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Could Reducing Populations Reduce Lyme Disease?

Lyme Disease A new study* asks, Could Reducing Populations Reduce Lyme Disease?

Reducing Deer Populations - Reduce Lyme DiseaseDeer reduction must be considered in any discussion of effective community-level intervention to reduce the risk of Lyme disease. There were three main factors that allowed the epidemic to emerge (reforestation, suburbanization, and dense deer herds). Only deer density may be targeted in efforts to reduce, over the long term, the risk landscape to what it was prior to the epidemic. The majority of studies analyzing the effect of deer reduction as a mode of intervention against Lyme disease demonstrate great reductions in the density of deer ticks, a prerequisite for local risk for acquiring an infection.

Zoonotic transmission program

Zoonotic transmission of the deer tick microbial guild requires tick reproduction and infection of the resulting ticks. Deer reduction targets tick reproduction without which there is no enzootic transmission cycle. Arguments against the utility of deer reduction as a mode of intervention mistakenly conflate its potential efficacy with the sociopolitical obstacles for implementing such an action. In addition, some confusion exists as to the goals of reduction as a mode of intervention: it will not reduce risk in the short term over large areas but is intended to reduce risk over time and in discrete sites. Deer reduction would be most effective as part of an integrated tick management program that comprises short-term and long-term approaches.” Call us and set up a free inspection. We can give you suggestions on how to prevent ticks from nesting in and around your property. We also have repellents that can “assist” in repelling deer from your plants and shrubs. Read The Article Below by Josh Lancette Lyme disease has been a growing problem in the United States, with the number of cases increasing throughout the past few decades. Click Here To Read More/      

Fall Pest Prevention

It is Easier and Safer to Keep the Pests Out Than It is to Try to Get Them Out

When you think of a pest control company, your mind probably automatically goes to exterminators and pesticides.  While those are a part of a pest control business, anyone with experience in pest control will tell you that it is much easier and more affordable to keep pests from invading a home than it is to make a home pest-free after it has been infested.  That is why Viking Pest Control is happy to offer a fall pest prevention package for its New Jersey area customers. The key to pest prevention is to keep them from coming into your home.  Why do they want in your home in the first place?  Your home is warm and inviting, while outside it is starting to get cold and hostile.  In fact, many pests know that they will not survive the winter if they stay outside, but that they can thrive in a warm environment.  Therefore, pests will try very hard to get into your home and even relatively large pests, like mice, can come through very small spaces. Step one is to locate any pest entrances.  Common entrances include around doorways and windows, and any normal entrances to your home, like dryer vents and soffit gaps.  After an inspection, the Viking Pest Control pest prevention experts will seal any pest entrances. This can include securing your dryer vent, blocking potential entrances with copper mesh, using caulk to fill gaps in trim and siding, and using weather stripping to ensure that doors and windows are snug. Step two is to take preventative measures to keep your home from seeming inviting.  Warmth is great, but pests need more than warmth to survive.  It is important to deprive them of the moisture they need, so Viking’s pest prevention experts will look for any sources of moisture in your home, such as leaks under sinks and in cabinets, and let you know about them.  They will also look for areas that are hospitable for pests such as clutter under sinks or along floors. Prevention is ongoing, so step three will require collaboration between you and Viking’s pest control team. You will need to keep pet and human food sealed and out of reach.  Furthermore, if there are signs that you already have bests, Viking may use pesticides or employ traps to eliminate the current pet population. Working together, you and Viking Pest Control can ensure a pest-free fall for your home!

All About Ticks and Tick Control

All About Ticks & Tick Control. A Primer for Summer. By Viking Pest Control

Tick Removal

Tick Control Tick Removal If you have been in a wooded area or other area where you suspect you may have been exposed to ticks, you need to inspect yourself, others in your party, and any pets for ticks. If you encounter ticks, you can safely remove ticks yourself using a pair of fine-tipped tweezers, by following the basic steps:
  1. Do a thorough tick check. Ticks are prone to hide in warm, moist areas, so you want to be sure and check underarms, belly buttons, behind the knees, between the legs, around the waist, in and around the ears, and in and around the hair. In addition, it is a good idea to check dog’s gums for ticks; dogs have to pant to keep cool, which means they have open mouths, providing the warm, moist environment that ticks love!
  2. Shower within two hours of coming indoors from tick-infested areas; it has been proven to reduce the risk of Lyme disease.\
  3. No need to buy a special tick removal tool; a pair of fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick close to the surface of the skin.
  4. Pull upward with a steady, even pressure avoiding twisting or jerking motions that can cause parts of the tick to break off and stay in the skin. If any parts do break off, remove them individually with the tweezers.
  5. Clean the area thoroughly with soap and water, rubbing alcohol, or iodine.
  6. Dispose of the tick by submersing it in alcohol, flushing it down the toilet, placing it in a sealed container or bag, or tightly wrapping it in tape.
Of course, as with everything else, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. For ticks, modifying your lawn and using a pesticide can dramatically reduce the tick population, greatly reducing the likelihood that you or your family will be exposed to Lyme disease. Yards should be kept clear of brush and tall grasses, play equipment and other recreational items should be kept away from vegetation, and pets should be kept on pest control to prevent tick infestations. Viking Pest control can also apply an acaracide to control the tick population in your yard. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, even a single springtime application of acaricide can reduce the population of the species of ticks that cause Lyme disease by 68%-100%.

