Tips for Mosquito and Tick Free Living From the Experts at Mosquito Squad

News provided by

May 25, 2011, 11:30 ET

RICHMOND, Va., May 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Just in time for Memorial Day and the outdoor entertaining season, Mosquito Squad (www.mosquitosquad.com), America's leading company dedicated to eliminating mosquitoes and ticks, is providing tips to help Americans take back their yards.

While generally a nuisance, mosquitoes and ticks can carry dangerous diseases such as West Nile and Lyme disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that nearly 300,000 Americans have been sickened with West Nile Virus since it arrived in the U.S. 11 years ago, while nearly 30,000 cases of Lyme disease were reported in 2009, the last year for which statistics are available.

The Mosquito Squad experts, with tens of thousands of applications under their belts, recommend the following to keep yards, special events and green spaces free from mosquitoes and ticks:

Reduce standing water to eliminate mosquito threats, including those in children's sandboxes, wagons or plastic toys; underneath and around downspouts, in plant saucers and dog bowls. Other hot spots include tarps, gutters, and flat roofs.
Utilize a mosquito elimination barrier treatment around the home and yard. Using a barrier treatment at home reduces the need for using DEET-containing bug spray. Mosquito Squad's eliminates up to 90% of the mosquitoes and ticks on a property.
Practice tick management: remove tall grass and mow regularly, install a generous depth of wood chips or gravel between the lawn and any wooded areas. Remove firewood storage areas near the home.
Know the top tick hiding places and treat them with new "tick tubes" that aid nature in eliminating ticks. Areas that may harbor ticks include areas along a wall fence, shady areas and tall grass.
When in a non-barrier spray protected area, use bug spray with DEET. Be sure to wash it off as soon as possible when returning indoors.

"We know much more about mosquito and tick control today than we did even just five years ago," said Scott Zide, president and chief operating officer of Mosquito Squad. "A new category of mosquito control has emerged over the last several years, allowing Americans to better utilize their outdoor living spaces. Americans can now eliminate mosquitoes, ticks and other bugs from their yards with season long, event-specific or treatment options."

For additional tips and information, visit www.mosquitosquad.com.

SOURCE Mosquito Squad