Can Insects Transmit Coronavirus?

Coronavirus is not spread by mosquito bites. Learn more from Active Pest Control in Atlanta GA.Here at Active Pest Control, we are closely monitoring the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) situation and continue to focus on our commitment to protecting our communities. In the midst of this pandemic, there are endless questions surrounding the nature of the virus, including how it is spread. Data and information is changing daily, but to date, there is no evidence or proof to suggest that mosquitoes and ticks transmit COVID-19. These vector pests are infamous for transmitting diseases worldwide, but coronaviruses are not one of them.

With information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (the CDC), we’ll explore the differences between vector-borne diseases and COVID-19 to help dispel myths about transmission in these uncertain times.

What are Vector-Borne Diseases?

Ticks and mosquitoes are vector pests, AKA organisms that transmit diseases to humans. These two insects in particular are infamous for their roles in the transmission of many critical diseases around the globe. Mosquitoes are tied to some of the world’s most dangerous diseases including malaria, Zika virus, West Nile virus, chikungunya, yellow fever, and more. Ticks are responsible for the transmission of Lyme disease, which is the most common vector-borne disease in our nation.

Can Mosquitoes and Ticks Carry Coronavirus?

Coronavirus is not a disease spread by vector pests. It is important to keep the following facts in mind:

  • The new coronavirus is a respiratory virus that, to date, is spread through person-to-person contact. 
  • COVID-19 spreads through droplets from saliva or nasal discharge, often generated when an infected person sneezes or coughs. It can also be transmitted via contact with a contaminated surface.
  • SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) and now COVID-19 are zoonotic coronaviruses – viruses that have jumped the species barrier from their normal animal hosts to humans.

What to Remember

With the weather warming up, it’s understandable that people are concerned about disease transmission from insects, mosquitoes especially. However, there is currently no scientific reason to believe these vector pests can transmit coronaviruses. As always, it’s important to take caution in the presence of pests and to always enlist the help of a professional exterminator to take care of the situation for you. The Active Pest Control team is here for you during these uncertain times.

With the safety of our communities in mind, we encourage our customers to seek more information and follow guidelines released by the WHO, CDC, as well as your state and local public health agencies.

Prominent Pests in 2020

Prominent pests in 2020 in the Atlanta area - Active Pest Control When it comes to protecting your family and home against pests, hindsight doesn’t have to be 20/20 this year. Active Pest Control is helping homeowners prepare for the upcoming pest season by offering insights into anticipated pest activity. 

The experts at Active Pest Control have used their field experiences and examined trends and company data to determine these six pest predictions. Along with the predictions, we are offering quick tips for homeowners to help keep their homes pest-free* in 2020.

Mice

Warmer than usual winters over the past several years may be to blame for increased mouse populations. With warmer weather predicted for the winter of 2020, mice will continue to reproduce at an alarming rate, which is bad news for homeowners. Mice are year-round pests that invade homes looking for food and shelter to nest. 

Homeowner Tips:  Mice can squeeze through openings the size of a dime. Gaps under garage doors, door frames, windows, or pipes and cables that penetrate your house are large enough for mice to gain entry. Rodent-proof your home by sealing small cracks and crevices with a silicone-based caulk. Exterior gaps of ¼-inch or larger can be repaired with copper mesh, hardware cloth or metal flashing. 

Stinging Pests

Alternating climates cause rippling effects in the pest world, and with mild weather, experts are seeing more yellow jacket and hornet nests. Female yellow jackets and hornets can successfully overwinter in freezing temperatures and will invade structures and manmade or natural voids. When the weather warms up in spring, stinging insects will emerge from their hiding places, ready to start populations earlier in the year.

Homeowner Tips: Since stinging insects can overwinter, they may be out and about at the first sign of warmer weather. Stay alert and look for stinging pests, utilizing a professional pest control service as soon as you spot activity. 

Ticks

With outdoor activities, like hiking and camping on the rise, and years of warming winters, humans and their pets may come into contact with ticks more frequently in 2020. The deer tick or black-legged tick, the Lone Star tick, and the American dog tick are ticks of special concern. Nearly 50,000 cases of human tick-borne diseases such as Lyme Disease,  Ehrlichiosis, and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever were reported in 2018. Pets are also at risk for some of these diseases. 

Homeowner Tips:  When spending time outdoors, wear an EPA-approved insect repellent. It’s also a good idea to wear long pants, long-sleeved shirts, and socks, in areas where ticks may be active. Perform tick checks on yourself and any family members, including pets, after spending time outdoors.

