Feb 16, 2023 | Mosquito
Spring is around the corner and so is mosquito season! Mosquito season tends to start sooner for those of us who live in the southeastern region of the United States. Mosquitoes are a major nuisance and can even be a danger to you, your family, and pets if prevention methods aren’t put in place. Keep reading to discover more about preventing mosquitoes.
Remove Standing Water
Mosquitoes only need a small amount of stagnant water to successfully breed. Identifying these areas around your home before it’s too late is one of the best ways to prevent mosquitoes in your yard. Start looking for items that can hold water, like toys, buckets, outdoor pet bowls, bird baths, and tire swings. Be proactive in removing or changing the water out daily in these types of items.
Utilize Mosquito-Repelling Plants
These pesky pests might seem impossible to remove but another way to repel them from your yard is to plant mosquito repelling plants. Some flowers and plants can keep these pests away from your house, especially citronella, marigold, lavender, rosemary, catnip, and peppermint.
Call a Pest Professional
If these tips aren’t helping in keeping mosquitoes away, then a monthly mosquito control service is another great option. You don’t have to keep battling mosquitoes alone and a local pest control company can have your back during this season with mosquito reduction programs that target both adult and larvae mosquitoes.
Enjoy your yard this spring and request a free mosquito estimate now!
Aug 16, 2022 | Florida Pest Control, Mosquito
Naples Pest Control: Mosquito Season
Having effective mosquito control in Naples, Florida is imperative. Without year-round support from your local pest control company, you are bound to confront many mosquitoes around your property. With warm temperatures nearly year-round, your yard is the ideal environment for mosquitoes to lay their eggs. It’s important to have a mosquito service plan working all year long. Let’s talk about how mosquito control can better help you!
Mosquitoes pose many health risks for you and your family. They are known to carry diseases like Zika virus and West Nile virus, which are both very serious. It’s important to work with your pest control company to determine what treatment plan works best for you.
The first step in figuring out which plan is right for you is to obtain an inspection of your entire yard to identify breeding sites and resting places that mosquitoes are using. Once these areas have been identified, larvicide and adulticide applications are used to control the mosquito population on your property. After the application is completed, it’s best to remove any standing water on your property, which can be a breeding ground for mosquitoes. The best part of the plan is that in between treatments a technician will come out for any issues that arise.
In addition to mosquito treatments, homeowners can also take steps to prevent mosquitoes around their homes by:
- Cutting away tall weeds around your property
- Removing any containers with standing water
- Making sure your property drains properly to avoid flooding and standing water
- Mowing your lawn regularly
If you think you have a problem with mosquitoes or any other pests, contact your local Naples pest control company to receive a free inspection!
Aug 15, 2022 | Florida Pest Control, Mosquito
Miami Pest Control: Mosquito Prevention Tips
Miami is prone to heat and humidity, which can bring a host of pest problems. One pest known to arrive in droves during the warmer season is mosquitoes. While it’s inevitable to run into these pests this time of year, it is possible to reduce them around your home. Check out our list of DIY methods for mosquito control so you can get back to enjoying your home.
Eliminate Breeding Sites
Female mosquitoes only need a small amount of water to breed, producing even more of these nuisance pests in your yard. It’s important to eliminate any stagnant water throughout your property to avoid them. Check around your property for any objects that can hold water and remove them, such as outdoor pet bowls, tire swings, tarps, and more.
Maintain Your Yard
Tall grass, shrubbery, and even damp woodpiles are the perfect places for mosquitoes to hide in. It’s important to keep your yard well landscaped, mow your lawn often, and cut back your shrubs. If you have any wood piles in your yard, cover them and store them in containers with lids at least 20 feet from your home.
Utilize Fans
Did you know that mosquitoes are attracted to our body heat? If you’ve been sweating, it’s likely the pests will seek you out for a blood meal. If you’re spending time on your deck or patio, utilize outdoor fans to help redirect the carbon dioxide and body heat you emit.
Consider Monthly Treatments
Sometimes the best option is to call a professional to help with mosquito control. There are several different mosquito treatment methods available, including green mosquito treatments and traditional ones. Professional mosquito services will include treatments that eliminate larvae and adult mosquitoes, source reduction techniques, and prevention methods. Your local Miami pest control company typically offers a monthly mosquito service during peak mosquito season.
