Homeowners have been battling mosquitoes for years and most often ignoring their bites. But it's time that we take mosquito infestations seriously.

Hours ago the first case of West Nile Virus was reported in Maryland.

If you have a mosquito infestation consider employing a pest professional to help control this pest.

Mosquito infestations can continue well into the fall months. Make centain that you are protected.

Steps to keep mosquitoes out of homes:

 – Eliminate potential mosquito breading grounds like birdbaths and baby pools by changing the water at least once per week.

 – Remove excess vegetation around any standing water sources that cannot be changed, dumped or removed.

 – Check your screens for any holes to keep them out of your house.

Protect yourself:

 – Avoid areas with a lot of mosquitoes
 – Avoid unnessary outdoor activity at dawn and dust (this is when mosquitoes are most active)
 – Wear long pants, long-sleeved shirts and hats if you are concerned about mosquito exposure
 – Use an EPA-registered insect repellent

Organic Termite Control

“Okay…I have termites and I’m considering a termite baiting system…how does that work?”

Two popular baiting systems are the Sentricon Termite Colony Elimination System and the Advance Bait System.

The Sentricon System and the Advance System are similar because they both rely on the random foraging of worker termites leading them to the wood blocks placed in the stations.

With baiting systems, stations filled with wooden sticks are placed around your property roughly 8-10 ft apart and in areas conducive to infestations such as  mulch beds and shrubbery.  Once the stations are installed, quarterly visits are scheduled to come to your property and scan the stations for activity…if activity is found the wooden sticks are replaced with bait sticks.  As termites feed on the bait sticks they take the bait back to the colony for the other workers and the queen to digest and die.

One year after the system is installed  you will be given the option to pay an annual renewal fee which consists of quarterly inspections and continued baiting as needed plus replacement of any damaged stations during the warranty coverage.  This option is usually for an additional 5 years from date of the original install.   If you decide not to continue the coverage then the company stops inspections and baiting and some will retrieve the stations from your property.

Baiting systems are considered  “organic treatments” because no chemical enters the ground or your home.

Baiting systems rely solely on the fact that termites have to come into contact with the bait station while foraging for food to register as termite activity and to be discovered by the exterminating company protecting your home.

There have been instances during the yearly inspection where termites were discovered in the home even though the stations showed no activity.  Most companies will then resort to concentrating on the infestation by using 1 of several methods:

•  – AG station (Above Ground Station)
•  – Premise foam
•  – Termidor powder

All are successful at eliminating the termite infestation.

Think you may have termites?

Think you may have a termite problem in your home but you’re unsure because you’ve never seen a termite?  So…What does a termite look like?

Winged Termites – usually swarm when the weather changes and all of a sudden you have an exceptionally warm sunny day in an otherwise dreary week. Termites are relatively poor fliers and are readily blown downwind in wind speeds of less than 2 km/h, shedding their wings soon after landing at an acceptable site, where they mate and attempt to form a nest in damp timber or earth.

Soldier Termite – protects the colony from predators such as ants. The wide range of jaw types and pragmatic heads provides methods that effectively block narrow termite tunnels against ant entry. A tunnel-blocking soldier can rebuff attacks from many ants. Usually more soldiers stand by behind the initial soldier so once the first one falls another soldier will take the place.

Worker Termite – undertake the labors of foraging, food storage, brood and nest maintenance, and some defense duties in certain species. Workers are the main caste in the colony for the digestion of cellulose in food and are the most likely to be found in infested wood.

Queen Termite – A female that has flown, mated, and is producing eggs is called a “queen.” At maturity, a primary queen has a great capacity to lay eggs, often reported to reach a production of more than 2,000 eggs a day. The distended abdomen increases the queen’s body length to several times more than before mating and reduces her ability to move freely, though attendant workers provide assistance. The queen is widely believed to be a primary source of pheromones useful in colony integration, and these are thought to be spread through shared feeding (trophallaxis).

Tips for termite control:

• Do not store or stack firewood directly against your foundation wall

• Mulch should remain 1 ft from foundation wall

• Shrubs or young trees showing signs of termites should be removed immediately

Termites are small insects that can cause major damage over a long period of time if left undetected. Homes in the United States should b inspected annually by a qualified, certified inspector. Many pest management companies offer free, no obligation inspections.  If you are not under a termite warranty and your home is over a year old you should consider contacting a pest management professional.