Serving Southeastern Minnesota

Serving the Rochester and Southeastern Minnesota area since 2010.

Friday, July 26, 2013

First West Nile Virus Case

The first human West Nile virus case of 2013 in Minnesota was recently recorded.  A man from Murray County became ill with the virus in early July and is currently recovering.  This is a sign that we are now entering high risk West Nile virus season, and when spending time outdoors people need to start being careful.  A way to help prevent this virus is to wear bug repellant, especially with DEET or permethrin added to it. 

Most people who come in contact with West Nile virus don't even realize they have it, they don't show any symptoms.  Symptoms usually come up 3-15 days after the mosquito has bit you, and the typical symptoms are high fever, muscle aches, headache, and some paralysis.  If you begin to show symptoms like this or not feeling well, seek help immediately before it grows into something worse.  If people don't get treated right when they start to see symptoms, the illness can spread and can cause neurological damage.  Fox 9 has more of the story here: http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/story/22932235/first-west-nile-virus-case-of-2013-hits-minnesota

As you can see, this can potentially be a very dangerous disease if not treated right away.  At Mosquito Squad, we want to protect you in any way we can, and we can eliminate 85-90% of mosquitoes in your yard.  This would be especially helpful now that we are entering into high risk West Nile virus season, so you can enjoy your time outside without worrying about mosquitoes and the diseases they carry.  Give us a call today, so you can be protected for the rest of summer!

Thursday, July 25, 2013

A Little Insect Can Cause A Lot Of Harm

John Langley was living a normal life just outside of Dallas, Texas last year, until disaster struck.  He began to not feel well, then suddenly one morning his temperature soared and his body began to cramp up.  His wife rushed him to the hospital and they found out what was wrong:  Langley had been infected with the West Nile virus.  After being in a medically induced coma for a month, Langley finally woke up and found that he was paralyzed from his neck down and needed a respirator to help him breathe.  Today, he can breathe on his own again, but he's working on getting his other muscles back in gear since the disease made his muscles so weak.  He used to be able to do handy work around the house, but now he has troubles just flexing his fingers every day, and this is all because of one tiny little insect: The mosquito.

West Nile virus is something we should not take lightly.  Although most people do not show symptoms when they are diagnosed with West Nile, some people will show symptoms and it's important to get help as soon as you see the symptoms, before any worse damage can happen.  In 2012, the West Nile virus was the worst we had seen since it has been introduced to the United States.  Read more about the story here: http://news.yahoo.com/west-nile-virus-victim---it%E2%80%99s-hard-to-believe-that-a-bug-can-do-all-this--140424593.html

As you can see, one little mosquito can cause a lot of damage, and we are starting to approach the prime season for mosquitoes and West Nile.  This is why we want to help you.  At Mosquito Squad, we can eliminate mosquitoes for you in your backyard, so you don't have to worry about those nasty insects and be outdoors worry free.  Give us a call today at 877-239-BITE (2483) today so we can start protecting you and your family for the rest of summer!

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Summer Tick Season

This year it seems that ticks are out in abundance.  Researchers are saying this is because of the late spring we had this year.  Usually wood ticks are out first in May, then the deer tick follows later in summer.  But since we had a late spring, the ticks are both out at the same time and this is why it seems there are more ticks than normal.  Deer ticks are the ones people have to worry about, they are the ones who carry Lyme disease.  Since 2000, the disease has risen greatly and this could be due to weather changes.  Since ticks usually infect and cling to rodents at first, the weather is causing rodents to venture out further to find food and taking the ticks with them.  Usually people just have to worry about ticks in wooded areas, but this is no longer the case now that rodents are on the move.  People should be careful when they go outside and make sure to really look themselves over when they get inside for any ticks. 

Lyme disease can be a potentially dangerous disease, and this is why it is important to know what to look for.  Symptoms are fever, headache, fatigue, temporary facial paralysis, muscle and joint aches, and the most obvious symptom is a red bull's eye rash that indicates where the tick latched on.  Long-term effects can be avoided as long as people know what to look for and they seek treatment right away.  The Pioneer Press has more of this story here: http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_23718333/summer-tick-blame-metros-late-spring

At Mosquito Squad, we can help fight those ticks and keep you, your family, and pets safe this summer.  We provide barrier spray treatments that work to eliminate adult ticks, and we also provide tick tubes, which work to kill nymph stage ticks.  Give us a call today to learn more about both of these options and so you don't have to worry about those little ticks anymore!!

