Walkathon in Virginia

Emory Church Hosting Walkathon

 

 

 

How cool! A church in Virginia is helping support Malaria No More in their own way!

 

Emory United Methodist Church will host a walkathon Sunday, May 19, with a goal of raising $20,000 for the “Imagine No Malaria” campaign, an effort of the United Methodist Church. Emory United Methodist Church hopes to raise $10,000 from the walkathon with matching funds to be provided up to $10,000 from the Dow Legacy, which was contributed to the church by the late Alice and Loren Dow. This fundraiser will contribute to the United Methodist Church’s goal of raising $75 million worldwide to help end malaria deaths in Africa. Emory United Methodist Church is part of the Holston Conference, which has a goal of $1 million for the malaria campaign. Funds will be used for prevention, education and treatment of malaria.

 

You can help them raise this money just by sponsoring them! Every dollar counts and can help save lives!

 

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world" -Gandhi

Flooding= Mosquitoes

http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/news/local/kent_county/Flooding-raises-mosquito-concerns


Attached is a video from Wood Tv 8 interview with our very own West Michigan Mosquito Squad owner Jack DenUyl. Take a look of what happened with all the rain and flooding in regards to mosquitoes.

Tulip Time

Tulip Time Festivals

 

 

Be a part of the Tulip Time parades and come Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday for a good time!

 

 

We've got the Kinderparade, Volksparade, and Muziekparade; you'll be glad you came! Mosquito Squad of West Michigan will be in each parade so come on out to see Dread Skeeter and give him a high five as he walks by!

 

Check out the website here for so more information about the parades and events going on this year during Tulip Time.

 

http://www.tuliptime.com/parade-events

Spring Showers Bring May Flowers, But Mosquitoes Bring Heartworm

Each year, hundreds of thousands of dogs and cats are diagnosed with this worm. Spread by mosquitoes, the heartworm parasite can grow close to 2 feet long. It takes up space in the heart's chambers and pulmonary artery. Because of this, the pet's heart must work harder and pump faster to produce the same amount of blood without the worm.

Here are some early signs that can help you distinguish whether or not your pet may have heartworm:

• Fatigue
• Exercise intolerance
• Coughing

It's possible that they can experience an accumulation of fluid in the lungs or abdomen and can eventually lead to death.

Dont allow mosquitoes to attack your pets or your family. Call Mosquito Squad of West Michigan to spray your yard to lower the chance of heartworm for your pets.

Ticks are on the move

Lyme Disease Awareness Month

Now that spring is here and summer's approaching, ticks are out and about spreading Lyme Disease to a greater extent than ever before. The number of reported cases of Lyme Disease has been on the steady rise over the past few years. Especially since May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month, it's appropriate that we find to tips to protect ourselves and each other from this rising illness.

Because of the warm weather, families spend much more of their time outside enjoying the sun. Here are some tips about being outside and protecting yourself from tick bites:

• You want your clothing to do two things: First, keep ticks off of you and second, to be light colored so you can see them if they have attached to you.
• If you can, wear long pants and a long sleeved shirt along with a hat. Tuck your pants into your socks to prevent ticks from getting in that way. Make sure that the cuffs are not loose on the sleeves.

Another way to keep ticks off your body is by keeping them off of your body:

• Ticks like high grass. Make sure that you keep the weeds down. (don't cut your grass too short or it will die)
• Ticks lay their eggs on the underside of fallen leaves. Clean up the leaf litter in the fall.

It's important that once being outside, you inspect for ticks before entering your house; let me tell you how:

• Check yourself and your family when they come inside. You have to look very carefully to find the lyme ticks. Remember that they are smaller than the usual dog ticks. The nymphs are even smaller. You have to look carefully through the hair for them as well. Check behind the knees and under the armpits as well as the groin.
•  Don't come into the house with your outside clothes as you might be bringing ticks in. Of course, if you live in a densely populated area with a lot of neighbors you might not be able to remove all of your clothes outside..
• Ticks sometimes take a while before they burrow in. You might want to take a shower as soon as possible after you have been outdoors.

To rid of ticks as well, you can have an insect spray. Mosquito Squad of West Michigan is a great place to call and schedule a season spray and protect your family from Lyme Disease and prevent the illness from rising anymore. Call today!

