Category: MOSQUITO CONTROL

Are Bug Sprays and Citronella Candles Safe or Toxic? The Dangers

 

South Florida is known for its sunshine and warm, balmy weather. While the tropical weather attracts tourists from all over the world, however, it’s also inviting mosquitoes. To avoid getting bitten or nipped at, many people enlist an army of tools designed to repel mosquitoes. Some of the weapons include indoor citronella candles, repellent sprays, and other high-tech methods aimed at keeping mosquitoes at bay. But before you cover yourself in an indoor mosquito-repellent candle, or repellent spray, or light a candle to protect against stings and bites, you should know how potentially dangerous they are.

DEET Dangers

DEET is the most popular insect repellent in the United States. DEET protects against mosquitos by preventing them from landing on the skin. But just because a lot of people use it though, doesn’t mean that it is safe. DEET has a bad reputation. A recent Consumer Reports survey of more than 2,000 adults found that only one-third believe insect repellents are safe for adults.

Even fewer, just under a quarter, think they are safe for children.

The skepticism surrounding DEET is fact-based. There are possible side effects of using it. The most common is skin irritation—you want to avoid spraying it on skin that is scraped or irritated. DEET should not be used on the hands or near the eyes or mouth of young children. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), DEET may cause skin reactions.

 Is Citronella Toxic or Safe to Breathe/Inhale?

Citronella is an essential oil derived from the leaves and stems of lemongrass. Citronella is in cosmetics, incense, and candles. While citronella products are made from natural oils, there are still some dangers to using them.

Are citronella candles safe or toxic to humans? For most adults, citronella oil is safe when it’s used on the skin, but it can cause skin allergies in some people, especially young children. If your pets ingest citronella, it can cause severe illness or death.  The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals lists citronella candles as poisonous to dogs because citronella candles can lead to stomach cramping when ingested by animals who are attracted to their smell. When pets inhale the smoke from citronella candles, it can cause breathing issues. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the EPA has not evaluated citronella oil for its effectiveness.

The dangers of inhaling indoor citronella candles don’t end there. Mosquito candles also pose a fire hazard and are not intended for indoor use. You should place candles on non-flammable surfaces like a brick patio or concrete. Citronella torches should not go near mulch, fencing, or wooden decks. So, are citronella candles bad for you? They can be if not used properly.

High-Tech Fails

When it comes to keeping mosquitoes away, there’s an app for that! You can use your cell phone to turn on your car, answer your front door, or track a package, so why shouldn’t it help protect you from bug bites? If you type the words “mosquito” and “repel” into Android’s Google Play or Apple’s app store, dozens of apps are listed.

Each app promises to help keep you safe from mosquito bites. The apps work by emitting high-frequency noise. The problem is, they don’t work. Check out this attempt to use a mosquito repellent app on live TV!  #epicfail!  But, there are methods you can employ to help keep your home and yard free of mosquitoes.

Living in South Florida, it’s in your best interest to make sure that mosquitoes stay away. The annual number of people sickened by mosquito or tick bites more than tripled in the United States between 2004 and SWAT Mosquito Systems®️2016. You can avoid being one of them.

SWAT Mosquito Systems®️ provides state-of-the-art mosquito misting systems to keep biting bugs away all year long. Call them today at 866-900-SWAT to learn more about its proven system to keep mosquitoes and other pests out of your yard.

The 4 Most Effective Natural Insect Repellents to Use in Your Garden

 

 

Let’s Talk Pests

The bane of many a gardener, landscaper, and homeowner – Florida is home to a plethora of garden pests. Their presence is virtually impossible to prevent (even more difficult to remove) and can range from mild nuisances to some downright destructive bugs. Harsh chemicals and pesticides are often viewed as the only way to deter these pests despite being potentially harmful to the very plants you’re trying to protect. Fortunately, eco-friendly gardening solutions for dealing with pests do exist. Here are four effective natural repellents that you can safely use for your Florida garden or lawn.

Effective Natural Repellents

Neem Oil

This natural ingredient can be found in many commercially-sold pesticides and is highly effective when used on its own. An ancient ingredient used for centuries in Southern Asia and India, neem oil is derived from the Azadirachta Indica tree.

