West Nile Virus

Close-up view of the Culex Tarsalis. Image taken from the University of Wyoming website. Click to enlargen

The Aberdeen American News reported this week that West Nile Virus has officially been found in mosquitoes from Brown County. Mosquito populations are routinely monitored by municipal agencies in the state. Species are identified and when the Culex Tarsalis is found – the breed known to carry West Nile Virus – those are sent in to be tested for the virus.

We now know for a fact that they are carrying West Nile Virus.

The Culex Tarsalis, pictured above, spends the early months of the season feeding primarily on birds – the source of the West Nile Virus. The more times the virus is passed from bird to mosquito and back again, the more the virus becomes “amplified.”

As the season wears on, the Culex Tarsalis begins to look for humans and even household animals to get their bloodmeal. They can be very aggressive, even finding their ways into structures find you.

It is also important to note that Culex Tasalis does not need a lot of moisture to thrive. In fact, during a dry period like we have been having, you have an ideal scenario for the amplification of West Nile with the mosquitoes and the birds all congregated around the same, scarce bodies of water.

July and August are the peak times of the year for the transmission of West Nile to humans. It is important that you remain vigilant of the threat posed by the culex tarsalis – their presence as human feeders will soon be increasing.

If you have any questions, or would like to know more about what you can do to control mosquitoes in your yard, call Mosquito Squad today at 605-725-5252.

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The 3 P’s of Season Protection

The barrier spray is the heart and soul of what we do at Mosquito Squad. Each barrier spray kills adult mosquitoes and ticks on contact, but it doesn’t stop there. It truly creates a “barrier” around your yard – for 21 days following the spray any incoming mosquitoes that attempt to take refuge in your foliage will be knocked dead.

The reduction in mosquitoes in your yard will be nothing short of dramatic.

Hatching cycles, however, can be difficult to predict and will occur throughout the season.  Waiting until mosquitoes have become a serious problem in your yard may mean having to lose ground in the battle for your backyard.

And while you may notice diminishing numbers of mosquitoes during August and September, it is important to note that the mosquitoes you see during that time frame have a much higher probability of carrying West Nile Virus. That’s very important in a place like Aberdeen, SD, which has the distinction of having the highest incidence of WNV per capita of any city in the nation.

Mosquito Squad's service is safe for your children, your pets, and your plants.

The best way to protect your outdoor living space regardless of when the mosquitoes decide to strike is by signing up in advance for a complete season of barrier sprays. It is best on three fronts: protection, priority and price.

So what exactly are the 3 P’s?

PROTECTION

We at Mosquito Squad will monitor the conditions and begin spraying for our season customers around mid-May – this is one of the primary benefits of the season package. Even if mosquitoes are not yet out in full force, you are truly creating a “barrier” around your outdoor living space. As soon as they begin to strike in large numbers, your property will have the protection in place to begin killing the vast majority of incoming mosquitoes.

When your neighbors are grumbling indoors, you’ll be enjoying the summer weather on your patio.

PRIORITY

Another major benefit of purchasing a season package is that it effectively makes you a priority customer. Our trained technicians will be out at least every 21 days to update your barrier spray, ensuring that you always have the highest level of protection against mosquitoes, ticks and other outdoor pests. You will always have top priority on our schedules.

We definitely value our single spray customers and will schedule them for a barrier spray as soon as possible after they call. There will be a period of time, however, between you recognizing the problem and Mosquito Squad’s arrival.

PRICE

The last major benefit to connecting with Mosquito Squad early is the cost savings. Locking in your season in advance can save you hundreds over the single spray price over the course of one summer.

Signing up for a full season of sprays ensures you the best value Mosquito Squad has to offer. Plus, we back every barrier spray with a 100% satisfaction, money-back guarantee.

The only thing you have to lose are the mosquitoes!

Give us a call today to discuss what Mosquito Squad can do for you. Then sit back, relax, and enjoy the holidays knowing that you will never lose your backyard to mosquitoes again.

