MENUYour landscape may be home to insects that don’t attack your plants but do attack you, your family and your guests. Mosquitoes and ticks come to mind because they’ve been in the news lately.Mosquitoes are carriers of numerous diseases, including malaria, West Nile virus and, most recently, the Zika virus. As they suck human blood, these pests also transmit to their human hosts diseases they are carrying. You can actively help prevent mosquitoes by getting rid of all standing, stagnant water. This is where they breed. Clean and change the water in bird baths and fountains frequently. Keep swimming pools treated and circulating. When outdoors, especially in the evening, be sure everyone’s exposed skin is treated with mosquito repellent.Ticks carry some nasty, serious, human diseases like lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. These pests are carried by various mammals. Deer ticks, for example, carry lyme disease but don’t only live on deer. The field mouse is one of its favorite hosts. This disease doesn’t affect the animal hosts, but it does debilitate humans who may receive the disease organism when infected ticks bite them.Fleas can also be of concern, especially if you have pets. Fleas carry animal diseases like tapeworm. Pets can carry fleas into the house and these flightless insects can get into carpeting and furniture and then bite us.Take precautions when outdoors. Protect yourself by wearing long pants and long sleeve shirts. Tuck pants into boots. Check children, pets and yourself frequently. Remove ticks as soon as possible using tweezers.For the peace of mind of knowing that you’ve done everything possible to protect your family, call our Plant Health Care professionals. They can inspect your property for signs of these pests and take appropriate action if you have them. We can also take preventive measures like spraying the perimeter of your property for ticks and fleas.Also, be sure your pets are treated for these pests by a vet or with one of the home applied medications.Your landscape is a sanctuary for you to relax, enjoy the natural surroundings and the fresh air of outdoor living. Don’t let uninvited “guests” ruin your enjoyment and compromise your family’s health. Most of all, don’t let them turn your tranquil retreat into a stressful environment. Take the offensive and get rid of these pests and keep them away.
