Category Archives: Health/Disease

Nine times out of ten, when we get a call from a potential client, the person on the other end of the line gets bitten far more than their spouse. Occasionally we have a customer call to hold service for the winter, just to have their other half call back and start service back again. In fact, we have a few customers who have asked us to ignore their spouse if they call to hold service because “he/she doesn’t get bitten like I do.” So why is this the case?

Female mosquitoes bite us because they need the blood meal in order to lay their eggs. But why do they have a preference, or do they really have one? As we’ve talked about in previous blogs, mosquitoes find us based on several factors. Initially, they seek our CO2 plumes through their olfactory receptors. As they get closer to us, they rely on scent and vision and seek out colors and odors. When they are really close, they use body heat to find the right spot to bite.
 

CO2:

One of the drivers to getting bitten more is being easier to find and that has a lot to do with your CO2 output. The higher your metabolic rate, the higher your CO2 output is. Pregnant women, folks who are fit or work out a lot, and conversely people who have been drinking alcohol or who are overweight and expending more energy to move, all breathe out more CO2 making them easier to find.
 

Scent:

Mosquitoes have a specialized receptor that enables then to smell lactic acid. While some folks tend to have more lactic acid than others, the more you sweat the more lactic acid you release. Mosquitoes are also drawn to other scents and body odors that result from what you eat or what you have been doing. 99% of us start sweating the moment we step outside in Texas. The smell of sweat is attractive to a mosquito – so don’t forget the deodorant! Perfumes and colognes are also a draw, so if you plan on spending time outdoors the focus should be on minimizing odors. If you are super sweaty and you opt to add a hefty dose of perfume or cologne to cover it up, you have just created quite the olfactory soup for the mosquito. Stick with as little odor as possible.
 

Colors:

Some research though not definitive yet has shown that dark colors are more of a draw for a mosquito. Remember, mosquitoes don’t see well so for them contrast is important. If you wear a black shirt and sit on a white bench you have just made yourself really easy to find.
 

Blood type & genetics:

One thing we cannot control is our blood type, but it is worth mentioning although research has yet to determine why this is. Mosquitoes appear to be more attracted to O type blood than others. In fact, mosquitoes landed on type O people 83% of the time, compared with 46.5% of A-type (Journal of Medical Entomology) in one study. You may also find that a relative is more attractive to mosquitoes, and thus you are as well thanks to genetics. Skin bacteria and microbes are also thought to play a role, which may also fall into the category of genetics. The “busier” your skin is the more attractive.

There is a lot we don’t know yet about what mosquitoes perceive as attractive, or what scents help them find us. You can help yourself by wearing light clothing and minimizing odors when you are outside as well as choosing your tie of day wisely. Mosquitoes are sun phobic creatures, so avoiding dawn and dusk and heading outside when the sun is high may be ridiculous in Texas, but it will help you avoid those bites. Of course, you can also just call us, and then you can head out whenever you want.

How mosquitoes find us:

Before we can understand how mosquito repellants work, we need to understand how mosquitoes find us in the first place.  Unfortunately for us, mosquitoes have evolved 3 ways of seeking out a meal. Each of these methods, used in tandem, enables them to fly in for the bite.

1. 33 – 99 feet: At this distance mosquitoes rely on their sense of smell, specifically the CO2 plumes we, or other animals, emit.  Experiments have shown that the female mosquito only pays attention to the next cue once the first is present and they are closer to the source.
2. 15 – 33 feet: The mosquito has homed in on the scent and at this distance is now searching for visual clues to spot you.  They are seeking the source of the CO2, not for a shape or body. 
3. 1 – 3 feet:  The mosquitoes now rely on thermal sensory input to locate heat and moisture sources.  This prevents them from wasting time on objects such as a rock or vegetation.  

Mosquito repellents are designed to block the mosquito’s sense of smell in stage one.  This is important as it means that someone standing next to you, without repellent, will be attracting mosquitoes.  Of course, once the insect is within 33 feet of you, it now will not distinguish between you and your un-protected friend, meaning you are equally as likely to be bitten as they are.  We often hear people tell us that mosquito repellents don’t work. This is not necessarily true and is more a factor of those around you, as well as how well the repellent has “stuck”.  For example, if you are out in the yard with your spouse, and they just happen to sweat a lot, the repellent may have run off them. Hence, they are the magnet bringing them in to bite you.

What repellents do:

So how do repellents work?  DEET was developed by the military over 50 years ago but it was only more recently that studies have been done to understand exactly what it does.  Mosquitoes smell with their antennae, which are covered in olfactory nerves. The nerves are essentially equipped with odor receptors, that bind to odor molecules and trigger neural activity.  Simply put, DEET binds to these receptors leaving the mosquito confused and unable to smell you. The DEET over-activates the receptors rendering their ability to smell useless. 