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Mosquitoes May Finally Return to Normal

The mosquito population has tripled this year, according to researchers and this is due to the winter that seemed to last forever.  Usually mosquitoes hatch in increments starting in the spring, but this year they all seemed to hatch at once and this is why the mosquitoes seem so bad this year.  We didn't really have a spring, so when it warmed up, the mosquitoes thought it was time to hatch and attack humans so they can't enjoy their yards. 

But there's finally some good news with mosquitoes: The broods of mosquitoes should be done hatching and for the rest of summer, it should feel like a normal mosquito season and not like an over-abundance of mosquitoes.  But this still isn't a good thing.  With the mosquitoes that are going to be left as we approach August, these are the mosquitoes that are most likely to have West Nile Virus.  Mosquitoes who are still around in August are the ones who have been around all summer, for the first half of summer they spend their time biting birds who carry West Nile, and the second half of summer they will search for humans to feed on.  This is why people need to be even more careful when they're going outside, because the West Nile threat is just beginning and will continue to grow once August gets here.  Check out the article from the Star Tribune for more information: http://www.startribune.com/local/216519001.html?page=all&prepage=1&c=y#continue 

Mosquito Squad can help keep you safe this August!! We can eliminate those pesky and dangerous -mosquitoes from your yard, so you don't have to worry and can enjoy your time outside.  Give us a call today at 877-239-BITE (2483) to protect you and your family for the rest of summer! 

Monday, July 22, 2013

Importance of Mosquito Protection

Of course, mosquitoes are pesty insects that bite humans and leave itchy marks for days.  But not many people know that the mosquito is the most deadly animal on the planet.  It carries many different diseases that can affect people in different ways. 

Malaria: This disease is no longer present in the United States, but around the world this is a very dangerous and fatal disease.  It is a treatable disease, but a lot of countries where this occurs do not have the resources to help everyone who contracts this disease. 

West Nile: Of course we have talked about this one before.  2012 was one of the worst years in the United States for the virus, and it may be hard to diagnose this virus without going to the doctor since the symptoms resemble typical sicknesses that could happen any day.  

Dengue: This typically occurs in tropic areas, but there have been rare cases found in the United States.  Usually starting with a high fever, this disease then causes severe muscle pain, headache, eye pain, and rashes.

Yellow Fever: This also is most common in tropic areas where mosquitoes are more likely to be found, and starts with simple symptoms, such as fever, pain, and vomiting.  If it progresses to the second stage, this is much more dangerous and causes a higher fever, yellowing skin, and liver damage.  This disease is pretty rare in the United States, but worldwide this disease causes 30,000 deaths a year.

As you can see, mosquitoes can cause a lot more harm then just some minor itching and red bumps.  It can put any one in danger, so give Mosquito Squad a call today so we can start protecting you and your family from dangerous diseases this summer! 

Friday, July 19, 2013

Could Mosquitoes Be Causing Childhood Obesity?

Many people know that children today are more obese than they have ever been before, and this is due to overeating and not getting enough physical activity.  Of course, summer is a big time to play outside and get physical activity, but could mosquitoes be causing children to not be able to play outside?  A recent study done by scientists at Rutgers university looked at if day-biting mosquitoes may be causing more children to stay inside, and thus causing more obesity. 

The study took two similar communities and used mosquito control in one of the communities and no mosquito control in the other community for one year, and then two years later, the communities switched roles, meaning the one who had no mosquito control the first year now received mosquito control and the community who had mosquito control the first year did not receive mosquito control.  The study found that when the community used mosquito control, children were more likely to spend time outside.  They also suggested ways to help control mosquitoes in a person's yard by eliminating standing water, and know that mosquito control treatments will not take care of every single mosquito in your yard. 

If you and your children are unable to spend time outside due to the infestation of mosquitoes in your yard, give Mosquito Squad a call!  We can treat your yard and eliminate 85-90% of those nasty mosquitoes, so you can enjoy your time outside without getting bit up or running the risk of catching a mosquito-borne disease.  We want to help you and your family in any way we can, so give us a call today!

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Are You A Mosquito Magnet?

The mosquitoes are awful this year, and some of you may be experiencing more mosquito bites than others.  The Smithsonian has come up with a list of what attracts mosquitoes to more people.

1. Beer: Mosquitoes are attracted to ethanol and body heat, and even if you drink one beer, mosquitoes will be coming after you more than if you don't have any beer. 

2. Exercise:  Ethanol will also be released from your body when exercising due to the build up of lactic acid, and also because your body heat is likely to rise when exercising.

3. Pregnant Women:  They also have a higher body heat and release 21% more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, another thing mosquitoes are attracted to.

4. Blood Type: People who have Type O blood type are the most likely to get bit, followed by Type B, and people who have Type A blood type are the least likely to get bit.  

5. Clothes: Mosquitoes are attracted to people who are wearing darker colors, such as black or blue.  Make sure to wear loose, light colored clothing so mosquitoes are not as attracted to you.  Check out the full article from Kare 11 here: http://www.kare11.com/news/article/1032151/396/Whats-making-you-a-mosquito-magnet

As always, it's important to use a good bug repellant, but the most important thing to protect yourself is to give Mosquito Squad a call.  We know exactly where mosquitoes like to hide and how to get rid of them so if you have any of these attractive factors, we can eliminate the mosquitoes from your yard so you don't have to worry anymore.  Give us a call today at 877-239-BITE (2483) today to start becoming unattractive to those nasty mosquitoes!! 

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Predicting West Nile Virus Communities

There's some research going on in Dallas, Texas looking at how researchers can predict where mosquitoes who are infected with west nile are most likely to hit.  They look at mosquito samples throughout May to August each week, and when they find a batch of mosquitoes that are infected, they predict in a week or two that some people in that area will come down with West Nile Virus.  They are usually correct, when a batch of mosquitoes is found with West Nile Virus, humans also contract the illness in a week or two.  They also look at how the weather and temperature affects mosquito growth.  Mosquitoes love hot humid weather, with standing water, so beware if you have standing water in your yard and get rid of it immediately.  With all the research and data they have collected in the past year, they have found that the region of the country most likely to be hit by West Nile Virus is the Midwest - of course where we live.  Check out more of the article here: http://www.healthline.com/health-news/aging-where-will-west-nile-virus-strike-this-year-071613

What the researchers recommend to keep you and your family safe is an active way to stop mosquitoes.  First is to empty all standing water in your yard, or change it frequently if it is something like a bird bath or dog water.  Second is to get the professionals to come out and help.  That's where Mosquito Squad comes in!  We want to help keep your family safe from West Nile by eliminating as many mosquitoes as we can.  Since we live in a region where West Nile Virus may be in higher numbers, start to prevent it already by calling us and we can come out to your yard and spray for mosquitoes.  Our barrier spray eliminates 85-90% of mosquitoes with a 100% satisfaction guarantee, so give us a call today at 877-239-BITE (2483)!

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Mosquito Attractant

Summer is the perfect time to just sit outside when you get home from work and just enjoy a cold one.  But did you know drinking beer may cause mosquitoes to be more attracted to you?  Researchers have recently done a study on if mosquitoes really are more attracted to people who are drinking beer than those who are not drinking beer.  There have been some articles posted that say there might be a link to drinking beer and mosquito attraction, but here is a study that proves beer drinkers may have to be more careful when they are outside.

Researchers took a group of 13 volunteers to be hosts and compared them with one man, who was the control group.  It was found that after the volunteers had consumed 350 ml of beer, mosquitoes were significantly more likely to to land on them then before they consumed the beer.  If you want to read more about the research article, click the link here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12083361

This study shows that those people who drink more beer should be cautious of the mosquitoes around them, as they may be more prone to get bit by mosquitoes infected with diseases.  If you still want to enjoy a beer outside on the deck, then give us a call!  Our barrier spray treatments eliminate up to 85-90% of mosquitoes, and this means that you can enjoy your beer worry free on your deck all summer long!  Give us a call today to start enjoying your yard and beer again!

Monday, July 15, 2013

Preventing Mosquitoes at Home

Want to learn effective ways to start eliminating mosquitoes right in your own home and backyard? We have a list of tips for you to follow to start to be mosquito-free:

- Limit Breeding Habitat: Mosquitoes don't travel very far after they are hatched, and they need standing water to breed and hatch, so start by eliminating and turning over anything that can hold standing water in your yard.  Make sure to drain buckets, bird baths, and kids toys regularly so water can't build up in these areas.  

- Prepare Indoor Defense: Make sure your screen doors do not have holes in them where mosquitoes can easily fly in and bother you inside as well.  Also, make sure your indoor plants don't become breeding grounds for any mosquitoes that might sneak in your house.  Make sure your plants are draining well and not producing standing water. 

- Call in the Squad: There are so many ways that people have developed to keep mosquitoes away, from citronella candles to heavy bug spray, but no matter what you use, the infestation may be so bad that nothing will work.  This is when it is time to give Mosquito Squad a call, where we know what to treat and what works best.  We want to help you and your family stay mosquito and disease free all summer, so give us a call today at 507-367-2529 and don't forget to start practicing these tips right away to get a mosquito free yard! 

Friday, July 12, 2013

What Type of Chemicals Do You Use and Are They Safe?

Of course, everyone who is getting their yard treated with chemicals wants to know if they are safe to use, especially around kids and pets.  All products used by Mosquito Squad are used according to the label and are registered with the EPA.  Our class of products can be found in many household products like head lice shampoos, pet flea sprays and many agricultural applications such as standard treatment for fruit and ornamental plants.  We use only enough product to target a 2.5 milligram mosquito.  Unlike mammals, mosquitoes lack enzymes to break down the product, which means we can use a very small amount strategically placed to achieve control of nuisance pests.  In comparison, a small pet is about 6 kilograms, which is 6 million milligrams or 2.4 million times as big, and all we ask is that the product is allowed to dry for 30 minutes and you and your kids and pets can go about playing normally without having to worry about mosquitoes. 

If this sounds like a product that you would like to try, give us a call today! We would be more than happy to explain our barrier spray program to you or if you have a special event coming up, we want to help protect you and your family in a safe way!

Thursday, July 11, 2013

What Does Mosquito Squad Treat?

Another questions many people ask is what do you treat, the grass? The trees?  Here's the answer: Mosquito Squad's trained technicians treat areas where mosquitoes and ticks breed, feed or rest.  Treated surfaces include shrubbery, gardens, underneath decks, fences, the foundations of houses, tall grasses and low hanging vegetation.  Not only are our technicians trained in accordance with local and state requirements, but our in-house program educates them on conditions and situations that are specific to mosquito and tick breeding.  Due to this specific training, they are experts in mosquito and tick elimination.

As you can see, when we treat your yard we are experts.  And all of our chemicals are registered with the EPA and friendly to use with pets, kids and plants, but if you don't want something sprayed, just let us know and we will happily oblige to what you want.  Give us a call today to learn how the experts can help treat your yard!

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Cost of A Vacation vs. Mosquito Squad Cost

Of course, everyone wants to go on a vacation, but why not have your own vacation right in your mosquito-free backyard for less than the cost of a vacation?  Let's look at traveling to Wisconsin Dells for a weekend and a family of 4:

With gas as expensive as it is, that's going to cost you about $40-$45 alone.
Hotel for Friday and Saturday night.............................. Around $80 a night
Admission per person for Waterpark...................................... $30-$40
Average Cost for Breakfast Saturday and Sunday morning........ $45
Average Cost for Saturday Lunch................................................ $40
Average Cost for Friday & Saturday Supper................................$70

Total of Entire Trip Before Tax............................................ Around $495

Now, for the price of 18 weeks of protection from adult mosquitoes AND ticks for a .5 acre yard or less................. $399 before tax

I don't know about you, but having a mosquito free yard for that kind of price would definitely make me want to stay at home!  And you can save almost $100, with that you could build your own vacation in your backyard!! So give us a call today and let us bring the vacation to your backyard!


How Does Mosquito Squad Control Ticks?

This is a common question we get from many of our customers, so here is the answer.  Our barrier spray applications used to treat for adult mosquitoes is also effective in controlling adult ticks.  Additionally, we also provide an extensive tick management system with tick tubes for extra tick control.  Tick tubes eliminate nymphal stage ticks and are most effective when placed in the spring and summer. 

