How to Tell if Professional Mosquito Control is Right for You

How to Tell if Professional Mosquito Control is Right for You

If you can’t enjoy your backyard for more than a few minutes without getting bitten by mosquitoes, that might be a sign that it’s time to secure professional mosquito treatment. Mosquitoes are at their peak in activity as we enter the long, hot, final days of summer. For Tennessee homeowners, mosquitoes can become a big problem, as they can transmit disease and ruin summer fun. The good news is that professional mosquito treatment can be highly effective and let you get back to enjoying your summertime activities.

 

Peak Mosquito Season

Late summer is full-on mosquito season. There has been plenty of time for mosquitoes to lay eggs and for those to hatch and become adult mosquitoes, who are also laying their eggs. If they’ve found a nice bit of water in your yard, they may be relentless with their attack on your property and family. Late morning and early evening can be unbearable, as mosquitoes are typically active and biting during this time.

 

Problems Mosquitoes Bring to Tennessee

Mosquitos are vectors for various diseases from Zika Virus to West Nile Virus. There is no way to tell from looking at a mosquito or its bite whether a mosquito is infected or not. This makes all mosquitoes a problem. Even if mosquitoes weren’t disease carriers, their bites are irritating and unwanted. Some people only have a mild reaction, resulting in a small itchy bump on their skin that lasts a few hours. Others can develop large welts that last for days, causing itching that is so bad that scratching the bites can cause infection and scars.

 

Signs That it’s Time for Professional Treatment 

If you find yourself going back inside a few minutes after going outside because mosquitoes are attacking, it may be time to call a professional. If your children return from playing outdoors with bites all over, it’s time. If you can see mosquitoes swarming around your hedges, pool, or the perimeter of your property, call for treatment.

 

How Professional Mosquito Treatment Works    

At Russell’s Pest Control, we take a three-step approach to reducing mosquitoes on your Tennessee property. Initially, our technician will inspect your property and identify the locations where mosquitoes are likely to breed and hide. Next, treatments are applied to the targeted areas, including hiding spots and breeding sites. Finally, follow up treatments will continue monthly through mosquito season to ensure continuing protection. Contact us to schedule your consultation, or to begin treatment, so you can enjoy the remaining summer days mosquito free!  

Why Professional Treatment Is Worth It For Mosquitoes In Tennessee

Why Professional Treatment Is Worth It For Mosquitoes In Tennessee

You make yourself a sweet tea, grab your current paperback, and head to your backyard patio to enjoy an hour in the warm sun. But before you get settled, you feel a tickle on your leg and have to swat a mosquito away. You read a sentence and feel another tickle on your arm. Swat. You take a sip of tea and hear a buzzing in your ear. Swat. Before you know it, you’ve been chased back into your house by a swarm of hungry mosquitoes. If this scenario sounds all too familiar, you’ll want to know why professional treatment is worth it for mosquitoes in Tennessee.

When Mosquitoes Become Active

Mosquitoes are cold-blooded creatures, so they can’t handle cold temperatures. Some die off and some hibernate through the colder winter months, but either way, when spring arrives and the weather heats up, they become active again.

Spring is also the time of year when mosquito eggs that were laid in the fall can begin to hatch. All they need is a warm temperature and a covering of water, which is easily provided by a spring rainfall.

Why You Don’t Want Mosquitoes Bugging You

Everyone can agree that mosquitoes are annoying. They buzz in your ears and drive you crazy with their bites that leave behind itchy welts. But there’s more to worry about than a few bug bites.

Mosquitoes are dangerous. In fact, mosquitoes are the deadliest animal in the world. Thankfully, they’re not the deadliest animal in the United States, but they still cause deaths and plenty of illnesses each year in the US. Mosquitoes are responsible for the transmission of diseases such as West Nile Virus, Zika Virus, Dengue Fever, and Malaria. Although most mosquito bites turn out to be a simple annoyance, you never know if it is an infected mosquito that is leaving the bite.

Why Professional Treatment is Worth It for Mosquitoes in Tennessee

There’s really no way to completely eliminate mosquitoes from your Tennessee yard. You can try all the DIY methods you can think of; reducing standing water, using citronella, planting mosquito-repelling plants, setting up a screened-in porch, etc., and while their numbers may be slightly reduced, you’ll still have plenty of mosquitoes to deal with.

With mosquito control from Russell’s Pest Control, we take care of the areas you can’t. Our pest control technicians are trained to understand the habits of mosquitoes. We know where they breed and we know where they hide. When you hire us, we do a detailed inspection of your property to find these areas. We then treat them so that mosquitoes can no longer use them.

