This story appeared on television recently (see link below). Right about this time of year in our area we are inundated with paper wasp and yellow jacket activity. If you have a nest (or nests) on your property that you want to be rid of, call a professional. Attempting to destroy nests with water hoses or trying to knock them down can be dangerous.
Pictured: A Whitworth Pest Solutions certified technician removing a dangerous “bald-faced hornet” nest.
So far Washington State has been relatively “lucky” compared to most other parts of the nation that have already had years with hundreds of human cases of West Nile Virus. Unfortunately, this could be our year, as last year saw an upswing in human cases, with one death. This could be the sign of an upward trend in cases, but scientists aren’t sure. See this Seattle Times article from June 30, 2010:
Salt marsh mosquitoes, named for the coastal areas where they breed, travel in swarms and are vicious biters but generally do not carry human diseases. Their eggs, laid on dry land, must be moistened by marine water to hatch.
Terry Whitworth, owner of Whitworth Pest Solutions, is quoted in this AP story:
Mosquitoes are bugging Grays Harbor folks
To this day, mosquitoes are still a major issue in this neck of the woods, affecting Grays Harbor County and Pacific County residents every year.
Whitworth Pest Solutions owner Terry Whitworth is quoted in this Seattle Post-Intelligencer article on effects of El Nino on mosquitoes and other insects and arthropods:
ITCHIN’ FOR SUMMER? WELL, THE PEST IS YET TO COME, BUG EXPERTS SAY
This news story, in which Whitworth Pest Solutions owner Terry Whitworth is quoted, was picked up by the AP and was reported by the Kitsap Sun newspaper as well as the Boston Globe newspaper and others:
PUGET SOUND: Area homeowners bugged by ladybug plague
Ladybug issues have subsided substantially since this publication in 1994, although Whitworth Pest Solutions still receives its fair share of calls every year regarding ladybugs.
Are spiders really that dangerous? Whitworth Pest Solutions owner Terry Whitworth is quoted in Spokesman Review article that addresses the topic:
