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.

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