Mosquitoes

If you noticed more mosquitoes this past year, it wasn’t your imagination. If we have another relatively warm, wet winter and spring, mosquito populations could increase by late spring and early summer.  Areas of the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest are predicted to have above-average rainfall, while most of the U.S. is predicted to be warmer than average this winter. 

Homeowner Tips: With an increase in mosquitoes comes the risk of mosquito-borne diseases, such as the  Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) reported in 2019. To protect yourself and your family, eliminate standing water from your property and always wear an EPA-approved insect repellent when spending time outdoors. 

Termites

Termites cause over $6 billion in damage every year in the United States.  According to experts, the two main weather factors that affect termite populations are temperature and rainfall. With wetter and warmer weather predicted for spring, the termite swarming season will be ramping up soon. 

Homeowner Tips:  To deter termites, eliminate earth to wood contact and avoid moisture accumulation near your home or structures’ foundation. Since termites can cause such extensive damage, raising homeowner awareness around the need for proactive protection for their homes is critical to prevent costly repairs.

At Active Pest Control, our experts agree that the first step any homeowner can take to prevent pest issues is to have a proactive approach to pest control.  With these 2020 pest predictions in mind, utilize the new year to evaluate your current pest control plan and ensure that you have the coverage you need to protect yourself and your family from pests in 2020.

 

West Nile Virus in Knox County

West Nile virus is something that needs to be addressed, and addressed, and addressed! You see, mosquitoes are not, unfortunately, going to disappear overnight. And unless you want to move to Greenland or the Arctic’s, then mosquitoes are a fact of life anywhere and anytime that the weather is warm. What’s sad is that there are many people who still, no matter how many times they hear it, don’t take mosquito control and prevention seriously.

Mosquitoes and the illnesses that they carry are so serious, in fact, that health departments and agencies are monitoring areas here in Tennessee, as well as all over our nation for the presence of illnesses, such as West Nile virus. The lab results at the end of September 2015, confirmed the presence of West Nile virus (WNV) in three areas of Knox County, Tennessee. Following a protocol set forth by the United States Center for Disease Control, the Knox County health Department sprayed the affected areas to reduce the mosquito population and the risk of the WNV spreading to humans.

The Center Disease Control (CDC), publishes and puts forth these following general protective measures for limiting mosquito exposure:

  • Avoid areas with outbreaks. The CDC has a Travelers’ Health website that provides updates on regional disease transmission patterns and outbreaks.
  • Be aware if peak exposure times and places. Peak mosquito time of the day is the cooler twilight periods of the day (dawn and dusk). Try to be extra prepared for these times. Avoiding the outdoors or taking appropriate preventative actions, like wearing insect repellent, can help to reduce the risk of being bite. Avoid all tall grass, woodlands or other highly vegetative and wet areas.
  • Wear appropriate clothing. Cover as much skin as possible. Wear light colored, long sleeved shirts, boots, long pants, and hats. Tuck your shirts and socks into your pants to keep mosquitoes and other biting insects off your body. For extra added protection clothing and camping gear can be treated with Permethrin. Treating with Permethrin repels and kills ticks, chiggers, mosquitoes, and other biting insects.

For more information about mosquito prevention advice from the CDC visit their website here.

Keeping the mosquito population at a minimum in your yard can be achieved by following a few preventative steps and utilizing our residential pest control plan, The Active Pest Control Complete plan. This plan will not only gives you all the year-round solutions for common household pests, but it also includes the monitoring and control of rodents, installation of the Sentricon® Termite Colony Elimination System™ with Always Active Pest Control Technology termite bait, and the application of seasonal mosquito reduction services (April – October). These few easy steps can also help keep mosquitoes away:

  • Allow nothing to collect water- no tires, buckets, toys or flower pots because mosquitoes lay eggs in stagnant water.
  • Keep gutters and all water shedding systems working properly to move water quickly away from your home and property.
  • At least once a week empty all standing water from landscaping and bird baths.
  • Fill in low areas on your property to keep mud puddles at a minimum.

Mosquitoes and WNV are a concern that everyone needs to take seriously. It’s time that you called the professionals here at Active Pest Control and seriously get a handle on the mosquito situation in your yard and on your property.