Background Information of a Mosquito

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have a mosquito free yard? Well look no further than Mosquito Squad of Holland/ Grand Rapids! We have everything you need to take back your yard for an enjoyable summer outdoors. But first, let's take a look at a few things you, as a homeowner, ought to know.

Did you know there are distinct differences to the male and female mosquito?

In terms of physical appearance, the mosquito’s proboscis, a long, needle-like antenna that extends from the area of its mouth, is the best indication of the insect’s gender. Male mosquitoes have a feather-like proboscis, while the proboscis of the female mosquito is relatively smooth, not bushy. Normally, the lifespan of the female mosquito is much longer than that of the male mosquito. In their natural environment, female mosquitoes can live as long as 1 to 2 weeks. On the other hand, male mosquitoes usually live for approximately 1 week. Male mosquitoes survive by feeding on flower nectar and sweet juices. Female mosquitoes not only feed on various sugars for energy, but also require the nutrition of blood for the development of their eggs.

And what about their living conditions; are you familiar with where they tend to breed?

All mosquitoes must have water to complete their lifecycle. Stagnant water left from monsoon rains can increase mosquito activity. Rain and irrigation water can produce hundreds of thousands of mosquitoes if larva are allowed to stand as little as three days. Dark, moist areas are the dream home for mosquitos to lay their eggs.

Not only can they leave small itchy bumps on your skin, but did you know how many diseases/problems can be caused?

Mosquitoes can be an annoying, serious problem in man’s domain. They interfere with work and spoil hours of leisure time. Their attacks on farm animals can cause loss of weight and decreased milk production. Some mosquitoes are capable of transmitting diseases such as malaria, yellow fever, lyme disease, dengue, filariasis and encephalitis [St. Louis encephalitis (SLE), Western Equine encephalitis (WEE), LaCrosse encephalitis (LAC), Japanese encephalitis (JE), Eastern Equine encephalitis (EEE) and West Nile virus (WNV) to humans and animals as well as heart worm with your animals.

Let us help you take back your yard, mosquito free! Rid yourself and your family from pesky mosquito bites and lower the chance of these serious diseases from getting to your family! Find Mosquito Squad of West Michigan and make us a priority to spray YOUR yard this year!

Measure to Prevent Bites from Mosquitoes, Ticks, Fleas and Other Insects

Written by CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

To reduce the possibility of being bitten by insects or arthropods that can transmit diseases (vector-borne), such as malaria, dengue, and tickborne encephalitis (TBE), you should―

• Use an insect repellent on exposed skin to repel mosquitoes, ticks, fleas and other arthropods. EPA-registered repellents include products containing DEET (N,N-diethylmetatoluamide) and picaridin (KBR 3023). DEET concentrations of 30% to 50% are effective for several hours. Picaridin, available at 7% and 15 % concentrations, needs more frequent application.
• DEET formulations as high as 50% are recommended for both adults and children over 2 months of age. Protect infants less than 2 months of age by using a carrier draped with mosquito netting with an elastic edge for a tight fit.
• When using sunscreen, apply sunscreen first and then repellent. Repellent should be washed off at the end of the day before going to bed.
• Wear long-sleeved shirts which should be tucked in, long pants, and hats to cover exposed skin. When you visit areas with ticks and fleas, wear boots, not sandals, and tuck pants into socks.
• Inspect your body and clothing for ticks during outdoor activity and at the end of the day. Wear light-colored or white clothing so ticks can be more easily seen. Removing ticks right away can prevent some infections.
• Apply permethrin-containing (e.g., Permanone) or other insect repellents to clothing, shoes, tents, mosquito nets, and other gear for greater protection. Permethrin is not labeled for use directly on skin. Most repellent is generally removed from clothing and gear by a single washing, but permethrin-treated clothing is effective for up to 5 washings.
• Be aware that mosquitoes that transmit malaria are most active during twilight periods (dawn and dusk or in the evening).
  • Stay in air-conditioned or well-screened housing, and/ or sleep under an insecticide treated bed net. Bed nets should be tucked under mattresses and can be sprayed with a repellent if not already treated with an insecticide.
• Daytime biters include mosquitoes that transmit dengue and chikungunya viruses and sand flies that transmit leishmaniasis.

***** AS WELL AS SIGNING UP WITH MOSQUITO SQUAD FOR FULL SEASON PROTECTION