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The Mosquito Man Archives - Catchmaster Pro

Feb 25
0

Top 5 Mosquito Prevention Tips (aka the 5 Ds)

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Mosquito Prevention Tips

Mosquitoes bugging you?  Take back your yard by following the ‘5 Ds’.

Top 5 Mosquito Prevention Tips - Fun Facts

Top 5 Mosquito Prevention Tips

  1. DUMP – Mosquitoes require water to complete their life cycle.  Once a week, carefully inspect your property and dump out any water in containers such as tires, plant drainers, wheelbarrows, buckets, etc.  Remember that mosquitoes can develop in a bottle cap!  Remove or cover containers if possible.
  2. DRAIN – Things such as kiddy pools, clogged gutters and bird baths can produce hungry bloodsuckers in a week.  Drain them regularly.
  3. DRESS – When practical, wear clothing that covers as much of your skin as possible.  Wear long pants, long-sleeved shirts, and socks.  Some kinds of mosquitoes just LOVE biting around the ankles!  Some stores sell clothing that is factory-impregnated with insect repellent.
  4. DEET – When needed, use insect repellent that has an EPA-registered active ingredient.  Read more here:  https://www.cdc.gov/zika/prevention/prevent-mosquito-bites.html
  5. DUSK/DAWN – Peak mosquito biting activity occurs around dusk and dawn.  Avoid being outside at these times if possible.  If you can’t, dress appropriately and use repellent.  Note, however, that some kinds of mosquitoes, especially those that transmit Zika, chikungunya and dengue prefer to bit during the DAYTIME hours.

Captain Stan Cope (aka the Mosquito Man) is our Vice President of Technical Services, learn more about him here: https://catchmasterpro.com/blog/stan-cope-phd/

Mosquito Prevention – Additional Resources

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Sign up for our mailing list here: https://catchmasterpro.com/join-email/

For help with mosquito season 2020 & beyond, discover 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/

Dec 16
0

Mosquito Management 2019 Review

By | Mosquitoes | No Comments

Oh! What a Year it has been in Mosquito Management!  What did we Learn?

2019 was a very unusual year for mosquito management and mosquito-transmitted in the United States.  The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention reported the information below as of the first week of December.

2019 Disease prevalence

For the past two years, there have been no locally transmitted cases of Zika virus reported in the US.  The yearly average since 1999 has been about 2,500 cases.  Conversely, we had a frightening year with Eastern equine encephalitis.  Normally, the US averages about 7 cases per year but in 2019, there were 37 cases and 15 deaths.  Cases occurred in 9 states, with Massachusetts leading the way with 12.

Also, there were 14 locally acquired cases of dengue; 12 of these in Florida, 1 in North Carolina, and 1 questionable case in the District of Columbia.  The local cases in Florida are not surprising, as a whopping 32% (321) of the travel-related cases occurred there!

Mosquito Management - Fun Facts

So, what can we learn from this – 3 lessons learned from mosquito Season 2019

  1. The threat from mosquito-transmitted diseases in the United States is very real.
  2. The threat varies each year geographically as well as by disease and by type of mosquito.
  3. Diseases that have not occurred in an area for several years can suddenly reappear, bringing significant morbidity and mortality.

Remain vigilant, especially if you are traveling to warmer climates (either within or outside the United States) over the holiday season and beyond.

Captain Stan Cope (aka the Mosquito Man) is our Vice President of Technical Services.  Learn more about Stan here:  https://catchmaster.com/introducing-captain-stan-the-mosquito-man/

Mosquito Management – Additional Resources

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

For help with mosquito season 2020 & beyond, discover Catchmaster® mosquito management tools:  https://catchmasterpro.com/product/final-feed-mosquito-bait/

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

Oct 28
0

Halloween Mosquito Prevention

By | Insects, Mosquitoes, Trapping Tips | No Comments

Don’t let mosquitoes take a bit out of your fun this year – use these 4 Halloween mosquito prevention tips to enjoy pest-free trick-or-treating!

Ah- Halloween!  The season of gremlins and ghouls is upon us, and costumes and candy rule the day!  However, if your locality has not experienced a heavy freeze, nasty mosquitoes will still be out on Halloween. Here are a few tips from Vampire Captain Stan to minimize your exposure whether you are dispensing candy or seeking it yourself.

Halloween Mosquito Prevention - Mosquito Fun Facts

4 Easy Halloween Mosquito Prevention Tips

  1. If costumes permit, cover as much of your exposed skin as possible. Limit access for the blood-seekers (mosquitoes, not vampires!)
  2. If needed, use a mosquito repellent that has an EPA-registered active ingredient (https://www.cdc.gov/zika/prevention/prevent-mosquito-bites.html)
  3. Mosquitoes love entering houses through open doors. When answering the doorbell, don’t leave the door wide open while giving treats.  Invite the visitors in or go outside with them.  If weather permits, you can set up your candy store outside or in the garage but be sure and protect yourself!
  4. Many kinds of mosquitoes are highly attracted to white light. Consider using yellow ‘bug lights’ or perhaps even super cool Halloween bulbs in your outdoor fixtures.  This will help limit the mosquitoes attracted to your front door as well as to your property.

