Monthly Archives

April 2021

Pest-Free Lawn Maintenance Tips

By | Tips & Inspirations | No Comments

As we prepare for each season, pest-free lawn maintenance tips can not only keep your lawn looking the best they can also keep the pests away. Overwintering pests such as stink bugs, Asian lady beetles, rodents, boxelder bugs and more sense the change in seasons and begin looking for a place to spend the different seasons.  Buildings like homes, offices, sheds and garages offer the food, water and shelter needed.

Pest-Free Lawn Maintenance - Mosquito Facts

As the weather turns it is a perfect time to take basic fall maintenance steps around your home to avoid indoor pests during the fall and winter months.

4 Tips for Pest-Free Lawn Maintenance

  1. Perform a thorough law clean-up. Rake and remove leaves from your lawn and home perimeter, weed your gardens, remove dead plantings and pick up debris in the yard. Ensure the perimeter of the home is free from leaf debris that would attract pests.
  2. Trim trees. Branches that extend to the home from trees or even shrubs offer a super highway for pests to enter your home. Keep branches and shrubs trimmed and away from your home on the ground level as well as the roof level.
  3. Store firewood away from the house. Firewood attracts and offers shelter for rodents and pests like termites. It is recommended that you store firewood at least 30 feet away from your home.
  4. Inspect the home perimeter & perform simple exclusion and maintenance. Seal cracks and crevices around the home’s exterior. Replace weather strips on doors as they wear out. If window air conditioning units are in place be sure to promptly remove when the weather cools. Inspect the attic for openings and seal with copper mesh and/or caulking.

Keeping the exterior perimeter of the home clear from tree limbs, plantings and leaf litter will make it a less likely choice for pests and rodents to find their way indoors.

Bobby Kossowicz is a content creator for the Catchmaster brand, learn more here: https://catchmasterpro.com/blog/bobby-kossowicz/

Additional Resources

First, get more great content like this in your inbox – sign up for our mailing list here: https://catchmasterpro.com/join-email/

Next, learn more about our rodent management tools here: https://catchmasterpro.com/collection/rodent-management-tools/

Finally, learn more about your pest management professional options from the National Pest Management Association here: https://npmapestworld.org/

Reasons for Concern with Invasive Mosquitoes

By | Mosquitoes | No Comments

With spring here, there continue to be reasons for concern with invasive mosquitoes. An invasive species may be defined as a living organism, including but not limited to plants, parasites, pathogens, fungi, and animals (including insects) that is nonnative to an ecosystem and begins to spread out or expand its range from the original site of introduction.  Additionally, the species must have the potential to cause harm to the environment, the economy, or human health.

Reasons for Concern with Invasive Mosquitoes - Map

Invasive mosquito species have been in the news lately.  The Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus), first discovered in Texas in 1985, has now spread to over 1,300 counties in 40 states in the U.S.  More recently in Florida (2020), the mosquito Aedes scapularis was found to be well-established in two southern counties.

From a public health and quality of life perspective, there are significant reasons to be concerned about invasive mosquito species including:

4 Reasons for Concern with Invasive Mosquitoes

  • Increased Annoyance. Some of these species, especially the Asian tiger mosquito, are very aggressive biters during the daytime and they can quickly ruin outdoor activities.
  • Introduction Of New Pathogens. Although not highly likely, there is the possibility that a mosquito carrying a virus or other pathogen could make its way to the U.S. via airplane, ship, or other mode of transportation.  This has happened several times with malaria.
  • Endemic Disease Cycles. As invasive mosquito species establish and their population numbers increase, it is possible, and in some cases probable, that they will become involved in the endemic (regularly found) disease cycles in the U.S. such as West Nile virus.
  • Geographic Expansion. Many invasive species are easily transported during human activity, primarily due to the drought-resistant eggs they produce.  Accordingly, we will undoubtedly see these mosquitoes continue to expand their range.

Invasive Mosquitoes  – Additional Resources

Get our free mosquito management program guide when you sign up for our e-mail list here: https://catchmasterpro.com/mosquito-management-program/

Get more content like this daily when you follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/catchmasterPRO/

Discover our full line of Catchmaster® mosquito management tools:  https://catchmasterpro.com/collection/mosquito-management-tools/

Finally, learn more about mosquitoes from the NPMA here: https://www.pestworld.org/pest-guide/mosquitoes/