Guest jsullysix Posted June 27, 2007 Share Posted June 27, 2007 (edited) Hey all, It's been a while since I've posted, and I need some insight. It's been raining so much in the Dallas area that all the bugs have come out to play. I've noticed that Charlie has come in from her walks with what I thought were ticks on her, but I can't tell for sure. It kinda looks like a mosquito (which would make sense with all the rain). When I've seen them on her, I brush them off, and they're engorged with blood (which always gets all over my hand). She's on Frontline, and Sentinel for heartworm (which also helps with flea/tick prevention), so that's a relief. There was one on her back tonight, and it kinda flew off of her, and landed on the tile. I grabbed the camera, and this is what I got (sorry, the first one is blurry): Does this look familiar to any of you? And should I be worried? Thanks, Sully Edited June 27, 2007 by jsullysix Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DorasMom Posted June 27, 2007 Share Posted June 27, 2007 I have no idea what it is either but I have killed two in my house this year that look an awful lot like that! I'll be looking forward to seeing if anyone else knows what it is! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tamborine Posted June 27, 2007 Share Posted June 27, 2007 I'll bet ahicks51 will know what it is! Quote Maryann, Bama (TW Beltram), Stephanie (Tom's Stepinhi) & Henderson the Cardigan Welsh Corgi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest FullMetalFrank Posted June 27, 2007 Share Posted June 27, 2007 I am not sure, but it might be a juvenile mosquito? Yucky little bloodsucker, whatever it is! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahicks51 Posted June 27, 2007 Share Posted June 27, 2007 (edited) I'll bet ahicks51 will know what it is! I'm no entomologist, but I play one on TV. Asian tiger mosquito, fully engorged after eating a meal of blood. Saw 'em first when I stayed in Houston in '91. Aggressive. As for worrying, sure. Global warming, necrotic American credit, melamine in the food, a waxing full moon- I'm liberal, so I like to worry a lot about everything. But the heartworm prophylaxis will be doing its duty tonight. Can I get an 'amen'? Edited June 27, 2007 by ahicks51 Quote Coco (Maze Cocodrillo) Minerva (Kid's Snipper) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
awkwanett1 Posted June 27, 2007 Share Posted June 27, 2007 ewww. gross.. is all I have to say! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicocat Posted June 27, 2007 Share Posted June 27, 2007 Pest Watch: The Asian Tiger Mosquito A relative newcomer to the U.S., the Asian tiger mosquito is already generating more than its share of misery. If you've found yourself swatting a little more vigorously -- and perhaps a little less successfully -- as you work in your gardens this summer, your yard may be host to this annoying, skittish, and potentially dangerous pest. The Asian tiger mosquito (ATM) is a tropical insect found primarily in Asia and West Africa. The name refers to the white stripes on its dark body, although it may also allude to its relatively tenacious and irritating biting style. The pest recently arrived in the U.S., most likely in shipments of used tires from Japan. Relatively mild winters without prolonged cold spells have allowed the insect to survive in regions where it normally wouldn't overwinter. A few things distinguish this pest from your regular, garden-variety mosquito. First of all, it's active in midday, unlike native mosquitoes, which prefer to feed at dusk and dawn. Secondly, it's smaller and flies faster, making it harder to swat. Thirdly, in laboratory settings it has been found to be a particularly successful bearer of mosquito-borne diseases. However, in reality the ATM hasn't lived up to the initial fears of its potential to cause widespread diseases. This may be due, in part, to the fact that it's a generalized feeder: It's as happy dining on squirrel blood as on human blood, making it less likely to cause an outbreak than a species that travels exclusively from human to human, for example. However, the insect's mixed diet does indicate that the species will likely expand its range and spread further across the country. Managing the Asian Tiger Mosquito Individual Asian tiger mosquitoes appear to have very limited flight ranges, on the order of up to 300 yards. That means that the insect biting you probably hatched in your yard, or your neighbor's. That's good news; it means you can have an impact on the population. The insect is known as a "container breeder," meaning it prefers to breed in small areas of