All posts in “WNV”

Pandemic – How close are we?

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Pandemic

Just what exactly is a Pandemic, according to Wikipedia – an epidemic of infectious disease that has spread through human populations across a large region; for instance multiple continents, or even worldwide. One of the most devastating pandemics was the Black Death, killing over 75 million people in 1350 caused by fleas carried by rats or gerbils (new information). Mosquitoes continue to kill over 1 million people each year and have killed more people than anything else.

pandemic

pandemic

I don’t want to be the doomsayer, but the World is a scary place these days. Maybe more scary than the days of duck and cover which I don’t think I ever did in school. We did have Fallout Shelters in our school and I recall them being stocked with food and water. I also need to stop watching those shows on TV like “How the World will End”. What scares me the most is the ability of some to get their hands on weapons, like the IED in Manchester? Is it possible to acquire something and infect mosquitoes and to then transmit it to humans. As Rodney King said “Can’t we all get along”? I’m trying hard to not get political and in this day when people don’t just have ideas but are willing to fight in an instant instead of debating the virtues of their opinion.

Are we the smartest?

We are the smartest on this planet and yet often times the most opinionated and less likely to concede that our thoughts could be wrong. How will it end? I don’t know but anything could spark that moment – a trigger on the bomb, someone with a pandemic and the ability to spread it or as

Abraham Lincoln said “…At what point, then, is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.”

The Doomsday Clock is set to – two and a half minutes to midnight, the Clock is ticking, global danger looms.

Mosquito question?

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So when is the best time to kill a mosquito, is it when they are an egg, larva, pupa or adult? Well the clue is right above, the best time is when they are in the water as larva or pupa. The worst time is when they are when the adults are flying all over the place, then you have to track them down when they are in mode of biting. While they are in the water they are virtually captive within that body of water, we are talking about free standing no movement water. If the water is moving such as a fountain or stream, then the larva or pupa can’t breath – the constant wave action hinders their breathing tubes from functioning.

I prefer the mosquito dunks, bacillus thuringiensis. Can be placed in stagnate or non-moving water with ho harm to other animals. Can be used in known water areas and begin to work when water accumulates. Can be used in flower pots, tree holes, bird baths, roof gutters, rain barrels and many other spots that may hold water.

Now don’t be confused when you see those giant mosquito looking things, those are really Crane Flies. Crane Flies are found throughout the world and the adults have a lifespan of 10-15 days. So just as you are about to call they will be gone.

Mosquito versus Crane Fly

Mosquito versus Crane Fly

The war on bugs, whose winning?

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“Entomologists study ways to kill urban pests”  Why is this important, I’ll point out some remarks made in this story. Please read the story lots of great information.

  1. “There is definitely an economic impact to bed bug infestation,” Romero said.
  2. Psychological effects are often underestimated. Romero said having bed bugs can cause sleeplessness and anxiety.
  3. There is concern over chemicals in insecticides that could be harmful to humans, but Romero said they must be used properly and according to procedures.

Here are some factors that I see and read daily.

  1. Hanta Virus (weekly reports)
  2. Bubonic Plague
  3. WNV (West Nile Virus) from mosquitoes also Malaria or Dengue Fever from around the world
  4. Africanized Bees
  5. Ticks (Lyme Disease)
  6. Assassin bugs (Chagas Disease)

So as we continue the fight against those bugs/insects/pests that can kill us if not kept in check, new manufacturing continues to create new molecules to destroy those killers. What can you do?

  • Check your home monthly.
  • Keep trees and shrubs trimmed and away from your house.
  • Repair screens and keep doors closed.
  • When traveling – keep an eye out for various bugs like Bed Bugs.
  • If you encounter a pest, do some investigation and have it checked – don’t panic.

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Promoting the proper use and handling of pesticides

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I ran across some great information (BASF ran a home seal) and wanted to pass it along as it pertains to all you Do IT Yourselfers (DIY) pest control folks. The pest control industry is regulated and yes, I know there are some out there that just can’t seem to be honest and ethical about it. The use of pesticides – read the Label and understand before you use it, the Safety Data Sheets (SDS) or (MSDS) and all use directions.

So here is the homeowner site from “Pesticide Environmental Stewardship” site. You know my stance on the use of pesticides, they are essential to our lives. There are some that would argue and honestly I’m sorry that they just don’t understand the big picture. Without pesticides death would constantly be knocking at our doors. I’m not kidding we often hear of Hanta Virus and Bubonic Plague here in Arizona. Even West Nile Virus (WNV) rears its ugly head occasionally and in others states Lyme Disease.  There are some that advocate oils and organics (if you want to argue – put your money where your mouth is and send me some to test – has to be labelled for scorpions) but they in general just don’t hold up long enough. If my tests are proved wrong I’ll tell you about it. We have scorpions in Arizona and in a perfect world we could exclude homes and do other things to keep them out and by the way we do that with home-seals. But not everyone has that kind of money, wish they did. I advocate Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and prefer to do our work from outside (trying to limit the amount of pesticides within homes and if possible outside as well).

Don’t get me wrong here; I don’t advocate power spraying unless there is a need. We do it every once in a while on ticks but if possible we recommend that the pets to get properly treated and try to solve the issues to the benefit of our customers. That is the reason why we are members of PESP and QualityPro, to protect and serve our customers from the bugs that might be harmful and nasty.

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Ingenuity Abounds in pest control

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Ingenuity Abounds in pest control!

 

OK we are a week away from the end of all time, the Mayan calendar says December 21, 2012 is the end. So what do you think? I guess we will all know it next Saturday. So what exactly is pest control all about – my personal opinion is that we are the Protectors of Public Health. Just like the crab above, we have to adapt to the change and continue our quest to challenge ourselves. So ingenuity needs to advance as the potential of bugs also expands. Remember the article on Stink bugs, they have spread across the US since the 1990’s and I don’t think this is the end of the invasion of the bugs. New pesticides and termiticides continue to be created to prevent damage and death. New techniques and equipment are being invented and ProBest Pest Management continues to investigate the possibility of use.

What you don’t know – could KILL you!

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What you don’t know – could KILL you!

 

I love home seals, you can get information in a manner that is easy to read and categorized to whatever genre you want or need. For example this home seal tries to relate the stories that might influence you daily about bugs, obviously you don’t come to this home seal to learn about food or restaurants. I glean the stories from the internet that I think could affect us in our day to days lives. Examples – http://naturalunseenhazards.wordpress.com/ this home seal is for people like wildlife professionals, hunters, camper and hikers; I also enjoy reading this home seal http://www.successful-home seal.com/ it gives me assistance in writing and topics; I also try to stop by http://www.pestcemetery.com each week because my friend Jerry Schappert writes about pest control. So why all the who ha, because within the last month several stories scared me to death almost?

Hantavirus outbreak at Yosemite National Park

Second case of bubonic plague in the West has been confirmed — in a girl in Colorado

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 2012 has been the worst year for the West Nile virus since 2003.

Your Pest Control company is the front line to keeping those bugs that could harm you at bay – maybe we should have a “Pest Control Technician Day” or “Hug your Technician Day”.

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