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Get Ready

Here at Mosquito Squad, we’re preparing for the possibility of an early and fierce mosquito and tick season. A combination of factors has lead to the possibility of a perfect storm this summer – a storm of pesky and dangerous bugs.

But Dread Skeeter and the Mosquito Squad will be there to take back your yard!

The front page of today’s Aberdeen American News has a story that is becoming very common nationwide: mosquitoes, ticks and other bugs may be moving sooner and fiercer.

We’ve already had numerous inquiries from concerned pet owners who are used to sending their dogs out in the spring only to have them return covered in ticks. That’s in a typical year. This year, the tick numbers could be even higher.

The American News’ Jeff Bahr spoke with Michael Hildreth, a professor in the biology and microbiology department at South Dakota State University, who said the wet conditions following a typical winter is hard for ticks, who generally see their numbers decreased due to things like fungal disease.

The dry weather we’ve experienced will have been much easier for them to survive.

We’ll also be on the lookout for mosquitoes. The mild winters means these pesky disease-carriers have had a much easier time over-wintering, just like the ticks.

As Aberdeen parks superintendent Mark Hoven put it, “One good rain can generate a tone of mosquitoes.”

As this video from KARE 11, next door in Minnesota, ponds in the Twin Cities are already active with mosquito larvae, something not typically seen until April.

What silver-lining could possibly be in this cloud? Mosquito Squad!

Starting this summer, if the mosquitoes and ticks are becoming too much to handle, call Mosquito Squad at 725-5252 and will make your backyard safe and livable again for your family.

 

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Protect Your Special Day

Have you been dreaming about an outdoor wedding or wedding reception, but simply didn’t dare because you knew that the mosquitoes would ruin your special day?

Well, worry no more – Mosquito Squad has you covered! With Mosquito Squad’s Special Event service, you can rest assured that your guests will remember the beautiful bride and ceremony, not the biting bugs.

We will be on hand on Sunday, February 19, when Hub City Radio hosts the 2012 Bridal Showcase from noon until 5:00 pm at the Best Western Ramkota Hotel.

Stop by, say hello and ask us how Dread Skeeter and the Mosquito Squad can protect your most memorable events.

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A Community Responds

When we launch Mosquito Squad in Aberdeen next summer, we will be proudly bringing America’s most trusted mosquito and tick control solution to South Dakota.

We are proud to call South Dakota home and will always be committed to helping make our customer’s outdoor living spaces safer and more comfortable by dramatically reducing the number of mosquitoes.

From time to time on this blog, we hope to highlight news from communities we serve that highlight just what a great place it is we all call home.

The video below is one such moment. It tells the story of what would become the world-famous pheasant sandwiches served to American Troops during the height of World War II at a newly opened Canteen in the Milwaukee Depot, downtown Aberdeen.

What an amazing spirit of serving Aberdeen showed these troops from around the nation – enjoy the video!

If you would like to protect your backyard from the annoyance and danger of mosquitoes and ticks, contact Mosquito Squad of Eastern South Dakota today at 605-725-5252.

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Back in South Dakota

Dread Skeeter posing with Boyd Huneycutt, Vice-President of Franchise Support at Mosquito Squad.

We have recently returned to South Dakota following a training session in Richmond, Virginia, the corporate headquarters for Outdoor Living Brands, the parent company of Mosquito Squad.

Simply put, we could not be happier partnering with the fine folks at Outdoor Living Brands to bring the unequaled mosquito and tick control services of the Mosquito Squad to eastern South Dakota.

We at Mosquito Squad value our customers and their families and together we share a common goal: to increase the quality and safety of your outdoor living space by ridding it of mosquitoes and ticks.

To learn more about what Mosquito Squad can do for your family, contact us at 605-725-5252.

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Check Out These Moves!

Dread Skeeter and the entire Squad had a great time at the 2011 NSU Gypsy Day Parade! Thank you to everyone who gave us such a warm and enthusiastic welcome to Aberdeen.

