Mosquito Activities for Kids

With it being Mosquito Control Awareness Week, why not get the kids involved and teach them early on about mosquitoes and how to avoid them.  Check out the website provided to view activities for kids from coloring pages to crossword puzzles to all kinds of information on mosquitoes.  http://www.mosquito.org/assets/AwarenessWeek/educationalpacket.pdf

This packet could not only be informative to the kids, but also adults and parents!  There's so many things about mosquitoes don't know about, like how they are the deadliest animal on earth and they need standing water to breed, and when there's standing water, there's going to be loads of mosquitoes.  To get even more control over the mosquitoes in your yard, contact us today at the SE MN Mosquito Squad, where we offer a season of barrier protection, extra tick protection, all-natural choices, and protection for your special events.  So check out the fun activities and give us a call today so you can be mosquito free!

Mosquito Control Awareness Week

June 23-June 29 is Mosquito Control Awareness Week sponsored by the American Mosquito Control Association (AMCA) and the goal is to "educate the general public about the significance of mosquitoes in their daily lives and the important service provided by mosquito control workers."  Living in Minnesota, we know how annoying mosquitoes get when the weather gets hot and we want to enjoy our time outside.  Mosquitoes bother us and leave itchy, red bites that are annoying for a few days.  But mosquitoes also pose a bigger problem that many people are unaware of.  Many people are unaware that mosquitoes are the deadliest animals on earth, which surprises most people considering how small they are.  But they carry dangerous diseases such as West Nile Virus, Eastern Equine Encephalitis, Dengue Fever, and Malaria.  Although Malaria is not a problem in the United States anymore, around the world this kills millions of people each day.

To help protect you and your family this week and the rest of summer, we want to give you some tips to help control mosquitoes and protect you.  Mosquitoes are active around dusk and dawn, so try to wear mosquito spray that contains DEET and long sleeves and pants that are light colored.  Also, dump any standing water you have in your yard, as this is prime breeding grounds for mosquitoes and they usually do not travel far from their breeding areas. 

Finally, give us a call to give you the ultimate protection.  We offer a professional barrier spray that protects you and your family all summer long if you sign up for a season. These sprays last for 21 days and eliminate up to 85-90% of mosquitoes. Please give us a call today at 877-239-BITE (2483) so we can help control your yard during this Mosquito Control Awareness Week!!

Summer Is Here!

I think some people thought it was never going to come and get warm, but it is officially the first day of summer today! Summer came in with a bang today, I'm sure many people were woken up by the thunderstorms we experienced early this morning.  With the storms arriving this weekend and the temperatures really starting to warm up, it's time to look out for mosquitoes.  The rain from the storms is sure to make some standing water in your yard, so help get rid of mosquitoes first by tipping over any standing water, especially after big rain storms.  Mosquitoes love standing water and this is where they lay their eggs and if you have a lot of standing water in your yard, you better be ready for lots of mosquitoes. 

With the storms and rain and humid, warm temperatures, don't let those mosquitoes keep  you out of your yard.  Give the Southeast Minnesota Mosquito Squad a call! We can help eliminate those pests from your backyard so you can enjoy summer! Mosquitoes also pose the risk of carrying dangerous diseases, like West Nile Virus.  We want to help protect you and your family, so you can enjoy your backyard worry free.  So give us a call today, at 877-239-BITE (2483) and let us give you the perfect, bug-free backyard for summer!

4th of July is Coming!

Everyone's favorite summertime holiday is coming... 4th of July! This means grilling outside, playing fun games, and sitting around a fire at night.  No other holiday in summer is like this, and there's even fireworks bursting with beautiful colors at night as well!

But being outside all day and night does have a downfall - mosquitoes.  These pests don't realize that we don't want to invite them to our parties, and there's no way to tell them to leave once they arrive! That's where Mosquito Squad comes in! Invite us before you have your fun summer gatherings so we can eliminate those mosquitoes so they don't crash your party at all.  We offer a barrier spray that will help keep you and your guests comfortable and to not worry about those pesky mosquitoes and the diseases they may carry. 

Want some ideas on how you can celebrate 4th of July? Here are some of our ideas!

Food:Easy dishes are what most people look for, so try some of these - put watermelon in a patriotic plastic or paper cup with some crumbled blue cheese for a healthy red, white, and blue treat.  For dessert, use star shaped cookies and cut out the middle.  Bake them halfway, then take crushed up red and blue hard candies, such as jolly ranchers or life savers, and put them in the middle of the cookie and finish baking.  You'll have red, white, and blue treats for everyone to enjoy!

