Tag Archives: mosquitoes

As you’re making that to-do list for your Fourth of July festivities (8 days, but who is counting?) we have one you need to move to the top! Sure you need groceries, sunscreen, and maybe even some decorations, but have you called MoJo? Make sure you call your local Mosquito Joe this week to make sure you’re on the schedule for a barrier spray treatment before the big holiday. We’re pretty sure mosquitoes aren’t on your guest list, so we can help you make sure they don’t show up. Schedules are filling up quickly so call now!

And speaking of groceries and July 4th we’ve got the perfect side dish to go with your burgers and brats. Since you’ve got that grill fired up, make some room for some Jalapeno-Lime Corn.

• 8 ears fresh corn, husks removed
• Vegetable cooking spray
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
• 1 small garlic clove, pressed
• 1 tablespoon lime zest
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro
• Garnish: lime zest

1. 1. Preheat grill to 350° to 400° (medium-high) heat. Coat corn lightly with cooking spray. Sprinkle with desired amount of salt and pepper. Grill corn, covered with grill lid, 15 minutes or until golden brown, turning occasionally.
2. 2. Meanwhile, stir together butter and next 5 ingredients. Remove corn from grill, and cut into thirds. Serve corn with butter mixture.

Now that you’re writing that down, give us a call. Mosquitoes aren’t on your guest list, and Mosquito Joe will make sure they don’t party crash.

 

The cooler weather is settling in, the leaves have begun to show the first signs of changing colors, and pumpkins and sweaters are making appearances in many cities. That also means that in many areas, we’re wrapping up our season.

If you want to know when to expect mosquitoes to go on hiatus in your area, consult your local weather station.  Until you’ve had your first frost and temperatures stay below 45, you may still see them buzzing around.

Those who are still enjoying some warmth and sunshine should still rely on Mosquito Joe services to keep your yard itch free. (For any folks in South Texas, our new location in the Rio Grande Valley is happily taking on new service calls!)

If you’re already bundling up before leaving the house, you may feel safe from pesky mosquitoes for the season, but that doesn’t mean you should let your guard down when it comes to buzzing in the backyard. There’s still some precautions to take in the fall and winter months to maintain a mosquito-free yard, even after your last spray. Here’s what you should know:

In the autumn months after mating, male mosquitoes die. But did you know female mosquitoes actually hibernate? That’s right, they can actually survive the winter months. In the spring when the weather warms up, they seek blood to feed on so they can lay their eggs. All mosquito larvae (eggs) require water, even in winter, and mosquito larvae can last years. As the water temperature drops, it basically creates a dormant stage in the mosquito larvae called diapause, which stops further development. Development resumes when the water warms again. To make sure you don’t have this problem, remove all standing water from your yard and remove objects like toys or flower pots that can collect rainwater.

Just because some seasons are wrapping up doesn’t mean we’re kicking our feet up. Mosquito Joe is still working hard to bring our mosquito control services to new areas. We’re growing and so excited about new locations for the 2014 season. If Mosquito Joe isn’t in your area, maybe you should consider being the local Joe in your neighborhood. Everyone loves a hero.

And for all those customers who have seen the yellow MoJo van for the last time this season, we say THANK YOU. We love making outside fun again and you give us the opportunity to do that.

photo credit: simonnjulia via photopin cc

When you are trying out a new product or service, the natural response is to have questions about how it works, what it does, and different factors that can affect it. That is true for mosquito treatment services and our customers. There are many questions not only new customers ask, but customers who have been sprayed for multiple seasons. We have a Frequently Asked Questions section on our website, but every once in a while it doesn’t hurt to expand on one of those answers and give you more information about our sprays.

A big question we always get, especially after a big storm, is how rain affects the product we use when we treat your yard. Most people reason that rain washes the product away, requiring a re-spray, but actually the opposite is true. As long as your yard has had adequate time to dry and the product has had time to bond to the foliage (usually about 30 minutes) rain should not impact the effectiveness of your service. It is actually the sun that breaks down the product over time, not rain.

Lots of areas in the country are experiencing higher than average rainfall this season, and since rain creates areas of standing water, allowing mosquitoes to hatch, it is completely normal to worry that your service is being interrupted by the drops. The good news is that we are always watching the weather and we make sure if rain is in the forecast we push your scheduled service up a day or back a day. We want to make sure your yard has the allotted dry time to make sure the barrier around your home is set properly. It’s also important to remember that our MoJo guarantee still stands, rain or shine. If the quality of your barrier has been affected by rain, we will return to your yard to ensure you are mosquito free and enjoying your yard.

photo credit: N1CT4YL0R via photopin cc

In 1897 author David Flanery described an insect by saying it was “the shyest, sliest  meanest, and most venomous of all.” Unfortunately, he was not talking about something out of a horror film, he was describing a mosquito! Mega-mosquito, that is. The “gallinipper” is a floodwater mosquito with a body about half an inch long, making it twenty times larger than the average mosquito, and while the bite doesn’t actually contain venom, it is said to be very painful. While this type of mosquito is nothing new, they’ve made a lot of headlines lately as Florida could be set for an overabundance of the unwelcome insect this season.

University of Florida entomologist Phil Kaufman says in 2012 the state had a surge of the huge, biting insects and there is concern of a repeat. “I wouldn’t be surprised, given the numbers we saw last year,” said Kaufman, an associate professor with UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. “When we hit the rainy cycle we may see that again.”

The female lays eggs in soil at the edges of ponds, streams and other water bodies that overflow when heavy rains come. The big problem with the gallinipper is their eggs can remain dry and dormant for years. All the eggs need to hatch is high waters to come along, like Tropical Storm Debby last year that brought on the surge of gallinippers. With those females having laid eggs, all it would take is one good rain for those dormant eggs to hatch. Even in their larval stage, gallinippers are so tough they’ll eat tadpoles!

The good news? These mosquitoes are not known to transmit any diseases so while they’re a nuisance, they’re not as dangerous as some other mosquitoes. The bad news? Kaufman stated that due to their size, these mosquitoes may be immune to insect repellents that contain the well-known ingredient DEET, meaning Florida residents will need to find an alternative to many of the off-the-shelf mosquito repellent products if they want to avoid a run in with these pesky fliers.

Will these mega mosquitoes become an issue in other parts of the U.S.? That may be the question in a lot of people’s minds as the press about gallinippers continues. Fortunately for communities with Mosquito Joe, the product used in our mosquito treatments IS effective on the gallinipper as well as your every day mosquitoes, ticks and fleas. We’re not in Florida yet but we’re planning to be there soon.

If Mosquito Joe is not in your area, why not become your community’s solution (and hero!) by opening your own Mosquito Joe business? We currently have franchise opportunities available across the U.S. Contact us for more information.

Source: https://news.ufl.edu/2013/03/04/big-skeeter/
(UF/IFAS photo by Marisol Amador )