Tag Archives: ticks

With the April showers behind us and May flowers starting to bloom, warm weather is finally here! With warmer weather brings more outdoor activities, as well as the possibility of a tick bite. May is National Lyme Disease Awareness Month and Mosquito Joe is joining the fight to protect families and furry friends from this tick-borne illness.

What is Lyme Disease?

Lyme disease was first detected in 1976 in Lyme, Connecticut and most commonly occurs in the Northeast, upper Midwest and mid-Atlantic regions. It is estimated that about 300,000 people are diagnosed each year.  Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and is transmitted through the bite of infected blacklegged ticks. In most cases, the tick must be attached for 36 to 48 hours or more before the Lyme disease bacterium can be transmitted.

Signs and Symptoms

Early symptoms of Lyme disease usually begin from 3 to 30 days after being bitten by an infected tick. The most common early stage symptom is a rash where the tick was attached. This rash starts as a small red area that spreads outward to look like a bullseye. One may also experience flu-like symptoms, such as headache, fever, sore and aching muscles and joints, stiff neck, fatigue and swollen glands.

If you experience any of the following symptoms and have had a tick bite, it is important to seek medical attention. Untreated Lyme disease can produce a wide range of symptoms, depending on the stage of infection. Some of these symptoms may include fever, facial paralysis and arthritis.

Treatment

If you develop any of the above symptoms within several weeks of removing a tick, it’s important that you see your healthcare provider. When Lyme disease is diagnosed in the early stages, people usually recover rapidly and completely. In order to be treated, you will be given antibiotics by your healthcare provider, which most commonly are doxycycline, amoxicillin or cefuroxime axetil.

However, you can get Lyme disease again if you are bitten by another infected tick, so it is important to protect yourself from tick bites.

Preventing Tick Bites

Although it’s not possible to completely protect yourself from getting a tick bite, there are steps you can take to reduce your chances. Tick activity is higher during the warmer months, but ticks can be out anytime the temperature is about 45 degrees Fahrenheit. With the help from Mosquito Joe, you can get ahead of any tick problems you might have this season, while also implementing the following habits:

• Keep grass short and underbrush thinned at your home.
• Move wood piles away from the home.
• Wear light-colored clothes to help you spot ticks easily.
• Check your body for ticks and shower within two hours of being outdoors.
• Move swing sets, sandboxes and other play areas to avoid tick bites.
• Keep pets out of thickly wooded areas where tick activity is high and talk to your veterinarian about tick control options.
• Let Mosquito Joe be your second line of deference for these intruders by getting a barrier spray that rids your yards for mosquitoes, fleas and ticks.

When you come in from the outdoors, always do a thorough check on yourself, your family and your pets. When doing a tick check, remember that ticks liked places that are warm, so make sure you check the back of your armpits, scalp, back of the neck and behind the ears.

But what if I do get a tick bite?

If you do find a tick on you or your family, there’s no need to panic! The key is to remove the tick as soon as possible. There are several tick removal devices on the market, but fine-tipped tweezers also work great. Follow the below steps on removing a tick:

1. Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible.
2. Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Don’t twist or jerk the tick; this can cause the mouth-parts to break off and remain in the skin. If this does happen, remove the mouth-parts with tweezers. If you are unable to do so, leave it alone and let the skin heal.
3. After removing the tick, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol or soap and water.
4. Never crush a tick with your fingers. Dispose of a live tick by putting it in alcohol, placing it in a sealed bag/container, wrapping it tightly in tape, or flushing it down the toilet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/removing_a_tick.html

Don’t be ticked off this summer

Let Mosquito Joe be another line of defense against tick-borne illnesses by applying a barrier treatment to your property. A trained and certified technician will treat your yard with an effective solution that eliminates mosquitoes, ticks and fleas for 21 days. As an alternative to our longer-lasting synthetic treatment, our all-natural solution repels mosquitoes immediately. This less-adhesive yet effective option requires treatment on a 14-day cycle.

If you’re still not sure if Mosquito Joe is right for you, give your local MoJo a call or request a free quote online. We are dedicated to making outside fun again for you and your family and our job is not done until you are happy!

 

Lyme disease is the most commonly reported vector-borne disease in the United States. There are over 30,000 cases of the tick-borne illness reported each year. Among those are celebrities we frequently see on TV or on magazine covers; others are sports icons and some are Grammy award winners.

