When you think of the most dangerous insects on earth, which species come to mind? Venomous scorpions? Spiders? Hornets?
While all of those species can cause a lot of harm to people, and even death in certain cases, the most dangerous insect on the planet is actually the lowly mosquito. The word mosquito comes from Spanish, and means “little fly.” These small flying insects only reach up to 6mm in length as adults, and have their bodies segmented into three main parts: the head, the thorax and antennae, and the proboscis. Female mosquitoes are parasites that feed on blood from other animals, including birds, reptiles, amphibians, and yes, mammals.
Where are mosquitoes located?
Unfortunately, mosquitoes can be found throughout the world. They can live in a variety of climates, ranging from tropical to temperate. The only areas you won’t find mosquitoes are places that get really, really cold at night (or stay cold throughout the day), places that don’t have standing water (like deserts), or places where the water is too cold for mosquitoes to reproduce by laying their eggs (such as Iceland).
Other than those areas, you can count on mosquitoes to be active throughout the late spring, summer, and early fall.
What time of day are mosquitoes most active?
Mosquitoes tend to be most active during the early morning hours of dawn and the sunrise. They are also active during the evenings. That’s because the air temperature isn’t quite so hot at that point, and despite the fact that mosquitoes love warm, humid climates, they can’t handle direct sunlight. In fact, rays from the sun can dehydrate and kill them if they’re exposed to those rays for a long enough time.
This explains why mosquitoes often stay around shaded areas, especially shaded areas close to standing water. They love woods, wetlands, ponds, and marshes. All of these locations provide them with adequate protection from the sun. They also serve as useful breeding grounds, since mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water.
If your home is anywhere near a body of standing water, and especially if that body of water is surrounded by shade, then you can expect to deal with mosquitoes throughout most of the year.
Why are mosquitoes so dangerous?
In many cases, mosquitoes are more nuisance than health hazard. We’ve all experienced that annoying hum that indicates a mosquito is flying around us; and we’ve all discovered those lumpy, irritating mosquito bites on our body after spending a bit of time enjoying the outdoors.
That being said, mosquitoes can also pose a serious health risk to humans around the world. For example, some mosquitoes can spread deadly viruses like West Nile, Zika, and dengue, not to mention parasites like malaria. Research indicates that of the 200+ types of mosquitoes residing in the United States and U.S. territories, approximately 12 kinds can spread germs, parasites, bacteria, and/or viruses.
There is another related danger that mosquitoes pose to homeowners. If you have a large number of mosquitoes in your yard, there’s a possibility that some of them may enter your home and start laying eggs indoors, in whatever body of standing water they can find. Obviously, this is something that you’d want to avoid at all costs. However, mosquitoes have been known to stay hidden in dark, damp places around the home, lay their eggs, and become a major indoor nuisance, instead of just an outdoor one.
How can you control mosquitoes outside your home?
There are several steps you can take to limit the number of mosquitoes that hang out around your property. The CDC recommends implementing these steps for outdoor mosquito control:
• Remove standing water where mosquitoes lay their eggs. Once a week, empty and scrub out any items around your property that contain standing water, such as buckets, planters, toys, pools, birdbaths, and so forth. Make sure that any water storage containers are tightly covered so that mosquitoes can’t get in. (You can use lids, or small wire mesh.) Fill any tree holes so that they don’t accumulate water, and repair any cracks or gaps in your septic tank. Cover open vent or plumbing pipes.
• Kill mosquito larvae with the appropriate chemicals. If you have a large body of standing water on your property that isn’t being used for drinking purposes, treat it with a larvicide to kill any mosquito eggs that it may contain.
• Kill adult mosquitoes on your property. Use an outdoor adulticide product to kill adult mosquitoes in areas where they rest, such as dark, humid areas under your outdoor furniture, or around the perimeter of your house, carport, or garage.
How can you get rid of mosquitoes inside your home?
If mosquitoes have already invaded your house, then you’ll need to eliminate them as quickly as possible. The CDC recommends that you follow these steps when dealing with mosquitoes inside the home:
• One time per week, empty and scrub out any items that hold standing water, such as flower vases. This will eliminate any mosquito eggs and larvae contained in those items.
• Install and/or repair door and window screens to prevent more mosquitoes from entering the home.
• Use an insecticide designed for indoor use to eliminate any remaining mosquitoes in your home. Many sprays and foggers should be effective against mosquitoes, although they may need to be periodically reapplied for best results.
• Hire a reputable pest control professional to treat the inside of your home for mosquitoes.
How Avista can help
At Avista, our trained and highly experienced pest control technicians can help you reduce your mosquito problem by as much as 90% in your yard, and 100% in your home. We’ll perform a comprehensive inspection of your property to identify any breeding grounds and hiding places for mosquitoes, and then we’ll provide the appropriate treatment to keep them away from your home and living spaces.
We recommend monthly mosquito control services from March through October in order to effectively protect your home from these dangerous pests during the summer. For more information, please reach out to us today.