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Showing posts from January, 2017

What To Do About A Flea Infestation At Home

adult flea Help! Fleas in my house are biting me ... what should I do? This is a common question and it sometimes even comes from people who don't own pets (see below). With modern flea medications (insecticides) and shampoos, however, fleas should be only a distant bad memory - unfortunately, for many, they are not. If fleas really are the problem, and it's not something else that is biting you, then flea medications applied directly to your pets may be the easy answer. If, however, you would prefer not to use these relatively expensive topical medications then be prepared to devote some time and elbow grease but either way the problem can be solved - neither you nor your pets should have to live with fleas any longer . First, let's make sure that fleas really are the cause of the bites. Flea bites often occur on the lower legs because fleas can't fly they can only hop onto passing hosts. If furniture or bedding is infested then bites can occur any

Itchy Bug Bites - And Things That Look Like Bug Bites

itchy bug bites There are few things more maddening than the itch resulting from the bite of some insects and mites. So it is a good thing that there are only a small number of insects and mites that actually bite people. However, if you are being affected by what you believe are bug bites but are not sure what is causing your discomfort check the list below of insects and mites that actually do bite people. The links go to articles at LivingWithBugs (our main "Bug" site) for ways to identify and then manage each of these common pests. Then, if none of these seem right check out some of the other causes of skin lesions that can look a lot like bug bites below the list. bird mites (aka nest mites, rodent mites) - many people believe they or their homes are infested with these mites. They are actually much less common than people think. bed bugs black flies (outdoors only) biting midges (outdoors only) chigger mites fleas lice

New Head Lice Guidlines for Schools

Louse Updated 1/28/17 I, and many other entomologists, have argued for a long time that a diagnosis of head lice is no reason to keep kids out of school , or to otherwise s ingle them out for special treatment. It now seems that the American Academy of Pediatrics agrees. The new AAP guidelines are aimed mostly at schools and are released at a time when many schools still suspend students that show any signs of head lice, including simple head-scratching and/or the presence of nits ( lice eggs ). In a recent article the AAP now recommends that: no-nit policies (1) should be s uspended head lice should not be treated as a serious medical issue but instead as a simple nuisance head lice should not be considered an indication of unsanitary conditions head lice should be diagnosed by a pediatrician, not by nit-screen ers at school and, that excessive cleaning at home/school is not needed Most head lice infestations can be managed at home with over-the-counter medicat