Tips On Controlling Mosquitoes

There is no doubt that the mosquito is the most irritating of all house pests. After a mosquito bites you there is an itch that doesn't seem to go away no matter what you do. The mosquito is carrier of many disease causing viruses and pathogens. While biting you it can transmit these diseases to you through its saliva. It is only the female mosquito that bites. The diet of male mosquitoes consists of nectar from flowers. Many mosquito borne diseases cause a large number of deaths in developing countries every year.

The mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water. The larvae breed in this stagnant water. They breed in puddles, ponds and ditches that fill with water and are not disturbed. They do not breed in moving water. By disturbing stagnant water one can break the breeding cycle. The mosquitoes that we find in our houses breed around our houses. In places where water collects easily and is not disturbed for some time like, empty cans, barrels, unused tires and blocked gutters. If the water from small swimming pools is not regularly cleaned then they can also become a breeding area for mosquitoes.

Here are a few tips for mosquito control:

Control and reduce breeding ground

• Change the water in the birdbaths at least once a week.
• If you have a tire swing make a hole in the bottom to ensure that rainwater is drained out.
• Do leave empty barrels and can out in the open as water can collect in them.
• Drain children's pools weekly.
• Fill soil in those areas in the garden where water can collect easily.
• Gutters should be cleaned regularly.
• Put fish into your garden pond. They will eat up mosquito larvae. Alternatively use an agitator in the pond.

Controlling Mosquito Larvae

• Employ a professional pest controller to apply larvicides to ponds, ditches in and around the house. Environmental friendly larvicides are available in the market.
• You can ask a professional to introduce bacterial control measures at the right time to get optimum results.

Controlling Adult Mosquitoes

• Mosquitoes spend most of the day resting in the shrubs and bushes around the house. Hire a pest professional to apply residual products to the vegetation around the house. Though this will reduce the number of mosquitoes, the product will have to be reapplied periodically.
• Place mosquito traps available in the market on the porch, the deck etc.
• While sleeping at night you can use a mosquito net or a mosquito repellent.

The best way to control mosquitoes is to eliminate breeding areas.

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