West Nile Virus Confirmed In Avondale

It has been a well-known fact for quite some time that mosquitoes are carriers of the sometimes deadly West Nile virus. Most people that contact this virus from the bite of an infected mosquito never show symptoms, while others may exhibit fairly mild symptoms like headache, sore muscles and joints, and a rash. But for others who show more severe signs, including neurological symptoms, 10% will die. At Active Pest Control, we aren’t telling you these facts to scare you, but rather to inform you so that you can take the necessary steps to protect yourself and your family.

An important update, as reported by CBS news about the West Nile virus, is that it has been detected in mosquitoes living around Lake Avondale, Georgia; and unfortunately in August of this year a person tested positive for the virus. This person is the first documented human case of the virus in Georgia. This fact should make everyone stop, think, and realize that this isn’t just an abstract news story, that you really are at risk of being infected with the West Nile virus.

When it comes to the West Nile virus and mosquitoes there is both good news and bad news. The bad news is that there is currently no medication or vaccine on the market to prevent the virus from being contracted. The good news is that there are medications available to help relieve the symptoms- especially if caught early enough. Also, there are several things you can do to help lower the risk of mosquitoes biting you; and, in turn, you contracting the virus.

Mosquito prevention tips from the experts at Active Pest Control include:

  • When spending time outdoors make sure to use an insect repellent. Insect repellents that contain DEET are most effective at deterring mosquitoes.
  • Wear loose-fitting, light colored clothing. Limit your skin exposure by wearing long sleeves and long pants.
  • Reduce areas of standing water around your home; mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water. Make sure that gutters are unclogged, store wheel barrow, buckets, and other containers that can collect water upside down, fix low lying areas on your property, and empty and re-fill water bowls for your pets on a daily basis.
  • Mosquitoes are most active at dusk and dawn, during the heat of the day they tend to hide in overgrown grasses and other areas. Limit activity during their active periods to reduce your risk of being bitten.
  • Limit the amount of flowering plants that you have on your property, keep them from becoming overgrown. Mosquitoes also feed on the sweet nectar of flowering plants.
  • To protect you and your family from becoming a mosquitoes’ midnight snack, make sure that in-tact screens are placed in windows and doors; and that any spaces found around windows and doors are caulked shut.

Along with taking the above precautions, implementing a mosquito control program, like the one offered at Active Pest Control, can help to greatly reduce the number of mosquitoes calling your property their home. At Active Pest Control, our comprehensive mosquito management programs includes an inspection of your property and effective mosquito treatments that reduce mosquito breeding and resting areas on your property!

For more information about mosquitoes, the West Nile virus, and how Active Pest Control can help contact us today!

 

Mosquito Season Has Arrived In Macon

Who doesn’t love warm weather? Okay, so we know not everyone’s a fan but it’s such a great time of year. There is one downside though, it means mosquito season has arrived. These pesky bugs are relentless in Macon once the warm weather hits and unfortunately multiply quickly. What’s worse, you really can’t prevent mosquitoes from venturing onto your property.

Mosquitoes are considered one of the most dangerous animals in the world because of the diseases they spread. Here in Georgia, we don’t really have to worry about Malaria like in other countries but West Nile virus is a concern when you find yourself covered in mosquito bites. Click here to learn more about the West Nile virus.

Though you cannot stop mosquitoes flying in, you can reduce the mosquito population and the threat to your health. Standing water is ground zero for mosquito breeding. Even just the tiniest bit of water will allow females to lay their eggs. You can go on the offense this summer by eliminating potential breeding sites. This means removing or fixing any area that allows water to accumulate or become stagnant. Drainage ditches, clogged gutters, wading pools, bird baths, and even old tires hanging around are all potential sites that need to be attended to.

To keep mosquitoes out of your home, you should make sure all windows and doors are kept closed. Don’t forget to check your screens, they should be free of rips and tears.

You should also protect yourself from mosquito bites. Wear long sleeved shirts and pants if you’re spending time outside. We know that this just seems wrong when it’s t-shirt, shorts and flip-flop season but it will help you avoid itchy bites. You might also use a bug spray that contains DEET on your clothes to repel these bugs.

One last tip… Call Active Pest Control to protect your family from mosquitoes this mosquito season. Our mosquito control program is your greatest defense against mosquitoes and includes a thorough inspection and treatment for adult mosquitoes as well as breeding sites. Contact us today to learn more about mosquitoes and how we can help you make the most of your summer.

