We all know mosquitoes as those annoying pests that can create a nuisance at your outdoor party or ruin a sunset. While these frustrations are valid, mosquitoes also pose risks much more severe than being annoying. mosquitoes can carry diseases, cause allergic reactions, or create a bite that gets infected after scratching it.
It is about that time of year to start thinking about how you will tackle mosquito prevention this year. Depending on where you live, you might have mosquitoes starting to make their appearance already. We are here to help you prepare by getting informed and getting your prevention plan in place.
In the United States, biting mosquitoes spread some debilitating and possibly deadly diseases including, West Nile virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis. Mosquitoes proliferate in warmer weather and need standing water to reproduce. By working on reducing mosquito breeding areas, you can really impact the mosquito population and consequently your chances of being bitten.
Preventing Mosquitoes
Seal your home. Just like other pests, mosquitoes can sneak into your home through cracks in the door frame, screens, or the foundation. If you eliminate the entryway for pests, then it’s harder for them to get in and get cozy in your home. Make sure to seal up even the tiniest openings.
Work with your neighbors to eliminate any sources of standing water. Thoroughly inspect your property and tip or empty anything holding water, even if it is just a thimble full – cans, plastic containers, children’s toys, wheelbarrows. Check your rain gutters and make sure they are not clogged to insure no water is accumulating.
For water that cannot be easily drained including ponds, bird baths, rain barrels, gutters, and ditches, use a mosquito larvacide product that contains BTI. BTI (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis) is a bacterium that naturally kills mosquito larvae. Summit’s Mosquito Dunks® and Mosquito Bits® are useful in standing water, to kill the larvae before mosquitoes can even emerge! They work on every species of mosquito larvae. We love this option, since it is a safe product for your family and pets, being deadly to mosquito larvae but harmless to other living things.
Feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions on which products work best for your needs!