According to many studies, the only repellent that comes close to the ability of DEET is lemon eucalyptus oil with the caveat that natural products break down faster and thus must be applied more regularly.  It should not be applied in its pure form and is also not recommended for children under the age of 3. Do not confuse it with the essential oil of lemon eucalyptus either (easy to do). Lemon eucalyptus oil has a different mode of action, simply creating a powerful smell to override that of CO2.  

The market is saturated with alleged mosquito repellents.  Wearables have become popular, although scientific studies show they are not capable of repelling mosquitoes.  Many people prefer to stay away from DEET and make natural repellents. We wrote a blog about DIY repellants recently and you can check out more here. However, they have not been proven to be effective in the fight against mosquito bites.  Folks also like to burn citronella candles and burn tiki torches, but these again will only confuse and delay you being found. 

It’s not enough to wear repellent in your own yard.  The most effective way to avoid or reduce the bites in your own yard is to remove all stagnant water sources from it.  Remember, one small capful of water is enough for 300 eggs. The more water you remove the better you will be. Of course, calling us to manage that water and treat your yard is the best way we know to make your outside fun.  Then you can ditch the repellant and just enjoy.

What to do after you get bit by a mosquito

To understand the best way to deal with a mosquito bite it is helpful to first appreciate what is going on in our body when bitten.  And using the term “bite” isn’t entirely accurate.   

Firstly, it is the female mosquito who “bites” as she needs to take a blood meal so she has the protein required to lay eggs.  Every time you are bitten by a mosquito you know you just played a role in a birth of 300 or so mosquito eggs (and the resulting larvae).  The female lands on your body, having located you by your CO2 plumes, and pierces your skin with her proboscis, formed out of 6 needles with sharp teeth on two of them.  These teeth are so sharp that you can’t feel this process as she slices into your skin in search of a blood vessel. 

Once under the skin, she releases a vasodilator to keep your blood flowing while she is feeding.  For a fascinating look into the process, check out this video.  The vasodilator is contained within the saliva of the mosquito, along with all those virus’s we worry about.  In other words, once she is under your skin she will “spit” into you, both numbing and dilating the area to ease her meal.  The proboscis is very flexible, allowing the mosquito to move around under our skin without having to withdraw and start again.  You can watch some incredible footage of this here and here.  On average, a mosquito will drink for about 4 minutes, sucking so hard that the blood vessel can collapse or rupture into the surrounding area. Once she has taken her fill she will withdraw and fly away, without you being aware. 

In response to the injection of a foreign substance (saliva), our bodies mount an immune response.  Histamines are released around the site, causing swelling and that itch that we are all so familiar with.  It is thought that our sensitivity to bites decreases over time, which is why children often have much more substantial reactions to bites than adults.  There are also people who suffer from “skeeter syndrome”, an exaggerated reaction to mosquito saliva, better understood as a severe allergy to mosquito bites.  We have some customers whose children get welts from mosquito bites and use our service to help keep them healthy and playing outside. 

So, what can you do?  Obviously, your best defense is a good offense.  Using Mosquito Joe will keep your yard 95% mosquito resistant.  Using a repellent when leaving the house will also reduce your potential for bites and control that mosquito population in your yard by dumping water after rains and keeping you gutters free of debris.  Remember water = mosquitoes.  Most species come out at dawn and dusk so keep timing in mind when heading outside. As for a “mosquito season”, it is important to remember that mosquitoes will only hibernate when the temperatures remain under 55 degrees for a week, or we have 3 deep freezes in a row.  In the 4 years that Mosquito Joe has been treating in South Brazos, we have only had one week where these conditions have been met, meaning mosquitoes are always out. 

But let’s talk about what you can do once the bite has happened.  In the case of a normal reaction, calamine lotion or a topical anti-itch lotion can help.  You can also take an oral antihistamine such as Benadryl or Claritin.  If you have children who react more strongly using an ice pack can help with swelling and the itch.  Home remedies, including a warm oatmeal bath, can help as well, but garlic and other suggestions won’t do the trick, so stick to simple options.   

Mosquito bites can result in complications, from welts and blisters to sepsis.  The diseases they carry include malaria, West Nile, Zika and meningitis. If you experience a rash, fever over 101, persistent headache, muscle or joint pain or difficulty breathing, seek medical help.  Customers of ours who have West Nile tell us that they never understood the implications of the disease until it was too late.  While we are used to mosquito bites, we should never become complacent about the implications they carry.   

