Nashville, Murfreesboro, Knoxville and Chattanooga TN
With summer in full swing, be mindful of natural dangers while enjoying the outdoors. From stinging to blood-sucking insects, some pests can prove quite dangerous or even deadly for humans. Wasps, bees, fire ants, and mosquitos are quite small and serve some purpose for the ecosystem, they aren’t friendly toward people, and could result in allergic reactions or spread disease. Today on the blog, our Nashville area pest control experts at Ameri Care Services explore the consequences of mosquitoes in warm temperatures and how those living in affected areas can protect themselves against these attackers.
The Deadliest Insect: Mosquitoes
Mosquitos attribute to more deaths on the plant than any other cause. These little bugs may not look threatening, but they’re dangerous to human and animal lives all over the world being responsible for spreading deadly diseases. The female adult acts as the vector in transmitting disease-causing organisms to humans and animals by sucking blood through small piercings in the skin. According to our Murfreesboro pest control professionals, mosquitoes transmit a range of pathogenic agents resulting in severe diseases, and some of them include the following.
Diseases Transmitted by Mosquitoes
- Malaria: Perhaps one of the most notable illnesses transmitted through mosquitoes, malaria, affects mainly the tropical world and annually causes one million deaths.
- West Nile Fever: West Nile can show up within two to 14 days after exposure and may cause flu-like symptoms. If not treated, it could lead to encephalitis or meningitis, which could result in death.
- Encephalitis: Known as brain inflammation, encephalitis can cause headaches and neurological disorders as a result of disease transmitted by mosquitoes.
- Dengue Fever: Dengue fever can result in hemorrhagic fever, dengue shock syndrome, and is known to cause a high fever with significant joint pain and a rash.
- Filariasis: This parasitic infection leads to the swelling and stunts growth and could lead to a permanent disability.
- Yellow Fever: Mosquitoes are responsible for transmitting yellow fever, which causes the skin to yellow or become jaundiced, bleeding, and possibly lead to organ failure
Management Strategies
Since mosquitoes can lead to potentially life-threatening diseases in humans and pets, it’s important to take preventive measures to reduce the number of mosquitos in your yard and protect yourself against the ones that do exist outdoors. Therefore, our Nashville pest control pros advise the following simple actions to eliminate or enshrine mosquito breeding sites.
- Eliminate Standing Water: Mosquitoes are common and will breed almost anywhere, but to eliminate their presence remove stagnant water sources from flowerpots, bird feeders, pet dishes, and other places where pets drink and empty the water. Ensure proper drainage in your yard to avoid water pooling and attracting mosquitos.
- Maintain Water Features: For water features, like a pond or a fountain, care is crucial. Replace water in birdbaths, bird feeders, flowerpot saucers, and pet bowls often to avoid attracting mosquitos for breeding.
- Protective Measures: Check window screens and replace any that do not fit well or that are damaged to lessen the chance of mosquitoes entering your home. Additionally, avoid wearing perfumes or using scented soap when you plan on being outdoors. You should also wear insect repellant if necessary.
- Heartworm Prevention: For pets like dogs and cats, heartworm prevention is crucial to their health, and life. Mosquito bites can transmit a harmful parasite to pets, which could cause heartworm disease and result in death. Prevention is simple and convenient, so talk to your pet’s veterinarian about heartworm medication and prevention.
Mosquito Control in Nashville and Murfreesboro, TN
One fact that must be understood is that mosquitoes are dangerous and pose a significant threat to humans and pets. Therefore, you must take appropriate measures to ensure you and your family are safe. Although these are some of the smallest insects, they are most certainly not harmless. Eradication, control measures, and public awareness are some essential tools to apply and overpower the worst public health antagonist, the mosquito. For more details or an appointment for pest control in the Nashville or Murfreesboro areas, please call Ameri Care Services at (615) 893-7111 today.