Earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a press release on the latest findings on illnesses from mosquito, tick, and flea bites. These illnesses have tripled during the years between 2004 and 2016, with more than 640,000 cases reported. In that same timeframe, nine new germs that are spread by ticks and mosquitoes were introduced into or discovered in the U.S.
To help our customers understand what can be done to reduce the threat—and how we can help—we offer in-depth information on our website on tick, flea, and mosquito control methods. Read on for details about the CDC’s findings, plus helpful links.
Mosquitoes
The CDC’s report shows that Florida is in the top 20 percent of states with the most disease cases from mosquitoes, which includes both travel-associated cases and locally transmitted cases. In both types of cases, it’s not surprising that Florida is high on the list, since our warm, humid season is longer than in most states and Florida is a travel destination as well as a stopover for travelers from tropical areas.
Turner Pest Control offers affordable mosquito control services to help protect you, your family and your pets from these biting insects. We use fast-acting, long-lasting barrier sprays as part of our recurring mosquito control service, and also offer one-time treatments to keep your special outdoor gathering mosquito-free. Our services are based on the size of your property, so you never pay too much. Read more about our mosquito control services and special offers for both new and current customers.
Be sure to check out these informative articles on our blog about what you can do to reduce the mosquito population:
Mosquitoes On The Rise As Warm Winter Ends
Why Aerial Spraying Isn’t Enough
Ticks and Fleas
According to the CDC report, Florida had more than 1,800 disease cases related to ticks. Ticks have four life stages, and most types of ticks prefer different host animals at each stage. They feed not only on mammals and birds, but even amphibians and reptiles. Ticks ingest bloodborne diseases from host animals and can pass them along to a new host. There’s a long list of diseases that ticks can carry, with Lyme disease among the most commonly reported. This map of the geographic distribution of ticks that bite humans shows how many we have here in Florida.
Fleas are also disease carriers, transmitting cat scratch disease via the Bartonella bacteria which is thought to be transmitted directly to humans by infected fleas on cats. Stray cats are more likely than pets to carry the disease.
At Turner, our residential pest protection program targets fleas and ticks by interrupting their lifecycles to help keep them from coming back. Our rodent control service plays a part, too, since mice and rats can carry fleas and ticks into your home. You can also take steps to keep your home flea-free. Learn more about our services and the areas we target and what is covered.
