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Month: November 2017

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insects mosquitos

What Texans Need To Know About The Zika Virus

According to the CDC[1], as of June 22nd of 2016, US States have reported up to 820 cases of infection by the Zika virus including 42 for Texas alone. If you still don’t know, Zika is a virus that spreads via bites of infected mosquitoes, specifically the Aedes mosquito, to humans, though an infected person can also pass it on sexually. It can trigger Guillain-Barré syndrome in adults and, most heartbreakingly, it can cause severe fetal brain defects leading to microcephaly if contracted during pregnancy.

Fortunately, all of the cases reported so far for the States fall under the ‘Travel-Associated’ category and none have been reported as ‘Locally-Acquired’. But, there are signs of looming trouble ahead. With unusually warm weather and alarming rate of spread of the Zika virus, it is only a question of when and not if Zika carrying mosquitoes will invade the States. Both NASA[2] and CDC[3] have released maps showing this to happen as soon as July this year:

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Figure 1: Zika Risk Assessment map by NASA

        So, how can we protect ourselves from this impending invasion? By listening to and acting upon the advice by CDC[4] as it is actively monitoring the situation. According to the CDC, the first order of protection is to prevent oneself from mosquito bites by:

  • wearing full-coverage clothing preferably treated with permethrin
  • staying indoors unless necessary to go outside especially during early morning and evening
  • using Screens and Mosquito Netting to prevent mosquitoes entering the house
  • using EPA-registered insect repellents and pesticides such as DEET, Picaridin and IR3535
  • drying out pools of stagnant and/or dirty water or covering the top with oil
  • keeping pools and household reservoirs of fresh water covered as Aedes mosquitoes breed in freshwater
  • getting professional pest control to help identify and rectify often overlooked areas

If, God forbid, one is infected with Zika[5], one should be on the lookout for common symptoms including fever, rash, joint pain and/or conjunctivitis and should consult a doctor immediately and follow the doctor’s advice. Usually, the illness is mild and might resolve in a week, but, vulnerable people with compromised immune systems and pregnant women should take special care including postponing traveling to areas known to harbour the Aedes mosquito.

Therefore, only with constant vigilance and constant effort we can protect ourselves, our loved ones and our communities from this horrible menace. May God bless us and spare us all!

Copyright © 2016  A3GR31WPP4NY8Z CC-BY-SA-4.0

[1] http://www.cdc.gov/zika/geo/united-states.html retrieved on 28th June, 2016

[5] https://www.cdc.gov/zika/symptoms/index.html retrieved on 28th June, 2016

Categories
devices insects

What is an insect Monitor and what is it good for?

Well, if you are like me, you want to live in your home with the added insurance of having no bugs. You also don’t want to have visitors and have the embarrassing moment of seeing a bug or bugs. Whether those bugs are crawling around on the floor or flying around your house on a sunny day. As a homeowner, pest control is high on my list of priorities. My family has a love of lying on the floor with big pillows for movie nights instead of expensive family outings to the movies. And I promise you, nothing can ruin a movie night like a bug crawling across the floor to see what’s the movie of the night. Or to get a few kernels of that delicious butter popcorn. Who wants that? No one I presume.

This brings me to the reason for this article. In order to prevent this bug or any bug from ruining your family movie night, calling your local pest control company to place insect monitors is the best option.  I venture to say one of the major defenses against bug crashers.

What are insect monitors you ask?

Well, insect monitors span a large scale of complexity. They can be very technological or they can also be as simple as traps for example. A glue trap would be an example of an insect monitor or traps that are placed in an attic for those visitors that refuse to live outside the home.

Now let’s talk about what they are good for. As mentioned before, there are bugs looking to crash your family movie night or your family barbeque. Insect monitors are good to prevent bugs from entering your home.  Or if they, meaning the bugs, have made it into the home, the insect monitor will eliminate those bugs and further prevent any new population that may try to form. How important is that? That question is sarcastic of course. Every homeowner would love to have a home free of insects.

Why call your local pest control company?

Because they are the professional. They know the right spots to place the monitors. They also know best which monitors meet your home’s individual needs. Don’t bring a bat to a gunfight! Protect your home from the movie watching, popcorn eating bugs! Call your local pest control company and start the protection process now.

Copyright © 2016 ANR1T6OEYJ3W2 CC-BY-SA-4.0

Categories
fly insects

What is a filth fly (diptera) and what kind of habitat does it prefer?

