The Mooresville pest control professionals at Lake Norman Home Services want to offer you the ultimate mosquito prevention. Pest control occurs in layers and requires more than one method of prevention. We have tips, tricks, and the grit it takes to control any annoying pest. These tiny insects can be more than simple outdoor nuisances and bad roommates; they can carry a wide array of diseases that makes people and animals sick.
What Are Mosquitoes?
Mosquitoes live at the very bottom of the pest food chain. They support a lot of life, and naturally, they attract it too. If you have a heavy mosquito burden on your property, it won’t be long until there are more pests, like cockroaches and wildlife.
Besides being food, mosquitoes make large contributions to the environment as pollinators. Male and female mosquitoes both consume nectar, but only breeding females suck blood. A female mosquito can drink three times her own body weight and can lay up to 200 eggs after each meal. Mosquitoes live near water because they spend three-quarters of their life in it before they reach adulthood.
Why Mosquitoes Are Considered So Dangerous
Mosquitoes are considered to be dangerous pests all around the world because they spread zoonotic diseases. Zoonotic diseases are infectious to animals and humans, and these flying insects are not born with diseases. Instead, the mosquito picks it up from an infected host, carries it around for a while inside its DNA, and then deposits it into another host when it feeds again. When a mosquito feeds, it injects saliva and DNA under the skin to act as an anticoagulant. It’s this mixture that actually stimulates your immune response and causes the bite to itch.
Common diseases spread by mosquitoes:
- Chikungunya
- Dengue
- Encephalitis
- Malaria
- West Nile virus
- Yellow fever
- Zika virus
The disease encephalitis must go through two mosquito hosts and a bird before it can be transmitted to humans. And not all diseases are transmitted to people. Heartworm disease is carried by mosquitoes, and this rapidly spreading deadly disease has been on the rise for nearly a decade and affects dogs and cats.
Six Easy Yet Effective Mosquito Prevention Tips
Mosquitoes are attracted to water and shade, so the number one rule in mosquito prevention is to eliminate standing water. Do you have any sunken areas of your yard, waterlogged potted plants, or dirty gutters? If there is water, there is the potential for mosquitoes. Mosquitoes spend ¾ of their life in water. Once they reach adulthood, they breed, and the water source remains vital to their continuation.
Some ways to prevent mosquitos from living and breeding in your yard include:
- Landscape away marshy areas in your yard.
- Add an aerator to your pool all year round.
- Use an electric fan to harness the powers of wind to keep mosquitoes at bay.
- Light a citronella candle.
- Use essential oils to keep mosquitoes away. Sage, lemon eucalyptus, and peppermint work well.
- Call Lake Norman Home Services for mosquito control services.
You really don’t want tiny baby mosquitoes in water that's hanging around your yard. It makes for a few uncomfortable seasons, and the reprieve from these pests shortens yearly. Now, mosquitoes are active after February, and they can hang around until November.
The Trick To Total Mosquito Control For Mooresville Homes
There isn’t a trick to pest control and no one-size-fits-all solution. Instead, we offer our customers a commitment to total mosquito control. If you want to get rid of mosquitoes on your property, enlist professional help. Lake Norman Home Services is dedicated to helping homeowners enjoy their own backyard.