As you can see, Mosquito Squad provides much more protection against different kinds of insects and pests than just mosquitoes.  We want to help protect you from not only mosquitoes but also ticks, since they carry dangerous diseases as well.  Give us a call at 877-239-BITE (2483) to learn more about mosquito and tick control, or visit us online at http://southeast-minnesota.mosquitosquad.com/

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Mosquitoes Everywhere

Everyone knows by now that the mosquito population has been terrible this year.  With all the extra rain and then the humidity that comes after, mosquitoes are loving this weather, although we definitely are not.  The first step to get rid of mosquitoes in your yard is to get rid of any standing water you have, in buckets, kids toys, and anything else that holds water.  This is where mosquitoes breed, and once they start hatching, they usually don't move to far from where they are born.  The second step is to protect you and your family from these annoying mosquitoes.  Using bug repellant is a step, but not everyone wants to smell like bug repellant.  That's when it's time to give us a call! We can help eliminate those mosquitoes from your yard so you can start to enjoy it again.  Another reason you want to give us a call is the mosquitoes that carry West Nile Virus and other diseases is coming.  This can potentially be a very dangerous disease, and can be hard to diagnose since the symptoms resemble sicknesses that can happen at any time.  Check out this article on how heavy rains are leading to more mosquitoes: http://www.communitynewscorp.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=94&ArticleID=9242 and give us a call today so we can protect you and give you a yard to enjoy!

Monday, July 8, 2013

West Nile Virus is Coming...

Just what everyone wants to hear... West Nile Virus is coming.  The virus usually doesn't show up until mid-July and August, which is quickly approaching.  The mosquitoes that are out before this time are just pest mosquitoes and everyone knows they have been out in full force.  Since the pest mosquitoes have already been terrible, don't let the mosquitoes that carry the virus come after you.  In Minnesota, it has been found that the West Nile Virus has been present in batches of mosquitoes, just found in the past week.  There has not been any recorded human case of West Nile Virus yet in Minnesota, but it could happen soon due to the virus found in mosquitoes.  The article from Minnesota Public Radio can be found here with more information: http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2013/07/04/health/west-nile-virus-mosquitoes

Mosquito Squad wants to help protect you from West Nile Virus and other diseases mosquitoes may carry.  The first thing we recommend is to get rid of any water in your yard, this will get rid of breeding grounds for mosquitoes and get them out of your yard.  The second thing we recommend is giving us a call or visiting us online at SE MN Mosquito Squad.  We provide a barrier spray that can eliminate mosquitoes from your yard and keep you and your family disease free for the summer.  We want you to stay safe and have fun the rest of summer, so give us a call today and we can tell you how we can help!
 

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Happy 4th of July!!

Everyone's favorite summer holiday is almost here!  4th of July is tomorrow and everyone is excited to get off work and spend time outside!  The weather will be perfect to spend it on a lake, camping, or by a bonfire.  But don't forget about those pesky mosquitoes that are sure to bother you if you don't stay protected.  Make sure to get rid of any standing water where you are, since that is where mosquitoes breed, and make sure to wear bug repellant with DEET in it.  Also, make sure to wear loose, light colored clothes when spending time outside, especially around dawn or dusk.  But most importantly, just have fun spending this holiday with family and friends, eating good food and wearing red white and blue!! Mosquito Squad and Dread Skeeter want to wish all of you a Happy and Safe 4th of July!!

Monday, July 1, 2013

Mythbusting Mosquito Repellants

I'm sure many people have heard of a bunch of different items they have sitting around the house that double as a mosquito repellant.  Most people have the same question... Do they really work?   Researchers have been looking into this, and have found not a lot of these products have been scientifically proven.  Some examples of these are bananas, which have been tested and no real results have came from it, people think eating bananas will make you
more attractive to mosquitoes, while the scientific test found there is no real correlation.  Another example is if you put a dryer sheet in one of your pockets, this will repel the mosquitoes.  This has not been tested in a lab, but people think it repels the mosquitoes because of it's strong smells.  One thing that has been studied in a lab over time is if alcohol plays a factor in making mosquitoes more attracted to people.  There have been results that people who are drinking beer are more likely to attract mosquitoes, but this could be due to the rise in body temperature.  Check out more of the myth busting repellants here: http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/mosquito-mythbusting-real-repellents-stand/story?id=10543307

Experts say to be smart when you are outside and to use DEET spray to repel mosquitoes and this is the most effective way.  At Mosquito Squad, we also provide an effective way to keep mosquitoes away with our barrier spray programs.  These barrier sprays last 21 days, and eliminate up to 85-90% of mosquitoes in your yard.  We want to help protect you for a long time, so you can enjoy your yard with a satisfaction guarantee, instead of giving those household items a chance.  Give us a call today at 877-239-BITE (2483) so we can start protecting you today!