With both pesticidal and anti-fungal properties, a neem oil-based homemade pesticide is effective at removing over 200 species of leaf-chewing garden pests such as mites, aphids, mealybugs, and whiteflies, while preventing common garden fungi such as root rot, black spot, mildew, and more. To use: mix one teaspoon of neem oilwith a one-third teaspoon of a mild soap with one quart of water.

Herbs

These pretty-smelling (and often delicious) plants are good for far more than lawn decoration. Many of the herbs that can be commonly found in the kitchen are noted to be effective natural repellents.

Why? Bugs can’t stand the smell.

Keeping lavender as a houseplant or in your lawn will naturally deter mosquitoes, moths, flies, and fleas. Some other strong smelling plants like basil, thyme, and garlic are great options as well. The delightfully pungent rosemary herb will keep those dreaded slugs, snails, and cabbage moths from munching on leaves of lower hanging plants.

Caffeine

Put your coffee habit to good use by saving used coffee grounds to use as a natural pesticide. As a central nervous system stimulant, when taken in small doses, caffeine is the energy-giving substance we’ve come to know and love; however, caffeine is fatal for insects.

Caffeine causes over stimulation of their nervous systems and resulting in paralysis and death, shortly after that. To use as a pesticide, simply add used coffee grounds into your soil or create a mixture with water that can be sprayed to deter snails, slugs, cats and even deer effectively!

Chrysanthemums

These flowers provide beautiful bursts of colors in flower beds, so it can be hard to imagine that such pretty florals could be such effective bug killers. The key ingredient that acts as a natural pesticide is pyrethrum, which works wonders against many common garden pests: Japanese beetles, root-knot nematodes, spider mites, harlequin bugs, ants, roaches, ticks, lice, fleas, bedbugs, and silverfish. Incidentally, a biodegradable Chrysanthemum-based spray is what SWAT Mosquito Systems®️ uses for our mosquito repellent systems.

We firmly believe in family-friendly and eco-friendly methods of insect repellents that are just as effective as artificial counterparts.

With our one-of-a-kind mosquito misting system, we have been effectively eliminating mosquitoes, no-see-ums, flies and other pesky insects that bother South Florida residents for years. Give us a call today to learn what SWAT Mosquito Systems®️ can do for you and your home – when we move in, bugs move out!

Why Autumn is the Best Time to Live in South Florida

 

 

We Love Fall in South Florida!

While the snowbirds are waiting for winter to hit before making their trek to the Sunshine State, we locals know that they’re missing out by waiting until December to visit. Autumn is indubitably the best time to live in South Florida. We may not get to experience the changing of the leaves, the donning of coats, boots, and earmuffs, or the picking of crunchy ripe apples right off the branch – but in lieu of those traditional rites of Fall’s arrival, South Florida in autumn becomes a balmy paradise like someplace straight out of a movie scene. If you’re wondering why the country’s tropical playground loves autumn, read on for a countdown of the four reasons why autumn is the best time to live in South Florida.

Reason #4: It’s Less Crowded

The majority of South Florida visitors arrive during the early months of the year (2018 shattered previous records, welcoming 33.2 million tourists during the first quarter.) But autumn in South Florida offers a glorious respite from vacationers as summer ends and school rings back in session. This break from visitors gives locals a time to reclaim their usual haunts as South Florida hotspots such as Miami Beach, or Fort Lauderdale are less congested with tourists. Although South Florida never really slows down, autumn gives Miami, Broward, and Palm Beach residents a bit more breathing room (at least, until January comes around.)

Reason #3: Food Festivals

We’re not sure who arranged for all these South Florida food festivals to line up in autumn, but we’re not complaining. September – November finds South Florida playing a host to a number of coveted food-related events. There’s the famous Miami Spice Month which runs from August to September, two seafood festivals (one in South Beach and another in Key Biscayne, both in October), a number of beer block parties like Wynwood’s Octoberfest or Coral Gables’ Grovetoberfest, and all sorts of delicious goings-on that only happen in South Florida during the Fall.

