As we approach official summer in just a few short weeks, we are already in the height of mosquito and tick season throughout the country. June and July boast the highest months for pest infestations. In the last decade, illnesses from mosquito and tick bites have tripled in the U.S. according to the CDC.
Cities across the Northeast, Southeast, and Midwest seem to be the most impacted by insects like mosquitoes and ticks with nine of the top ten buggiest cities falling within one of these regions—on top of that, all of these cities are seeing double digit growth of infestation.
Mosquitoes
Mosquito season can start as early as February or March in some parts of the country. When temperatures reach a consistent 50 degrees, mosquito eggs begin to hatch and the mosquito season begins. Mosquito season is also extending, since many areas of the country are staying warm late into the fall and early winter.
Start of the 2020 mosquito season by month in the U.S.
It takes less than a week for mosquitoes to go from egg to adulthood and each female mosquito can lay up to 3,000 eggs in her lifetime. It’s no wonder that an infestation can happen so quickly.
The last few years have been particularly bad for mosquitoes in many areas of the country. With record rainfall and mild winters; mosquito populations are exploding. 2020 will not be any different. Now couple that with more people staying at home due to coronavirus and taking the time to enjoy their outdoor spaces—you can see why there is an increase demand for mosquito control. People want to be safe in their outdoor spaces and not worry about their family getting harmful diseases that mosquitoes spread.
It’s crazy to think, but mosquitoes are one of the deadliest insects in the world, killing up to 725,000 people annually. More than 3,500 species of mosquitoes spread viruses such as West Nile, Zika, Dengue and others. In the U.S. alone, there have been more than 950 cases of West Nile reported this year and we haven’t event entered the prime peak of mosquito season. That’s why many local governments institute their own control programs, but they are not the only ones.
More and more, homeowners are calling in professionals to make sure that their families are protected. They want regular and ongoing control so that they can enjoy their outdoor spaces without the worry. When offering services to your customers, it’s important to have the right solution to meet their needs. Some customers may request an all-organic kid and pet safe option, some may want the strongest formula available, and another customer may want something in between.
Ticks
The 2020 tick season has gotten off to an early start. With frequent warm stretches during January and February, ticks were sporadically active throughout the winter and became particularly active during March. Ticks become prevalent when the temperature is consistently about 45 degrees. Much like mosquito season, tick season is lasting longer each year with many of the areas of the country getting warmer early in the year and staying warm late into fall and early winter.
Tick populations can be found throughout the country but the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and upper Midwest see the largest impact.
Prevalence of tick-borne illnesses in the U.S. Each dot represents one case of Lyme disease in the patient’s county of residence.
Over the last five to ten years, there has been an explosion of tick-borne illnesses such as Lyme disease. And, aggressive tick species, like the lone star tick, are invading new areas of the country and can cause a bizarre allergic reaction to the consumption of red meat.
Ticks are most likely to live in tall grass, wooded areas, landscape plantings, and other shady areas. They tend to be most abundant in very small patches of wooded areas (less than an acre). This is because these small patches have higher concentration of disease carrying rodents that ticks attach to such as mice. These areas lack natural predators such as foxes or owls because of the small space. This allows the rodents, and ultimately ticks to multiply easily. These ticks then look to attach themselves to larger hosts such as deer, dogs, and humans—spreading disease and illness.
Think of how many of these types of areas surround homeowners, including the perimeter of properties and neighborhoods that are often wooded for privacy—especially in suburban areas. It’s easy to see why we’ve seen such an influx of tick populations and tick-borne illnesses.
With this influx of ticks, we again see consumers looking to professionals to treat their properties to control ticks. They are looking to keep their families and pets safe and stave off Lyme disease and other illnesses, so they can enjoy their outdoor spaces without worry.
Insect control offers a great opportunity to expand your business services. The number of contractors offering outdoor insect control applications has accelerated rapidly in the last couple of years because of the increase in demand from customers and the relatively low-cost to enter.
Effective Solutions for Ticks & Mosquitoes
Tick and Mosquito season has already started. Start applying control products now, before ticks and mosquitoes start to multiply. When offering repellent services, make sure to offer a multi-visit package to keep your customer’s property insect free all season long.
We’ve compiled a list of three effective control products for tick and mosquito including traditional, lower impact, and 100% organic.
Traditional:
ProFlex
Fast-acting and long-lasting solution for several hard to control pests including mosquitoes, cockroaches, fleas and ticks. Three active ingredients provide three modes of action control insects. This product offers a 90-day guarantee and is as low as $2.59 per 1,000 sqft of coverage.
- Combination Chemistry® contains adulticide and two insect growth regulators (IGRs)
- Breaks the life cycle of insect reproduction to control fleas, stored product pests, cockroaches, mosquitoes, Lone Star ticks, and other listed insect pests
- Quick- acting & long lasting
- Low-odor, for indoor/outdoor use
Low-Impact:
Bifen I/T
A professional strength insecticide/termiticide. Can be used indoors/outdoors on residential, institutional, public, commercial, and industrial buildings. Effective against ticks, mosquitoes, termites carpenter ants and other pests of structures.
- Can be used on lawns, ornamentals, parks, recreational areas and athletic fields to control chinch bugs, crickets, fire ants, scorpions, aphids and other listed insects
- Long-lasting residual for up to 5 years
- Low-odor, for indoor/outdoor use
Bifenthrin is not likely to reach groundwater because it binds tightly to soil and it is not absorbed by foliage or translocated throughout plants. Bifenthrin is low in toxicity to birds.
100% Organic:
Central Organic Insect Control
Central Organic offers 100% organic control for a wide spectrum of insects, including ticks and mosquitoes. Â It has an all-organic formula which will not harm beneficial insects like bees, butterflies, and earthworms, but will eliminate ticks, mosquitoes and other insects, and is EPA-exempt.
- As low as $.50 per 1,000 sqft (tank/truck sprayer)
- Central Organic Total Insect Control can be applied with a traditional sprayer or can be used with a fogger device
- The product has residual effect for 4-6 weeks, so plan to apply monthly
Central is here to help. If you have questions or need other recommendations, contact your local Central rep. We’re always adding new and innovate products to our warehouses to make sure we’re meeting [and exceeding] your needs. If you are interested in how you can add mosquito and tick control to your service offerings, let us know. We stay at the leading edge of the industry and we’re ready to help you grow!