Now that the long dog days of summer are finally here, are you itching to get outside and start enjoying the great outdoors? Barbeques, pool parties, camping, and baseball are as synonymous with outdoor summer play as mosquito bites and tick alerts.
Though most of us probably don't give them much more than a second thought, mosquitoes and ticks can cause serious problems. World-wide, mosquitoes are one of the main culprits behind the spread of endemic disease such as yellow fever and malaria. In the United States, they are commonly associated with the spread of West Nile Virus and encephalitis, while ticks are known to transmit Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
In most cases, these bugs won't be anything more than an inconvenient nuisance, but it's smart to be aware of the problems they can potentially cause. Avoid becoming a statistic by learning how to recognize symptoms of infections and better yet, how to prevent mosquitoes and ticks from ever finding you in the first place.
Mosquitoes
Prevalent throughout the United States, mosquitoes cause several types of disease including West Nile Virus, encephalitis, dog heartworm, and malaria. World-wide, mosquitoes are responsible for more human deaths than any other pest.
Prevention and control of mosquitoes:
- Mosquitoes are attracted to heat, carbon dioxide and light. They develop in areas of standing water or where moisture is very high.
- Keep water fixtures such as birdbaths and fish ponds clean, and add elements that keep the water moving, such as a fountain if possible.
- Clean gutters regularly to avoid trapping water and creating areas where mosquitoes will potentially develop.
- Maintain lawns and gardens to avoid having overgrown areas with lots of trapped moisture where mosquitoes are likely to develop.
- Contact a pest control expert if you suspect you have a mosquito infestation.
Mosquito-borne Diseases
West Nile Virus - Typically surfacing in late summer and early fall, West Nile is caused by mosquitoes feeding on infected birds, and then passing the virus to humans and other animals through the saliva they inject with their bites. The virus travels through the bloodstream to the brain where it interferes with the central nervous system, causing swelling of the brain tissue. Symptoms are typically mild and include fever, headache, and fatigue, but severe cases can develop into encephalitis, meningitis, paralysis or rarely, death. West Nile is typically mild, but it can take a person several months to recover. Other viruses spread by mosquitoes include malaria, yellow fever, and dengue fever, all of which are rare in the United States but common in tropical areas around the world.
Learn about Western Pest's Mosquito Reduction Program
Keeping your gutters free of debris can also help prevent mosquitoes from developing-be sure to ask about our gutter cleaning services.
Ticks
Closely related to spiders, ticks are blood-feeding parasites typically found in shaded and protected areas such as wooded lots, forests, or places with low-growing brushy vegetation. Unable to fly, they attach themselves to passing animals or people where they may linger for several days, feeding slowly until they are engorged and then falling off. Like mosquitoes, they transmit disease through their saliva as they feed.
There are many types of ticks throughout the world, but in North America, the ticks most commonly found are the Deer Tick and the Brown Dog Tick.
Preventing tick bites
- Avoid tick habitats
- Wear light colored clothing; tucking pant legs into socks, shirts into pants
- When returning indoors perform a cursory examination on all exposed areas and clothing to determine if a tick is present
- When hiking, walk in the center of the trail to avoid overhanging grasses, weeds, and brush.
Removing ticks
If a tick is found, and it is embedded in the skin:
- Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick firmly by the head and pull directly upward with steady, even force
- Avoid twisting or squeezing the tick, which can puncture the tick's body, because its body fluids may contain infectious organisms
- After removing the tick, wash and disinfect the site and wash both hands thoroughly
- Save the tick in a small, sealed vial or jar for later reference in case an illness develops
Tick-borne diseases
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF)-The most severe disease transmitted by ticks, RMSF causes several symptoms including fever, nausea, headache, muscle and joint pain, vomiting, diarrhea and most notably, its namesake rash consisting of small red spots and blotches that begin on the wrists, ankles, palms, and soles. Most prevalent between April and September, the disease is severe enough that the majority of those infected require hospitalization.
Lyme disease-A distinct bulls-eye shaped rash is often a good indicator of Lyme disease, although it is not necessarily a symptom which always appears. Lyme disease initially produces fever, weakness, headache, chills, and muscle and joint pain, but exhibits later symptoms that include arthritis or meningitis. In the United States, most cases of Lyme disease occur in southern New England, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the northern Pacific coast.