Is there Lyme Disease in Arizona? YES!

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According to CDC surveillance statistics, only 52 cases of Lyme disease have been reported in Arizona in the past 10 years. These statistics may be misleading. Reported cases reflect the “tip of the iceberg,” or only a fraction of the true cases. The CDC states there are approximately 30,000 reported cases of Lyme in the US, and acknowledges that it is under-reported by 10 fold. This means that there are a minimum of 200,000 cases in the US that meet the CDC standard of diagnosis.

There are over 25 species of ticks in Arizona that may carry Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Tularemia, Babesia and tick fever, as well as Lyme disease. If the tick that bites you is infected, it can inject Lyme bacteria into your bloodstream within hours of attachment. The bacteria can also invade your brain and nervous system in less than 24 hours.

There is a Arizona Lyme Disease Association and is there an answer – YES. As with any wildlife issue, there will almost always be a bug problem. Wildlife can be cute and can also carry diseases and parasites. So why not prevent the issue without harming the wildlife. How is this possible you say? Brochure Tick Control

The mice or ground squirrels enter the box, feed on the non-toxic food and get a combing of fipronil on their fur. They can then carry this back to nest-mates and it absorbs into their skin, killing ticks or fleas that bite and suck their blood.

Here is another article “Lyme Disease in the U.S. is 10-times underreported.”

Certified Installers by State

Rodents aren’t just a problem in NYC, how about Arizona?

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“Harlem says rats to blame for telephone woes“, you may think they have their issues and yes they do but we also have issues with rodents. There was a issue a year or so ago where rabbits were chewing/gnawing on vehicle wiring and that can be a real headache if you need your car in a hurry.

The front incisors of rodents never stop growing, In fact, continuously growing front teeth is a trait shared by all rodents from the tiniest mouse to the largest rodent. Observing mice & rats who have nothing to gnaw upon, its been found that these incisors can grow up to five inches per year.
Rats have strong teeth that allow them to chew through glass, cinderblock, wire, aluminum and lead.
Rodents need to chew four to five hours each day just to keep their teeth gnawed down to the point that they are able to eat. If their teeth grow too long they will die of starvation.
There is a very high sodium content in electrical and cable wiring. This makes the wires taste good to the rodents, but can lead to wire failure & is a fire hazard. Check your home-owner’s insurance policies to see if it covers fire if it is a result of rodents chewing on wires.

Photo – Univar Environmental Solutions

My Top 3 reasons why you need pest control, or do you?

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Pest control isn’t always needed at your home, but if you have issues you can either take care of it yourself or hire a Professional. I have written numerous home seals that categorically point out the advantages of hiring a pro for that job. There are those that believe that no matter the circumstance, it isn’t necessary to hire a professional. Here are the facts as I see them:

You may need experience and expertise.
Remember Bubonic Plague, Hanta Virus and other diseases are still present in the U.S. – “Rabbit test positive for Tularemia in Pueblo West, CO.”
Not every job can be accomplished by stepping on the bug.

See I told you this was going to happen!

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This whole mess with the economy continues to add woe after woe to those you can’t or won’t follow good rules. Now if you can’t afford it then the City has to do something (remember when they cut the ranks of sanitation workers), don’t get me wrong if money is tight you have to cut things. Can’t cut Police or the Fire Departments, or the water department – well you get the picture.

An Eyesore Like No Other In Bronx: Tree Grows Through Dilapidated Home

Hey, you talkin to me?

Somebody is becoming quite the eating machine.

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Our resident and pet snake has decided to be more of a pig recently – she will eat every day if I fed her that often. I fed her twice within the last few weeks and she is content to eat and shed often. She came to us about 5 years ago, from a linen store here in Phoenix. They thought she was a rattlesnake because she mimics the tail vibrating – she is a Gopher snake. This picture above is rather unusual in that she decided to eat the rodent back to front, normally they go after the head and then swallow.

What could ruin your business faster than bugs?

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Rodents, I just can’t imagine any business these days thinking that they could avoid Professional Pest Control. Nothing and I mean nothing could ruin your reputation than a picture or complaint from a customer. But everyday it appears that business people just don’t care. This story out of Tucson represents my point – “Kitchen Cops – Thai restaurant bugs Pima County Health Department“. Every county these days has a health department to protect the public but I guess it just doesn’t matter. What say you?

Some people are just amazing, aren’t they?

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Some people are just plain out there, now I know what happens when someone really ticks you off and you want revenge. I believe in Karma, sometimes you just have to wait and see what happens but getting even doesn’t really help. Not that I know for sure about this. “Main Line Realtor fired for (Alleged) rodent dumping“. (Alleged) keep that in mind – I don’t suggest doing this, remember there are cameras everywhere.

Liphatech Updates Vet Guide

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http://www.liphatech.com/Documents/US/Literature/vet_guide_all.pdf

One of the most informative guides I have ever run across, I keep one at home and one at my desk. Accidental exposure to rodenticides occasionally happen and when it does you need a guide to help you through the issue.

Even the smallest can cause BIG issues, can’t they?

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“Rodents cause widespread phone and Internet outages“

So something as small as a mouse caused some issues with power and the internet in Bozeman, WY recently. It is really important that we keep out rodents, they gnaw on wires are may cause up to 20% of home fires.

This picture from Univar, clearly indicates that mice or rats love to chew pipes or cables, if this had been inside an attic it could have caused a serious fire or explosion.

Now not only do wildlife/animals not have a place within your home, but if you do allow them access into your home seconday pests also may cause issues. Mites, fleas and ticks and all kinds of parasites may decide to bite you instead. So the simple answer is – keep those pests out!

Diseases are all around us, what can you do to prevent them?

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New cases of things that you probably thought were gone rebound from time to time. California has recently issued a notice about Bubonic Plague from the Sacramento Bee by Bill Lindelof “El Dorado warns of plague danger, urges avoidance of rodents“.

Every once in awhile we run across Hanta Virus or the Plague here in Arizona, the risk is really an issue in places where deer mice or rodents are on the run.

So what do you do?

Seal up holes in you home, don’t let the rodents in.
Check your home monthly for issues.
If you notice rodent droppings, use care in cleaning them up and try to figure out how they are getting in.
Don’t allow trees to touch your home, it makes a great highway for all type of things.
Don’t store stuff against the outside of the home.
If you have a cabin, use care in cleaning up – dust and urine can become airborne and can carry all sorts of stuff.

Picture provided by Univar

All posts in “rodents”

“Rodents cause widespread phone and Internet outages“