Mosquito Bites: How To Avoid Them

It’s that all about that buzz, about that buzz. This sound is all too common an occurrence. You know what I mean. You and your family head outside for some fun in the sun when you suddenly remember why people screen in their porches. Mosquitoes. Even if they didn’t, bite, I think that they would still drive us nuts with the noise and the hovering around. Annoying and dangerous, these stealth and persistent pest are #1 on the list of things that you want to avoid when you are outside.

Although it is all but impossible to completely rid yourself of these wearisome insects, there are a few things that you can do to protect yourself and your loved ones from being their victims as much. Here are some of the more popular ways that you can do just that.

Remove all standing water in and around your property. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water. They are not picky about whether it’s a naturally occurring vessel of water or not. The amount of time from egg to actual mosquito varies per variety of mosquito as well as with the temperature, but some have as short as a 4 day period and others as long as 2-3 weeks. This is why it is very important to keep the amount of standing water to an absolute minimum. They will lay eggs in such familiar places as:

  • Buckets of any shape or style
  • Children’s toys
  • Lawn furniture
  • Mud puddles
  • Bird baths
  • Landscaping ponds
  • Kiddie pools
  • Drainage ditches

Keep grass, trees and shrubbery trimmed nice and short. By keeping up with the standing water you have less eggs being laid on your property and you will certainly have less mosquitoes around to be hiding in the long grass and over grown vegetation and trees. These shady and cool areas are where they like to hide during the hot and sunny part of the day. Being the least active during the hottest part of the day, this is where they lie in wait for you or their next meal to come to them. As soon as the sun starts to go down in the sky, out the come. Morning, and twilight are the times when they are most active. If they have less bunkers to hide out in, then you will have less mosquitoes around in their active times.

Wear protective clothing and or insect repellant. Covering up as much of your skin as possible lessens the area that they can bite. Use insect repellant every time you go outside. The most effective repellant will have DEET as the active ingredient. Follow all product directions carefully. DEET is a chemical and there are certain steps to take to using it correctly and safely. We recommend speaking with your doctor if you have questions about choosing or applying repellant.

Mosquitoes and mosquito borne diseases cause more human suffering than any other organism. They are a universal problem. Here are some of the diseases that they can carry:

And, believe it or not there are more. Protecting yourself and your family from these disease carrying pests is very important. The best way to know that you are doing all you can do is to have a mosquito abatement program in place during mosquito season. Here at Active Pest Control we take this task seriously. Just because mosquitoes are a common pest, doesn’t mean that they aren’t dangerous. If you have had enough with dealing with the buzz of mosquitoes than its time bring out the best tool for the job, contact us here at Active Pest Control.

 

What If We Worked Together To Rid The World Of Mosquitoes?

I’m fairly confident that no one likes to be bitten by mosquitoes. That goes without saying. But there are far worse reasons to hate those little blood suckers than an irritating sting. Mosquitoes spread disease as they feed. If it sticks its needle into a disease-carrying animal and then pokes it into your neck, it can transfer that disease to you. They are known to spread Malaria, chikungunya, dog heartworm, dengue, yellow fever, eastern equine encephalitis, human encephalitis, and other viruses.

What can anyone do about mosquitoes?

It may seem like a battle that can’t be won, but this is not entirely true. You may not be able to keep all mosquitoes off your property, but you can reduce populations and make your yard resistant to breeding.

There is no shortage of mosquitoes in the South, but you can reduce their impact on you. Modern pest management companies like Active Pest Control have treatments that kill mosquito eggs on lawns, shrubs and other greenery. This treatment kills mosquitoes on contact and bonds to foliage so eggs cannot be left in your yard to hatch when it rains. Shortly after this solution is applied, your family and pets are free to enjoy the yard–with a whole lot fewer mosquitoes to worry about.

Complete mosquito protection requires more than just a lawn treatment.

A professional like Active Pest Control will also help you get rid of wet areas where water collects, clutter in your yard that holds water, and obstructions in your gutter system that give mosquitoes a place to breed.

Can you imagine a world with a lot fewer mosquitoes?

A typical female mosquito will not fly more than 1.5 miles for a blood meal. If enough people in your neighborhood were to get their yards protected, your mosquito population would be zero. We’re a ways from that, but you’ll notice a difference even if you only worry about your own lawn.

Reduce the mosquitoes on your property, and protect your family from mosquito-spread disease. If we all do our part, we can keep our neighborhoods mosquito free. Spread the word.