Filth flies is a generic name for various species of flies that live on decomposing material. The kinds of flies that make up filth flies are subject to interpretation; I decided to go for a broader definition of the term, that includes medium size species like the house fly to large species such as soldier flies.
Like their more distant relatives, the mosquitoes, filth flies may live around people and cause harm.  Filth fly is a generic term for various species of fly, large or medium-sized. Their larvae look like worms and are called maggots. The most common is the house fly, (Musca domestica), gray with a lined thorax and red eyes. Blow flies and bottle flies are larger, with metallic blue and green colors. Their larvae usually live on dead animal tissue, such as carrion, roadkill, near  plants which process meat products. Adults prefer sugary food sources, but they still come in touch with dead animals where they lay their eggs. Soldier flies are large flies with black wings and “elbowed” antennae. Their larvae, or maggots, and pupae are over one inch long, dark brown and flattened. Flesh flies look a bit like the house flies, with stripes on their thorax, but they are larger and may have a checkerboard pattern on their abdomen. In some species the tip of the abdomen is red. Flesh flies usually lay their eggs on dead animals or dog waste, but their name comes from their habit of laying their larvae in open wounds. The female does not lay eggs, but keeps them inside the body. When it finds a suitable food source, it deposits the maggots, which soon burrow under the surface of the carcass or other feeding material.

Filth flies are to be found worldwide. They are to be found anywhere they may find their favorite food sources, which are all sorts of decaying and decomposing matter: plant or animal waste (such as manure), garbage, carrion, sludge, all organic debris or rotting material. They are more present in rural areas than in urban areas, especially near farms, slaughterhouses and meat-processing units. Adult flies do not consume solid food, but instead lick all sorts of liquids, spreading their saliva and vomit wherever they may go. Also, they eat relatively much and defecate a lot.  They may carry diseases to human food sources and preparation areas and contaminate them.  Food sources for them and their larvae may be infested with pathogens. Filth flies are known to carry germs for over one hundred diseases, such as hepatitis, polio, dysentery, typhoid, cholera, anthrax, tuberculosis and others. Among the germs they carry are Salmonella, E. coli, Giardia, and  eggs of parasitic worms such as the roundworm Ascaris, whipworm, hookworm, dwarf tapeworm and pinworm.

In order to get rid of filth flies one must, first of all, eliminate their food sources from the environment (such as pet feces) or access to trash or dead animals. Secondly, access to human habitation must be restricted. Still, flies may travel miles and still are able to get inside buildings alongside humans or through cracks and holes.  Therefore, we may need pest control measures.

Copyright © 2016  A2KF6VIT1OQA9Z CC-BY-SA-4.0

Categories
insects mosquitos

What can you do to protect yourself against the Zika virus?

Protecting yourself from the Zika virus

 

What is the Zika virus?

 

The Zika virus is a kind of disease bringing virus that is similar to dengue and chikungunya viruses, and likewise as these other viruses it is mostly and principally spread by certain species of mosquitoes when they bite you. Although Zika is a disease with mild symptoms that usually last for only a few days, like a rash in certain parts of your body, a relatively mild fever, some joint pain, and maybe conjunctivitis (red eyes), and it is even also possible to have been infected and not present any of these symptoms, yet the real danger of this disease presents itself when a pregnant woman gets infected, as a connection has been found between Zika infected pregnant women and microcephaly (smaller than normal brain size) in their newborns. Zika, unlike other mosquito borne viruses, can apparently also be transmitted through sexual contact between a Zika infected man and his female partner.

 

How do you prevent getting infected with Zika?

 

Since the main transmission methods are mosquitoes, and also since there are no known vaccines to the virus, the way to protect yourself from getting infected with the Zika virus is to avoid getting bit by mosquitoes in general, specially if you are living or staying within an area that is known to have ongoing Zika infections. There are a few well known strategies and methods to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes, and they can be combined in order to achieve maximum success at avoiding bites. The first and simplest method is to wear long sleeved shirts and long pants while outdoors or while in areas where mosquitoes thrive. Also by staying in air conditioned areas, or rooms protected with mosquito screens on all windows and doors, most mosquito bites can be avoided. If you are sleeping outdoors or in a place without proper mosquito screening then sleeping under a mosquito netting will be your best option. If this isn’t possible, or while staying outdoors, then you should be using some form of approved mosquito repellant on your clothes and exposed skin areas or also on the bed sheets if possible. Buying and using permethrin (which is an effective kind of insecticide against mosquitoes) treated clothing and other gear may also be something to consider, or maybe treating clothes and gear yourself with permethrin.