Decor:Of course, everyone knows the perfect decor for 4th of July is anything red, white, and blue and sticking flags anywhere, but why not mix it up a bit with some cool ideas?  For a fun table cloth, put down a big white plastic table cloth, and grab strips of red and blue crepe paper and weave them together, then tape them on the white table cloth for a fun, cheap tablecloth.  

Last, But Not Least: Don't forget to invite us at Mosquito Squad! We want you to be able to enjoy this summer holiday to the fullest, so give us a call at 877-236-BITE (2483) and we can help eliminate those pesky mosquitoes! 

For more fun 4th of July ideas, check out the website here!   http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/4th-july-ideas/fourth-of-july-decorations#slide-6 

Warmer Weather Means Playing Outside More!

The warm weather is finally here! Need some ideas for things to do outside? We have a whole list for you! Why not go outside and toss a baseball around or get a fun game of bean bag toss going, pretty soon you will probably have the whole neighborhood over wanting to join in on your fun! There's so many ideas you can try with your family and kids.  Check out a list of outdoor lawn games and activities here! http://outdooradventureyardgames.com/

Don't forget to invite us before you start playing these games!  No one wants to be getting bit up while they are playing outside, so let us take care of the mosquitoes so you can enjoy your yard!  Give us a call today at 877-239-BITE (2483) for more information on how we can eliminate mosquitoes from your yard, so you can enjoy your yard at any time!

Spring Showers Bring More Mosquitoes

This has been all over the news the past week... Our wet, late spring we had and now the warm weather is bringing swarms of mosquitoes to Minnesota.  Mosquitoes thrive on standing water, so with all the rain we have had, that brings the standing water the mosquitoes lay their eggs in.  We didn't see a lot of mosquitoes towards the beginning of June since it was so wet and cool, but now with the temperatures finally climbing higher and everything starting to warm up, the mosquito population is finally exploding.  To get rid of mosquitoes and decrease their numbers from your yard, eliminate standing water immediately.  Mosquitoes do not need a large area to lay eggs and breed, so the more water you eliminate, the less mosquitoes there will be in your yard.  To find out more about this mosquito explosion, check out the story here: http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2013/06/16/heavy-spring-rains-a-perfect-recipe-for-mosquito-surge/

Now that it is finally getting warm out, we know everyone will be wanting to spend time outdoors, but not with mosquitoes! Give the SE MN Mosquito Squad a call, so we can eliminate those pesky mosquitoes from your yard and let you have an enjoyable time outdoors.  We offer barrier spray programs which eliminate 85-90% of mosquitoes on contact and keeps them away up to 3 weeks! Call us at 877-239-BITE (2483) if you have an outdoor event or to enjoy your backyard, so you don't have to worry and you can enjoy your precious time outside!

More Mosquitoes Coming Your Way

Just what everyone does NOT want to hear... Big Mosquito Brood Hatched Overnight.  With all the rain we had the past few days and then the nice days we are finally having now, it is the perfect storm for mosquito hatching.  Mosquito larvae is found in areas of standing water, and once the weather warms up they are ready to hatch and wreak havoc on anyone standing in their way.  With all the rain we have had this spring, there are plenty of areas with standing water where mosquitoes have laid their eggs and are now hatching.  Kare 11 has the video and story here: http://www.kare11.com/news/article/1028866/14/Bust-out-the-bug-spray-Big-mosquito-brood-hatched

Mosquito Squad wants to help you from becoming prey to this new batch of mosquitoes!  We like to practice the 5 T's and pass it on to others so they can eliminate mosquitoes from their backyard:

1. TIP: tip over anything that might contain standing water, mosquitoes don't need a big area to breed and lay eggs, so reduce mosquitoes in your yard by tipping over sand toys, buckets, and change dog bowl water at least once a week.

2. TOSS: remove excess clutter such as grass clippings or leaves where mosquitoes like to hide.

3. TURN: objects should be turned over to avoid more standing water and to avoid mosquito breeding grounds.

4. REMOVE TARPS: make sure tarps or other coverings you have in your yard are tight, so they don't collect water when it rains.

5. TREAT:  Call the experts at Mosquito Squad! We can help you eliminate mosquitoes in your backyard so you can enjoy your time outside without always being swarmed.  When it's nice out, people want to be spending it outside and not worrying about getting bit and being itchy and red.  Give us a call today so we can help you fight against this big mosquito brood!

Landscaping Ideas That Keep Ticks Away

Who wants more information for keeping ticks away? I know many people who would love to learn how to keep ticks at bay.  There was recently an article posted about how you can use landscaping to keep ticks at bay and away from you and your family.  Some examples included using gravel or stones to pave walking paths through heavily wooded areas you use a lot to keep you from walking in grass where ticks might be living.  Another idea that I'm sure everyone follows is to keep their grassed mowed and tidy, this keeps ticks from living in dense vegetation if the grass grows tall.  Keeping your yard and free of clutter such as old plants, wood piles, etc. can help keep away small animals where ticks like to cling to and then get transferred to humans.  Check out the article here for more landscaping tips on how to keep ticks out of your yard: http://homes.yahoo.com/photos/keep-ticks-bay-9-smart-slideshow/?.tsrc=lgwn%20ForceRecrawl:%200/

Although these are some good tips to keep ticks away from you and to make your yard look better, this will not eliminate ticks completely like Mosquito Squad can.  With our barrier sprays, this kills adult ticks and tick tubes are helpful to eliminate ticks in the nymph stage.  Combining these tips and using Mosquito Squad, we can help you get a tick free yard, so you can enjoy your time outside without having to worry about checking yourself for ticks and worrying about the nasty diseases they can carry.  Contact us today for more information on how to eliminate ticks in your yard!!

Mosquitoes are Really Starting to Come

With this cool spring and all the rain we have been getting, people have noticed a delay in mosquitoes coming out.  Usually mosquitoes are out by Memorial Day, but a lot of people said they did not see a lot then.  Now the tides have turned.  I hear people every day complain about how much mosquitoes there are now.  Once the temperatures start to warm up and the rain stops, that's when the mosquitoes start to develop.  Researchers are also saying that we are seeing more mosquitoes because they are all developing at the same time, causing adult mosquito levels to elevate.  Kare 11 has more of the story here: http://www.kare11.com/news/article/1028750/396/Metro-starts-to-see-elevated-numbers-of-mosquitoes

Elevated levels of adult mosquitoes means more people are going to be miserable and not want to spend time outside when it finally does get nice out.  We don't want the mosquitoes to ruin your precious time outside, so give us a call!  We can eliminate up to 85-90% of the mosquitoes in your backyard, so you can enjoy your time without worrying about spraying yourself down with bug repellant or getting those nasty, itchy red bumps.  Give us a call today at 877-239-BITE (2483) or visit us at http://southeast-minnesota.mosquitosquad.com/, so we can help you take back your yard today!

First West Nile Human Fatality in 2013

We know that batches of mosquitoes and dead birds have been testing positive for West Nile, and there have been 3 known human cases already this year, one of those resulting in death.  A man from California died over the weekend and doctors say he tested positive for West Nile earlier in the year.  Although most people usually do not show symptoms when they are infected with this virus or the symptoms are viewed as common illnesses, such as headache, fever, and body aches, it is important to know those symptoms and go see a doctor.  These symptoms could result in more severe symptoms and cause more damage to the body.  It is important to recognize these symptoms and seek help if you can so the virus does not progress. Here is the article for more information on West Nile and the case in California: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/06/09/5482701/sacramento-county-reports-first.html


The article gives some recommendations on how to stay protected from mosquitoes such as staying inside near dusk and using repellant with DEET.  Although these will help you, why not let the SE MN Mosquito Squad help you even more by eliminating up to 85-90% of mosquitoes in your yard.  We care about your protection and want you to be able your time outside to the fullest.  If you want to learn more about our barrier spray program and how we can protect you, give us a call at 877-239-BITE (2483)!

Tick Identification

More tick information coming your way!  This tick season has barely started but it has been awful so far.  I have heard so many people say they have picked many ticks off of themselves, and often times they say they have to pick at least 5 off when they have spent time outside.  That is awful, no one wants to have this little things crawling all over you, and even though they are tiny, they can have a big bite that will give some people some nasty diseases.  And these are only the stories you hear about people, for animals it could be much worse since they can't check themselves.  This is why it is important for people to check their animals after they have been outside near a place where ticks might breed.  Ticks are more likely to latch on to dogs who like to roam around in the woods, and this could cause serious danger if the dog has not been vaccinated.  Find out more about Lyme Disease, ticks and the Lyme Disease threat in the area that you live at this website. http://www.lymeinfo.com/index.html

We want to help you and your pets this tick season by protecting you and keeping you safe, without having to worry every time you go outside.  Our barrier sprays kill ticks and for more protection, we provide tick tubes to really eliminate the ticks in your yard.  Give us a call at 877-239-BITE (2483) or visit us online at http://southeast-minnesota.mosquitosquad.com/

A Tick Here, A Tick There...

