Mosquito Abatement
The warmer seasons beckon us to go outdoors but how do you fight the bite from those pesky mosquitoes? In addition to regular treatments, homeowners can reduce the number of biting adults in the yard by reducing the availability of breeding sites for mosquito larva.Mosquito larvae require two things to thrive – water, their natural habitat and organic matter, which provides them with necessary nutrients to survive. Anything that holds water and vegetative matter is haven for mosquitoes, who will lay their eggs even before water occupies the space. Bird feeders, tires, even tree cavities provide the perfect home for the young larvae. And while the larvae don’t bite, those that develop into female adults will eventually seek a blood meal.
Because of the larvae’s dependence on organic matter, it’s not only necessary to empty containers in your yard of water, it’s essential to keep them clean. A clean pet bowl will not necessary be a repository but a dirty one certainly will. A bird bath with yard scraps and bird feces is much more likely to foster larvae than one that is regularly scrubbed and emptied
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Generally speaking, anything that holds water for more than four days can become a mosquito breeding site. So, take a look around your yard to see if you can take some proactive steps to reduce the pest population. Drain plant basins regularly, check your gutters and build up poorly drained areas of your yard.
But, even with these precautions, you may not have control over mosquito sources in your neighbor’s yard or the local habitat. Routine mosquito treatments are an important step in creating a healthy yard environment.