Justin Bieber 

Pop sensation, Justin Bieber, announced his battle with Lyme disease in January 2020. “It’s been a rough couple years but getting the right treatment that will help treat this so far incurable disease and I will be back and better than ever,” Bieber said. The singer plans to use his voice to create content on YouTube about the chronic illness.

Members of the Hadid Family

Yolanda Hadid, of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills fame, has been vocal about her battle with Lyme disease. Yolanda has published a book chronicling her experience living with the illness entitled “Believe Me: My Battle with the Invisible Disability of Lyme Disease.” Recently, the former model admitted after nearly a year of remission, her symptoms have returned. At the Global Lyme Alliance, Yolanda said she realizes “the higher purpose of [her] journey is to continue to bring awareness to this awful disease until the change is made.” Her children, Bella and Anwar Hadid, also have the chronic illness.

Shania Twain

The country singer opened up about her struggle with Lyme disease in July 2018, stating she suffered from dysphonia which affected her vocal cords. The disease kept her from touring and even singing. “I never thought I would sing again,” Twain said. Thanks to physical therapy and vocal training, Twain has released a new album and resumed touring.

Alec Baldwin

Nearly 18 years ago, the actor was bitten by an infected tick. The result was numerous bouts of severe Lyme disease symptoms. Because of his struggle, Baldwin is vigilant in checking his children for ticks after they’ve been outdoors. “I want my kids to grow up riding horses and bikes and enjoying themselves every day and not have to spend every day with us going over them with a magnifying glass to make sure they don’t have any ticks on their body or their dogs, but that is part of the lifestyle of where I live,” he said.

Avril Lavigne

In a letter to fans, Lavigne revealed she had been fighting Lyme disease. The singer started The Avril Lavigne Foundation in 2010 to support causes such as Race to Erase MS, Special Olympics, and UNICEF, in addition to Lyme disease. In October 2018, Lavigne joined the Board of Directors for the Global Lyme Alliance. Her most recent album, “Head Above Water,” addresses her battle with the chronic disease. “This is me and my fight. This album tells my story,” Lavigne said.

Kris Kristofferson

Kristofferson’s doctors originally told him his deteriorating memory was due to Alzheimer’s disease. After many years of strenuous testing, it was clear the singer had been misdiagnosed; after a positive test for Lyme disease, his symptoms were correctly identified. With the proper treatment, Kristofferson’s condition improved. A friend said of the iconic artist, “Kris is as sharp as he’s been in the past 20 years because of his treatments.”

Tom Seaver

In 1991, the former New York Mets pitcher was diagnosed with Lyme disease. At the time, “Tom Terrific” lived in Greenwich, CT and spent the majority of his time outdoors, which is how he contracted the illness. The Baseball Hall of Fame member described the disease’s symptoms as “the worst case of the flu every day.”

Prevention is the Best Medicine

The symptoms of those suffering from Lyme disease are different but the cause of the illness is the same: infected ticks. These celebrities give visibility to Lyme disease and advocate for treatment and a cure.

While it’s important to be mindful of ticks when camping and hiking, they can also be found in parks, walking trails, and even our own backyards. Tick prevention can start at home by eliminating places where ticks like to hide. Keep your yard mowed and trees trimmed. If you are in an area where ticks are active, make sure to wear long sleeves and pants and apply a tick repellent with DEET or Permethrin.

Mosquito Joe knows what a pest ticks can be, that’s why we offer tick control as one of our signature services. We target bushes and shrubbery, which helps keep ticks out of your yard and creates a barrier around your property, protecting you against the risk of tick-borne illnesses. Call us today at  or request a free quote on our website.

To learn more about Lyme Disease or other illnesses that are caused by outdoor pests, visit our learning center.

Spring is in the air, and so are the mosquitoes. As temperatures begin to warm up and you start to transition your wardrobe from fuzzy sweaters to raincoats, we want to make sure you’ve got some helpful tips for preparing your yard for some outdoor (itch-free) fun with your friends and family. Once temperatures stay consistently above 50 degrees we’ll begin to see some increased mosquito activity. Who would’ve thought that preparing your yard for the spring season could also prepare you for the arrival of mosquitoes?

