. It’s on the Mall in Washington, DC, it’s in the school yards and sports fields, and it’s in our back yards. What are we supposed to do? Lock your kids inside? Give up gardening? Last summer, I chose to reclaim my back yard and like I said in a previous post, I was so happy to be able to have my kids outside that I decided to become part of the company. What are you going to do about it? Click here to learn more about Lyme.

For treatment options click here.

Thanks for reading,

Susan

Mosquito Squad of West Montgomery

Malaria may have killed King Tut

It’s not certain, but the most famous (as far as modern times goes) king of Ancient Egypt may have ultimately died from an infection of Malaria, a mosquito borne illness. I know. That was a LONG time ago and is VERY far away. So who cares? Well, if you have ever had the dreadful disease, you would sympathetically take notice. Click here to read the BBC article.

Though Malaria exists in many parts of the world, we here in the U.S. don’t associate it as a threat. Of the many cases found in the U.S. each year, an overwhelming number were protracted abroad. Did you know that Malaria was actually epidemic here in the late 1800s and into the first quarter of the 20th century?

According to Directors of Health Promotion and Education:

“The potential also exists for malaria to become re-established in the United States. Currently, about 1,200 malaria cases are reported each year in the United States. Almost all occur in persons who were infected in other parts of the world (imported malaria). Small outbreaks of non-imported malaria, the result of transmission from imported cases, have also been reported. So far, the outbreaks have been quickly and easily contained. A continued increase in drug-resistant malaria throughout the world, however, could increase the number of cases of imported malaria and improve the chances for malaria to re-emerge in the United States.” Click here to read the article for history and prevention tips.

Eye of Horus

Apparently, the wise Horus did not know of Mosquito Squad to protect his young king.

How Will all this Snow Affect Mosquitoes?

I'm with my kids in the Wetlands (Snowlands) next to our home.

We just got through round 2 of Snowmeggedon in the Washington, DC area. WOW! I’ve lived here for 25 years and finally got to see not just a blizzard, but a Double Blizzard! Now that my electricity is back on, I’ve been able to get in the computer to tell you how the snow might affect the mosquito population this coming season. Since mosquitoes eggs and larvae rely on moisture, you can expect a hearty crop when it warms up enough. According to our friend, the Groundhog, you have some time to prepare. Did you know the Asian Tiger Mosquitoes we have now do great in extreme climates?  According to Wikipedia: Tiger mosquitoes can tolerate snow and in some microhabitats, the adult tiger mosquitoes can survive throughout winter. Learn all about them here.

Planning an Outdoor Wedding?

This time of year there are many newly engaged couples just beginning their wedding plans. For those who are willing to brave the outdoors and plan a garden wedding, here’s a thought…

Will your wedding be in an area that has mosquitoes or ticks? You really want everything to be perfect for you and your guests with good food, a nice band, and a really fun event where everyone is comfortable. If there is a risk of pesky biting mosquitoes or ticks carrying Lyme disease, here is a great, low-cost solution: Mosquito Squad.

Mosquito Control That Really Works

Mosquito Problem?

You might not be thinking about this with that white stuff on the ground right now, but are you sick of being run indoors? Last summer I was.  One day in June, my family had not been able to continue enjoying meals outside anymore. It wasn’t the weather, it was the biting mosquitoes (especially those asian tiger mosquitoes) and the fear of ticks. We’d be run in by those little pests so fast that we’d given up eating outside.  I heard about this company called Mosquito Squad and couldn’t wait to see if it was all it claimed to be.  My reason was twofold: my family needed relief in the yard and in the back of my mind, I thought if it worked, it might be a franchise I would want to buy. (I learned about this company as a franchise consultant that helps others find the right franchise to start up.)

The Test

One Wednesday in June, we got the first application on our yard. Two days later,  we had a couple families over for a casual diner. All nine of us ate outside. Then we stayed out till 10:30 playing board games at the table with not one mosquito. We got our yard back. What a great summer it turned out to be, though I noticed we were the only ones in our neighborhood outside those following months.

It tuns out I’m not the only one who loves this service and the company behind it. There were 18 new franchisees at training a month ago preparing to open 20 new territories in the country.  Here is the link to see if your area is covered: www.MosquitoSquad.com .  If it’s not and/or you think you might want to own a franchise, click here.

Wishing you Healthy, Happy Outdoor Living!

Susan

Proud new owner of Mosquito Squad of West Montgomery County 301-444-5566

Grateful 4-Year-Old

Weronika K., 4 years old, moved to Poolesville, MD last year late in the summer. She is the mosquito magnet in her family so whenever she went out, she was the one who got bites all over her little body. This year, her parents decided to try Mosquito Squad and what they found was that Weronika was bite free and happy! She was so happy that she made a beautiful card with drawings of an apple tree, , mosquitoes, the sprayer at work, and a yard free of those pests!

When we arrived for their second treatment after the first 21 days, Weronika presented us with this gift. Her very touching gesture was confirming for us that what we are doing makes a difference in people’s lives.