We offer one-time treatments, which work great if you’re hosting an outdoor event, but we recommend our seasonal treatment which will keep your yard nearly mosquito-free all spring and summer.

Professional mosquito treatment will keep your Tennessee yard a safe and enjoyable place. Give Russell’s a call to take the first step to a pleasant, mosquito-free season.

When A One-Time Mosquito Service Is Perfect

When A One-Time Mosquito Service Is Perfect

Mosquito season in Knoxville, TN is nearing its end. Although, we know Mother Nature usually has another burst of warm weather in store for us this time of year. Just because summer has left, it doesn’t mean mosquitoes are gone for good too. If you are squeezing out the last little bit of summer with an outdoor BBQ or special gathering, one-time mosquito control is perfect.

What Is One-time Mosquito Service?

A one-time mosquito application is a single service where professionals go out and spray for mosquitoes. This is not the same as regular residential mosquito control. With regular mosquito control for your home, a service professional comes out every few months to treat your home for mosquitoes. This is an important preventative measure before and during mosquito season.

When mosquito season comes to a close, it may be a little too late in the season to consider a mosquito control program for your Knoxville home, but spot treatment just may be the thing you need. One-time mosquito service controls the mosquito population for special events. It is a one-time deal that doesn’t require regular service – at least not yet.

When To Use One-time Mosquito Service

These are just a few events for which our customers need one-time mosquito control:

  •  BBQ’s

  • Outdoor birthday parties and events

  • Outdoor weddings

  • Family reunions

  • Pool parties

  • Bonfires

Dangers Of Mosquitoes

No one wants mosquitoes at these events because they are more than a nuisance. They are dangerous. Mosquitoes pose a threat to you and your guests. Mosquitoes carry dangerous diseases such as Zika virus, West Nile virus, and encephalitis.

Mosquitoes are attracted to your outdoor event because of all the bodies and the nearby water sources around your home. Female mosquitoes are attracted to their food source – your blood. When you have company, mosquitoes get to feast. If you don’t keep the mosquitoes away from your outdoor event, they will quickly chase your guests away.

September is the perfect month for outdoor events and family time. Don’t let lingering mosquitoes ruin the party. For a mosquito -free event at the end of the summer, call Russell’s Pest Control for one-time mosquito service in your Knoxville, TN home that will get you by until next year when you can begin full mosquito control earlier in the season.

Mosquito Remedies That Don’t Work

Mosquito Remedies That Don't Work

Not only are their constant buzzing annoying and their bites both painful and itchy, mosquitoes can cause disease and even death to humans. Mosquitoes can ruin your outdoor activities, from cookouts to hunting to sporting events. They’re a tiny insect but they cause huge problems.

A Bloodsucker is Born

The entire life cycle of a mosquito only lasts for a short period of time. Male mosquitoes tend to live about a week in ideal conditions, while female mosquitoes may live a few months if situations are right. Mosquitoes will not travel more than a mile from where they hatch, so the mosquitoes that buzz around your face and bite your arms and legs when you’re trying to enjoy the great outdoors were born on your property. A female mosquito can produce as many as 500 eggs before she dies, making the sole purpose of mosquitoes to lay more eggs and make more mosquitoes!

Worthless DIY Mosquito Control

There are many types of do-it-yourself mosquito control techniques, but unfortunately, most of them are worthless:

  • Bug Zappers – These lights attract only male mosquitoes and when this mosquito flies into the light, it gets “zapped” and dies. Because male mosquitoes do not bite humans, it doesn’t make any sense to use bug zappers. The females will continue to bite you.

  • Citronella Plants – Some people plant citronella plants all around their home hoping to repel mosquitoes. While citronella is not favored by mosquitoes, you would have to plant a jungle’s worth of citronella plants for this to be an effective mosquito control method.

  • Dryer Sheets – Some swear that placing a dryer sheet in your pocket will repel mosquitoes. Studies have shown that dryer sheets repel fungus gnats, but there is no evidence that shows they also work to repel mosquitoes.

  • Mouthwash – Spraying yourself with mouthwash may give you a minty-fresh odor, but it’s not going to keep the mosquitoes from landing on you and biting you.

Mosquito Control That Actually Works

To control these bloodsuckers in your yard, you should call on the experts at Russell’s Pest Control. Mosquito control is part of our Power Platinum residential pest control plan, which gives you year-round protection against more than 30 of the most common pests, termites, and carpenter bees. Each quarter, we visit your home and protect you from the pests of the season. If you have trouble in between service visits, just give us a call and we’ll return to ensure you stay pest-free*.

