While we long for warm, summer days, the change in season can also bring unwanted pests like mosquitos. Itchy welts left behind from their bites aren’t the only thing making American’s skittish. The threat of contracting viruses like the West Nile virus or Zika virus is also a big concern.
To guard your yard and protect your family this year, learn more about mosquitos and use the following tips to control and prevent an infestation on your property.
Mosquito Breeding Cycles
Before you try to get rid of them, it’s important to understand how they work. The mosquito mating pattern is quite unique since females only need to encounter a male once to mate and can produce eggs up to five times in a summer.
After a female mosquito mates, she rests for a few days before finding an ideal spot to lay her eggs. They prefer to lay eggs in water, marshes, swamps, or any location with high levels of moisture.
As baby mosquitos hatch, they become larvae and mature into pupae before becoming an adult mosquito. Their lifecycle can depend on mating, species type, weather conditions, and more.
Backyard Basics for Memphis Mosquito Control
Removing potential mosquito-breeding sites from your backyard is critical to reducing the number of mosquitos in your yard. This means getting rid of any standing water on the property. To keep it in perspective, mosquitos only need a bottle cap-sized pool of water to lay up to 200 eggs.
Below are recommendations for preparing your property for summer:
- Dump water in cans, buckets, or anything that can hold rainwater. Scrub the sides to make sure eggs fall on the ground so they can’t hatch.
- Keep drainage areas clear of leaves or trash so water flows away from your home (this includes gutters).
- Fix leaky faucets.
- Change the water in bird baths and drip trays in flower pots often.
- Cover trash containers to keep out water.
- Turn over boats or kayaks.
- Check tarps over firewood or swimming pools for pooling water and larvae.
- Repair or replace screens over windows and doors.
- Keep grass and shrubs trimmed short. Mosquitos like to hide away from the sun.
Keep in mind, traditional methods like bug trappers or zappers aren’t great at significantly reducing mosquito populations in your yard. These can be expensive to use and difficult to maintain though may provide some psychological comfort.
If you apply all the backyard basics to rid your yard of mosquito breeding sites, results are only as good as what your neighbors do to prevent mosquitos too. Get your neighbors involved to make sure everyone joins the effort for a safe community.
Sometimes, despite our best efforts, mosquito populations flourish and lead to unhealthy infestations. If you find yourself in an unbearable mosquito situation in your yard, contact the experts at Inman-Murphy Termite & Pest Control for eco-friendly extermination services. Our dedicated technicians have the skills and resources to safely reduce or remove mosquitos from your property. Get a free estimate or call us today at 901-388-0852.
