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Fleas, Ticks and Mosquitoes Can Bug Pets, Too

Summer is finally here and all members of the family, the two and four-legged variety, will be spending more time outdoors soaking up the sunshine.  However, pesky pests such as ticks, fleas and mosquitoes can quickly ruin a warm-weather day, especially for pets such as dogs and cats that can’t quite protect themselves the same way people do.

Each of these pests poses different dangers for furry family members, but by employing some key prevention tips, owners can ensure their animals stay pest-free this summer.

Ticks

Whether hiking in the woods or simply enjoying a barbeque in the park, people and animals are likely to encounter these bloodthirsty pests. Ticks pose a number of health threats as they can transmit serious diseases such as Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis and “tick paralysis” among others. While some symptoms can surface immediately after a tick bite, others can be difficult to recognize and many owners may not realize their pet is sick until the symptoms become severe and significant treatment is needed.

In addition to tick collars, medications and annual check ups, NPMA recommends the following tick tips:

• Upon returning indoors, inspect dogs and outdoor cats thoroughly.
• If a tick is found attached, it should be removed with a slow, steady pull so as not to break off the mouthparts and leave them in the skin. If possible, it’s best to use forceps or tweezers and grab on or just behind the mouthparts. If using fingers, the fingernails of the thumb and forefinger should be placed on or just behind the mouthparts. Once removed, flush the tick down the toilet or wrap it tightly in tissue before disposing in a closed receptacle since ticks are difficult to smush. Then, wash hands and the attachment site thoroughly with soap and water.
• Keep grass cut low, including around fence lines, sheds, trees, shrubs, swing sets and other difficult to cut locations and remove weeds, woodpiles and other debris from the yard.
• Inquire about lawn tick treatments; especially those that focus on the edges of the lawn where it interfaces with natural areas. This method has the greatest chance of preventing ticks from establishing themselves in your back yard.

Fleas

Dogs and cats most often get infested with fleas through contact with other animals or by spending time outdoors. Most pets experience itching from fleas, but some sensitive animals can have more severe reactions such as hair loss, inflammation and secondary skin infections.  Flea saliva can also cause anemia, dermatitis, and facilitate the transfer of tapeworms. Because of fleas’ ability to jump great heights, they are easily able to hitchhike into homes while hidden in the fur of family pets. Once inside, fleas quickly multiply and infest bedding, furniture and clothing.

Because fleas can quickly become a big problem, prevention is the best way for pet owners to avoid a major headache.  NPMA suggests owners discuss which preventative measures are best for their pets as several effective products exist. Additionally, NPMA encourages owners to bathe their pets frequently, regularly wash human and pet bedding, pet collars and their plush toys, and vacuum carpets, floors and furniture on a regular basis.

Mosquitoes

One of the best known summer pests, mosquitoes breed in stagnant water and have an extremely fast life cycle allowing for quick population growth. Mosquito larvae hatch within a few days and a full adult develops in 10 to 14 days from hatching.

Just like humans, animals are at high risk for contracting severe illnesses as a result of mosquito bites. In addition to West Nile virus, heartworm is of most concern for pet owners as each year thousands of dogs become disabled or die from problems caused by heartworm disease. Although heartworm is less fatal in cats, it can cause a number of problems such as weight loss, blindness, seizures, difficulty breathing and coughing.

Tucson Pest Control suggests the following mosquito prevention tips in and around the home:

• Prevent mosquito nesting and breeding sites by eliminating standing water and other sources of moisture in or around the home in flowerpots, water dishes, birdbaths, swimming pool covers, baby pools, sandboxes, children’s toys and other objects that can collect water. Mosquitoes need only about ½ inch of water to breed. To keep birdbath and pond water fresh, homeowners should add a fountain or drip system.
• Keep windows and doors properly screened. Repair even the smallest tear or hole.
• Clean clogged gutters and periodically check them to ensure water is flowing freely.
• Minimize outside activity between dusk and dawn, when mosquitoes are most active.
• Ask veterinarians about bug repellants for pets before using them.
• If you are concerned about mosquito activity on your property, contact a pest management company or local mosquito abatement district that may be able to treat your back yard, specifically trees and shrubs where mosquitoes hide during the day.

• 63% of American homes contain allergens from cockroaches. That number increases to as many as 78% to 98% of homes in urban areas.
• Mice also spread potent asthma triggers, found in 82% of homes.
• Nearly 25 million Americans suffer from asthma.
• 60% of asthma cases are “allergic-asthma.”
• Asthma is the most common chronic disease among children.

These staggering statistics demonstrate how hidden allergens from common household pests can put us at risk for serious (and potentially life-threatening) diseases.

Help your family breathe easier. Watch our new public service announcement offering information on safeguarding the health and safety of families from household pests. The campaign is a joint effort by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America and the National Pest Management Association.

• Termites are insects. They have hard, saw-toothed jaws that help them to eat lumber, wallpaper, plastics, and fabric made of plant fibers.

• There are four different groups of termites: dampwood, drywood, subterranean and mound builders. Dampwood termites like to live and feed in very moist wood. Drywood termites can survive in very dry conditions and do not need moisture or soil. Subterranean termites are very common and live and breed in soil. Mound builders live in Africa, Australia, Southeast Asia and part of South America; they are able to build large earthen towers 25 feet or higher.

• Termites can be found in almost every state as well as Mexico and parts of Canada. They favor warmer climates and actively avoid light. (See range map below)

• As a species, termites date back to the time of the dinosaurs.

• Termites are 24/7 bugs, which means they eat non-stop – 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They feed on wood and may also destroy paper products such as books, cardboard, boxes and anything containing cellulose. Even buildings with steel framing and masonry walls are targets because of the wooden door and window frames, cabinets and shelving within the buildings.