standing water, as opposed to ponds, for example. Even the smallest amount of standing water -- such as that collected in a soda cap -- is a potential breeding site. And when temperatures are ideal, the mosquito can go from egg to hungry adult in a week. So, techniques to manage the mosquito center on removing all sources of standing water. Scour your landscape for potential breeding areas -- saucers under planters, upturned trash can lids, old tires, vases, lawn decorations that could hold a bit of water. Empty all standing water and replace water in birdbaths at least twice a week. Encourage birds and bats to take up residence in your yard by providing nesting boxes. Although these predators consume a variety of insects, they can play a small role in managing ATM populations. Protect Yourself Because the ATM feeds all during the day, you'll need to be prepared any time you head into the garden. Wear long sleeves and pants, if possible, and use an insect repellent on exposed skin. Make sure you have tight-fitting window screens and doors to keep pests out of your home. Citronella candles can help repel the pests in a confined outdoor seating area. Bug zappers are not effective; they generally kill few mosquitoes and many more beneficial or benign species. The jury is still out on whether the Asian tiger mosquito will live up to its potential as an efficient carrier of disease. Scientists are guardedly optimistic that the threat is less than originally feared. However, it still makes sense to protect yourself against this pest. Quote Ann Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Sheri Posted June 27, 2007 Share Posted June 27, 2007 We have bugs that look like this in AZ, we call them Kissing Bugs they do bite and suck blood and can fly also. Eric got bitten by one last summer and so did I. They leave a bit of a welt and the bite does itch. Search kissing bugs on the web and see if the pics look like your bug. Hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JohnnyBell Posted June 27, 2007 Share Posted June 27, 2007 I'm having a big problem here in Maryland too with what looks like the same bug.It's definatly a mosquito they bit and it itches like crazy but it doesn't last as long(maybe a few hours or so) as a regular mosquito bite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest longdogs Posted June 27, 2007 Share Posted June 27, 2007 It is a very full mosquito. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PNWtrillium Posted June 27, 2007 Share Posted June 27, 2007 Ann, where'd you find that info? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jsullysix Posted June 27, 2007 Share Posted June 27, 2007 wow, thanks! sully Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest K9_Lady Posted June 27, 2007 Share Posted June 27, 2007 I'll bet ahicks51 will know what it is! I'm no entomologist, but I play one on TV. Asian tiger mosquito, fully engorged after eating a meal of blood. Saw 'em first when I stayed in Houston in '91. Aggressive. As for worrying, sure. Global warming, necrotic American credit, melamine in the food, a waxing full moon- I'm liberal, so I like to worry a lot about everything. But the heartworm prophylaxis will be doing its duty tonight. Can I get an 'amen'? You Rock! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
romansperson Posted June 27, 2007 Share Posted June 27, 2007 Ugh, tiger mosquitoes are AWFUL! We had them where I used to live in VA and those things will come after you in broad daylight. They don't range far from where they are born, so look all over your property and dump out anything that has standing water in it, like the article above says - even a little bitty flower pot with some standing water in it is enough from them to breed in. Ask your neighbors to do this too - if you can get rid of their breeding places you'll have *much* less problems with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartdogs Posted June 27, 2007 Share Posted June 27, 2007 Here in north TX we can't get rig of all the puddles right now!!! My backyard holes are so full of rain & it keeps raining so there's no way to drain things. This the third wettest June in recorded history & all the dogs plus me are going stir crazy. We also have hords of bird ticks on the dogs. None of the flea/tick products work on these tiny things so we just have to pull them off the dogs. We needed the rain, just not all at one time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicocat Posted June 27, 2007 Share Posted June 27, 2007 I just googled "Asian Tiger Mosquito". Found that particular writeup at: Yardlover.com I was looking for something that gave the current areas where they could be found...hoping NOT to see Missouri on the list! Quote Ann Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jiffer Posted June 27, 2007 Share Posted June 27, 2007 Yup, just a big ol' mosquito! Quote Jennifer and Beamish (an unnamed Irish-born Racer) DOB: October 30, 2011 Forever and always missing my "Vowels", Icarus, Atlas, Orion, Uber, and Miss Echo, and Mojito. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