 

Taking steps to prevent mosquitoes from breeding in or close to your home is also a way to prevent Zika and other mosquito borne infections. Eliminating stagnant pools of water, or getting rid of places or objects where rain water could be pooling and where mosquitoes could be breeding, for example, is a smart move. Any other steps taken to control mosquito populations in and around your house would be advisable as well, and a quick web search will show you quite a few ways to help you on that issue.

 

Another thing to avoid getting infected with Zika virus in the case of sexual intercourse with a man that has been infected by Zika virus in the previous few weeks, is to use a condom in any case of vaginal, anal or oral sex with them.

 

Something that smart and responsible people should do if infected with Zika virus, is to also avoid being bitten by mosquitoes for a few weeks after the infection onset in order to avoid infecting other mosquitoes with the virus and in this way helping to avoid the spread of the disease.

 

Daniel Barsa

This document is licensed for commercial use with modification.

Categories
ants insects

What are Ghost ants?

Introduction: Ghost ants are tropical ants which are generally found throughout the world in warm tropical climates and greenhouses. In the United States of America, these ants are common in the states of Hawaii and Florida, as well as on occasion in greenhouses in other states.

 

Biology & Distribution: This tiny ant derives its name from the difficulty in seeing it, due to its small size and the color of its head, thorax and body, which are a deep dark brown with gaster and legs opaque or milky white. The thorax is spineless. Ghost ant cannot adapt to colder climates and are only confined to greenhouses and buildings that provide considerable conditions that allows the species to thrive, this is the reason why these ants are generally found in a warm, humid habitat, and its presence outside of Florida or Hawaii is likely due to infested soils in plants that are shipped. It is primarily an outdoor species, and is highly adaptable in its nesting habits. It builds colonies that may be moderate to large in size. Generally, the colonies occupy local sites that are too small or unstable to support entire large colonies, nesting in virtually any crack or small void it can find, including under bark or in hollow trees, under logs and other debris on the soil. Indoors, the ant colonizes wall void or spaces between cabinets and baseboards. It will also nest in potted plants. Thus, the colonies are broken into subunits that occupy different nest sites.

 

Identification: Workers are very small, only about 1/16th of an inch long and have the habit of running rapidly and erratically when disturbed. This species is closely related to the odorous house ant, and gives off a similar unpleasant odor of rotten coconuts when crushed.

 

Control and Management: The best approach to ghost ant control in the home is cleanliness. Any type of food or food particles can attract and provide food for ants. Store food in tight containers. Elimination of insects that provide protein or honeydew sources reduces ant foraging in an area, and cleanup of unnecessary debris or objects on the soil that provide harborage eliminates nesting. Ant bait products in granular, liquid, or gel formulations can be effective, and protein baits may be preferred. If possible, following the trails of this species back to the nest and treating the nest using a residual dust insecticide, is effective.

Copyright © 2016  ANSLEMONOO5TS CC-BY-SA-4.0

Categories
disease insects mosquitos zika virus

How Serious is the Zika Virus?

I have never heard of this virus before it became popular on the news. Actually, my mother may have warned me about it, but that was awhile ago and since then, I have heard nothing about the virus.

However, judging from the side effects alone, the zika virus seems pretty serious.

  • There is a fever accompanied by a rash,
  • joint pain and
  • red eyes, and
  • there is no vaccine or medicine to remedy this virus!

Although sufferers will very rarely die from the virus, most people are not sick enough to go to the hospital and will usually be bedridden for about a week.

If you are pregnant the virus can cause severe birth defects and cause the child to develop microcephaly. Microcephaly is where the child’s head does not develop fully and is left disproportionately smaller than the rest of the body and can lead to seizures, intellectual disabilities, feeding problems, hearing loss, et cetera. Considering the severity to pregnant women, the zika virus is dangerous, leaving children with permanent damage to their brains and development. When the virus is passed from mother to child, it can be contracted through numerous ways.

A mosquito bite seems to be the most common way to contract the virus, as well as through:

  • sexual contact,
  • blood transfusion and
  • laboratory exposure.

The most affected area is Brazil with thousands of people getting infected and many pregnant women baring babies with microcephaly. Interestingly enough, the first child in North America was born with microcephaly after the mother contracted the zika virus. So it is indeed spreading.

There are ways you can prevent the zika virus from reaching you though. It is recommended to:

  • wear clothing that covers your body,
  • apply insect repellent regularly,
  • if you do not need to go outside, don’t,
  • stay inside in the air conditioning,
  • sleep under a mosquito net if you have one and
  • avoid traveling to areas where cases of the zika virus have been reported.

