After a long summer of swatting mosquitoes and checking loved ones for ticks, many Canadians are itching for winter to start and pest season to end. While your chances of being bitten by mosquitoes and ticks in cold Canadian weather are slim to none, it's not because they've gone the way of the snowbird and fled to Florida. Many species are still technically around, having gone dormant until warmer weather returns. Let's learn more!
Life is too short not to stay outside in the summer! Camping with friends and family can be a fun and rewarding adventure, but with the risk of mosquitoes and ticks, it’s important to stay safe and follow the proper precautions. You know, the ones outlined by your friendly neighbourhood mosquito.buzz!
There are approximately 2500 species of mosquitoes across the world and roughly 82 of those species can be found here in Canada. One mosquito species of particular interest is the Coquillettidia perturbans, aka the “cattail mosquito”. Aside from being a major nuisance, the cattail mosquitoes are vectors for many diseases, including West Nile virus, and Eastern equine encephalomyelitis, among others.
Wow, what a week! Across North America (and the world, really), we've seen so many great instances of people and organizations spreading awareness and sharing tips & anecdotes about mosquito control in honour of Mosquito Control Awareness Week. Every year, MCAW just seems to get bigger and better!
What is Mosquito Control Awareness Week you ask? And why is it so important in 2019? Well, our friends over at the American Mosquito Control Association started this initiative with the ultimate goal of educating the public about mosquitoes, the risks associated with mosquito bites, and the significance of mosquito control providers like the good people here at mosquito.buzz.
With May being Lyme Disease Awareness Month in North America, now is the time to get educated on Lyme disease and the pests that spread it. That's why we've dedicated this blog to doing just that!
When Sir Elton John sat down at his gold piano to pen the Academy Award winning hit song Circle of Life, we're not sure that he had the life cycle of ticks, from egg stage to full-fledged adulthood, on the brain. However, years later, John's 1994 classic could be used perfectly to describe the cycle a tick encounters from the start of spring to the first frost of winter: four unique life stages that often end with a bloody bite!
Sleigh bells ring, are you listening? In our yards, ticks are missing...
Wow, can you believe that December is here already? Time to break out the Christmas records, put up the holiday lights, and dust off the warm winter jacket (preferably orange, if possible) before the temperatures drop to teeth-chattering levels here in Canada.
While each of these DIY tasks are important in their own way, there is one winter assignment that we at mosquito.buzz value over all others: tick-proofing your property. Because while some pests do die out in the winter due to the onset of colder weather, ticks are unfortunately not one of them. Bah humbug, we say!
While ticks are much less prevalent and pose less of a threat to you or your pets in winter than they would in, say, spring and fall, you should still keep an eye out for those pesky arachnids during the colder months, especially if you live near heavily-wooded areas with large populations of deer, rabbits or mice. If certain factors exist, it is possible for ticks to be active and latch on to someone or something when looking for a warm place to hide...
Read on to learn more about what happens to ticks in the winter.
Woo-ha - fall is here! Even though we love summer with a passion here at mosquito.buzz, it's nice to experience the many joys that a Canadian fall has to offer as well. You know, the orange leaves and orange hoodies and orange pumpkins and orange...oh wait, there seems to be a theme here. You could say we're suckers for orange here at MB!
Tick bites ain't nothing to mess with! If you or your pet are bitten by a tick, it's important not to panic. React swiftly, but calmly as well. If followed properly, these next steps will help to lower the risk of further damage, and help to get the tick away from you or your pet as soon as possible.
Ticks, ticks go away, come again another (non-fall) day. If you're worried about ticks ruining your fall bliss, know that you're not alone! October is a great time of year for staying outside and enjoying your property, but is also notorious for being a high-risk tick season in certain parts of Canada. That's something we're definitely not thankful for!
