May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month. Lyme disease is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected blacklegged ticks, also known as deer ticks. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Lyme Disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States. Each year, approximately 30,000 cases are reported to CDC. The blacklegged tick is found mainly in densely wooded areas that provide an appropriate environment for animal hosts like deer and mice. That said, in addition to human transmission, dogs are also susceptible to Lyme Disease and other tickborne diseases. Pestech of Greenville, Inc. is fully licensed and trained to help you prevent ticks on your property in order to keep your family and pets safe. Our experienced technicians use pesticides to control infestations. These types of treatments must be done thoroughly with proper equipment in order to achieve adequate control. The time of day, weather, and climate have a large impact on how well the treatment takes to the area. Our experts are trained in the best practices for these types of applications. They are also knowledgeable about all state and local rules and regulations regarding pesticide application on residential properties. In addition to professional treatment with Pestech of Greenville, all homeowners are encouraged to create a tick-safe zone in order to reduce their population. According to the Chief Entomologist for the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, there are various landscaping techniques that are found to reduce blacklegged ticks in the yard. These suggestions include:
When spending time outdoors it’s important to take additional steps to keep yourself, your family members, and pets protected from ticks. This includes:
If you have pets, veterinarians recommend using a tick preventative. Talk to your vet about the best prevention option for your dog or cat. There are different treatments for each so be sure to discuss this with them in detail and get specific recommendations. To further reduce potential tick bites, check them for ticks each time they come in from outside. If you find a tick on your pet, remove it right away. Click here for removal information from the CDC. In addition to Lyme Disease, there more than a dozen other types of diseases that are transmitted through tick bites. A report from the North Carolina State Extension found that the blacklegged tick, the American dog tick, the brown dog tick, and the Lone Star tick are the most common ticks found in North Carolina. The Gulf Coast tick has also been found in the Eastern North Carolina region. These types of ticks can be prevented on your properties with service by Pestech of Greenville. Call us at 252-353-4760 to schedule a free consultation. Your East Coast exterminating professionals are honored to serve you with the utmost quality, care, and experience.
You may be familiar with the joke that claims North Carolina’s state bird is a mosquito. Of course, the state bird is actually a cardinal. Although, if you’ve been around North Carolina long enough, you’ve probably seen way more mosquitoes than cardinals. All jokes aside, mosquitoes in North Carolina can be more than a nuisance as some bites can also be dangerous. According to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, mosquitoes in our state are known to transmit various arboviruses. These are viruses that are transmitted by bite which can lead to serious illnesses in people. Arboviruses are also known as vector-borne diseases. The three main arboviruses are transmitted to both people and animals by various types of mosquitoes in North Carolina include West Nile Virus, Eastern Equine Encephalitis, and La Cross Encephalitis. Most people have mild or no symptoms of these diseases. However, some people do get sick and show symptoms that are similar to the flu which can include headache, fever, chills, and/or vomiting. If these illnesses get worse or are left untreated, they can cause seizures, coma, brain damage, or death. Studies find that North Carolina’s mosquito season ramps up between June and September, although mosquitoes are common year-round in many parts of the state. While not every mosquito carries disease, it is important to protect yourself and your family, including pets, from all bites. Pestech of Greenville, Inc. specializes in mosquito prevention to keep you and your family safe from potential disease. The pest management company’s technicians are trained in various measures to reduce mosquito populations. Pestech of Greenville is fully licensed and insured to spray North Carolina approved larvicide pellets and insecticide mists to kill adult mosquitoes and prevent mosquito larvae from hatching. These services utilize superior products applied in strategic locations to solve the problems, while limiting the exposure of any toxins. Technicians are also skilled in finding and eliminating mosquito breeding areas. In addition to servicing these areas, they are able to explain to residents the best ways to reduce populations. This includes: 1. Turn over buckets, planters, wading pools, etc. when not in use 2. Tip standing water in pet bowls, buckets, birdbaths, etc. 3. Toss empty bottles, cans, garbage, etc. that can collect water In addition to reducing the population of infected mosquitoes, Pestech of Greenville encourages the Eastern North Carolina community to take proper personal protection measures. This includes reducing time outdoors in the early morning and early evening hours, wearing long pants and long-sleeved shirts, and applying mosquito repellent to exposed skin areas. Click here to read about safe use of insect repellents. It’s also important to be aware of disease that can be spread in other parts of the nation and world. Other viruses transmitted by mosquitoes outside of North Carolina include Zika, Dengue, Malaria, and Chikungunya. The NC DHHS says while these diseases aren’t transmitted by mosquitoes in North Carolina, residents may contract one of them if they travel to certain countries or regions where these diseases are found, such as the tropics or sub-Saharan Africa.