2017 Mosquito Season In Tennessee

2017 Mosquito Season In Tennessee

If you’ve been following the news, you are probably aware of the Zika virus. It made headlines in 2016 as cases of travel-related Zika appeared all across the country, and local transmission began to occur in Florida. For pregnant women, Zika is a threat like no other. It has the capability to cause microcephaly in unborn children at all stages of pregnancy. So, as we head into mosquito season, here are a few things you should know about mosquitoes in Tennessee.

Tennessee Mosquitoes And Zika Facts

  • Not every mosquito that bites you is a mosquito capable of carrying Zika, West Nile, or other viruses.

  • Mosquitoes that have Zika virus are not born with it.

  • The mosquito species most responsible for the spread of human viruses are Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. Both of these mosquito species have distribution in Tennessee.

  • There is a difference between a case of travel-related mosquito virus and local transmission. Travel-related cases popped up in several states last year for the Zika virus, but only Florida and Texas saw transmissions of the virus to local residents. These outbreaks were contained naturally when mosquitoes went dormant for the winter.

  • Any state that has Aedes mosquitoes is at risk for a Zika outbreak, but states that are warm and more humid are at greater risk.

  • The best protection against all mosquito-borne viruses is mosquito abatement. It is the protocol U.S. health agencies use. This protocol is more effective the more it is implemented. For best protection, it is vital that home and business owners get involved.

  • Aedes mosquitoes do not generally travel more than 500 meters from their place of birth within their entire lifetime. That means that the mosquitoes that bite you on your property came from your property or the surrounding area.

  • Control of standing water is the first step in stopping mosquitoes from breeding.

  • Standing water that cannot be removed can be treated to prevent egg development.

  • Mosquitoes are known to spread Zika, West Nile, encephalitis, malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever, and chikungunya.

  • Personal protection and mosquito services can drastically reduce the risk of contracting a mosquito virus.

It is important to understand that Zika, West Nile, and other mosquito-born viruses do not always produce symptoms, and not every mosquito that bites you is dangerous. But, the threat is real. If the right conditions come together, they can have dire consequences. Please be safe this mosquito season by taking measures to protect yourself. If you need assistance with mosquito service for your property, you can trust Russell’s Pest Control to keep you safe. Our team uses the most advanced methods and equipment for safe and effective mosquito reduction.

Everyone Is Talking About Zika

Everyone Is Talking About Zika

There is a new virus on the block and it has everyone talking. That’s how it goes. When something new happens, it is big news. But when it keeps happening, we move on and start talking about something else. For instance, we all know that crimes happen all across the country every single day. But we don’t hear about the vast majority of them. Nor would we want to. It would get exhausting. The same things are true with mosquito viruses. People get horribly sick and even die, from mosquito-borne diseases each year. But it happens so frequently, it is no longer reported. So, I guess we should thank Zika for getting people to talk about how dangerous mosquitoes can be, again.

In the war against mosquitoes, we are actually winning. Do you know that mosquitoes are directly connected to over 3 million deaths worldwide every year? But we have considerably fewer deaths in the United States. This is due to several reasons: high standard of sanitation, an effective and accessible health care system, widespread mosquito abatement, and more. When compared to the countries around us, there is a stark contrast in the impact mosquitoes have. But that can change.

The Zika virus hit Brazil in 2015. In only one year it has affected millions of people. That is a staggering statistic. This is a virus that can spread quickly. But here in the United States, it has not spread to local mosquito populations yet. All current cases of Zika virus are travel related. Unfortunately, this is not the case for other viruses, such as encephalitis, that travels from animals to mosquitoes and back again. Viruses like West Nile, dengue, yellow fever, eastern equine encephalitis, St. Louis encephalitis, Western equine encephalitis, and LaCrosse encephalitis, are here to stay. All of these viruses use animals and mosquitoes to incubate into an infectious disease, and all of these are characterized by a swelling of the brain. These can be very uncomfortable viruses to contract, and many of them produce joint pain, body aches, flu-like symptoms, and can lead to death.

So it is a good idea that Zika has everyone talking. This virus isn’t spreading locally yet. But since it has everyone talking, it has renewed the resolve of many municipalities, businesses, and homeowners to get mosquito services, which naturally work to prevent the spread of all infectious diseases that use mosquitoes as a vector.

If you would like to be part of the solution that is protecting our families from all of the many mosquito diseases that are currently spread in local mosquito populations, and help to reduce the threat of an outbreak of Zika, malaria, and other non-local viruses, reach out to us today and start the conversation.

