About Ticks
Ticks Found in Indiana
If you enjoy being outside and live in a wooded area of northern Indiana ticks are likely to be a pest that you will encounter on a regular basis. Ticks go through a 4 stage life cycle: egg, six-legged larva, eight-legged nymph, and adult. After hatching, ticks must eat blood at every stage of development to survive. They feed on all types of animals including birds, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals (including you, your children, and your pets!).
Approximately 15 species of ticks are found in Indiana four of which are a concern to public health.
American Dog Tick Left to Right: un-engorged female, 1/4 engorged, 1/2 engorged and fully engorged
The American Dog Tick (Dermacentor variabilis) is the most common tick found on humans in Indiana, and these ticks are found in every Indiana county. They feed on mice, livestock, wild animals, pets and humans. Their preferred hosts are dogs and medium sized mammals. The American dog tick transmits bacteria that cause Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia and anaplasmosis. Dogs may also get hepatozoonosis by ingesting the tick.
Deer Tick Left to Right: unengorged female, 1/4 engorged, 1/2 engorged and fully engorged.
The Deer Tick or black legged tick (Ixodes scapularis) is mostly prevalent in the northwest section of Indiana. Deer ticks feed on a wide range of animals, and they can be found on birds, reptiles, many species of mammals and humans. The deer tick can transmit Lyme disease, anaplasmosis and babesiosis.
Brown Dog Tick Left to Right: unengorged female, 1/4 engorged, 1/2 engorged and fully engorged
The Brown Dog Tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus) is found throughout Indiana. It will feed on many different mammals, but dogs are the main host. The brown dog tick can complete its entire life cycle indoors. This can cause infestations in the home and kennels. It rarely causes disease in humans, however, the brown dog tick has been recently found to carry Rickettsia rickettsii which causes Rocky Mountain spotted fever. It is a vector of disease in dogs that cause canine erhlichiosis, babesiosis and hepatozoonosis.
Lone Star Tick Left to Right: unengorged female, 1/4 engorged, 1/2 engorged and fully engorged
The Lone Star Tick (Amblyomma americanum) is found throughout Indiana but is more common in the southern portion of the state. It is commonly encountered in moist woodlands. These ticks feed on small and large mammals, livestock, pets, ground dwelling birds and humans. The lone star tick is a vector for Rocky Mountain spotted fever, ehrlichiosis, tularemia and Southern tick associated rash illness.
As always if you have a problem with, or even just a question about, mosquitoes or ticks (or any other yard pests) feel free to call Damien Carboneau—“The Mosquito Guy” anytime at 574-527-8852. He’ll be happy to speak with you!
At Indiana Mosquito Busters we want to help you live MOSQUITO and TICK FREE!
- Published in Featured
About Zika
The best course of action to prevent mosquito borne illnesses such as Zika and West Nile is to avoid being bitten by mosquitos.
How do I protect myself from mosquito bites?
A. Wear insect repellent: Yes! It is safe. When used as directed, insect repellent is the BEST way to protect yourself from mosquito bites—even children and pregnant women should protect themselves. Higher percentages of active ingredient provide longer lasting protection.
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- DEET: Products containing DEET include Cutter, OFF!, Skintastic.
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- Picaridin (also known as KBR 3023, Bayrepel, and icaridin): Products containing picaridin include Cutter Advanced, Skin So Soft Bug Guard Plus, and Autan outside the United States).
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- Oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE) or PMD: Repel contains OLE.
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- IR3535: Products containing IR3535 include Skin So Soft Bug Guard Plus Expedition and SkinSmart.
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B. Cover up: When weather permits, wear long-sleeved shirts and pants.
C. Keep mosquitoes outside: Use air conditioning or make sure that you repair and use window/door screens.
D. Avoid areas with large active mosquito populations: Don’t travel to areas with active Zika virus outbreaks. Avoid areas with dense woods or swampy, marshy areas. Stay inside during the early morning and evening hours when the mosquitos are most active.
E. Make sure that you empty any containers that hold water after each rain. Making sure that your yard is not a mosquito breeding ground will go a long way to preventing the spread of mosquito borne illness. What to look for: kids toys (buckets, sandboxes, pools, etc.), flower pots, bird baths (empty and refill weekly), anything that holds water. Here are 3 examples from my OWN yard…..
Buckets in the sandbox.
Larvae in the Basketball stand.
Water in a rimmed table
- Published in Featured
What are the Best Mosquito Repellents Available?
As pesky, annoying, BITING mosquitoes begin to hatch this summer, thoughts turn to how to keep our families safe. The most effective way to ensure that we do not get bitten by backyard mosquitoes is to prevent them from coming in contact with us.