In case you missed the parade, we’ve uploaded a short video showcasing some of Dread Skeeter’s dance moves. Perhaps on his off hours he should consider dance instruction?

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Mosquito Myths

We stumbled across an article from this summer on Shine, a Yahoo website. The topic: Mosquito Myths.

The list includes such highlights as:

- Contrary to popular belief, mosquitoes do not die after feeding.

- You may have heard that Skin-So-Soft products repel mosquitoes. While it does have repellent qualities, the University of Florida found that it only repels for about 3-10 minutes after application.

- This was a new one for us, but apparently there are claims that lemon dish soap and Listerine repel mosquitoes. But according to the University of Florida these products have no effect on mosquitoes.

What isn’t a myth? Mosquito Squad will dramatically reduce the number of mosquitoes in your yard. To take back your outdoor living space, contact us today!

For the entire “9 Myths” article, click here.

Mosquito Squad – America’s Most Trusted Mosquito and Tick Control!

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Strike Early

With winter right around the corner, if you’re like me, you’re probably more concerned about how much snow you’re going to shovel this winter than battling mosquitoes in the spring.

There are definite benefits, however, to start planning early how you will attack the nuisance and danger of mosquitoes and ticks in your yard next summer.

The barrier spray is the heart and soul of what we do at Mosquito Squad. Each barrier spray kills adult mosquitoes and ticks on contact, but it doesn’t stop there. It truly creates a “barrier” around your yard – for 21 days following the spray any incoming mosquitoes that attempt to feed off your greenery will be knocked dead.

The reduction in mosquitoes in your yard will be nothing short of dramatic.

Hatching cycles, however, can be difficult to predict and will occur throughout the season.  Waiting until mosquitoes have become a serious problem in your yard may mean having to lose ground in the battle for your backyard.

Mosquito Squad's service is safe for kids, for pets, and for your plants.

The best way to protect your outdoor living space regardless of when the mosquitoes decide to strike is by signing up in advance for a complete season of barrier sprays. It is best on three fronts: protection, priority and price.

So what exactly are the 3 P’s?

PROTECTION

We at Mosquito Squad will monitor the conditions and begin spraying for our season customers around mid-May – this is one of the primary benefits of the season package. Even if mosquitoes are not yet out in full force, you are truly creating a “barrier” around your outdoor living space. As soon as they begin to strike in large numbers, your property will have the protection in place to begin killing the vast majority of incoming mosquitoes.

When your neighbors are grumbling indoors, you’ll be enjoying the summer weather on your patio.

PRIORITY

Another major benefit of purchasing a season package is that it effectively makes you a priority customer. Our trained technicians will be out at least every 21 days to update your barrier spray, ensuring that you always have the highest level of protection against mosquitoes, ticks and other outdoor pests. You will always have top priority on our schedules.

We definitely value our single spray customers and will schedule them for a barrier spray as soon as possible after they call. There will be a period of time, however, between you recognizing the problem and Mosquito Squad’s arrival.

PRICE

The last major benefit to connecting with Mosquito Squad early is the cost savings. We currently have early bird pricing in place for all of our season packages, but you have to call now to reserve your season.

Signing up for a full season of sprays ensures you the best value Mosquito Squad has to offer. Plus, we back every barrier spray with a 100% satisfaction, money-back guarantee.

The only thing you have to lose are the mosquitoes.

Give us a call today to discuss what Mosquito Squad can do for you. Then sit back, relax, and enjoy the holidays knowing that you will never lose your backyard to mosquitoes again.

America's Most Trusted Mosquito & Tick Control

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The Dread Skeeter Mobile Arrives

Dread Skeeter’s ride is now ready to roam the streets of Aberdeen, on the lookout for mosquitoes and ticks and the diseases they carry.

Tired of the bugs winning the war for your backyard? Swing the odds in your favor next summer and give Mosquito Squad a call.

You’ll be very glad you did.

 

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