It’s the peak season for tick nymphs across many parts of the United States, and experts are warning that this could be a particularly bountiful year for the minuscule, potentially disease-carrying bugs.
Each spring and summer, Jean Tsao dons a white tick suit and goes out into fields throughout Michigan to study the prevalence of the black-legged tick, which transmits Lyme disease, the most common vector-borne disease in the U.S. A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that approximately 476,000 Americans are diagnosed and treated for Lyme disease each year.
Along with her team, Tsao, an associate professor in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife and the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences at Michigan State University, will drag a white cloth along thousands of meters to see how many ticks they collect. So far this season, they have already collected more ticks than they did all of last summer, when they dragged until mid-July and covered a greater distance.
Some ants have even stingers, and ant stings are completely different from ant bites. If a fire ant, for example, stings you, they inject venom with their stinger. This sting is painful, and the venom can lead to serious issues that are not only uncomfortable, but even life-threatening in some cases.
Spiders could be used as a warning sign that you have a bigger pest problem at home. Since spiders feed on other insects, you likely already have a pest problem if you are finding an abundance of spiders inside. In this case, you’ll need the help of a pest control professional to get things under control.
It is important to remember that spiders are not out to get you and they actually prefer to avoid human contact. However, if they feel threatened or become trapped in your shoe, for instance, they can and will bite you. Fortunately, there is really only one spider that you have to worry about in Canada and that is the Black Widow. The neurotoxins in their venom can cause severe muscle cramps, sweating, headaches, high blood pressure, and in rare cases, seizures and death. Thankfully, black widow spiders are not very common in Canada and only the female is dangerous to humans. You are more likely to come in contact with a garden spider, dock spider, house spider, cellar spider or jumping spiders which are harmless.
Bedbugs may enter your home undetected through luggage, clothing, used beds and couches, and other items. Their flattened bodies make it possible for them to fit into tiny spaces, about the width of a credit card. Bedbugs do not have nests like ants or bees, but tend to live in groups in hiding places. Their initial hiding places are typically in mattresses, box springs, bed frames, and headboards where they have easy access to people to bite in the night. Over time, however, they may scatter through the bedroom, moving into any crevice or protected location. They may also spread to nearby rooms or apartments.
Bedbugs are active mainly at night and usually bite people while they are sleeping. They feed by piercing the skin and withdrawing blood through an elongated beak. The bugs feed from three to 10 minutes to become engorged and then crawl away unnoticed.
You should never underestimate the potential health problems that a scorpion sting can cause, especially when you haven’t been stung before. You never know how your body will react to a scorpion sting. Everyone reacts differently; some people have little to no reaction to their stings while other people have serious allergic reactions that can require hospitalization. It’s safer to assume that a scorpion is dangerous rather than not dangerous and it’s a good idea to call pest control when you see even one in your home.
You should also keep in mind that children and elderly people are more susceptible to scorpions, so if you have children or any elderly visitors or members of your family you will definitely want to call pest control if you have scorpions. Just one scorpion sting can be seriously dangerous for children or the elderly, and no matter what type of scorpion it is, a sting will require medical attention and hospitalization in some cases.
Seeing a cockroach in your home can be both disturbing and shocking. Even if you keep your home as clean and free of crumbs as you can, you might still end up with these unwelcome visitors. If you feel that things are starting to get out of hand and your home remedies don’t seem to be solving your pest problems, you’re going to want to call a professional cockroach exterminator next.
While you might want to avoid paying for a professional cockroach exterminator, you’ll be thankful that you ended up calling one sooner rather than later. And when you have the right information at your disposal, you’ll realize just how useful a cockroach exterminator can actually be.
The most important thing to understand is that termite damage is almost never covered by homeowner’s insurance, meaning you’ll have to pay the costs of these damages out of pocket! Not only will termites damage any wood they encounter, including your subflooring, cabinets, and walls, but a large infestation can also destroy the entire wood framework of your home, making your home uninhabitable. Obviously, this type of damage can be costly. Termites are found throughout almost the entire country, including the northeast, and no home is immune to an infestation. The biggest problem with termites is that they are homeowners oftentimes don’t notice that termites have invaded their home until the colony has grown extremely large and the damage has become excessive.
There are some telltale signs of termites that every homeowner should watch for:
While you might want to avoid paying for a professional cockroach exterminator, you’ll be thankful that you ended up calling one sooner rather than later. And when you have the right information at your disposal, you’ll realize just how useful a cockroach exterminator can actually be.