Although there have not been a large amount of reports in North America of the zika virus, it still could make it’s way across the globe and infect many people. On the other hand, it could just be like the swine flu and die down by next year while pharmaceutical companies try to come up with a vaccine to prevent the zika virus and make some quick cash. The only difference is that pregnant women and their children seem to suffer the most. I suppose we will see in the coming months.

Copyright © 2016  A8IOIK43S8V1N CC-BY-SA-4.0

Categories
carpet beetles insects

Do carpet beetles sting?

First of all, what is a carpet beetle? These are little beetle like insects (in fact they are a type of beetle) from 2 to 4 millimeters in size, that like to live and feed off of dead organic matter, like the natural fibers of wool blankets, feathers, animal hides, carpets, or the carcasses of preserved animals. This makes them a pest in their own right as they can eventually destroy many household items and stored clothing, this is especially true of the larval stage of the insect which is the the one that causes most of the damage these insects produce.

 

Now, the short answer to the question that titles this article, is no, carpet beetles don’t sting or bite, but there is a longer answer to that question which follows. They don’t bite or sting, still that doesn’t mean they don’t produce a reaction that looks a lot like a sting or bite in some people that have developed an allergic response to these insects. Apparently the allergic response is triggered by small hairs in the larval stages of the insect, or even the contact with some shed skins of these larva. People that suffer the allergic reaction report getting multiple itching red welts that can look like a rash on different parts of their skin during sleep, making them believe that this has been some kind of bite or sting, and the most commonly invoked culprit turns out to be another common household pest, the bed bug. Bed bugs do bite as they need to feed off of your blood, just like mosquitoes do, and they do also produce red itching welts caused by the allergic reaction to the saliva and other fluids they inject into the bite. Both bed bugs and carpet beetles are attracted to you while you sleep, by the warmth and CO2 that you expel, so due to the similarities in their habits and reaction by some people they tend to get confused many times.

 

There are important differences between bed bugs and carpet beetles, the most important one being that the method required to eliminate carpet beetles can be a lot lighter on the wallet, while bed bugs usually require some form of professional pest elimination and the professionally hefty price tag that goes with it. Bed bugs are larger in size and easy to detect on or around an infested bed, while carpet beetles are more shy and much harder to find, this is a giveaway of a carpet beetle infestation. The solution for getting rid of carpet beetles usually just requires the thorough cleaning, vacuuming, dry cleaning, etc. (although sometimes just putting the suspect items in full sunlight for a couple of hours can do the job) of the probable sources of food for them, like carpets, blankets, bed sheets, pillows, teddy bears, clothing, animal skins, or animal carcasses or parts that have undergone preservation or taxidermy. The bad news is that carpet beetles actually fly, unlike bed bugs, so they can come flying back in and infest a house again. Vigilance and good housekeeping and regular cleaning is the key. Nevertheless, in a case of heavy infestations the use of pesticides may be necessary.

 

Daniel Barsa

This document is licensed for commercial use with modification.

Categories
ants insects

How can you Protect Yourself against the Ghost Ant?

Ghost ant is small in size and it has a pale bottom and black head. It is also known as black headed ant because it has a black head. Ghost ant is mainly found in places with moisture. These ants enter the house through trees which are in contact with the house. Open areas around the house are also helpful for ghost ants to enter the house.

There are many ways through which these ants could be eliminated. Different types of sprays are available in the market which can be used for elimination of these ants. These sprays are made by using chemicals and mixed with water to use on ghost ants.

Working of sprays

Working of sprays is to make sure that the ants are eliminated. These sprays have elements which are killing the ants slowly. Some ants get infected with the sprays and take the poison with them to the colonies. In this manner all the ants in the colony are affected and killed in some time period.

These sprays are not quick killing as the quick killing is not good for ghost ants. Quick killing sprays are only killing the ants on which the spray is used. It is good to use slow killing sprays so that the poison could be taken by some ants to the colonies and all the ants could be eliminated.

Baiting to kill ghost ants

Baiting is a process in which slow killing items are used for elimination of ants. Baits are using sugars and proteins in order to attract ants. Slow killing items inside the baits are helpful to transfer the poison to the whole colony. Fast killing items are not good in baits as these will not transfer the poison to the whole colony. You can check the working of baits. If the ants are not visiting the bait then you must change the baits in order to make them effective.

If the ants are visiting the baits and killed without transferring the poison to the colony then you must use a reliable slow killing poison. When you are using a reliable slow killing poison then the ants will take the poison to the colony and help in elimination of the whole colony. It is important to make selection of effective items to be used in baits. You must understand the nutritional needs and requirements of ghost ants.

