Mosquitos, Fleas & Ticks: How to Protect Your Family

Mosquitoes, Fleas & Ticks

HOW TO PROTECT YOUR FAMILY

Summer is in full swing and most of us are hanging out in the backyard, grilling out, playing with our kids and pets, but are we prepared for what experts are predicting will be one of the most active tick seasons in years?

Did you know that illnesses from mosquito, flea and tick bites have tripled in the U.S.?

“Zika, West Nile, Lyme, and chikungunya—a growing list of diseases caused by the bite of an infected mosquito, tick, or flea—have confronted the U.S. in recent years, making a lot of people sick. And we don’t know what will threaten Americans next,” said CDC Director Robert R. Redfield, M.D. “Our Nation’s first lines of defense are state and local health departments and vector control organizations, and we must continue to enhance our investment in their ability to fight against these diseases.” Ticks and mosquitoes are spreading germs in increasing numbers, moving into new areas & putting more people at risk of infection.

SO, WHAT CAN YOU DO?

• Use insect repellent. • Wear appropriate clothing. • Use bed nets if sleeping outdoors. • To stop ticks, tuck long pants into your socks and avoid tall grass and underbrush. • Keep your screens in good repair. • Eliminate the standing water mosquitoes need to reproduce. • Plant mosquito-repelling plants.These include scented geraniums, lemon thyme,

marigold, tansy, citrosa plants, sweet basil and/or sassafras near your home. • Encourage natural predators.

There are plenty to choose from: ladybugs, bats, dragonflies, praying mantis, spiders, and birds. Stock ponds with fish — they’ll eat mosquito larvae. • Use yellow light bulbs in outdoor fixtures. • Have your yard treated for these insects.

If you are looking for a reputable company to protect your home and yard this summer, Moxie Magazine uses and highly recommends the professionals at Pest Pros of Michigan. Give them a call at 269-993-0051 to schedule service today.

To the Class of 2021

High school graduation is one of the first major milestones of life. Typically, senior year is filled with friends, fun and traditions passed from one senior class to the next. We wanted to press pause and let the class of 2021 know that we are proud of your accomplishments and inspired by your resilience. HERE ARE A FEW WORDS OF WISDOM AS YOU STEP INTO THE NEXT CHAPTER OF LIFE.

“Build resilience in yourselves. When tragedy or disappointment strike, know that you have the ability to get through absolutely anything. I promise you do.”

– Sheryl Sandberg “Don’t ever underestimate the importance you can have, because history has shown us that courage can be contagious and hope can take on a life of its own.”

– Michelle Obama

“As you navigate through the rest of your life, be open to collaboration. Other people and other people’s ideas are often better than your own. Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you, spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life.”

– Amy Poehler “You cannot dream of becoming something you do not know about. You have to learn to dream big. Education exposes you to what the world has to offer, to the possibilities open to you.”

– Sonia Sotomayor “We do not need magic to transform our world. We carry all the power we need inside us already. We have the power to imagine better.”

– J.K. Rowling “Don’t just get involved. Fight for your seat at the table. Better yet, fight for a seat at the head of the table.”

– Barack Obama

“I hope you will judge yourselves not on your professional accomplishments alone, but also on how well you have addressed the world’s deepest inequities…on how well you treated people a world away who have nothing in common with you but their humanity.”