• Termites live in underground colonies, some containing over two million members.

• The social structure of a colony includes the queen, king, winged reproductive swarmers, soldiers, and workers. Worker termites are small creamy white insects. They are the most numerous and the cause of all the termite damage.

• Swarmers, or winged reproductive’s, are termites that leave the colony to mate, reproduce and start new colonies.

• In a large nest, a queen and king may live for 15 years, with the queen laying up to one egg every 15 seconds for most of her life.

• Termites can cause serious damage to structures often long before they are discovered, i.e., more than $1.5 billion in property damage a year to over 600,000 homes in the United States.

• How do termites enter the home? The most common termite, the subterranean, builds its nest in the ground. These termites construct mud tubes that are used to explore for food and connect their underground nest to that food source. They can enter a building without direct wood contact with the soil through such tubes. They can find their way into a structure through an opening as small as 1/32 of an inch (smaller than the size of a pinhead!).

• AZ Pest techs are termite control specialists, and can provide protection from termite infestations. Our termite inspectors are trained to locate specific areas in homes where a termite attack is most likely to occur. If termites are found, we can design a treatment plan to control current infestations and to protect homes from future infestations.

Hikers attacked by bees north of Tucson  ~ Arizona Daily Star

Chris Christie had a tough day at the office last week when a group of school children were visiting.

The New Jersey Governor tweeted a video showing him kill a spider on his desk, Talking Points Memo reported. ”Earlier today I saved a few school children from a spider,” he wrote in his tweet late Friday afternoon. Immediately after palming the eight-legged creature, and while the group of students applauded him, Gov. Christie said, “that’s also another fun part of being Governor. Any bugs that are on your desk, you’re allowed to kill them and not get in trouble,” the New York Daily News noted.

But it looks like he didn’t get away with it unscathed. Ingrid Newkirk, president of People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), responded to Christie’s video in a statement to Talking Points Memo, describing the Governor’s actions as thoughtless.

“He probably did it without thinking,” Newkirk said. “Some people put the spider outside, but spiders are often scary to people, and that can prevent them from pondering their worth.”

This isn’t the first time a high-profile politician has been caught on film killing an insect, and provoking the disapproval of PETA. In 2009, President Barack Obama swatted a fly during a televised interview, and PETA released a statement dubbing it an “executive insect execution” that criticized peoples’ thoughtless treatment of insects, Talking Points Memo noted. The group ended up sending Obama an insect-transporting device so that it could be released outside, Reuters reported.

There’s no sign as to whether PETA sent Gov. Christie a similar contraption, but chances are there’s one on the way, considering how quickly the group sent Obama his humane bug catcher.

AZStarNet.com: Swarm of Bees Hospitalizes Two Victims

Bees swarmed a northwest-side neighborhood for several hours Thursday morning, sending two people to a hospital with stings.

A third resident and several firefighters were also stung numerous times.

Later Thursday on the east side, a woman was stung by several hundred bees as she walked past the Golf N’ Stuff amusement park in the 6500 block of East Tanque Verde Road.

The woman was taken to a hospital and was in stable condition, according to the Tucson Fire Department.

Thousands of bees

Just after 8 a.m., Northwest Fire District received two 911 calls about thousands of bees swarming a cul-de-sac in the 5000 block of West Blackbird Drive, near West Linda Vista Boulevard and North Camino de Oeste.

Several engine companies arrived to find a professional beekeeper already there, said Capt. Adam Goldberg, spokesman of the Northwest Fire District.

“He was out on a routine service call at the request of the homeowner where the bees live. They were addressing the bee problem today and then they swarmed,” Goldberg said. “This cul-de-sac was inundated with bees. It wasn’t like they were isolated to one area. It was the whole cul-de-sac.”

The beekeeper “was in a suit – head cover, gloves, everything – walking around covered in bees,” Goldberg said.

Because the bees were so aggressive, the beekeeper advised firefighters to remain in their trucks until he could control the swarm. Eventually, however, the “beekeeper decided he was not able to get control of the swarming bees and requested assistance from the fire company,” Goldberg said. The engine company used foam and “knocked down most of the bees in area.”

At the same time, an ambulance backed up to the door of one of the homes where two victims had taken shelter after being stung. A 62-year-old woman and her 31-year-old son were taken to a hospital. They were in stable condition, but advanced life support measures were taken as part of treatment for an allergic reaction, Goldberg said.

A third victim, a 62-year-old man who was stung 20 times while taking a walk, was treated in his home and refused transport to a hospital, Goldberg said.

The beekeeper located the hive in the exterior wall of the home next door to the residence where the mother and son lived.

Based on the size of the hive, the beekeeper estimated it had been in the making for between two and three years, Goldberg said.

Three firefighters were stung about half-a-dozen times each, said Goldberg, who was stung once.

Second bee incident

In the east-side incident, a motorist saw the woman walking on a sidewalk in front of the amusement park being attacked by bees, said Capt. Barrett Baker of the Tucson Fire Department.

The woman made it to the entrance of Golf N’ Stuff’s parking lot and was covered by bees when the motorist called 911 shortly before 3 p.m., Baker said.

Firefighters arrived in five minutes, and put on bee suits and used foam and water to get the bees off the woman.

Paramedics treated the woman, who still had bees on her, before taking her to a hospital, Baker said.

No other people were attacked, Baker said.

Firefighters closed down the sidewalk, and a bee exterminator found the hive under a bridge over a wash south of the amusement park, Baker said.

He said the exterminator had expected to remove the hive by Thursday evening.

How to get rid of bees/Bee Safety What should you do and not do?