Beat the mosquito buzz this summer
When you think about deadly animals, what comes to mind? Maybe lions, tigers, or a great white shark? Maybe a king cobra or a venomous spider?
Did you think about a mosquito? Probably not.
On every continent in the world (except Antarctica), mosquitos transmit more diseases than any other critter—from malaria to elephantiasis, to encephalitis, yellow fever and more. They kill millions each year, especially children and the elderly in less-developed countries.
Of the three thousand or so species of mosquitos, a few dozen are common in Mississippi. They’re a key link in the food chain, serving as food for birds, bats, frogs, and more. Even though they prefer feasting on cattle, horses, or birds rather than people, they can be quite a nuisance on a camping trip, or even when you’re simply trying to enjoy your yard.
When they’re not biting you, mosquitos are interesting animals. They detect you by the carbon dioxide you exhale, and when they get close enough, they can follow your body scent and temperature. Some people are more attractive to mosquitos than others, but scientists aren’t sure why. Male mosquitos subsist on nectar and other plant sap—while females suck your blood because they need blood to lay eggs. Mosquitos lay eggs every few days in batches of 100 or 150, which typically hatch within 72 hours. Larvae grow into adults in a week or so and can live more than a month.
Is your skin crawling yet?
In our area, the mosquito population reaches its peak between late summer and fall. They thrive here because of the humidity and the large amounts of standing water we have. Mosquitos need water to lay eggs. Clogged gutters, flower pots with standing water, bird baths, shrubbery, and other yard accoutrements are perfect breeding grounds for mosquitos.
Being vigilant about keeping these areas free of standing water can help reduce mosquito traffic in your yard to a degree. That means getting rid of things like tin cans and tires that can hold water, changing out the water in bird baths every few days, and keeping the gutters clear.
If you have an ornamental pond, stock it with fish that feed on mosquitos. A few years ago, the trend was to install a small wooden bat house on a 15- or 20-foot pole in your yard, with the idea that a bat or two would take shelter there and chow down on mosquitos when they emerge at dusk.
Unfortunately, there’s simply no way to rid your yard of mosquitos without professional help. Mosquitos can lay eggs in areas as small as a bottle cap or as shallow as a single inch. Many species lay eggs that sit dormant on dry surfaces before becoming active when rain comes.
Our Mosquito 360 program is here to save your summer.
Our technicians will treat not only the borders of your yard, but also harborage areas like trees, shrubs, and tall grasses. We treat your entire lawn to ensure you get the best coverage. That means when mosquitos attempt to fly into your yard from other areas, they’ll be turned away.
At Lawn & Pest Solutions, we take your yard seriously. We use the latest treatment technologies to wipe out mosquitos in your lawn, so you can enjoy your summer itch- and worry-free. If you require more than our eight scheduled mosquito yard treatments, we’ll provide them at no extra cost.
Want to read more about our Mosquito 360 plan? Click here to see how you can get outside and enjoy your mosquito-free summer with plans starting as low as $50 per month.