romansperson Posted June 27, 2007 Share Posted June 27, 2007 Here in north TX we can't get rig of all the puddles right now!!! My backyard holes are so full of rain & it keeps raining so there's no way to drain things. This the third wettest June in recorded history & all the dogs plus me are going stir crazy. We also have hords of bird ticks on the dogs. None of the flea/tick products work on these tiny things so we just have to pull them off the dogs. We needed the rain, just not all at one time. Oh, man. That sucks (literally in this case). One of the nicest things about moving to central NC was no more tiger mosquitoes! We'd clap when the mosquito truck would come around in VA, . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest wrldruler Posted June 28, 2007 Share Posted June 28, 2007 I saw the white stripes and thought "Tiger Mosquito". Nasty little buggers. Should you be worried? Mosquitos do carry disease, but I say they are more of an annoyance than a health threat. But for the sake of compfort, I would take every step I could to get rid of them from your yard, or discourage them from attacking. Just be careful with using pesticides around the puppers. - Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Snowy8 Posted June 28, 2007 Share Posted June 28, 2007 Wow....thanks for the info!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ellieb Posted June 28, 2007 Share Posted June 28, 2007 I'll bet ahicks51 will know what it is! I'm no entomologist, but I play one on TV. Asian tiger mosquito, fully engorged after eating a meal of blood. Saw 'em first when I stayed in Houston in '91. Aggressive. As for worrying, sure. Global warming, necrotic American credit, melamine in the food, a waxing full moon- I'm liberal, so I like to worry a lot about everything. But the heartworm prophylaxis will be doing its duty tonight. Can I get an 'amen'? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mystella Posted June 28, 2007 Share Posted June 28, 2007 Why do I open threads about bugs when I know they will just creep me out and make me itchy Off to shower now Quote Take the time to stop and smell the flowers - appreciate your everyday ordinary miracles Carolyn, Faith, Jeff Gordon (aka Jeffy) and Oscar the chilla. Desperately missing our Stella, we'll see you later sweet girl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
62663 Posted June 28, 2007 Share Posted June 28, 2007 OMG! I have never seen a mosquito that BIG! I thought it was a cockroach! Quote <span style='font-size:10pt;line-height:100%'><span style='color:blue'> LE 62663 </span></span> <span style='font-size:10pt;line-height:100%'><span style='color:blue'> RE 126E </span></span> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madeara Posted June 28, 2007 Share Posted June 28, 2007 The pest recently arrived in the U.S., most likely in shipments of used tires from Japan. Now why are we taking used tires from Japan? Don't we have enough crap here in the USA? What is the range of this newcomer? Quote "To err is human, to forgive, canine" Audrey, Nova, Cosmo and Holden in NY - Darius and Asia you are both irreplaceable and will be forever in my heart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lizmego Posted June 28, 2007 Share Posted June 28, 2007 I just googled "Asian Tiger Mosquito". Found that particular writeup at: Yardlover.com I was looking for something that gave the current areas where they could be found...hoping NOT to see Missouri on the list! Sorry to tell you Ann, that they are in Springfield. But thankfully I don't beleive they have migrated to Kansas City....yet. I've found that the Asian Tiger mosquito bite itches the most right after it bites you and if your don't scratch at it, the swelling and itching sensation will go away in about 15 minutes. IF you scratch at the bite, it will take a looooooong time fopr the swelling to go away. At least it did on me. Now if I can only figure out what is causing me to get raches on me that if scratched grow bigger, nastier and scaler than before. Don't know if its an insect bite or some allergic reaction to a plant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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