Mosquito Joe of S Brazos Valley 

Do you know what types of Texas mosquitoes are bugging you?

There are 85 species of mosquitoes living in Texas. Even though there are over 3,000 species in the world, and 176 of those can be found in the USA, 85 still seems like a high number. However, when you consider the size of our great state of TX and the variation of weather within it, 85 actually seems like a reasonable number. Also remember that mosquitoes date back over 260 million years and classifications have been a work in progress for some time.

So which ones do we encounter in the Northwest Houston area? Keep reading to learn more about each of the different species that could be found in your very own backyard! We should first premise this by letting you know that there is an abundance of species in our area. We also note that many of the current maps are not reflective of what we see in the field. For example, we have located Aedes albopictus in areas not noted on the AgriLife maps. Still, to get a better sense of the breadth of species and locations in which they are found, you can visit here.

It is helpful to keep in mind a couple of facts about mosquitoes that apply to all the Genus below:

• Only the female mosquitoes bite, and they do so to get the protein they need to lay eggs. When a mosquito bites you, you can be certain that she just bred and is preparing to start a new family.
• Mosquitoes need stagnant water to lay their eggs in. Chlorinated water or circulating water (think pools and fountains) are not going to cut it for them.
• Mosquitoes have a rapid life cycle so they don’t mess around. We did the math: one teaspoon of water allows for 300 eggs every 4-7 days. Given a 50% male to female ratio, one mosquito laying150 females will produce over 2 billion female mosquitoes in under a month – Yikes!

It’s probably easiest to begin with the genus of the mosquitoes we live within the Houston, Texas area. The genus groups mosquitoes by a common characteristic and just within our area, there are nine different kinds: the Aedes, Anopheles, Culex, Culiseta, Mansonia, Orthopodomyia, Psorophora, Toxorhynchites and Uranotaenia.

1. Aedes:

The Aedes mosquitoes are located on every continent except the Antarctic. They are visually distinct from other genus’s with black and white stripes on their body. These are the mosquitoes responsible for Dengue, Yellow Fever, West Nile, Chickungunya, Eastern Equine Encephalitis and the Zika virus. Most notable amongst these are the Aedes aegypti (Yellow Fever Mosquito) and Aedes albopictus (Asian Tiger Mosquito). These guys are all over our area and are very aggressive. Unlike other species, they don’t mind the sun and are often seen during the day. These are responsible for the majority of calls we receive when folks are looking for a mosquito repellent service for their yard.

The Yellow Fever mosquito is the primary carrier of Zika and they lay eggs in the smallest amount of stagnant water – such as the water in flower vases, tires, and opened containers. They are active all year and prefer dawn and dusk.

The Asian Tiger was introduced into the States in 1985 in a shipment of tires to the Port of Houston. Since then they have spread up to NY State and as of 2017 have been found in every state in the US. They carry West Nile, Encephalitis, Dengue and heartworms. Asian Tigers take full advantage of any water in your yard – holes in trees and tires are popular breeding choices for the Asian Tiger mosquito. They are active all year and are aggressive daytime breeders.

2. Anopheles:

This genus is composed of 460 species, with 100 of those capable of transmitting Malaria, while others transmit Canine Heartworm.

Around Northwest Houston, the Anopheles quadrimaculatus, otherwise known as the Marsh Mosquito, is prevalent. These guys have a “tell” to help you identify them. Unlike other species, who rest on your skin with their body parallel to your limb, the marsh mosquito holds its body at an angle with its rear end raised. They are very dark in color with dark spots on their wings. After Hurricane Harvey, we saw a dramatic uptick in the number of marsh mosquitoes, a result of the massive increase of waters in our area. They prefer to lay their eggs in swamps, wet vegetation and around ponds and lakes.

The Anopheles freeboni is one of several species in Houston that are more active in the winter than the summer. Just when some other species are slowing down (mosquitoes don’t hibernate until temperatures fall under 50 degrees and remain there, something that never happens in Texas!) the freeboni is just getting started.

3. Culex:

The Culex genus is responsible for the transmission of West Nile, St. Louis Encephalitis and Avian Malaria. In our area, the most common of these is the Culex pipiens, also known as the house mosquito. These guys love feeding on nectar and a pile of decaying fruits is a perfect meal for them. If you happen to have fruit trees, keeping the ground clear of fallen fruits will help you control these pests in your yard. They also love wet trash, wastewater and bird baths. These guys generally don’t start biting until after dusk.

