Jan 7, 2013 | Uncategorized
With our commitment to healthier living and working environments, we at Northwest understand the importance of good pest management for personal health. Living in a hygienic environment and minimizing exposure to unwanted pests can literally save lives. For instance, the lives of twenty-five million Europeans during the Late Middle Ages were claimed by fleas that had spread the bubonic plague. They managed this feat by using another pest as a host – rats! Modern improvements on hygiene, sanitation and pest management have dramatically reduced the impact of this disease.
Another more common disease brought on by insects is Lyme disease. This disease is carried by the deer tick in the form of a bacterium called Borrelia bugdorferi. If a deer tick bites you, the bacterium enters the bloodstream and will lead to skin rash and in extreme cases, paralysis. When caught early, antibiotics can eliminate the bacteria before it causes furthermore harm.
Mosquitoes in particular can carry a host of diseases such as dengue fever, malaria, pogosta disease, and West Nile virus. They carry similar traits in that when infected, a person will experience a fever indicating that more serious effects are on the way such as meningitis or arthritis. All these diseases can lead to death if not caught or treated properly. For some of these diseases, the best form of prevention is pest management. Northwest Exterminating provides solutions to reduce the presence of mosquitoes in and around your home or work environment.
If you come in contact with a pest and feel you may have been exposed to any disease, be sure to immediately seek medical attention. Many of these diseases, as well as others such as malaria or rabies can be treated when caught early.
Melissa Brown
[email protected]
Sources:
http://www.si.edu/Encyclopedia_SI/nmnh/buginfo/diseases.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_diseases_caused_by_insects
Dec 10, 2012 | Uncategorized
Spotting a spider or roach may cause someone to jump from fright. Most people who have a typical fear of bugs may have these fears for various reasons. For instance, people who avoid bees may have a legitimate concern about being stung, especially if they’ve been stung before and found themselves to be allergic. Some bugs such as bees, wasps, poisonous spiders and mosquitoes can carry threats that many people try to protect themselves from. Northwest Exterminating provides an extensive amount of services to protect homes and businesses from such threats.
Then there are the bugs that may not carry much of a threat but we know the sight of them indicates other unpleasant conditions. Flies and roaches tend to flock to places that are unhygienic and not the cleanest. Maintaining a clean living and working environment usually helps eliminate the presence of these bugs, as well as the related fear. Our preference for a bug-free environment may be due to that in more industrialized, urbanized societies, we do not have firsthand experience with bugs because we do not live in their natural environment. Out of sight is out of mind, so spotting an unusual insect might always be a little bit surprising.
Other people have much more than an aversion, but rather a legitimate fear of insects otherwise known as entomophobia. A well-known form of entomophobia is arachnophobia, the fear of spiders. As the definition suggestions, the fear or concern has little to do with bugs themselves and more to do with somebody’s psychological disposition. Northwest Exterminating may not be able to fix your fears, but we can certainly take care of the bugs for you. Call us today to schedule an appointment!
Source
Melissa Brown
[email protected]
Oct 31, 2012 | Pest Control
As humans, we are often amazed at the ability of pests, specifically ants, to locate food. If there is food available, ants will find it. New research is now available to help us understand how ants have been so successful in our ecosystem.
A study led by Lawrence Zwiebel at Vanderbilt University found that ants have 4 to 5 times higher odor receptors than most insects. Odor receptors are unique proteins that distinguish between different odors. Ants showed more than 400 odor receptor genes (the largest of any insect species) compared to fruit flies at 61, mosquitoes at 74-158, and honeybees at 174.
New information is being released daily to help us understand the make-up of pests. The more we know and understand pests, the better we know how to control them. Call a professional ant exterminator in your area who is knowledgeable, efficient, and effective in treating ants. Call Northwest Exterminating.
Source: ANI News
Sep 12, 2012 | Pest Control
We know that bugs are gross and unsanitary but did you also know that they can be bad for our health. WebMD discusses some of the worst bugs and the potential harm they can do to our health:
- Ticks –Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and allergic reactions.
- Black Widow Spiders – Poisonous.
- Brown Recluse Spiders – Poisonous, can cause serious wounds, infection, and in some cases can be deadly.
- Head Lice – Itchiness can lead to infection, loss of hair.
- Fleas – Itchiness can lead to infection.
- Bee, Wasp, Hornet, Yellow Jacket – Painful sting, and can cause allergic reaction.
- Fire Ants – Painful sting, venomous, red bumps that burn and itch, and can cause allergic reaction.
- Chiggers – Itchy red welts.
- Scabies – Itchiness, sores.
- Bedbugs – Itchy, red bumps, can develop infection from scratching, and can cause allergic reaction.
- Puss Caterpillar – Poisonous, painful sting, rash, fever, vomiting, and muscle cramps.
- Scorpions – Poisonous, painful, and can be deadly.
- Deerflies – Infection, and Tularemia.
- Mosquitoes – West Nile virus, dengue fever, other diseases, and scratching can cause skin infection.
- Houseflies – Carries more than 1 million bacteria, intestinal infections by contaminating food.
- Cockroaches – Salmonella and other diseases, dead carcasses can trigger allergic reactions and asthma.
Tips to prevent feeling the sting of these health issues:
- Make sure your home is treated by a professional exterminator. A professional can diagnose current problems, and prevent new issues from coming into your home efficiently and effectively.
- Wear long clothing when outdoors.
- Wear DEET repellant when outdoors.
- Keep a clean, sanitary home and yard. This will prevent insects from seeing your home as a place for them to call home.
For more information on these insects and their health hazards, visit WebMD: Bad Bugs Slideshow: Identifying Bugs and Their Bites.
If you think you may have been bitten or stung by any of the insects above, please take note of your body’s reaction and seek medical assistance immediately.
Aug 13, 2012 | Fire Ant, Pest Control
Ants are one of the pests that can be an issue year around. Although controlling ants can be difficult…it is possible.
Size is a big advantage to the small ants. Because they are so small, they can enter a structure through even the tiniest of entryways. When ants enter your home, they are looking for food and water. Sweets and greasy foods are amongst some of their favorite foods. To lead other ants to food, they leave behind a pheromone that allows the other ants to follow to the source of food.
Ants are social insects, meaning they live in large colonies. You can find 300,000-500,000 ants in a single colony. Ants can uproot and move their whole colony rather quickly. Worker ants can live up to 7 years while queens can live up to 15 years.
Although size and quantity are on the side of ants, there are ways to keep ants out of your home:
- Eliminate standing water. This will help keep away ants, as well as other pests such as mosquitoes and termites.
- Keep foliage away from the structure. Ants and other pests can use branches, leaves, etc as a way to enter your home.
- Seal your home. Cracks and crevices around your home are used as entrances to your home by pests.
- DIY methods. Although some DIY methods can be helpful in getting rid of ants, you are not getting to the real source of the problem. A professional pest control company can inspect your home and help you come up with a customized plan to get rid of and control future ants from coming in your home.
Call Northwest Exterminating at 888.466.7849 if you are having ant problems in your home or business. Visit us online to find out more information about ants and how to control them.
