Encephalitis is an inflammation of the brain, and is an illness primarily carried by mosquitoes and ticks.Young children, the elderly, and individuals with a weakened immune system are most at risk. Encephalitis usually occurs within two to three weeks after the symptoms of a viral illness appear.   The symptoms of encephalitis are: Headaches Fever […]

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 […]

Mosquitoes are once again in the headlines. The latest news is that of the Zika virus, especially dangerous to women that are or could become pregnant. Before Zika it was the West Nile virus, Chikingunya and of course Dengue fever and Malaria have been making people ill for a very long time. The mosquito at […]

When it comes to pest control, the old saying “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” could not be more accurate. Here are a few suggestions that might help you avoid pest problems in the future. Keep bird feeders at least 25 feet from the house, rodents will be attracted to the […]

With Spring just around the corner, now is the time to think about protecting your yard against pests. The most common pests that invade your home in the spring are ants, spiders, fleas, ticks and mosquitoes. With west nile and zika virus spreading throughout the country, isn’t it time you should consider incorporating a mosquito program into your […]

Most mosquitoes usually attack during the hours around dusk and dawn. Very rarely do the insects come out for a meal during daylight hours unless the sky is cloudy. The dry heat that often occurs during daylight hours in the summer can quickly kill mosquitoes by causing them to become dehydrated. But Asian tiger mosquitoes, […]

Mosquitoes are very annoying and can be very dangerous.  Listed below are some interesting facts about mosquitoes: An average mosquito weighs 2 to 2.5 milligrams, which would seem to enable them to fly more swiftly, but not so. Mosquitoes fly at speeds between 1 and 1.5 miles per hour, making them one of the slowest flying […]

Ticks in the U.S. have been found to carry a rare, potentially life-threatening virus called the Powassan Virus which is more severe than Lyme Disease. Both infections are transmitted by deer tick (Ixodes Scapularis) bites, but Lyme is a bacterial infection. The tiny tick must remain attached and feeding for about 24 hours to transmit […]

Mosquito season will be here soon! Homeowners can get a jump on some general maintenance to reduce mosquito populations in their yard. Controlling mosquitoes involves “Source Reduction”, simply put, dumping out standing water and getting rid of objects and conditions that hold water. Early spring is a good time to do a mosquito survey of […]

Chikungunya, a viral infection transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes, originated in southeast Africa and was first described in Tanzania in 1952. It is a painful, mosquito-borne viral illness and has surfaced across the United States, carried by recent travelers to the Caribbean where the virus is raging. Typical symptoms of Chikungunya infection include the rapid […]

SCIENTIFIC NAME:  Aedes albopictus APPEARANCE: Black mosquito with striking white markings on the body and legs. PERSONALITY: Very agressive. Bites during the day. One of the primary nuisance mosquitoes in Virginia. PREFERRED BREEDING SITES: Artificial containers that hold water for seven days or more (these can be as big as an abandoned swimming pool or as […]

Controlling mosquito infestations can become quite difficult if you live near water or have standing water on your property. Not only are mosquitoes annoying they also carry diseases such as West Nile Virus and other viruses that cause encephalitis, malaria, lymphatic filariasis, yellow fever and dengue fever.    With PermaTreat's comprehensive mosquito control program the products […]

Most of the time when one pictures a green alternative, we just imagine an environmentally friendly version of a product that already exists, like household cleaners made with plant oils instead of bleach. While the pest control industry does have its own version of this two-sided coin, as previously discussed, they are also branching out […]

Questions about ticks?     – Learn how to remove a tick safely from your skin – Learn how to prevent tick bites when you're outside – Learn how to identify tick bite symtoms and signs How to remove a tick – Use a small pair of curved forceps or tweezers. Wear some sort of […]

Governor Bob McDonnel proclaimed May as Lyme Disease Awareness Month in Virginia. This year he signed the Lyme Disease Testing Information Disclosure Act of 2013 into legislation. This made Virginia the first state that requires “health care providers to notify anyone tested for Lyme disease that current laboratory testing can produce false negatives, especially in […]

People have heard of West Nile Virus: It is up there on the list of health nuisances, along with several other geographically-linked or animal-themed viral boogeymen. Although the public focus on West Nile as a pathogen to watch – in America at least – has softened over the years, the RNA virus is still active in […]

There are over twenty varieties of common pests that plague home owners. Common household pests that can and frequently do infest homes include: a variety of ants, a variety of flies, various cockroaches, rodents (such a rats and mice,) termites, stinging insects, a variety of other insects and larger creatures such as squirrels, raccoons and […]

Cloudy….with a chance of MOSQUITOES!!!     With summer, holidays and vacations on everyone's minds the last thing that we want to think about is the West Nile Virus carried by mosquitoes. True the weather has been a little sporadic and the rain has caused many of us to stay inside. But the weekend is […]