Tree Spraying
Hitman Exterminators offers a variety of methodologies commencing with a green approach to tree spraying to stop the ongoing spread and overall nuisance of Box Elders.
Adult boxelder bugs are about 1/2-inch long, black with orange or red markings. Their wings lay flat over their bodies, overlapping each other to form an ‘X’. The juvenile nymphs are 1/16th-inch long and bright red when they first hatch. As they grow older and become larger, they are red and black.
Do they bite? Are they harmful?
Boxelder bugs are not known to bite, but their piercing-sucking mouthparts can occasionally puncture skin, causing a slight irritation and producing a red spot similar to a mosquito bite. When crushed or handled roughly, boxelder bugs leave a reddish orange stain from their fecal material that can result in discoloration or staining of curtains, furniture, clothing, and other surfaces.
They tend to form large aggregations while sunning themselves in areas near their host plant (e.g. on rocks, trees, and man-made structures). This is especially a problem during the cooler months, when they sometimes invade houses and other man-made structures seeking warmth or a place to overwinter.
Hitman Exterminators offers a variety of methodologies commencing with a green approach to tree spraying to stop the ongoing spread and overall nuisance of Tent Caterpillars.
Forest Tent Caterpillars are a serious threat to deciduous trees across much of Saskatchewan and Canada. During severe outbreaks, these destructive insects can eat all the leaves on hundreds of thousands of hectares on broadleaf trees and shrubs. Eggs are laid from July to early August. They develop into larvae within three weeks. These larvae over winter in the eggs and emerge in spring, coinciding with bud development on trees.
Widespread forest tent caterpillar outbreaks occur approximately every 10 years, usually lasting three to six years. Feeding damage ranges from a light thinning of the tree top to trees completely stripped of their leaves. Following two or more years of severe feeding, there is a general decline in tree health, including twig and branch dieback. After three or four consecutive years of being stripped of their leaves, trees become weakened and are more susceptible to diseases and other insects.
Mosquitoes are small insects that bite. Because their bites can also cause itchiness and irritation, many people try to avoid them. Mosquitoes grow in still or very slow-moving water. Some mosquitoes lay their eggs on the surface of the water. They lay between 100 and 400 eggs at one time.
The eggs hatch in 1 or 2 days into larvae, which look like small worms. The life cycle from egg to adult can take less than 10 days if the temperature is right. The ideal temperature is between 22° and 27°C.
Only female mosquitoes feed on animal or human blood. They need blood in order to produce eggs. Around the world, mosquito bites can lead to a range of diseases, including malaria and the Zika virus. In Canada, West Nile virus is a health concern and in most parts of country, mosquitoes are common from May to September. Mosquitoes can bite at any time of the day, but they tend to be more active between dusk and dawn.
The most common types of tick in Saskatchewan are the Rocky Mountain wood tick and the American dog tick.
The Rocky Mountain tick is generally a carrier of Colorado tick fever but can also be a vector for Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Tularemia. The adult females can feed for up to 5–15 days, making it very important to remove a tick if present.
Lyme disease is an infectious disease spread through the bite of infected ticks. There are two types of ticks that can spread Lyme disease in Canada:
- Blacklegged tick (or deer tick)
- Western blacklegged tick
Ticks need blood to survive, so they attach on animals and humans to feed. Ticks become infected with Lyme disease bacteria by feeding on infected wild animals, such as birds and rodents.
Once infected, ticks can spread the bacteria to humans and pets, particularly dogs. In most cases, the infected tick must attach and feed for at least 24 hours before the bacteria can be transmitted.
Blacklegged ticks are most often found in wooded or forested areas, in leaf litter or on shrubs and tall grass and although the risk for Lyme disease is low in Saskatchewan, it is certainly not zero.
