Here we see Josh and Dallas sealing gaps in a brick facade to prevent bats from utilizing the void areas behind them. Bats were observed in another area so we decided to seal off all other available harborage sites before we exclude the bats from their original location. No bats were harmed in the filming of this post…however several bug guys did get really sweaty.
Last weekend I had the pleasure of attending The Great Texas Mosquito Festival in Clute Texas. You may ask yourself why a town would celebrate such a thing? All I can think of is if you can’t beat em join em….or in this case celebrate em. The festival was a good time with plenty of hot food and cold beverages to distract you from the blinding heat and an occasional mosquito. There was plenty of good Texas music on hand and a host of mosquito related events including a mosquito calling contest and a mosquito legs contest. Its too bad they didn’t have a pasty legs contest because I’m pretty sure I’d have that one in the bag.
Why would anybody want to build a better mosquito you ask? Perhaps to save millions of lives in developing countries. A recent article from Popular Science highlights research being done by scientists at the University of Arizona to genetically alter mosquitoes so they can’t carry the parasite that causes Malaria. According to the article every year 250 million people are infected with Malaria and it kills around 1 million. This makes malaria a huge health concern world wide. Scientists at the University have actually managed to engineer a mosquito that is 100% resistant to the malaria parasite.
The next step is finding a way to replace the native mosquitoes with the new ones. This is no small task considering the mosquitoes of today are the result of millions of years of evolution and natural selection. The gentically engineered mosquitoes will need to be given a competitive adavantage of some sort which is kind of scary to think about if you ask me. Especially if it means making them more aggressive in any way. I would hope they don’t get any larger or hungrier or have sharper mouth parts or something. I’m getting itchy just thinking about it.
In any case there may be a day in the future when a mosquito bite is just a mosquito bite with no concern of contracting some deadly illness or condition. I’d like to suggest they start on ticks next.
Anybody who’s been outside in the last 24 hours knows that mosquitoes have hit Houston in a big way. The recent heavy rains have led to perfect breeding conditions and in turn lots of hungry mosquitoes. My dad and I were down in Sugar Land doing an inspection yesterday and there were mosquitoes everywhere. I had my own personal entourage everywhere I went. When the population gets this heavy you have to start game planning with mosquitoes in mind. Your best bet is to educate yourself on their behavior.
The American Mosquito Control Association has an excellent site with extensive information on Mosquito biology and behavior. They have an interesting FAQ page with factoids that can help you avoid mosquito attack.
Another good resource for Houstonians is the Harris County Public Health & Environmental Services website. Here you can find out where disease carrying mosquitoes have been found across the city. You can also view proposed treatment maps and see if your neighborhood is due to be treated.
If you’re interested in Mosquito control around your home please feel free to contact us here at Hunter Pest Control. We install and service mosquito mister systems from Coastal Mosquito Control and we can also do yard treatments.
(713)868-3800 Office
It is my pleasure to announce that all new Hunter Pest Control customers will have the option to add a “Termite Evaluation” to their initial treatment for a discounted rate. A Termite Evaluation is an inspection and assessment of the conducive conditions for termite infestation in and around your home. It’s a great idea to have a professional look at your home for termites even if you don’t think you have termites. Our technicians will make recommendations and observations to help you reduce the risk of termite attack. We hope you take advantage of this great offer!
If you’re interested or have any questions about pricing please feel free to e-mail or call us at :
(713)868-3800