Viking Yard Guard

viking-yard-guardGet less “Ouch!” and more “Awww…” from the outdoors this year with Viking’s YARD GUARD™ Tick Control Program. Ticks can be a real distraction and deterrent from enjoying your own back yard during spring, summer and fall. Why not take action and fight back against the pests that can ruin your evening outside? With YARD GUARD™, you will protect your outdoor space and control the breeding populations of Ticks.

Proper Trap Placements for Summertime Pests

Proper Trap Placements for Summertime Pests By Gregory Covello A.C.E. Summer is finally here and as our gardens flourish so do the pests that invade them. Throughout my travels I often encounter do-it-yourselfers trying to eliminate a variety of pests using various traps. Many times I can’t help to notice the poor placement of pest traps. I would like to share some tips on proper placement of various traps to affectively capture your target pest. One of the most common trap placement blunders that I encounter is placements of lure traps near areas where humans will congregate. I have witnessed a countless number of yellow jacket traps place near pool yards and picnic tables. There are a variety of yellow jacket and wasp traps commercially available to reduce the number of these stinging insects without using pesticides. These traps utilize either a commercially prepared lure, or a beverage or your choice (extra sugary sodas or beer would be my recommendation) to attract the insect to the trap. When you place these traps on or near the picnic table that you are eating at, you are actually enticing the stinging insects towards you. Stinging insect traps should be placed away from the areas that you are trying to protect. Traps should be placed by hanging them from trees, poles, or fences where people will not be spending time. Try to establish a perimeter of these traps along your property line, not near your home or garden. In similar fashion to the stinging insect trap, there are commercially available mosquito traps. Most of the mosquito traps that are available utilize a propane tank that fuels a unit that is designed to emit carbon dioxide that will attract mosquitoes within a certain radius. You do not want the center of the attraction zone to be your garden. If you choose to invest in one of these units, once again, keep it away from areas frequented by people such as gardens, and outdoor dining areas. One of the most common summer garden pests also has a commercially available lure trap. The Japanese beetle trap, often easily recognized by the hanging bag full of bugs is another attractant type trap. Most of these traps are actually sold with pole type stand to hang the trap from. The lures available with these traps are highly attractive to Japanese beetles making it once again extremely important to place these traps away from you roses and veggies. Japanese beetle traps should be placed upwind of your garden, not in it. Also, follow the labeled instructions for the number of units you should use. Often, multiple units may be necessary to get a desired level of control. Traps are not only for insect pests. Another common summertime invader is the groundhog. There are various types of live traps available to get rid of this common excavator. The common box style live trap can be an effective tool if placed correctly. Sometimes you have to study your target a little before placing a trap. Often I see traps placed directly next to a groundhog burrow. Although you will occasionally trap a groundhog with trap placement near the burrow, a better solution is to place the trap where the groundhog is feeding. Leave a trail of bait leading up to the trap. Make sure bait is place behind the trigger plate, not in front of or on the trigger. Be creative with you bait choices when trapping a groundhog. As a general rule, use whatever the groundhog may be damaging or eating out of your garden. If your tomatoes are getting eaten, using a tomato as bait is probably a good choice. I have successfully used apples, tomatoes, and dark leafed lettuces that stand up well in the high summertime temperatures. I have heard of successes using cantaloupe and other fruits, however, I cannot share any personal success stories with cantaloupe. Unless the trap you have is specifically designed to place directly over the burrow, try not to place the cage too close to the burrow as to not alarm the animal. Best of luck to you with your trapping endeavors.

Fleas Ticks and Disease

Viking Pest Control. Fleas Ticks and Disease If you have pets, then you are almost certainly aware of the risk that fleas and ticks pose to their health. While a minor flea or tick infestation is a nuisance for a healthy pet, a major flea or tick infestation can pose a serious health risk to pets who are elderly, very young, or have health problems, and can even put otherwise healthy dogs at serious risk. As opportunistic blood-sucking parasites, fleas and ticks will not stop at feeding on your family pets; they will also feed on family members, and can live in fabric surfaces of your home, like carpet and upholstery. This means that a minor flea or tick problem can become a major nuisance very quickly.

Health risk associated with fleas and ticks

Of course, the real health risk associated with fleas and ticks has less to do with the blood that they drink and more to do with their potential for spreading disease. Although fleas are not generally disease spreaders, they are known to be linked to the spread of the single most significant deathly illness event in human history: the Bubonic plague. Modern fleas can still carry the plague as well as a lesser known disease, murine typhus. The risk of contracting either of these diseases through flea bites is relatively low, but it remains a possibility. On the contrary, ticks are frequent carriers of Lyme disease, and the risk of transmission is not insignificant. In fact, tick bites are the only known means of transmission of Lyme Disease, which impacts 300,000 people a year in the United States. Lyme Disease has both immediate flu-like symptoms and possible long-term symptoms such as joint pain, swelling, and chronic fatigue. While antibiotics may be able to help prevent Lyme Disease if a tick bite is discovered immediately, bites often go undetected and antibiotics are not helpful after that initial exposure period, making prevention a key.
Did you know? According To WebMD The investigators discovered that most of the affected children lived near wooded areas likely to harbor ticks. They also found that the children's first symptoms typically started in the summer months coinciding with the height of the tick season.
Viking Pest Control can help you eliminate your risk of exposure to fleas and ticks We can treat your home and your yard to exterminate existing fleas and ticks as well as preventing future infestations. Combining these treatments with effective veterinarian-recommended flea and tick medications for your pets can virtually eliminate your risk of a flea or tick infestation in your home or yard. You can increase your personal protection by using a DEET based insect repellant, covering your skin, and checking thoroughly for ticks after exposure to areas where ticks are likely.