As the sun begins to shine and the weather begins to warm, the pests also start to come out. Buzzing, blood-sucking mosquitoes, which are truly the deadliest animal on the face of the earth, have often been lying dormant over the winter and are ready to come out in full force. As you consider mosquito control for your home, neighborhood, or business, you’ll need to think about controlling both the larvae and the adult mosquito population.
Larval Mosquito Control
Of course, one of the best ways to exercise mosquito control in Houston is to get rid of their breeding grounds before they turn into adults. Eliminating the larval habitat of mosquitoes limits the ability for these pesky critters to increase in population. And because mosquitoes need water to breed, removing these sources is a great step in the right direction.
Homeowners can take some steps to eliminate mosquito breeding. Options include:
- Removing old containers that collect water, such as old cans, flower pots, sand boxes, urns, bird houses, or pet dishes.
- Change water in wading pools or bird baths at least weekly.
- Clean drains or gutters and remove standing water.
- Water lawns and gardens in a way that prevents standing water.
- Report standing water in ditches to your local public health office.
- Get your neighborhood or community involved in ridding your area of mosquito breeding grounds.
- Contact your local pest control professional to check into treatments that can effectively eliminate problems with retention ponds, storm drains, or other areas of standing water.
Adult Mosquito Control
- Mechanical Barriers – If you’re looking to keep mosquitoes out of your home, creating mechanical barriers is your best bet. Be sure to inspect and seal off cracks in screens and other entry points. Keep doors closed at all times.
- Mosquito Traps – Including bug zappers (electrocuters) or other devices that trap mosquitoes, mosquito traps are placed outside in an area that is often populated by people. These traps work by attracting pests to the trap, then sucking them into a trap that will either kill them immediately or allow them to starve/dehydrate to death. These traps can be fairly expensive and may not be extremely effective.
- Outdoor Mosquito Control – One of the most effective forms of residential mosquito control in Houston is through the use of a mosquito misting system around homes and outdoor areas. This allows misting to be set up on a timer, scheduled to release treatments at the safest and most convenient times. This is a low maintenance option and extremely effective for residential mosquito control.
- Fogging – Another option for outdoor mosquito treatments is a backyard fogging program. This type of program typically works on a 21 days cycle when a technician comes to your home to space fog. Fogging may also be used in advance of a one-time event such as a block party, wedding, or other outdoor event.
Read More: Tips for Protecting Yourself Against Mosquito Bites
While no type of program can ever fully eradicate mosquitoes, a reliable pest control professional should be able to minimize the mosquito population in your home or community to a liveable level. Practicing a combination of prevention through larval control as well as elimination of adult mosquito populations will offer you the best chance at keeping your family safe from mosquitoes.
