What Lakewood Ranch Property Owners Can Do To Reduce Mosquitoes
9/30/2020
When you step outside during the summer, all you really want to feel is the warm sunshine and a light breeze. It’s pretty hard to argue with that combination, but I guess people can make the case for a warm, yet overcast day as well. Regardless of your preferred weather combination, one thing that will always ruin the best weather scenarios is mosquitoes. Buzzing around your ear, interrupting outdoor activities, and far, far worse. Mosquitoes are a pest you can’t (and shouldn’t) ignore.
Lakewood Area Mosquitoes
The two main types of mosquitoes that live in our Lakewood area are the Asian Tiger Mosquito and the Aedes Aegypti Mosquito, understanding the difference between the two might help you deal with the issue more efficiently. You can identify the Asian Tiger mosquito by its white and black-striped body. On the other hand, the Aedes aegypti does not have stripes on its black/grey body.
Another major difference between the two is the various dangers they bring along with them. First of all, you have to understand how dangerous mosquitoes are in general. They are one of the deadliest animals in the world because of the diseases they transmit through their feeding habits. However, the Aedes aegypti is one of the main disseminators of yellow fever left in the United States, while the Asian Tiger will mostly spread encephalitis, West Nile virus, malaria, and dengue fever. Plus, the Asian Tiger mosquito is capable of transmitting some of the most dangerous mosquito-borne diseases – the Chikungunya virus and the Zika virus.
Now you’re starting to get the picture of why mosquitoes should not be pushed into the category of simply a “nuisance pest”. In fact, according to the WHO, there are over 2.7 million deaths from mosquito-borne diseases every year, and over 500 million cases worldwide. At the top of the list is the dengue fever, which typically clocks in at over 20 million cases per year worldwide.
Prevention: A Need, Not A Want
Since mosquitoes can be so deadly, even in the United States, preventing mosquito infestations on your property is not something to take lightly. For starters, there are a few things that attract mosquitoes that you may not have thought of. The more you know, the more you might be able to avoid attracting these harmful pests.
- Mosquitoes are very attracted to scented shampoos, body washes, lotions, and perfumes.
- They also pick on people wearing dark clothing the most.
- Pregnant women and people with Blood Type O are a favorite target of mosquitoes. While you can’t control these conditions, at least you’ll know to avoid outside activity or wear mosquito repellent.
- Mosquitoes are most active at dawn and dusk, so you can try to schedule outdoor activities around those times.
While these are helpful techniques, if you incur a mosquito infestation on your property, you’re going to attract mosquitoes regardless. The key is to keep them out entirely. Make sure to check all of your outdoor screens for holes or rips, as they can easily get in through tiny openings. You’ll also want to limit standing water of any kind in the yard. Things like flower pots, fountains, or buckets that fill up in the rain are a favorite breeding ground of mosquitoes. Once they lay their eggs, you’ll have a full-blown infestation on your hands.
Although do-it-yourself mosquito control is possible, it will typically lead to mixed results. And when there are dangerous health issues on the line, why would you leave it to chance? Sometimes, when you need something done right, you just have to go with the professionals. To take back your outdoor time and limit your risk of incurring a dangerous disease, contact Keller's Pest Control for more advice or assistance.