May 24, 2022 | Mosquito
When you think of warmer weather, you imagine barbecues and beach trips. Unfortunately, these outdoor activities can be ruined by mosquito bites. Mosquitoes can put a damper on any summer fun, causing itchy red bumps and spreading diseases such as West Nile virus, Zika virus, and more within the U.S.
Most people are familiar with the maddening, itching sensation of a mosquito bite. But why do mosquito bites itch and why do they bite people in the first place? Let’s break it down.
Why Do Mosquitoes Bite?
Only female mosquitoes bite as they need protein to nourish their developing eggs. Biting mosquitoes use several different signals to locate a host, including carbon dioxide that we exhale, heat, and body odor. There are many factors that make some people appear more attractive to mosquitoes than others, including darker colored clothing, blood type, body size, being pregnant, sweat, and skin bacteria.
Why Do Mosquito Bites Itch?
During the process of a mosquito biting you, it injects some of its own saliva which contains an anticoagulant and specific proteins. The anticoagulant prevents blood from clotting around the mosquito’s mouth. The proteins released by the mosquito trigger the body’s immune system, which releases histamine, a compound that increases cell count resulting in inflammation and swelling. The histamine also signals the nerves around the bite to cause it to itch.
Preventing Mosquito Bites
- Eliminate standing water around your property to lessen the population of mosquitoes
- Utilize screens on all windows and doors if they remain open
- Most species are active during dusk and dawn, so limit your time outside during these time periods
- Wear long pants and sleeves when possible and apply mosquito repellent containing an EPA-registered ingredient like DEET
If the mosquito problem is more than you can handle, then contacting your local pest control company might be the next step. as they will help set up the right prevention plan for your home.
Apr 27, 2022 | Mosquito
Spring is back, meaning the pesky pests that are mosquitoes are back too! If you haven’t thought about mosquito prevention, then now is the perfect time to begin. Mosquitoes are a major nuisance and they can also pose health risks to humans, dogs, cats, and horses by transmitting diseases. Placing preventative measures throughout your yard to reduce their activity will help avoid the risk of spreading diseases. Keep reading to discover more about mosquitoes.
What Does a Mosquito Look Like?
Mosquitoes are very small, about 1/8” – 3/8” long. They have six legs and long mouthparts called a proboscis. Their coloring varies from grey to black with some having white, green, or blue markings. They are typically difficult to spot as they fly because of their small size. They are most active from dawn to dusk.
Do Mosquitoes Only Feed on Blood?
It’s a well-known fact that mosquitoes do feed on blood. Only female mosquitoes bite and feed on humans so they can lay fertile eggs. Most mosquito species breed continuously, so a female will typically search for a blood meal every two days to lay another batch of eggs. However, both male and female mosquitoes feed on nectar from flowers for their main source of energy.
Are Mosquitoes Dangerous?
Yes. Many people are bitten by mosquitoes with no side effects, except the typical itchy welt. However, mosquitoes can be the cause of many diseases. If they feed off a diseased host, some can spread pathogens that can infect other hosts it later bites.
Mosquitoes are known to spread West Nile Virus, Eastern equine encephalitis, and dengue fever in the US. Around the world they are known to spread yellow fever, malaria, and chikungunya. These illnesses do not come with specific treatments and people have varied reactions to each virus, sometimes with fatal results.
How to Prevent Mosquitoes?
Mosquito prevention begins with eliminating all sources of standing water. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in water to allow larvae to develop. This can be as easy as changing out your birdbath water daily, keeping gutters clear of debris to prevent clogging, and checking AC drip pans for standing water.
A small fan at outdoor gatherings can also help reduce mosquitoes. The most important way to repel mosquitoes is by wearing effective insect repellent sprays or protective clothing while outside.
Taking these steps can help to prevent high mosquito activity; though, it might be best to call your local pest control company to help with future infestations. A trained service professional can provide you with a customized prevention and treatment plan to help eliminate these pests throughout your property.
