Mosquitos...Know Your Enemy!

Do you get mosquito bites around your home? You could be breeding them in your own backyard.

Mosquitos need water to breed. They especially like still and stagnant water in containers like old buckets and cans, even tires and boats. The female mosquito (the one that bites!) lays her eggs in the water. Soon the mosquito’s eggs hatch into the actively swimming “wigglers” (larvae). In a few days, hungry adult mosquitos are looking to feed on you.

While spraying or fogging the area can give you short-term relief, the best way to control mosquitos is to get rid of the standing water where they breed.

Begin by carefully inspecting your entire property. Look for anything holding water. try these little changes and Avoid mosquito bites.

In the United States, mosquitos used to cause epidemics of deadly diseases such as malaria and yellow fever. Fortunately, these diseases are rarely transmitted today, thanks to modern pest control. However, mosquitos may transmit heartworm to dogs, and on rare occasions encephalitis to horses or people.

What About Bug Zappers?

Bug zappers won’t control mosquitos. They are designed to electrocute flying insects that are attracted to light. But many mosquitos are not attracted to lights at all. Only a tiny percentage (usually less than 3%) of the insects zapped are mosquitos, most are harmless gnats, moths, and beetles.

A bug zapper in a yard often brings in extra insects from surrounding areas. Tests have shown that zappers fail to reduce mosquito biting in yards.

Photo: Jared Belson