TCNJ

48 The College of New Jersey Magazine mosquito season If you got bugs, in your neighborhood. Who you gonna call? Julio Brothers! Twins Jason and Jeremy Julio '05, founders of Last Bite Mosquito and Tick Control, are New Jersey's top bug busters. As we hit the lazy days of summer when mosquitoes are most likely to swarm, the Julios share their skeeter expertise and some tips for shooing them away. — David Pavlak PETER MURPHY Mosquitoes come out when temperatures are in the 50s, and they start to really thrive when the thermometer hits 70 degrees. There are more than 3,000 species of mosquitoes. As vector insects, mosquitoes can transmit several diseases to humans, including the Zika and West Nile viruses. A business to control seasonal bugs is a perfect fit for the brothers, who are both teachers with summers free. They hesitate to say who is peskier, their students or the bugs. To limit the mosquitoes in your yard, "ditch the standing water," says Jason. Just one table- spoon is enough to grow 1,000 mosquito eggs. It takes 8–10 days to go from a nearly microscopic egg to a full-grown mosquito. Prolonged scratching of a mosquito bite can result in a MRSA infection. That happened to Jeremy's son in 2013 and helped solidify the importance of their work. Want to keep the bugs at bay? The brothers recommend planting lavender, eucalyptus, peppermint, rosemary, or lemongrass. "Also, don't forget to clean your gutters," they say. The wet leaves in them can be a breeding ground. Last Bite Mosquito and Tick Control has more than 50 trucks on the road and 60 employees making them the largest independently owned mosquito and tick control company in the Northeast. Being entrepreneurs was a thought the Julios had while at TCNJ but not a bug business specifically. They lived in Travers Hall, and "we never had any bug issues there." things you need to know about … TCNJ X10 L to R: Jeremy and Jason Julio

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