Category: MOSQUITO CONTROL

 

A British Biotech Company has been running trials on a genetically modified mosquito that could in time be the answer to the global mosquito problem.  Millions of people die every year from illnesses spread by mosquito bites. Malaria alone kills half a million people in Africa on a yearly basis. Not to mention the billions of dollars they end up costing the government and the suffering they cause among those affected.  Mosquitoes are, without a doubt, a lot more than just an annoyance – they lower the quality of life of millions and pose a threat to the health and livelihood of billions.

Could We Be at the Start of a New Age?

If the trials conducted by Oxitec are to be believed, we may be living in a time right out of a science fiction novel.  The trials they ran showed a decrease of up to 96 percent in the mosquito population. They achieved this by introducing the genetically modified mosquito into the population. As the mosquito reproduces, the gene that prevents them from living past the larval stage comes into play, decimating the mosquito population before it starts. 

If they can manage to stop a generation of mosquitoes from getting past the larval stage, we just might be looking at a decrease in the mosquito population around the world. If you live in a mosquito infected part of the world like South Florida, you would be breathing a sigh of relief right about now.  Unfortunately, Oxitec is taking quite a bit of flak from anti-GMO organizations, but with some luck, we might be looking at a mosquito-free world, or at the very least, one in which they are not such a big factor.

Will This Be Like the Promised Flying Cars of the 2000s?

Only time will tell whether this almost magical solution will come to pass or if it, like many of the technological promises the future always seems to make, will end up in smoke. While we can only hope that this solution will come to pass, we do have to take care of the present.

Protect Yourself Now and Hope for the Best

While we wait for this new world, we still have mosquitoes to deal with and we still have many deadly viruses being carried by mosquitoes.  In the meantime, the logical thing to do is to install a mosquito misting system in order to eliminate mosquitoes now.  A home mosquito control system will ensure that your property is safe from mosquitoes and that your health is safeguarded against dengue, malaria, Zika and the countless other lethal viruses that mosquitoes are known for.

Choose SWAT Mosquito Systems®️ for Better Peace of Mind 

By installing a SWAT mosquito system, you are taking a safe and effective measure against Florida’s most infamous flying pest. Our systems are landscape friendly and can typically be hidden in the foliage. Contact us at 1-866-900-SWAT (7928) or reach us at Info@SwatMosquitoSystems.com.

 

We often think that when the weather cools down, mosquitoes cease to be a problem. In some parts of the country where everything freezes over, this might be true. Unfortunately for those of us in Florida, it is mosquito season almost all year round. Florida simply does not see temperatures low enough to kill mosquitoes, which means that having an effective mosquito removal solution is vital.

At What Temperature Do Mosquitoes Die? At Least Below 50 Degrees

What temperature is too cold for mosquitoes? The temperature needed to kill mosquitoes is at least below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. In Florida, our usual over 80-degree weather does not even come close to that. Although there are cases where the temperature drops below that, it usually will not last long enough to make a dent in the mosquito population. 

In the cold weather, mosquitoes will slow down. They are cold-blooded creatures, meaning they cannot regulate their internal temperature, so the cold does affect them. Whatever the temperature is outside is the temperature a mosquito will be. So if it is below 50-degree temperatures, most mosquitoes will eventually hibernate, migrate, or die. There are, however, some species of mosquitoes that have fully adapted to living in cooler climates. Some are found even in artic locations, like Alaska, withstanding both ice and snow. So, while it’s safe to say that most mosquitoes in cold weather aren’t an issue, we cannot rely on that in Florida. 

Their Offspring Will Live On

One would think that once the temperature hits 45 degrees or so we would be in the clear. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Tropical mosquitoes may die at that temperature, but their eggs do just fine in 50-degree weather, or even much lower. They’re perfectly capable of waiting until the temperature is ideal for them to hatch and present you with a whole new batch of mosquitoes.

What Can You Do?

If you cannot rely on the cold weather to kill the mosquitoes on your property, you have to take matters into your own hands. There are many methods out there for mosquito removal. Some people recommend planting lemon balm in your yard, others recommend fogging the yard every day or having those special bug zappers. All of these do their part, but the only sure way to get rid of mosquitoes is with a residential or commerical mosquito control misting system.. Not only will this system eliminate them, it will also ensure that they do not come back by constantly releasing an effective mist, so long as you continue to use the system.

 

 

 

Swat Mosquito Systems Is the Best Choice

If you decide that you want to rid yourself of mosquitoes with an effective mosquito control system, give SWAT Mosquito Systems®️ a call. We are the best choice in Florida because we use the best equipment, our technicians are highly trained, and we love designing custom mosquito misting systems. Contact us at 1-866-900-SWAT (7928) for a free estimate.