Mosquitoes lay eggs in standing water, so it’s best to empty bird baths, ponds, planters, toys or anywhere else water may gather. Drilling holes in tire swings, trash cans and recycle bins allows water to drain out easily. Repair any leaky outdoor faucets to avoid water pooling underneath them. Finally, keep your grass and shrubs cut short. Mosquitoes are shrub hoppers and gather to rest in shady, cool areas which is why it’s best to keep your yard weed-free and avoid any overgrown vegetation.

With over 3,500 species of mosquitoes out there laying 100-300 eggs at a time, they just can’t wait to start bugging us!

Once your yard is ready, get outside and enjoy some fun spring activities:

• Have a picnic with your favorite snacks
• Plant your favorite spring flowers
• Get a box of colorful chalk and turn your sidewalks into a mural
• Take a walk around your neighborhood
• Fly a kite on a breezy day
• Play catch, throw a football back and forth or kick a soccer ball around
• Blow bubbles with the young (and young at heart) kids in your life

Have you pre-paid for your 2020 season yet? There may still be time to save in your area. Contact your local Mosquito Joe to get a free quote for professional, ongoing defense in your yard. Treatments are tailored to your property and our products are applied by certified and trained technicians.

Don’t forget about ticks! Mosquito Joe rids your yard of ticks too so your family and pets can enjoy outside. Visit our Tick Control page for some background on ticks, the diseases they carry and some helpful tips for keeping your property ahead of tick issues.

It may come as a surprise to most of us that this week is National Clean Out Your Inbox Week! An entire week has been dedicated to helping us organize our email inbox and increase our productivity. Many of us are guilty of hanging onto too many emails that we just don’t need in our inbox anymore, making it difficult to find the ones that we actually do need. Below are a few tips and hints we’ve compiled here at the Corporate office to help your inbox stay clean and your mind become refreshed.

• Organize your email account into folders or categories – The quickest way to organize an inbox is to set up folders based on categories, topics, projects, collaborators, or things you deal with on a regular basis. Most platforms allow you to customize titles, statuses, and colors.

• Implement automatic rules/filing – Creating rules within your inbox is a great way to ensure tasks are happening automatically, which saves you time. These rules will ensure that certain emails are filed automatically based on their sender or subject matter. You can even create rules that send “junk mail” right to a folder to be checked later.

• Take advantage of the search function – Once your emails are filed in their special category, you may need a little help finding them. This is where your search function comes in to help. You can search emails by contacts, attachment title, subjects, or even keywords that you know are mentioned in the body of the email.

• Take action to every email – Try to deal with every email as it arrives. Flag it, respond to it, file it, or delete it.

• Sync your mobile email to your main account – We spend a lot of time on our smartphones, so making sure your email account is synced is critical to getting your emails taken care of on the go.

• Unsubscribe – Don’t be afraid to unsubscribe. If it no longer pertains to you, it’s ok to move on. It’s also a good idea to have an alternate email address to use for coupon deals, promotional pitches or subscriptions to keep your regular account less cluttered.

We believe in you and your ability to conquer your email inbox this week! Whether it’s personal, business, or for fun, it’s important to stay organized to better improve your productivity.Your local Mosquito Joe may not be able to help you organize your inbox, but they can definitely help you get your yard itch-free and get your family spending more time outside this year!

Ribbons, candles, bows and edible traditions. Whether you’re making your menorah shine bright this Hanukkah or trimming your Christmas tree with nostalgic ornaments, December is upon us which means the warm celebration of the holidays is quickly approaching. Here at Mosquito Joe, we value our relationship with each and every one of our customers and appreciate the business that continues year after year.

If you’re looking for a last-minute gift and want to share the satisfaction of mosquito, flea and tick treatments, give your family and friends a Mosquito Joe Gift Certificate. They make perfect stocking stuffers and are great for that hard-to-buy-for person on your list. If it’s the golfer who has every club and tee, the gardener with an arsenal of tools or the busy mom with 3 kids and a dog, a Mosquito Joe gift certificate is the perfect way to give the gift of outdoor fun to anyone on your list who just like us, prefers the great outdoors. And if they don’t love being outside, we can only imagine it is because they’ve never experienced a mosquito-free yard. Be the one to give it to them!

Looking for something that benefits you, too? Our Share the MoJo Referral Program is the best way to give your friends an itch-free yard while getting an account credit for your own future treatment.

Contact your local Mosquito Joe to inquire about Gift Certificates and our Share the MoJo Referral Program.

Happy Holidays from all of us a Mosquito Joe!