Feb 1, 2013 | Uncategorized
This post needs little to no explanation!! But here’s a brief one: The lawn on the left is serviced by our competitor, the lawn on the right is serviced by Northwest Lawn Care. Which lawn would you prefer?
L: A lawn serviced by a competitor; R: A lawn serviced by Northwest
A healthy lawn in the warm months comes from maintenance and TLC in the cool months. Northwest Lawn Care offers an 8 step program that will treat the conditions in your yard as the seasonal conditions change! For more information visit our Lawn Care page.
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
Nov 16, 2012 | Uncategorized
According to a recent article by the Wall Street Journal, wildlife damage to crops, landscaping and infrastructure now exceeds $28 billion a year. The article addresses the benefits to the increase in wildlife but also the damage they can cause and the effect it has on our local economies.
This year, Princeton, N.J., has hired sharpshooters to cull 250 deer from the town’s herd of 550 over the winter. The cost: $58,700. Columbia, S.C., is spending $1 million to rid its drainage systems of beavers and their dams. The 2009 “miracle on the Hudson,” when US Airways flight 1549 had to make an emergency landing after its engines ingested Canada geese, saved 155 passengers and crew, but the $60 million A320 Airbus was a complete loss. In the U.S., the total cost of wildlife damage to crops, landscaping and infrastructure now exceeds $28 billion a year ($1.5 billion from deer-vehicle crashes alone), according to Michael Conover of Utah State University, who monitors conflicts between people and wildlife.
Click here to read the whole article.
For wildlife removal or exclusion needs in your home or business, call Northwest. A Wildlife Control representative will inspect your property for evidence of wildlife and will determine the points of entry being used by these critters to get into your structure. A customized plan will be developed to get the immediate nuisance under control and to seal off any known points of entry.
Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204846304578090753716856728.html#
Oct 12, 2012 | Pest Control
We talked on Wednesday about the return of the stink bug. We had so many questions that we thought we would continue our conversation about these pesky pests.
Stink bug
You may have noticed these six legged creatures in and around your home lately. The brown marmorated stink bug, also simply known as the stink bug, originated in parts of Asia. It first showed up in the American mainland in parts of Pennsylvania. At some point, these insects migrated to all parts of the Southeast and have a penchant for fruits, vegetables and other plants.
Stink bugs get their names from a defense mechanism located under their bodies that is triggered when threatened by predators such as birds or lizards. Nevertheless, simply handling the bug, injuring it or attempting to move it can trigger it to release an odor.
Damage done by a stink bug to an apple
As the seasons change, these bugs tend to seek out people’s homes as overwintering shelter from September to the first half of October in order to go into a state of hibernation. Adults can live anywhere from several months to a year. Typically, these bugs enter the home through cracks under or behind baseboards, around window and door trim, and around exhaust fans or lights in ceilings. Sealing these openings will prevent the insects from entering.
If you find that you are having trouble keeping these bugs at bay, call Northwest and our experienced technicians will provide you with a service that protects your homes, lawns and gardens. For the best – Call Northwest!
Melissa Brown
[email protected]
Oct 3, 2012 | Pest Control
At this stage in your life, you probably think you know quite a few facts about nature – the sun rises in the east, dolphins can communicate with each other, and bees gather honey from flowers. So, it may come as a surprise to you that you may have to reconsider what you know. Keep reading for some myth busting – Northwest style.
5 Common Misconceptions About Insects:
1. Bees get honey from flowers
When bees buzz through your garden, they gather nectar, a complex sugar, which they carry to the hive in a “honey stomach.” Once they deposit it into the hive, other bees break down the sugar and pack it into the cells of the honeycomb. Finally, they fan their wings over the honeycomb to evaporate water out of the nectar and the end result is honey!
2. All spiders make webs
Many people think that all spiders spin webs of silk to trap their prey. It is true that all spiders produce silk. On the contrary, hunting spiders, which include wolf spiders, jumping spiders, and trapdoor spiders among others, actually track down their prey instead of making webs.
When most people think of animals, they often mean furry creatures such as dogs, cats and even more menacing lions, tigers and bears. Perhaps because of the unusual appearance of most insects, which have exoskeletons among distinctive features, people tend to assume these arthropods are of a different classification. Though they may not have skin or fur, insects are animals just like dogs, cats – and us!
4. A cocoon and a chrysalis are the same
Growing up, we learned stories of homely worms turning into beautiful butterflies after emerging from their cocoon. Actually, the term chrysalis defines this transformation stage between larva and adult, otherwise known as a pupa. Only butterflies can come from a chrysalis. It is its cousin, the moth, that emerges from a cocoon made of silk.
5. Daddy longlegs are spiders
Daddy longlegs, also known as harvestmen, walk around on eight legs as all spiders do. However, not all eight-legged creatures are spiders. Spiders have two distinct, separated body parts, whereas the harvestmen have one. They also do not have silk or venom glands as spiders do.
Melissa Brown
[email protected]
Sources:
http://insects.about.com/od/teachingaboutinsects/tp/15misconceptions.htm
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/exhibits/always-on-display/butterfly-rainforest/butterfly-qa