 

The list of mosquito-related diseases is long and scary. Some of the diseases you may have heard of include: 

• Malaria 
• Chikungunya
• Dog Heartworm 
• Dengue 
• Yellow Fever 
• Eastern Equine Encephalitis 
• St. Louis Encephalitis 
• LaCrosse Encephalitis 
• Western Equine Encephalitis 
• West Nile Virus 
• Zika 

Each of these is a very serious mosquito-transmitted disease and can cause lifelong illness or even death. Among them, however, the three most common mosquito bite diseases are malaria, dengue, and West Nile Virus. 

Malaria

Malaria is said to have originated in Africa and is transmitted by anopheles mosquitoes.  The word “malaria” literally means bad air, because people thought the wind coming from swamps carried the disease.  There are records of malaria going back as far as 2700 B.C. by Chinese accounts. In other words, this disease has been plaguing human beings for thousands of years. 

Malaria proliferates in warm tropical weather. Over one million people die yearly from malaria, and about 400 million cases get reported every year around the world. There is treatment available to combat malaria. Recent genome studies conducted in the U.S. and Britain may improve the fight against malaria in the coming years.

Malaria symptoms include: 

• High fever 
• Headaches and nausea 
• Abdominal pain 
• Severe shaking chills 
• Muscle pain convulsions 
• Coma

Dengue

In recent years, dengue has become more common. In Texas alone, over 50 cases were reported in 1999, where at least one person died of dengue. The Florida Keys had 20 cases in 2010 and another 50 or so cases were reported in Florida that year. More alarming numbers were reported in places like Venezuela, with over 11,000 cases in 2004, or Indonesia’s outbreak with over 50,000 cases and 600 deaths.

Dengue’s symptoms can include severe headaches or pain behind the eyes. Severe muscle or joint pain is common as well, as are high fevers, vomiting, and nausea. You could experience bleeding from the gums and nose as well as easy bruising.

West Nile Virus

This virus is related to the St. Louis and Japanese encephalitis viruses, with an incubation period of five to 15 days. People affected by this tend to recover, though in some cases death can occur, especially in the older population. Symptoms usually include fever, body and headaches, swollen lymph nodes, and skin rash. Rarely do people become disoriented or sleepy, fall into comas, or have convulsions. Swelling of the brain may happen in some of the more extreme cases.  Out of the 50 states, 48 have reported West Nile fever. It has also been reported in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.

 

 

 

Reduce Risk With a SWAT Mosquito Systems®️ Mosquito Misting System 

Among your best options for keeping mosquitoes at bay is with a mosquito misting system. Call SWAT Mosquito Systems®️ for a free estimate on an effective mosquito prevention solution at 1-866-900-SWAT (7928).

 

We know there are many diseases carried by mosquitoes, but how exactly do they spread diseases and give them to human hosts? What is the mechanism by which we get infected from a mosquito’s bite?

Unwelcomed Hitchhiker

Sometimes a mosquito will bite someone or some animal that carries a virus. By biting this person or animal and taking a drop of their blood they can find themselves with an unwelcome hitchhiker in the form of a virus. Viruses multiply by breaking into a live cell and high jacking it to produce more copies of the virus. As the virus spreads it may affect the host or it may just use the host as a carrier. Either way, when a mosquito produces copies of the virus by means of the blood, it has now become infected. The next time this mosquito gets hungry and decides to bite someone else, that someone else can end up being infected as well.

Think of the mosquito’s tiny proboscis as you would a used needle. We have all heard of the perils of used needles, now imagine a used needle flying around deciding who to stick itself into next, that is a mosquito. Can/do mosquitoes transfer and spread blood diseases like needles might? It’s essential to note that mosquitoes are not “sharing” blood but rather are becoming infected themselves. When they feed on someone after becoming infected, the virus is transmitted to a new person—not by means of old blood but by the mosquito’s saliva. Mosquitoes are very rarely affected by the viruses they carry making them very dangerous.

Mosquitoes also feed on plants, especially the male of the species but when it is time to reproduce, the protein of the blood is the perfect sustenance for a female mosquito to multiply. They do not take much blood, in fact, it would require well over a million mosquitoes to actually drain a person’s blood.

 

 

Other Factors

There are other factors that contribute to the distribution of viruses from a mosquito. For example, warmer climates tend to be ideal for viral reproduction. As it happens, mosquitoes thrive in warmer conditions making tropical weather the perfect storm of virus distribution.

How to Protect Yourself

Knowing how to protect yourself from mosquito bites is crucial if you want to avoid being one of the unlucky people who get one of these horrible diseases. The most effective way to avoid getting sick from viruses spread by mosquitoes is to prevent the bites in the first place. Repellent is good, as is surrounding your property with herbs and plants that mosquitoes do not like (for example plants with citronella). The most effective way, however, is to install a mosquito misting system in your home.

SWAT Away Mosquitoes Effectively and Efficiently 

SWAT Mosquito Systems®️ provides the best mosquito disease prevention with their unique application methods. For a free estimate on the perfect mosquito removal system for your home, call us at 1-866-900-SWAT (7928) or complete our online contact form.