Trust Pestech of Greenville, Inc. for your mosquito control and pest management needs. Give us a call at 252-353-4760 for a free estimate. Your East Coast pest management professionals are honored to serve you. Over the past few weeks, Pestech of Greenville, Inc. has noticed an increase in calls for miner bee infestations on properties in Eastern North Carolina. Miner bees, also known as digger bees, are small to medium in size. According to the U.S. Forest Service, miner bees have a stout, furry body. They are often mistaken for bumble bees, also being black and yellow summertime bees. Fortunately, miner bees aren’t an aggressive species and aren’t likely to sting unless threatened. Miner bees are solitary, which means they aren’t part of a colony and don’t have a queen. They are part of the 70% of all the 20,000 species of bees that nest underground in burrows. The female miner bees are known to dig a vertical tunnel through the soil and creates small chambers. They will then lay eggs, which turn into a larva, and then develop into a pupa. Once adults, the miner bees are typically only active a couple months out of the year. Researchers have put a lot of time into studying miner bees due to their nesting behavior. Since these bees are ground nesters, they like to burrow in well-drained soils like clay. Due to that preference, they are often found in banks, hills, and road cut-outs. The U.S. Forest Service adds that they’ve also been found burrowing between stones of old buildings and between logs in cabins or barns. This species can quickly take up a large majority of a yard or property, which is why they are often considered a nuisance due to their nesting habits. They are also known to nest in the same location for several years.
Your East Coast exterminating professionals know how to properly treat your yard for this type of ground bee. Our technicians are knowledgeable about their complex nesting and burrowing habits and will service your property while keeping you, your family, and our environment safe. If you’ve noticed an infestation of miner bees this year, call Pestech of Greenville at 252-353-4760 or click here. At Pestech of Greenville, Inc., we take great pride in providing high quality pest management and experimentation services to our customers. We treat our clients’ homes just as we would treat our own homes. That’s why we only hire the most experienced and qualified pest control experts. That said, we are privileged to have Kelvin Rawls serve as Pestech’s Technical Manager for the past 17 years.
We are honored to have such an outstanding professional lead our technicians. Kelvin has an extensive background in pest management, environmental quality, ecological impact, and regulation. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a focus in Environmental Impact from Chowan University. He also graduated from Purdue University’s Urban Entomology and Pest Management Course and the State of Georgia's Master Termite Technician Program. Prior to joining Pestech, he spent several years with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS). While there, he was a State Regulator and Certified Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region IV Inspector in the Structural Pest Control division. While at the NCDA&CS, he regulated the rules and law when it comes to pest control across the state. He traveled to companies throughout the Region IV area to make sure they were following proper protocol. If there was a compliance issue, he not only would he address the problem, but also explained how to fix it. Through that experience and his educational background, he is widely-recognized as an expert in pest control, insecticide use, and technical procedures. Kelvin’s background and knowledge is unmatched in the pest control industry in Eastern North Carolina and truly makes Pestech of Greenville unique. Our expertise and professionalism of pest management is found nowhere else in our region. Under Kelvin’s leadership, Pestech has developed various methods that utilize proven and technology. These procedures are fast, effective, and guaranteed. Those are some of the many reasons why Pestech rarely has requests for resprays. In just the past four years, Pestech’s respray rate is .0075% while data shows most other pest control companies have to respray three in every ten homes. With Kelvin’s passion for environmental impact, he is dedicated to only using pest control procedures that will keep you, your family, and our environment safe. Kelvin lives in Bear Grass, Martin County with his wife, Shelley, and two children, Jenna and Jackson. When he’s not at work, you can find him spending time with his family and enjoying his local community. He is passionate about quality education and serves on the Board of the Bear Grass Educational Foundation. This organization provides funding and support to assist the Bear Grass Charter School in carrying out its mission. The Foundation supports the educational goals of the school by providing funds in areas such as but not limited to student development activities, facility enhancements, and staff resources for professional growth. Pestech of Greenville is honored to have Kelvin lead our team and serve as a mentor and friend. If you’d like to take advantage of the Kelvin’s expertise for all your pest control needs, call Pestech, your East Coast exterminating professionals, at 252-353-4760. Pestech of Greenville, Inc. is honored to have great community partners and friends like Pirate Radio 1250 & 930. The radio station's co-owner and host, Troy Dreyfus, stopped by our location in Winterville. Kelvin Rawls, Pestech's Technical Manager, discussed the protocols our technicians and team members are taking while serving Eastern North Carolina during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
As an essential business, we are dedicated to serving our community during times of need. While we've made adjustments to increase the safety of our team and your family, you can trust that we are still offering the same superior service with guaranteed results.
For all your pest control needs, call Pestech of Greenville, Inc., your East Coast exterminating professionals, at 252-353-4760. |