Pest prevention

As a mild winter has given way to an early spring, sunny, warm days may have people opening cabins, cleaning barns, garages and sheds, and hiking through tall grass much sooner than is typical. Pesky, disease-spreading critters might appear earlier than normal, too. The biggest ones to watch for are deer mice and ticks.

There’s been a few anecdotal reports of ticks in Spokane and North Idaho, but the Spokane Regional Health District hasn’t gotten anything official.

Although it’s still too early to predict a large increase in rodent and tick populations, environmental public health specialist Steve Main said it’s never too early to stay safe and prevent disease.

“The main point is all diseases associated with ticks and mosquitoes and hantavirus are all very preventable,” Main said. “We want to make sure you are taking full advantage of the preventative message we are giving people so they can reduce their chance of encounters.”

The National Pest Management Association is touting the same message, sending out warnings that people are often unaware that warm weather might cause pests to emerge earlier than normal.

Last year, the health district launched its “Bring It, Summer Pests!” campaign that shows people simple landscaping tricks and tips to prevent mice, ticks and mosquitoes from around homes and businesses. It also provides specific information on potential diseases and how to clean up if mice are found.

In this region, deer mice – which are larger than a typical house mouse and have white bellies and feet – can carry hantavirus, which is transmitted by breathing or swallowing dust contaminated with rodent waste such as urine, droppings and nesting materials.

Ticks can spread several diseases, including Rocky Mountain spotted fever, with fewer than three cases in the state each year, and tick paralysis, which is more prevalent with up to 12 cases in the state each year.

Lyme disease is only found in the foothills of the Cascades and everywhere west, Main said, noting fewer than four cases a year in Washington. It’s a much larger concern in other states.

Mosquitoes, whose numbers will depend on rainfall and heat later this spring, can carry West Nile Virus.

Main said the largest concern is rodents, specifically the deer mouse. About 14 percent carry hantavirus in Washington, and they also carry and feed ticks.

Health district spokeswoman Kim Papich said Spokane hasn’t had any cases of hantavirus reported in the past five years.

That goes back to prevention. Foremost is to remove rodent food sources. People are advised to keep outside cooking areas clean, keep trash in containers with lids, stack cord wood neatly and away from the home, locate compost bins away from the house and keep bird feeders at a distance. Pet food should be in sealed containers if kept outside.

Main warns people to be cautious when opening sealed cabins, garden sheds and other outside buildings where mice could have nested for the winter.

“Open it up and let it air out,” he said. “Don’t just enter and look around.”

If there are signs of mice, the health district website provides step-by-step tips on how to safely clean up. Tips include wearing gloves and at least a half-face air purifying respirator equipped with a HEPA filter, and spraying urine and droppings with a mixture of water and bleach and letting it soak before clean up.

Preventing ticks around your home and yard involves keeping lawns mowed, trees and brushes trimmed and removing leaves. When out in nature, walk in the center of trails, rather than through brush, and avoid wooded and bushy areas with high grass and leaf litter.

Main said repellents work well too if you are hiking or in wooded or grassy areas. The health district recommends repellents containing at least 20 percent DEET or treating clothes and gear with permethrin.

If a tick does attach to your skin, Main recommends using tweezers to grab the tick close to the skin and pulling upward with steady, even pressure. Avoid using home remedies such as burnt matches, nail polish or Vaseline because they might irritate the tick and increase the chance of disease transmission.

As for mosquitoes, they need water to breed. Yet Main said people misunderstand how little water it takes. That’s why the health district encourages people to make sure water doesn’t pool up in tarps covering woodpiles, hay and other items. Tires are another popular breeding ground as are bird baths and other pools. Main recommends dumping them twice a week.

“The big overreaching issue with all these things is prevention,” Main said.