Summer is here in Saskatchewan, but along with the fun are the bugs. Learn how to protect against mosquitoes, ticks, and other insects that hope to take up residence on your property. You can take preventative steps to safeguard you, your family and guests from the health threats posed by summer’s pests.

Give no room for itch-inducing bugs in your yard.

 Mosquitoes

In recent years, the public has become increasingly aware of the health threats mosquitoes pose with West Nile virus, Zika virus , Chikungunya, and Dengue at the top of the list. It is particularly troubling for many to learn that the Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti, the mosquito species most associated with Zika, bite throughout the day and not merely at dusk and dawn like many other mosquito species.

Safeguards:

• Use insect repellent. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends using products that contain DEET, oil of lemon eucalyptus, IR3535, or picaridin.
• If you will be outside for extended periods of time, consider wearing long sleeves and pants.
• Eliminate sources of standing water. Mosquitoes need just a ½ inch of water to breed.  Be sure to empty flowerpots, children’s toys, fire pits, recycling bins, or any other water receptacles.
• Contact a professional to apply preventative mosquito treatments to your yard.

In Saskatchewan ticks are on the prowl in warn weather.

Ticks

Ticks are another pest that collide with people – and their pets – when the weather is warm. There are about 90 species of ticks throughout the North America, each presenting unique challenges including various health threats. The viruses most often associated with ticks include Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, babesiosis and ehrlichiosis.

Safeguards:

• Insect repellent with at least 20% DEET can be effective in preventing ticks. Permethrin is also effective.
• Make sure plants and shrubbery are trimmed and well maintained as ticks welcome harborage in overgrown grasses and greenery.
• Talk with your vet about preventative controls for your pets.
• If you’ve been in areas where ticks may be present, shower soon after coming indoors and check for the presence of ticks on your body.
• If you live in an area where ticks are problematic, talk with a professional about ways to minimize threats in your yard.

Pets are vulnerable to coming into contact with fleas

Fleas

Fleas have been long associated with devastating outbreaks of the plaque, though today, they are more commonly associated with the incessant itching they cause. Some fleas, such as the cat flea, do transmit the plague and murine typhus, however that is mostly in the southwestern United States. Pets are particularly vulnerable to coming into contact with fleas when they are outdoors.

Safeguards:

• As fleas are often carried on rodents and other nuisance wildlife, keep them out of your yard by sealing garbage cans and eliminating convenient food sources like pet food left outdoors.
• Prune overgrown vegetation and trim grasses.
• Talk with your veterinarian about preventative medicine for your pets.

Summer is the time to marvel at many insects in nature as fireflies, dragonflies, ladybugs and others grace us with their welcoming presence. The presence of other insects, however, calls for education, protection, and preventative action. For more Rapid Lawn Landscaping articles on insects in your yard, click here

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