Jul 13, 2021 | Going Green, Mosquito
Mosquitoes thrive off heat and humidity! With summer officially here, mosquito season is in full swing, making your chances of getting bit by one of these pests very high. Mosquitoes are small and annoying and their bites can pose a serious health threat to both humans and animals. Every homeowner wants to protect their family and pets from these pests and what better way to do so with a green alternative via the In2Care Mosquito Trap!
How In2Care Works
In2Care is a perfect solution to help prevent and eliminate mosquitoes throughout your home and property. This trap is unique as it lures in mosquitoes with a special green treatment inside the trap. Once mosquitoes enter the trap, the treatment transfers to the mosquito’s legs, where it is then spread to other breeding sites, like standing water or flower saucers. The spread of the treatment eliminates adult mosquitoes but also prevents the larva mosquitoes from developing further.
The In2Care Benefits
This trap is perfect for every residential home looking for a new, alternative green mosquito control method. Instead of spraying product around your yard, the trap is placed in a shaded, vegetated area where mosquitoes are likely to breed. The green treatment used to eliminate mosquitoes does not target beneficial pests and remains environmentally and pet friendly. In2Care provides your property:
- A no spray, discrete system.
- Elimination of all mosquito life stages – from larva to adult.
- Strategic placement around the home so the trap is always working.
Instead of constantly battling mosquitoes this summer, consider a new way in In2Care to rid mosquitoes and take back your yard!
If you’re interested in the In2Care System or would like more information, call 866-480-0947.
Mar 12, 2021 | Going Green, Mosquito
Mosquito season is right around the corner! Heat and humidity during these months combine to provide an ideal environment for mosquitoes to thrive. The season usually starts in the spring and peaks over the summer. Besides leaving behind itchy, red welts, these nuisance pests are dangerous to humans by vectoring serious diseases like Zika virus, West Nile virus, and chikungunya. Fortunately, there are several green pest control options you can utilize as an eco-friendly alternative to control mosquitoes. Here are 3 steps you can take for green mosquito control.
Identify Nesting and Resting Sites
The first step to controlling mosquitoes is identifying and eliminating what attracts them in the first place. Mosquitoes will come around in search of two things: nesting sites and resting sites.
Where do mosquitoes breed? Every species of mosquito lays its eggs in water. While the type of water source may vary between species, it only takes a minute amount of water for mosquitoes to hatch and develop. Get rid of any potential breeding sites by:
- Cleaning up debris around your home. Moisture can accumulate under piles of leaves, boards, mulch, rocks, and other outdoor items.
- Walking around your yard and identify any items that can hold water – pots, cans, bird baths, lids, toys, and planters. Empty them or store them upside down when not in use.
- Inspecting your gutters for clogs and keep them cleaned out. Watch out for sagging gutters or low spots where the water can accumulate.
- Repairing any poor drainage sites in your yard as these can lead to standing water. Consider leveling your yard or installing a french drain.
Once mature, adult mosquitoes will often rest in shady areas that are protected from the wind. Some common resting sites include trees, shrubs, potted plants, patios, and front entryways.
Protect Yourself From Bites
Any time you can protect yourself from mosquito bites you should. Prevent mosquito bites by:
- Blowing them away. Any breeze above 1 mph will make it difficult for mosquitoes to fly. If you have to spend time outdoors, consider using fans, whether battery powered, plug in or ceiling. Try to keep the air flow from the fans pointed at the lower half of your body as mosquitoes tend to fly closer to the ground to avoid said wind.
- Avoiding peak mosquito hours. Mosquitoes tend to feed at dawn and dusk as the wind typically dissipates around these times. Try to stay indoors during these times, especially during the warmer months.
- Applying insect repellent before going outdoors. When applying repellent, spray it onto your hands and rub it onto your skin rather than spraying it directly onto the skin. Repellents with DEET block the mosquitoes’ CO2 receptors, making them especially effective.