Insect Repellents
When you need to be outside in untreated areas (such as when camping or hiking) the following mosquito repellents are considered by the CDC and EPA to be the most effective when used as labeled.
- DEET: Products containing DEET include, but are not limited to, Off! & Cutter
- Picaridin: Products containing picaridin include, but are not limited to, Cutter Advanced, Skin So Soft Bug Guard Plus.
- Oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE) or PMD: Products containing OLE and PMD include, but are not limited to, Repel and Off! Botanicals. This recommendation refers to EPA-registered repellent products containing the active ingredient OLE (or PMD). “Pure” oil of lemon eucalyptus (essential oil not formulated as a repellent) is not recommended; it has not undergone similar, validated testing for safety and efficacy, is not registered with EPA as an insect repellent, and is not covered by this recommendation.
- IR3535: Products containing IR3535 include, but are not limited to, Skin So Soft Bug Guard Plus Expedition and SkinSmart.
- 2-undecanone (chemical name: methyl nonyl ketone). The product BioUD contains 2-undecanone.
The US Federal EPA characterizes the active ingredients DEET and Picaridin as “conventional repellents” and OLE, PMD, and IR3535 as “biopesticide repellents,” which are either derived from or are synthetic versions of natural materials.
Generally, higher concentrations of active ingredient provide longer protection, regardless of the active ingredient. Products with <10% active ingredient may offer only limited protection, often 1–2 hours so should be reapplied frequently while outdoors.
Studies suggest that concentrations of DEET above approximately 50% do not offer a marked increase in protection time against mosquitoes. The CDC recommends using products with more than 20% DEET on exposed skin to reduce biting by ticks that may spread disease.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) allows companies to apply for permission to include a new repellency awareness graphic on the labels of insect repellents that are applied to the skin (Figure 2-01). The graphic helps consumers easily identify the time a repellent is effective against mosquitoes and ticks. EPA reviews products that apply to use the graphic to ensure that their data meet current testing protocols and standard evaluation practices. Use of this graphic by manufacturers is voluntary. For more information, visit www.epa.gov/insect-repellents/repellency-awareness-graphic.
Mosquito Buster Crew 2018
As always if you have a problem with, or even just a question about, mosquitos (or any other yard pests) feel free to call Damien Carboneau—“The Mosquito Guy” anytime at 574-527-8852. He’ll be happy to speak with you!
At Indiana Mosquito Busters we want to help you live MOSQUITO and TICK FREE.
- Published in Mosquito Articles
Where Are All These Backyard Mosquitoes Coming From?
Where are all these mosquitoes in my yard coming from? I don’t have any woods or marshes nearby. Or, my city, town, municipality already treats for them, but it doesn’t work….We hear these comments almost daily in the summer, so where ARE those mosquitoes coming from? A huge source for backyard mosquitoes in northern Indiana is Container Mosquitoes.
Container mosquitoes, lay their eggs along the water line of containers as well as directly into container water. This seems simple enough, until you realize that anything that holds water is a suitable container, including the grooves of plastic gutter extenders, outdoor toys, flower pots, and even a water glass left outside for one day too long.
In a big backyard, all of these containers can be tricky to identify by humans, but mosquitoes don’t have any trouble finding them. Container mosquitoes lay their eggs along the water line inside of these unconventional containers, and the eggs exist in a dry, suspended state for as long as a year. But, as soon as irrigation or rainwater raises the water level just enough to come in contact with the eggs, they hatch. Further, for mosquitoes that lay their eggs directly into the water, it only takes a few days to mature from egg to biting adult during peak summer conditions so even forgetting to check containers for just a short time enables the mosquitoes to mature and hatch.
Then, once the aquatic stage is complete, the adults don’t fly far from their larval habitats, because they have food sources and a place to lay their own eggs right there. Fortunately, Dr. Roxanne Connelly, chief entomologist, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has outlined simple steps to help clean out pesky container mosquitoes.
“Source reduction is the key to getting rid of these mosquitoes,” said Connelly. “And when I say remove the source, it should be clear by now what the source is, the source of these mosquitoes are these items that hold water and can support mosquito life.”
She suggests starting by organizing a neighborhood or community clean-up day where residents rid their yards of potential mosquito environments.
“There’s a limit to that,” she said. “Once you get rid of all the cups or bowls or anything that is in the yard that can come out, you’re still going to have some containers that people want to leave in place. If possible, modify those containers.”