Locals are now beginning to realize how bad this tick season is going to be.  People are finding ticks all over themselves, when they have barely been outside in a place where ticks are usually found.  Once a person finds a tick on themselves, they start to feel like ticks are roaming all over their bodies, and no one wants that feeling.  This slightly humorous local newspaper article talks about how bad this wood tick season might really be and some ways to protect yourself against ticks.  Wood ticks are tiny and ugly, but they are very dangerous too because they might carry tick-borne diseases.  Lyme disease is the most common, and can cause very severe problems to the joints, nerves, and heart, and many times symptoms are just overlooked.  Check out the whole article here to read more. http://www.postbulletin.com/news/local/jen-s-world-news-to-make-our-skin-crawl-it/article_acecb008-0165-58c8-95de-4fe409844394.html

Even though there are some tips to protect you from ticks at the bottom of this article, at Mosquito Squad we can work with you to eliminate ticks from your yard, so you don't even have to worry about them.  Our barrier spray program helps keep ticks out or for even more protection, you can try our tick tubes, which will give you even more protection against those nasty little creatures.  Give us a call at 507-367-2529 or 877-239-BITE (2483) or visit us at southeast-minnesota.mosquitosquad.com/.  We want to help protect you and keep you, your family, and your pets safe this tick season!

What Really Attracts Mosquitoes to People

Many people say mosquitoes like me and I always attract them!  A new article was just published that gives some reasonable answers to why mosquitoes really do like some people more than others.  Mosquitoes are attracted to carbon dioxide, so if you're an adult this is why you are more likely to get bit because they create a bigger cloud of carbon dioxide that mosquitoes swarm to.  Another thing is if you just exercised, you are releasing lactic acid which also creates an attraction for the mosquitoes. Along with creating lactic acid, you are usually breathing more heavily while working out and this also creates more carbon dioxide.  Check out the list in the article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/04/mosquitoes-bite-preference_n_3380188.html?utm_hp_ref=tw

No one really wants to say that they attract mosquitoes, they would rather attract other things! If you want to get rid of your mosquito attraction, give us a call 507-367-2529 or visit us at southeast-minnesota.mosquitosquad.com/

First Positive Test for West Nile of the Year

The Illinois Department of Health was testing mosquito batches and found it's first positive case of the year for the West Nile Virus on May 21, 2013.  In 2012, we had one of the worst years with the West Nile virus, and the Department of Health is hoping this year will not be a repeat.  West Nile Virus is spread through the bite of a mosquito who has previously bitten an infected bird.  Symptoms of West Nile resemble common illnesses, such as headache, nausea, and fever, although many people do not even show symptoms.  In rare cases, more severe illnesses may occur, so that is why it is important to treat this right away and do the right thing to keep this virus away.  Here is the article for more information: http://mystateline.com/fulltext-news?nxd_id=401872.

At Mosquito Squad, our number one priority is our customers and their enjoyment and health.  We want you to be able to enjoy being outside without having to worry about mosquitoes that might carry dangerous infections and viruses.  Stay protected with us, and eliminate those pesky insects from your yard so you can enjoy yourself and the outdoors, and keep your loved ones safe.  Call us at 877-239-BITE (2483) or visit us at http://southeast-minnesota.mosquitosquad.com/.

Mosquito Fact Monday!

Do Mosquitoes Need Bodies of Water to Breed?

Mosquitoes need standing water to hatch eggs, and this can be done in an area as small as a bottle cap or tablespoon of water.  Mosquitoes don't need ponds or drainage ditches, they can hatch in places right in your back yard, like gutters, plant containers, or kid pools. To avoid helping these mosquitoes grow and hatch eggs, practice the 5 T's for a mosquito free yard!

1. Tip: Tip over items that hold standing water to avoid mosquito breeding areas.
2. Toss: Remove excess grass, leaves, etc. in your yard, these areas are prime breeding grounds for mosquitoes. 
3. Turn: Turn over large yard items that hold water.
4. Remove Tarps: Make sure tarps are tight if they are stretched over something to avoid mosquito breeding grounds, try to remove sitting water every week. 
5. Treat: This is where Mosquito Squad comes in, call us for a Barrier Spray program to help eliminate up to 85-90% of mosquitoes from your yard! This will help eliminate the need for you to use annoying bug sprays or those annoying bug bites.     

Give us a call or look us up on the web so we can help you achieve a mosquito free yard and enjoy the outdoors again!