Mosquitoes: Pure Annoyance Or Real Threat?

Pest control services in knoxville TN

Although you can’t see anything, your eyes are wide open. The covers of your bed are clenched in both fists as you listen intently. You can hear it. The sound is faint and distant, but it demands your complete attention. There is a mosquito in your room.  And, there is no way you’re getting to sleep until that mosquito is dead. Does this sound like you?

How about this? You’re relaxing in a hammock or lawn chair. There was a light breeze, but it has died down. Suddenly, there’s a high pitched whine. But as soon as you start to hear it the noise is already fading, like a tiny race car passing on a miniature track. Now, instead of enjoying your relaxing time out in nature, all you can think about is the dumb mosquito.

Okay. One more. You’re hanging out around a campfire with friends and you notice that your body is doing a weird dance. Every so often your spine wiggles, your feet kick out one at a time, your shoulder flinches, or your hand does a swoop past your face. This isn’t a new dance craze. You are trying to keep those mosquitoes from taking a bite out of you.

Dealing with mosquitoes is all part of living on a planet where there are billions of them. But these pests are becoming much less of an annoyance and much more of a real threat, especially here in the United States where we’ve had some success in keeping deadly mosquito viruses at bay.

Why are mosquitoes becoming more of a threat?

These blood-eating pests have always been a threat for underdeveloped countries, especially in areas of great poverty and disease. This is because mosquitoes transfer disease from one human to the next–making a bad situation worse. But, with the increase in world travel, it only takes a few hours for an infected person to leave one of these countries and enter ours. Once here, those viruses can be picked up by local mosquito populations.

While we have one of the best medical infrastructures in the world, and it is far less common for someone in the United States to die from a mosquito-related virus, it still happens, and, it is still extremely uncomfortable to get sick with these viruses even if they don’t kill you.

Mosquito Protection

The days of mosquitoes being a simple annoyance are long gone. Protect your home and your community by taking part in mosquito control. This is the first line of defense used by our government, but it is incomplete without the help of businesses and homeowners. Be part of the solution that is keeping our country safe. Consider getting mosquito services today from the experts here at Russell’s Pest Control. We’ve been protecting our family, friends, and neighbors for almost 50 years. With Russell’s Pest Control you can rest assured knowing that you’re getting the best in pest control service at a fair price. Protect your family and your community from mosquitoes with our mosquito control service.

Zika Awareness

Zika Awareness

By now, you have no doubt heard of the Zika virus threat. This mosquito-borne virus has captured headlines because of its ability to cause microcephaly in unborn children, a birth defect that is characterized by small head size and brain damage. While there are several mosquito-borne viruses that are capable of causing death, Zika is even more frightening because it can lead to lifelong suffering for an entire family. That is why it is important to understand exactly how much of a threat this virus can be here in Tennessee.

What you need to know about Zika in Tennessee.

  • There are two mosquito species in the United States that are able to carry the Zika virus; they are the Aedes aegypti and the Aedes albopictus. Both of these mosquito species can be commonly found throughout Tennessee.

  • Zika is not yet known to be spreading through local mosquito populations in Tennessee.

  • Zika has been found in the state, but only in travelers who have returned from countries where Zika is spread locally. For this reason, the first course of action the Tennessee Department of Health has taken is to issue a warning to pregnant women traveling abroad.

  • 80% of those infected with Zika show no symptoms at all. This makes Zika hard to track. If it does become a locally spread outbreak, it may take time for health authorities to detect it.

  • There is no known vaccine to prevent Zika virus and no specific medical treatment for those who have been infected.

  • Mosquito bites can be deterred. Avoid going out in the morning or evening when mosquitoes are most active. Wear long sleeves and pants if possible. Apply a mosquito repellent with DEET or oil of lemon eucalyptus. Make sure all of the screens on your home are in good working condition. When outside on your deck or near the pool, consider using a large fan to create an artificial breeze that will deter mosquitoes.

  • Mosquito control services are known to buffer the spread of mosquito-borne viruses.

States and local government agencies across the country use mosquito control as the first line of defense against the spread of mosquito-borne viruses like Zika; but this solution is incomplete without the assistance of businesses and homeowners. Consider instituting mosquito control on your property. Together we can protect our communities and our families from dangerous and potentially life-changing viruses, like Zika. One baby born with microcephaly is one baby too many.

At Russell’s Pest Control, we provide the most comprehensive and effective mosquito services available in Tennessee. Find out how our team can help you be part of the solution that is keeping America safe.