Happy Haunting and remember:  Safety First!

Captain Stan Cope (aka the Mosquito Man) is our Vice President of Technical Services.  Learn more about Stan here:  https://catchmaster.com/introducing-captain-stan-the-mosquito-man/

Additional Resources

For help with mosquito season 2019 & beyond, discover Catchmaster® mosquito management tools:  https://catchmasterpro.com/product/final-feed-mosquito-bait/

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

Aug 12
1

Final Feed FAQs

By | Mosquitoes | No Comments

What questions are customers asking about Final Feed™ Mosquito Bait?

Captain Stan (aka the Mosquito Man) has traveled the US and compiled some Final Feed FAQs from the field.  Check out his update below.

Part of my amazing job at AP&G (Catchmaster®) is to travel around the country, providing classroom and field training on mosquitoes and Catchmaster’s line of mosquito control products.  Various venues have included pest control companies, professional meetings, trade shows, specialized workshops for continuing education credits, zoos and even back rooms at restaurants!  Here are the top three questions that customers ask about Final Feed, the first-ever bait for mosquito control.

Q:  What is the science behind Final Feed?

A:  Both male and female mosquitoes require multiple sugar meals each day for energy and survival.  As a result, they acquire these sugar meals from plants.  Final Feed is a sugar-based bait that is sprayed on non-flowering vegetation, where the mosquitoes ingest it.

Q:  How does Final Feed work?

A:  The active ingredient is microencapsulated garlic, which is contained in a bait matrix.  The exact mode of action is unknown (a Ph.D. thesis in waiting) but after ingestion, the majority of mosquitoes die within 1-2 days.  Also, after ingesting the garlic, female mosquitoes lose their appetite for blood.

Q:  As Final Feed is a sugar-based product, doesn’t it attract other pest insects?

A:  No.  Rigorous scientific testing in the field clearly demonstrates that other insect pests are not attracted by the bait mixture.

We hope you enjoyed these Final Feed FAQs, reach out with your own and check out some additional links below.

Discover Final Feed Mosquito bait here: https://catchmasterpro.com/product/final-feed-mosquito-bait/

Learn more about Captain Stan (aka the Mosquito Man) here: https://catchmaster.com/introducing-captain-stan-the-mosquito-man/

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

Jul 15
0

Educating Your Customers: The “Aha” Mosquito Moment

By | Mosquitoes | No Comments

Educating your customers starts with inspection

Captain Stan preaches that a proper inspection, on every visit, is the key to controlling most mosquito problems and provide you with the opportunity for educating your customers.  Be aware that most customers do not associate their mosquito problem with standing water on their property; they only know they are being bitten.

The “3 Ws” of an inspection

If you find mosquito breeding sites on a customer’s property, if possible show the larvae and pupae to the customer, explain what they are, where they are breeding and why.  Educating your customers has three areas.  I like to call them the three Ws:

  1. What you found
  2. Why they are there
  3. What the customer can do to help the situation

The customer may then have an ‘aha’ moment = “oh, is THAT what those are?  I see them all over the property and never knew what they were”.  At that point, make your pitch on what the customer can do to help YOU provide a better mosquito service and you may have a friend for life!

Educating your customers – Professional tip

One other hint – show the mosquitoes to any kids that may live in the house.  Educate them and the next thing you know, you may have some young ‘mosquito detectives’ to help!

Learn more about Captain Stan (aka the Mosquito Man) here: https://catchmaster.com/introducing-captain-stan-the-mosquito-man/

Discover how mosquito control tools from the Catchmaster® brand can help you grow your mosquito control business here: https://catchmasterpro.com/collection/mosquito-management-tools/

Learn more about mosquitoes from the National Pest Management Association here: https://www.pestworld.org/pest-guide/mosquitoes/

 

 

May 16
0

On The Wing – Return Of The Mosquitoes

By | Mosquitoes | 2 Comments

Spring Mosquito Season

Mosquito season is in full swing in many parts of the country.  I was just in Louisiana last week and companies there are already out providing mosquito control services.  Do you ever wonder where mosquitoes ‘return from’ each season?  Some species spend the winter (or cooler months) as adults.  They hang out in buildings, animal burrows, under decks or other protected areas.  Then, when one of the first warm days of spring arrives (usually above 65 degrees or so), they emerge and look for something, or someone, to bite!

Other species overwinter in the egg stage.  These eggs hatch almost simultaneously with the spring rains and then 10 days later or so, huge clouds of hungry adult mosquitoes emerge.  This particular scenario is especially common in heavily wooded areas, swamps, forest preserves, etc.  Mosquito control personnel try to limit this emergence by applying mosquito larvicides, often by fixed wing or rotary aircraft, in the early spring before the adults are produced.

And remember that after each blood meal, a female mosquito can lay 150-300 eggs so the populations will build up quickly, regardless of how harsh the winter may have been.

Learn more about Captain Stan (aka the Mosquito Man) here: https://catchmaster.com/introducing-captain-stan-the-mosquito-man/