TICK, FLEA & MOSQUITO REDUCTION

Ticks & Mosquitoes have become an increasing problem to people and animals in the United States. Ticks are obligate blood-feeders that require an animal host to survive and reproduce. Ticks feed on a wide variety of mammals, birds, reptiles, and even amphibians. While most ticks feed on specific host animals, several ticks have a wide host range and attack people, pets, or livestock. Ticks can be a nuisance; their bites can cause irritation and, in the case of some ticks, paralysis.  An estimated 75% of all Lyme disease cases are acquired from ticks picked up during activities around the home. With the steady increase in the incidence and geographic spread of Lyme disease, there is a need for homeowners, public health officials, and the pest control industry to learn how to manage or control tick populations.  An integrated management approach does not necessarily preclude the use of pesticides, but seeks to use them effectively and responsibly in order to minimize and reduce exposure and use.  Research and computer models have shown, that in areas with historically high levels of ticks and mosquitoes, that pesticides may be an effective way to reduce populations.  Did you know……….newly hatched larval ticks are born without the Lyme bacterium? They may acquire it, however, if they feast on a blood meal from an infected host.  Scientists have learned that white-footed mice, eastern chipmunks and short-tailed shrews can transfer the Lyme bacterium to larval ticks.  Tick nymphs infected with Lyme bacteria pose the biggest threat to humans; their numbers are linked directly with the size of mouse populations.

Our 100% Organic and Organic Based Tick & Mosquito Reduction Programs can help reduce and repel Tick & Mosquito populations and reduce the potential risk of infections from bites.  Your lawn, trees and shrubs will be treated during the first initial visit to knock down current populations, and in situations where tick infestation is historically high, a perimeter spray application will be performed to address all wood lines, brush and leaf litter areas to achieve better control, and further decrease your family’s possible exposure to Ticks & Mosquitoes.  We use a variety of products to help with tick reduction.

We offer the following options:

• Our Organic-Based Hybrid Program utilizes organic botanical oils combined with a low risk, or reduced risk pesticide for areas with an excessively high population of ticks and mosquitoes.   Because of the quick knockdown the botanical oils provide, and the synergistic relationship they have when mixed with other products, we are able to reduce our pesticide usage by 50% and still achieve the same efficacy as competing programs using all chemical treatments.  These methods are widely used and considered a very effective approach by many in the industry.
• 100% Organic Botanical Oil products!  Our MOST POPULAR Program!  Natural ingredients such as oils of Cedar, Rosemary, Wintergreen, Peppermint, Geraniol and Vanillin effectively reduce nuisance pests such as Ticks, Mosquitoes, Fleas, Gnats, and more.  How?  Unique Mode of Action: Octopamine Blocker Technology provides fast knockdown and control across a broad spectrum of flying and crawling insects. The essential oils that comprise the active ingredients in our products work by disrupting the neurotransmitter function in target insects. In invertebrates, with their simpler nervous systems, a multi-functional chemical known as Octopamine handles many of these functions. By targeting Octopamine receptors, these essential oils provide insecticidal activity with a much wider margin of safety than other products. Because vertebrates, like birds, fish, dogs, and people don’t have Octopamine receptors, they are not affected by this unique mode of action. Children and pets can resume using the treated area within 15 minutes after the application is complete.

Bronze Program:  Six (6) treatments are performed every 30 days beginning May-October to help reduce ticks and mosquitoes when they’re most vulnerable.  Each treatment provides approximately 30 days of residual reduction.  However, there are homes in areas with historically and unusually high tick populations that may require more treatments based on established threshold levels for ticks.

Silver Program:  Seven (7) treatments are performed every 30 days beginning Apr-Oct when ticks are most active.  Each treatment provides approximately 30 days of residual reduction.  However, there are homes in areas with historically and unusually high mosquito populations that may require more treatments based on established threshold levels.

Gold Program:  Eight (8) treatments are performed beginning in April.  Combines both programs to reduce Ticks, Mosquitoes, Gnats and Fleas making applications every 30 days Apr-Nov, to provide extended control for the active outdoor family!

How you can create a Tick Prevention Zone around your home and landscape:

• Keep grass mowed regularly (this means every 6-7 days when actively growing)

• Remove leaf litter, brush and weeds at the edge of the lawn.

• Restrict the use of ground cover, such as pachysandra and ivy in areas frequented by family and roaming pets.

• Remove brush and leaves around stonewalls and wood piles.

• Discourage rodent activity. Cleanup and seal stonewalls and small openings around the home.

• Move firewood piles and bird feeders away from the house (see section on small mammals and birds).

• Manage pet activity, keep dogs and cats out of the woods to reduce ticks brought back into the home.

• Use plantings that do not attract deer or exclude deer through various types of fencing.

• Move children’s swing sets and sand boxes away from the woodland edge and place them on a wood chip or mulch type foundation.

• Trim tree branches and shrubs around the lawn edge to let in more sunlight, and create a 3-foot or wider wood chip, mulch, or gravel border between lawn and woods or stonewalls.

• Consider areas with decking, tile, gravel and border or container plantings in areas by the house or frequently traveled.

• Widen woodland trails.

• Consider host products to kill ticks on deer or rodent hosts.

• Consider a hybrid application as a targeted barrier treatment for areas with historically higher infestations.

If you are concerned about ticks, or have already found tick populations around your home and landscape that are affecting your children, pets, and overall enjoyment of your outdoor environment, please call 973.515.0691 today to have a proposal prepared for your property specifically.