Mosquitos
Mosquitoes are distributed worldwide from the tropics to the Arctic and from below sea level to altitudes of 14,000 feet. Mosquitoes are of great concern due to diseases they transmit, but the annoyance, injury & economic losses caused by their biting can also be significant. They are among the most studied insects in the world. Most people are susceptible to their bites, which may cause severe itching, swelling, pustule formation, restlessness and loss of sleep. Mosquitoes often prevent enjoyment of outdoor activities. History indicates the mosquito has long been one of the greatest scourges of humans and other warm-blooded animals. Some of the diseases and viruses caused by mosquitoes are: Malaria, Encephalitis, West Nile Virus, Yellow Fever, Canine Heartworm Disease, and Zika Virus.
Ticks
Ticks are bloodsucking ectoparasites of mammals, bird and reptiles. These arthropods have a sex-legged lerval stage, one of more eight-legged nymphal stages, and an eight-legged adult stage, all of which take blood meals. In addition to annoyance and discomfort, ticks are efficient vectors of a number of serious diseases of humans and domestic animals. In fact, in temperate and tropical countries, ticks surpass all other athropods in the number and variety of diseases which they transmit to domestic animals. They run a close second to mosquitoes in the number of diseases transmitted to humans. The Deer Tick (or Black-Legged Tick), occuring along the entire East Coast, upper Midwest, and westward to about Texas, is one of the most medically important ticks in the U.S., being the vector of Lyme Disease.