4. Culiseta:

The Culiseta is a genus of mosquitoes that are cold-adapted, meaning that they are active in the cooler months in our area and not during the summer. The Culiseta inornata, otherwise known as the Winter Marsh Mosquito, is common in Houston, Texas, more so with wet weather. We certainly saw an increase in them after Harvey. As the name suggests, these guys love stagnant water and wet vegetation.

5. Mansonia:

Mansonia mosquitoes are big and black or brown in color. They breed in ponds and lakes that contain floating plants and use the underside of the leaves to lay their eggs. The larvae use the rootlets to obtain their air supply. The best way to remove these mosquitoes is to remove their habitat by controlling floating plants on any bodies of water in your yard. They are also a potential vector for the Rift Valley Fever virus.

6. Orthopodomyia:

The beauties of the mosquito world, this genus is marked with bands of white, silver and sometimes gold. They lay their larvae predominantly in tree holes, or in bamboo and the females feed mostly on birds. Our technicians are always on the lookout for holes in trees, so we can get a jump start on killing their larvae. They may be pretty, but they still bite!

7. Psorophora:

A few species of this genus are in the Northwest Houston area. The Psorophora ciliata is a very large mosquito and is also very aggressive. Interestingly, they are known to prey on the larvae of other mosquito species, so while they are scary to look at, they at least help control other species. The females will lay eggs on damp ground, which can then hatch years later. The Psorophota columbiae is a floodwater mosquito that can travel up to 8 miles from its breeding area. We see them after large weather events and they are active both during the day and at night.

8. Toxorhynchites:

Otherwise known as Elephant Mosquitoes, these are the largest mosquitoes. These pesky bugs don’t feed on blood. Instead, feed on plants and fruits.

9. Uranotaenia:

These small mosquitoes use a multitude of habitats including holes, bamboo, plants and artificial containers. The good news is that the females rarely feed on humans, preferring reptiles and birds. Many of the species are attracted to light and are occasionally found resting in homes. Uranrtaenia lowii are found in our area.

Fortunately, Mosquito Joe of Northwest Houston and South Brazos Valley is here to help get rid of all these different types of mosquitoes that are found in our area of Texas. We can provide many mosquito repellent spray options for both your home and business including barrier spray treatments, all-natural sprays, special event sprays and more. Our team is knowledgeable about these mosquitoes and the best way to get them out of your yard ASAP. If you’d like more information on how we can help eliminate these pesky mosquitoes so you can get back to enjoying your outdoor space, give us a call at 281-815-0228 or email us at NWHoustonBrazos@MosquitoJoe.com.

Mosquito Control Awareness Week is coming this June 24 – 30th and Mosquito Joe is busy preparing to get involved. We are continuing our partnership with Nothing But Nets. Last year, for each customer that signed for service, we donated $10 to the Nothing But Nets program. Ten dollars buys one insecticide-treated bed net to protect a family from malaria. In 2017 our customers raised $14,305 in donations, above and beyond the donations given by each Mosquito Joe location participating. We are really excited to be involved with this great organization and are looking forward to seeing our partnership grow every year. You can learn more about Nothing But Nets by visiting them on the web at www.nothingbutnets.net. Watch this space for an update on this years’ efforts and results!

The American Mosquito Control Association heads up Mosquito Control Awareness Week every year and offers up tips and tricks to minimize mosquitoes in your yard. You can visit them at www.mosquito.org to learn more. They just released their newest video to celebrate the 83rd annual meeting of the association and you can see that here.

Meanwhile, there are some other fun happenings in June that you can check out, especially now that the kids are off school and antsy for excitement.

The Summer Sunset Series kicks off in Bryan in June. Every Thursday this month you can head downtown for a free concert. This year the line-up includes The Nightowls, Cilantro Boombox, The Chubby Knuckle Choir, Steady Legend and Roxy Roca. Concerts run from 8 to 10 pm and the venue opens at 7:30.

The 8th Annual Tastefest kicks off on June 7th at the Lonestar Convention Center in Conroe. Running from 5-8pm, you can sample all the culinary delights for $25 (includes 2 adult beverages and all you can eat) for adults, while kids 5 and under are free. You can buy your tickets here.

Speaking of kids home for the summer, our area offers a number of fun summer camps to keep your little ones learning and busy. Everything from basketball to robot making, Karate to Lego’s, there are a variety of camps for kids of all ages to participate in. If you are looking for something closer to home, grab an inexpensive water slide or hose, water balloons or water guns, and let the kids have at it in the yard. With Mosquito Joe treating you can rest assured they will enjoy the fun and games without bites and fire ants to ruin the fun. However, you chose to spend your June, we hope you have one full of fun and free of bugs!