You can use the items inside the bait which will attract the ghost ants. These ants will be fed on the items inside the baits and take the poison to the colony. In this manner all the ants inside the colony will be eliminated. You can place the baits in places which are liked by ghost ants. Those places which have moisture are used and liked by ghost ants. You can place the baits in kitchen and baths in order to target many ants and kill them.  

Copyright © 2016  A6HH5DPZUU5WM CC-BY-SA-4.0

Categories
ants insects

The Basics of Ant Control

When going into battle it is important to know your enemies and ants are no different! As children you have seen these tiny creatures featured in your favorite cartoon or in a book carrying off your favorite picnic food, but in real life these nuisances are anything but cute.  Like they are cutely depicted, ants are social insects working together in a colony much like a platoon. To win the war you must kill the queen ant.

There are different types of ants. Carpenter ants unlike termites chew the wood to make homes but do not use the wood for a food source. Carpenter ants tend to lurk in humid locations with damp wood in beams and foundation. Tiny black ants, when found inside homes are commonly found in kitchen and bathrooms.

The ants want to bring sweet, fatty foods to their dear queen so that they will seek out these foods in our homes. Some make their nests outside of our homes and travel inside for a quick bite like the small black ants or sugar ants as sometimes called. Others, will take up residence in our homes like carpenter ants. Ants leave trails of pheromones to find their trails back to their nest as well as to return to the food source.

There are steps that you can take to prevent an infestation in your home. Keeping surfaces clean and food in airtight containers is very important, because once you have an ant infestation it is very difficult to remove them entirely. Although difficult it is not impossible to rid yourself of these pests. Creating a barrier around pet food that is left out. Rinsing out food containers before throwing them away. Trimming trees and shrubs so that they do not touch your home will help to prevent carpenter ants from entering.  Repairing, caulking and sealing cracks and crevices to block all entry points. Cleaning the entry points with chemicals to prevent the ants from following their pheromone trails. After the entry points are blocked and clean you should spray a non-repellent residual insecticide around the perimeter and entry points. Ant baits are also successful for the ants that have colonized inside of your home.

Finding the ants nests is an important step in ridding yourself from the ants infestation completely. Following the ants trails should assist you in locating their home. You may also set out desirable food to entice the ants. Placing ant baits closest to their ant colonies for the best results in eliminating the queen and killing the colony.

In the event of a major infestation contacting a professional pesticide company is the most important!!

Copyright © 2016  AIZ9X0GIIBY7T CC-BY-SA-4.0

Categories
ants insects

How long can ant pheromone trails remain active?

Ants are social little creatures, and this means ants need a way to effectively communicate with the other ants in their colony. Like many other insects, one of the key ways ants communicate is through pheromones.  When a forager ant finds a good source of food, it will head back to the nest and create a special pheromone trail along the route. The pheromone trail ensures other ants know exactly where dinner can be found, and exactly how to get back home after picking it up.

Some ants species leave pheromone trails that last for just a few minutes, while other species can create trails that last for days. Beyond the ants themselves, the time of year, temperature, humidity, and nearby plants and animals all influence how long a pheromone trail will remain active.

Although finding and eradicating carpenter ants is a notoriously difficult goal for humans, carpenter ants are experts at finding and eradicating sources of food. This is because carpenter ants produce pheromone trails that remain active for several days. In contrast, the pheromone trail of a pavement ant only lasts about 10 minutes, and the pheromone trail of a fire ant lasts about 10 minutes.

Pharaoh ants (sometimes called ‘sugar ants’) have one of the most complicated systems, as they can mark trails with long-term pheromones, short-term pheromones and special negative pheromones. Pharaoh ant foragers mark the main part of a trail with a long-term pheromone that remains active for several days. When a tasty source of food is found along the main route, pharaoh ants release a short-term pheromone which lasts for about 20 minutes. When a food source is depleted or an area becomes dangerous, pharaoh ants quickly shift gears by releasing a negative pheromone by the undesirable trail. These negative pheromones last about two hours, and tell other pharaoh ants to avoid an area.

Although ants will sometimes target the tidiest house, keeping things clean is an important way of keeping away ants. In particular, because pheromone trails signal “food!”, deactivating pheromone trails makes your home desirable to ants.  You can remove pheromone trails by wiping floors, counters and walls with warm water mixed with a household cleaner (read the directions to ensure your cleaner is safe for different surfaces), vinegar (the vinegar will deodorize as it tries) or baking soda. Make this a daily habit if you suspect you have an ant infestation.

Copyright © 2016  AIM0C4PU1ES2V CC-BY-SA-4.0