For example, for gardens with rain barrel irrigation programs, there should always be a tightly screwed on lid or at least insect screen coverings. Insect screens also help control pests when placed at the end of gutter extensions.
“Because they’re corrugated, they have those little ribs in them and they’re laying flat on the ground, they hold water in those little areas, so even after the rain washes through there you have water that’s left behind and the container mosquitoes love to fly up in these and lay their eggs,” Connelly said. “One of the best things you can do here is lift the pipe and dump out the water on a weekly basis.”
Bird baths should be dumped and scrubbed with steel wool or a stiff brush weekly and any old tires should be disposed of properly. The Asian tiger mosquito was actually unintentionally introduced to the United States through shipments of used tires that also toted the mosquito eggs.
“If you’re doing an inspection of someone’s home, trying to look for the source, don’t forget to look above — look at the roof line,” said Connelly. Clogged gutters make a perfect habitat for container mosquito eggs just waiting for the next big rain. Holes in trees can become a natural container when the conditions are right as well.
As always if you have a problem with, or even just a question about, mosquitos (or any other yard pests) feel free to call Damien Carboneau—“The Mosquito Guy” anytime at 574-527-8852. He’ll be happy to speak with you!
At Indiana Mosquito Busters we want to help you live MOSQUITO and TICK FREE.
- Published in Mosquito Articles
Why We Need Mosquito Control
The emergence and spread of West Nile Virus may have been the first in a series of exotic diseases imported due to the worldwide increase in eco-tourism and international air travel. Malaria, Rift Valley Fever, Chikungunya Virus, dengue fever, and Zika Virus are but a plane flight away, and public health officials at all levels are becoming increasingly concerned. As our world continues to shrink, mosquito control in the United States will assume a more critical public health function – well beyond its ‘quality of life’ role.
To meet these coming threats, the operational mosquito control profession in the United States continues to mobilize its resources and perfect its prevention and control techniques – the safest, most comprehensive and effective of their kind in the world.
The integrated mosquito management methods currently employed are comprehensive and specifically tailored to safely counter each stage of the mosquito life cycle. Larval control through water management and source reduction is a prudent pest management alternative – as is use of the environmentally friendly EPA-registered larvicides currently available. When source elimination or larval control measures are clearly inadequate, or in the case of imminent disease, the EPA and CDC have emphasized in a published joint statement the need for considered application of adulticides by certified applicators trained in the specialized handling characteristics of these products.
Despite intense pressures to eliminate the use of public health insecticides, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization and other public health agencies agree that proper use of mosquitocides by established mosquito control companies does not put the general public or the environment at unreasonable risk from runoff, leaching or drift when used according to label specifications.
We already have the mosquitoes…we are continually importing the diseases they carry. We must be prepared to prevent their becoming part of our public health landscape. That requires safe, effective, sustained mosquito control. However, continued public support is crucial for the success of each of these efforts. We will all pay the price for complacency.
Disease prevention through preparedness remains the mosquito control profession’s primary focus, and is fully consistent with the very finest traditions of public health. Yet, the continued increase in worldwide tourism and trade virtually guarantees further challenges from exotic diseases requiring ready control expertise to prevent their establishment and spread. Should these emerging mosquito-borne diseases of man and animals settle into the American public health landscape, particularly as an unintended consequence of environmental policy initiatives, we will have only ourselves to blame, for we have the means to control these diseases within our grasp. We must remain prepared to accept and meet these challenges—our citizens and our nation’s wildlife deserve no less.
Here at IMB we are prepared to fight those dangerous and annoying mosquitoes off! Call us with any questions or if you have an infestation in your backyard or neighborhood. For more information about mosquito borne diseases, click here.
As always if you have a problem with, or even just a question about, mosquitos (or any other yard pests) feel free to call Damien Carboneau—“The Mosquito Guy” anytime at 574-527-8852. He’ll be happy to speak with you!
At Indiana Mosquito Busters we want to help you live MOSQUITO and TICK FREE.
- Published in Mosquito Articles
How to Prevent Floodwater Mosquitoes in Indiana
Recent tropical storms such as those in Texas and Florida can produce millions of pesky mosquitos as well as spread disease in an already terrible situation. The recent hurricanes produced unprecedented flooding in widespread areas. Critical areas such as marshes, which are a perfect environment for breeding, become excellent breeding grounds for millions of mosquitos. In fact, if conditions are right, there can be up to 8 million mosquitos per acre!
