Page 210 - South Mississippi Living - June, 2017

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story by Kelsey Sunderman-Foster photos courtesy of Mosquito Marshals
Summers in the South are full of warm, lazy afternoons on the water and backyard barbecues with friends, but nothing can ruin the fun quite like mosquitos. However, these well- known party crashers can cause more than just an annoying itch.
Mosquitoes transmit viruses and parasites from other animals to humans, so the real concern is what the mosquito injects into your blood stream. Mosquitoes carry potentially life-threatening diseases such as West Nile virus, St. Louis encephalitis, Eastern Equine encephalitis and heart worms, all of which can infect you or your pets with just one bite. On average, over 1,000 Americans experience serious illness or death
as a result of a mosquito bite every year.
Mosquito Marshals specializes
in mosquito control and has been serving Mississippi residents for three years. “What sets us apart from other companies is that we started in Mississippi and our team is made up entirely of Mississippi natives,” said Josh Neely, who co-owns Mosquito Marshals of Hattiesburg with Robby Ashley. “Most of us are actually full
time firemen who do this on our time off.”
The Mosquito Marshal’s team uses an integrated pest management system to identify and reduce the mosquito habitat, eliminate larvae and kill the adult mosquito without harming children or pets in the process. “Our understanding of mosquito behavior and physiology is what makes us so efficient,” Neely said.
It only takes a bottle cap’s worth
of standing water for the breeding process to begin, so Mosquito Marshals aims to stop the cycle
in its tracks. “Using our backpack foggers, we spray bushes, garages, underneath the homes, and wherever else mosquitos might be drawn to reproduce,” Neely said regarding their technique.
Mosquito Marshals offers a monthly rate for unlimited mosquito treatments in residential areas,
as well as one-time special event sprays for outdoor weddings, family reunions and holidays.
Mosquito Marshals of Hattiesburg
P.O. Box 1534, Hattiesburg 601.466.7655 www.mosquitomarshals.com
ROBBY ASHLEY, co-owner
of Mosquito Marshalls,
with family.
210 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • June 2017
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• WITH A 100 PERCENT SURVIVAL RATE, A SINGLE MOSQUITO CAN BE RESPONSIBLE FOR OVER ONE BILLION MOSQUITO DESCENDANTS IN LESS THAN FOUR WEEKS.
• MOSQUITO EGGS CAN SURVIVE UP TO SEVEN YEARS BEFORE HATCHING.
• THE FEMALE MOSQUITO ONLY NEEDS ONE BLOOD MEAL FOR EVERY BATCH OF EGGS SHE PRODUCES.
• ONLY THE ADULT FEMALE MOSQUITO BITES.
• THERE ARE OVER 3,000 MOSQUITO SPECIES WORLDWIDE.
• FROM WEBMD: A DOG CAN GET HEART WORMS BY BEING BITTEN BY AN INFECTED MOSQUITO. THERE IS NO WAY TO TELL WHICH MOSQUITOES ARE INFECTED.
• THE HIGHEST INFECTION RATES OF HEART WORMS ARE OBSERVED IN THE SOUTHEASTERN REGION OF THE UNITED STATES.
MOSQUITO FACTS