- If you are opposed to DEET, there are other natural mosquito repellents you can use instead.
- Picaridin is CDC approved and the most broadly used repellent outside the United States.
- IR 3535 is CDC approved and also repels deer ticks.
- 2-undecanone is CDC approved and is found naturally in cloves.
- Oil of lemon eucalyptus is CDC approved and has been proven in studies to repel as well as DEET.
- Avon Skin so Soft was shown in a 2015 study to repel mosquitoes for up to 2 hours.
- Permethrin fabric spray can be used on clothes, shoes, tents, and netting.
- Essential oils containing eucalyptus, rosemary, cloves, basil, and peppermint have also been shown to repel mosquitoes and are even used in many commercial products.
- Covering up when outdoors. Wear tightly woven, light colored clothing. The synthetic fibers in athletic wear are especially good at repelling mosquitoes. Dark colors stand out to mosquitoes, while lighter colors are less attractive.
- Considering the use of plants that repel mosquitoes around your home such as citronella, lavender, lemongrass, marigolds, and basil.
Applying Green Mosquito Treatments
Yards and climates vary across the region so the effectiveness and longevity of mosquito treatments will vary from home to home. Regardless of where you live or what kind of home you have, a green mosquito control program can be effective at helping control mosquito populations. Green mosquito control utilizes eco-friendly products that are just as effective as traditional products.
A complete green reduction program includes monthly mosquito treatments during mosquito season. Green treatments use products that are derived from flowers and botanicals and area only applied to the areas where they are needed instead of over the entire yard. They are effective at reducing both adult and larvae populations.
The green mosquito reduction program includes an inspection to identify resting and nesting sites; larvacide and adulticides to target all aspects of the population; source reduction and elimination by removing any areas of standing water; and a service guarantee where they will come back between treatments if needed, usually at no cost.
If you have a problem with mosquitoes or any other pests, contact a professional pest control company who can provide you with a thorough inspection and the most up to date traditional pest control and green treatment options available for you.
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Nov 5, 2012 | Going Green
At Northwest, we are committed to creating healthier living and working environments. Below, we have some practical tips you can try at home to improve your carbon footprint!
1. Don’t drink bottled water
You may just be using one bottle of water a day whenever you head to the gym, but multiply that by a couple billion and you realize that all that plastic is a waste! Though recycling them is a great option, an even better one is to get a reusable bottle and an in-house filtration system to get water from the tap.
2. Unplug it!
We have habit of leaving electronics plugged in when we are at work or not using them. A great way to save energy would be to unplug our cellphone chargers, laptops, TVs and anything that won’t be in use. Using a power strip can make this process simpler for you – one flip and it’s on or off!
3. The Three Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Following these three steps can help you spend less money, make less of an impact on the environment and get creative! Reducing means using less wasteful products, reusing means making use of what you already have and recycling means making your old stuff into something brand new!
4. Cold water works wonders
You may not want to shiver when you shower, but when doing laundry, washing with cold water reduces energy output. Many laundry detergents nowadays are available just for the purpose of being used with cold water so don’t worry about not getting your clothes as clean.
5. Use the microwave less
Using fresh foods or foods that don’t require microwaving eliminates waste in many ways. First, you don’t use the energy the microwave requires. Additionally, many microwaveable items come with packaging that uses paper products and plastic. Reducing how often you use the microwave ensures that you avoid using these products as well.
Hopefully these tips will get you motivated to go green! Aside from these tips, Northwest Exterminating offers many services that are environmentally and customer friendly! We want to protect your homes from pests, while keeping the environment healthy. Our Green Services include TAP Attic Insulation, Green Pest Control, Complete CrawlSpace, Green Mosquito, and Green Termite Solutions. If you want to know more, please visit www.callnorthwest.com/green-services
Melissa Brown
[email protected]
Sources:
http://sustainability.publicradio.org/consumed/tips.html
http://www.wikihow.com/Reduce-Your-Carbon-Footprint-at-Home