During Hurricane Allen in 1980 there were so many mosquitos that dozens of cattle died due to blood loss. It was estimated that it would take almost 4 million bites over 12 hours to kill a full grown animal! Fortunately now the states are prepared for these infestations and take immediate measures to curb the assault of these flying syringes. The floodwater is treated with a larvacide that will kill the mosquitos in the larval stage. These products are environmentally safe and very effective. In addition the flooded areas will be fogged either with aerial application or ground based ULV foggers. The people in these areas have already suffered tremendous hardships and with the aid of large scale mosquito control they won’t have to worry about suffering through a large scale infestation.
In our area here in Indiana we shouldn’t suffer through such large scale devastation. However, during heavy rains we can have huge hatches of mosquitos which can be localized to very small areas where flooding has occurred. Treatment is the same for these small, localized events as for widespread flooding. Treat the water with larvacide and fog surrounding areas with adulticides keeping our neighbors mosquito free.
Here at IMB we are prepared to fight those dangerous and annoying mosquitoes off! Call us with any questions or if you have an infestation in your backyard or neighborhood. For more information about mosquito borne diseases, click here.
As always if you have a problem with, or even just a question about, mosquitos (or any other yard pests) feel free to call Damien Carboneau—“The Mosquito Guy” anytime at 574-527-8852. He’ll be happy to speak with you!
At Indiana Mosquito Busters we want to help you live MOSQUITO and TICK FREE.
- Published in Mosquito Articles
Best Mosquito Repellents
As those pesky, annoying, BITING mosquitoes are reaching epic numbers this Summer due to all the rain we’ve had followed by hot temps at the end of July, thoughts turn to how to keep our families safe. The most effective way to ensure that we do not get bitten by mosquitos is to prevent them from coming in contact with us.
When you need to be outside in untreated areas the following mosquito repellents are considered by the CDC and EPA to be the most effective when used as labeled.
- DEET: Products containing DEET include, but are not limited to, Off! & Cutter.
- Picaridin: Products containing picaridin include, but are not limited to, Cutter Advanced, Skin So Soft Bug Guard Plus.
- Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE) or PMD: Products containing OLE and PMD include, but are not limited to, Repel and Off! Botanicals. This recommendation refers to EPA-registered repellent products containing the active ingredient OLE (or PMD). “Pure” oil of lemon eucalyptus (essential oil not formulated as a repellent) is not recommended; it has not undergone similar, validated testing for safety and efficacy, is not registered with EPA as an insect repellent, and is not covered by this recommendation.
- IR3535: Products containing IR3535 include, but are not limited to, Skin So Soft Bug Guard Plus Expedition and SkinSmart.
EPA characterizes the active ingredients DEET and Picaridin as “conventional repellents” and OLE, PMD, and IR3535 as “biopesticide repellents,” which are either derived from or are synthetic versions of natural materials.
Generally, higher concentrations of active ingredient provide longer protection, regardless of the active ingredient. Products with <10% active ingredient may offer only limited protection, often 1–2 hours so should be reapplied frequently while outdoors.
Studies suggest that concentrations of DEET above approximately 50% do not offer a marked increase in protection time against mosquitoes. The CDC recommends using products with more than 20% DEET on exposed skin to reduce biting by ticks that may spread disease.
For more information about mosquito borne diseases, click here.
As always if you have a problem with, or even just a question about, mosquitos (or any other yard pests) feel free to call Damien Carboneau—“The Mosquito Guy” anytime at 574-527-8852. He’ll be happy to speak with you!
At Indiana Mosquito Busters we want to help you live MOSQUITO and TICK FREE.
- Published in Mosquito Articles
West Nile Found Early This Year in Indiana
A map from the Indiana State Department of Health shows as of June 23, there have been 2 confirmed positive human cases of West Nile in Indiana. One case is Lake County and one in Hamilton County. In addition the following counties have mosquito populations that have tested positive for West Nile virus: Tippecanoe, Morgan, Knox, Pike, and Clark.
As you will note, neither of the human cases is in a county that has tested positive for the West Nile in mosquitoes. This may be because the county does not routinely gather and test mosquito populations, the particular populations of mosquitoes tested did not contain West Nile virus at the time of testing, or the person contracted the virus when visiting outside the county they live in.
Here in the northern lakes region of Indiana we have not yet found any cases of West Nile in mosquito populations nor in the human population but it is always wise to be cautious around mosquitoes and the diseases they carry like West Nile, Zika, and Encephalitis.
The health department recommends people reduce their risk of getting West Nile by 
wearing bug spray containing DEET, wearing long sleeves and pants, and avoiding prime biting times from dusk to dawn.
Also, it is always a good idea to walk your property and eliminate any sources of standing water.