Reason #2: Autumn Brings the Best Beach Days

It is no secret that Florida is home to many of the best beaches in the country but what might surprise you is that the best time of year to visit them may not be during the summer.  September in South Florida marks the beginning of lower temperatures with seasonal highs in the mid to low eighties, decreasing chances of rain, and lower humidity levels.  This makes for delightful beachgoing weather with fewer worries of succumbing to heat stroke and more time spent enjoying the coast.

Reason #1: Great Weather Means Fewer Mosquitos

Florida is infamous for aggressive mosquitoes, in fact, two South Florida cities took the top spots in a national ranking of the cities with the worst mosquitoes. This distinction highlights an ongoing battle between local residents and bugs that our tropical climate doesn’t help. However, fall in South Florida means decreased rainfall, which does more than provide South Florida residents with fewer bad hair days. Lower likelihoods of precipitation give pesky mosquitos (and other biting insects like no-see-ums) fewer opportunities to breed. Additionally, some mosquito species go into hiding when colder temperatures ( 50°F) arise. Some will die off as temperatures being to cool, while others will go into hibernation – leaving a few glorious months of almost mosquito-free days.

Wish South Florida could be in autumn year-round? While you can’t prevent the temperatures from spiking or the tourists from visiting, you can control bugs and prevent them from biting year round. SWAT Mosquito Systems®️ provides state-of-the-art mosquito misting systems to keep the biters at bay all year long.  Call them today at 1-866-900-SWAT 1-866-900-SWAT for a personalized consultation on how to keep mosquitos, no-see-ums, and other pests away from your family.

SWAT Systems: Your Go-To Source for No-see-ums Control

 

Perhaps the only downside of living near the beautiful beaches, swamps, and lakes of Florida are the insects that also call these ecosystems home.  Trying to get rid of noseeums or mosquitos can sometimes feel like an uphill battle, but SWAT Mosquito Systems®️ is now here to help!  While historically the pesky Florida mosquito population has kept us in business, more and more people are reaching out wondering if our natural misting system can help them get rid of noseeums as well.   The answer, of course, is yes!  Misting for no-see-ums is the same process as misting for mosquitos, and with your new SWAT System, you will soon be able to enjoy a bug-free yard.  For those mosquito prevention experts who know less about their more annoying cousins, keep reading to see why no-see-ums control is just as important.

Why Bother Misting for no-see-ums?

Nobody likes getting bit by insects, and while mosquitos are often cited as the most annoying, no-see-ums may be even worse.  Although many times smaller than mosquitos, no-see-ums (also known as sand flies) have a stinging bite that will often cause large red welts on the skin.  Similar to mosquitos, these welts will itch and irritate. Obviously, that is worth avoiding, and a natural no-see-ums misting system is a foolproof way to get rid of these insects once and for all. It is also worth noting that many of the thousands of species of no-see-ums are small enough to fly through the screens in your windows or doors – ultimately allowing them to work their way inside.  By installing a no-see-ums yard spray/misting system outdoors, you can nip this problem in the bud and create a comfortable and relaxing atmosphere both inside and outside your Florida home.

Where Should you be Misting for no-see-ums?

Where are no-see-ums found? Despite being a very different insect, no-see-ums share a lot of similarities with mosquitos. Both insects lay their eggs in standing water, so properties close to either fresh or salt water could be breeding grounds for unwanted visitors.  No-see-ums in particular will rarely venture further than 400 feet from where they hatched.  In other words, homes near water are the perfect place to invest in a natural no-see-ums misting system. No-see-ums can be found in climates across the world (including in the snowy mountains of the Himalaya!), and nearly every corner in the state of Florida provides the ideal habitat for these pesky insects to thrive.  As someone who enjoys the beautiful nature of The Sunshine State, no-see-ums control should be a top priority for your big backyard.

Mosquitos often steal the negative publicity in Florida but, truth be told, no-see-ums may be even more obnoxious. Small, swarming, and with a more vicious bite, these little insects can single-handedly wreck an otherwise beautiful evening in your backyard. But all is not lost.

Set up an appointment with SWAT to inquire about our misting systems and to get rid of noseeums and mosquitos today!