Mosquitoes….. The oldest specimen was found in a piece of amber dated back to 79 million years ago. This artifact was made memorable by appearing in the first Jurassic Park movie. Why do these little guys have a reputation of causing such panic and death over their history? That answer is a little more complicated than this post but it seems our little friends are now the bringers of a new type of disease we have not seen before of this magnitude, the Zika Epidemic.
Zika Virus Symptoms
Zika virus is an emerging mosquito-borne virus that was first identified in Uganda in 1947 in rhesus monkeys through a monitoring network of sylvatic yellow fever. It was subsequently identified in humans in 1952 in Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania. Before 2015, known Zika cases were limited to sections of Asia & Africa, but now more than 1,000,000 cases have been reported in Brazil since 2015 and the World Health Organization (WHO) has noted the virus is spreading to many countries.
The biggest concern affects pregnant mothers. Agencies investigating the Zika outbreaks are finding an increasing body of evidence about the link between Zika virus and microcephaly (click to read more about this at the New York Times). This is a scary birth defect.
What can you do it to protect yourself?
Focus on using insect repellent regularly; wearing clothes (preferably light-colored) that cover as much of the body as possible; use physical barriers such as window screens, closed doors and windows; and if needed, additional personal protection, such as sleeping under mosquito nets. It is extremely important to empty, clean or cover containers regularly that can store water, such as buckets, drums, pots etc. Other mosquito breeding sites should be cleaned or removed including flower pots, used tires and roof gutters. Is also helpful to keep your yard regularly groomed such as mowing your yard, raking leaves, and trimming shrubs to minimize breeding grounds. Do you seem to have a large amount of mosquitos outside your home? Contact us or call 850-682-5354 to give you a free estimate for spraying and protection from mosquitos and other harmful insects.
Keep an eye on your newsfeed as the Zika Epidemic continues to spread. We treat mosquitos & other pests in the following cities of Crestview, Defuniak Springs, Ft. Walton Beach, Destin, Freeport, Milton, and Niceville, FL. Let us protect you and your family this season at Spears Pest Control.
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