Damien–The Mosquito Guy
For more information about mosquito borne diseases, click here.
As always if you have a problem with, or even just a question about, mosquitos (or any other yard pests) feel free to call Damien Carboneau—“The Mosquito Guy” anytime at 574-527-8852. He’ll be happy to speak with you!
At Indiana Mosquito Busters we want to help you live MOSQUITO and TICK FREE.
- Published in Mosquito Articles
Do Mosquito Barrier Treatments REALLY Work?
According to the American Mosquito Control Association, Barrier and Residual Adulticides are very effective against adult mosquitoes. “Residual spraying is used when a longer-term effect is required. Mosquitoes must land on a surface deposit of the insecticide to absorb a toxic dose. Residual sprays often are referred to as barrier or surface treatments.
Damien–The Mosquito Guy
Because the treated areas are generally small, handheld devices, such as a backpack mist blower or compression sprayer, are employed. The insecticide is applied at a concentration lethal enough so that a mosquito landing on the treated vegetation will absorb a sufficient amount of the active ingredient to cause mortality.
Barrier treatments can provide control for weeks depending on the insecticide formulation. These applications are primarily conducted with synthetic pyrethroids and applied to vegetation, unmovable large containers, external walls of homes and sheds, and fences in residential backyards.”*
Barrier treatments are most effective for residential use in smaller areas as opposed to community-wide mosquito control. They are effective against mosquitoes and ticks even if your yard is the only one in the neighborhood being treated.
Barrier sprays offer a three pronged attack against adult mosquitoes. First, they will kill any adult mosquitoes present on the property at the time of treatment. Second, a barrier spray treatment will continue to kill adult mosquitoes for up to four weeks as they continue to enter your backyard and land on your foliage. Finally, most companies use a product against mosquitoes that acts as a repellent at well in that mosquitoes prefer NOT to cross the barrier created around the perimeter of the yard so will seek targets in surrounding areas.
*Excerpt from AMCA – BEST PRACTICES FOR MOSQUITO CONTROL 2017: A FOCUSED UPDATE
As always if you have a problem with, or even just a question about, mosquitoes or ticks (or any other yard pests) feel free to call Damien Carboneau — “The Mosquito Guy” anytime at 574-527-8852. He’ll be happy to speak with you!
At Indiana Mosquito Busters we want to help you live MOSQUITO and TICK FREE!
- Published in Mosquito Articles
My Gutters Are Breeding Mosquitoes!?
In a word, YES! Home gutters are one of the most common breeding locations for backyard mosquitos. If you’ve followed the advice to make sure that the following areas are not holding water, than your gutters may be the culprit for your failure to kill the mosquitoes in your yard.
- Get rid of old tires, tin cans, buckets, drums, bottles or any water holding containers.
- Fill in or drain any low places (puddles, ruts) in your yard.
- Keep drains, ditches, and culverts clean of weeds and trash so water will drain properly.
- Repair leaky pipes and outside faucets.
- Empty plastic wading pools at least once a week and store them when not in use.
- Change the water in bird baths and plant pots or drip trays at least once each week.
Be sure to check your gutters regularly for accumulated debris from surrounding trees and shrubbery. If leaves, flowers, or seed pods are clogging your gutters remove them and rinse the gutters out with your garden hose. If you are uncomfortable up on a ladder, check into hiring a local handyman service or lawn and garden company to come and do this for your at least 2X per year.
But, I have gutter guards up you wail! Unfortunately this does not make your gutters completely maintenance free. While most brands do an excellent job of keeping 
leaves, pods, and sticks out of your gutter, if you have a shingle roof you can still get debris from the shedding of the coating on the shingles building up in your gutters and causing them to retain water. Keep in mind, hundreds of mosquitoes can breed in just a few tablespoons of water so it only takes a wee bit of water to create a mosquito breeding haven in your gutters.
Finally, particularly if you live in an older home, have your gutters checked for areas that have sagged over the years (either just from age, or the loss of a gutter spike). Remember even a small amount of water standing in your gutters will cause a huge influx of backyard 
mosquitoes. The solution for this is again to flush your gutters out a couple of times a year using a garden hose.
If you’d like to get the most reliable control of mosquitos for your yard and protect your family please call IMB.
As always if you have a problem with, or even just a question about, mosquitoes or ticks (or any other yard pests) feel free to call Damien Carboneau — “The Mosquito Guy” anytime at 574-527-8852. He’ll be happy to speak with you!
At Indiana Mosquito Busters we want to help you live MOSQUITO and TICK FREE!
- Published in Mosquito Articles