With the rise of outdoor activities and backyard fun during the summer, you may be wondering how to keep mosquito populations on your South Carolina property to a minimum. Nobody likes dealing with a multitude of itchy welts, and mosquitoes may be more dangerous than you realize. Worldwide, over one million people die from mosquito-borne illnesses every year, such as:
- Zika Virus
- West Nile Virus
- Chikungunya
- Several strains of Encephalitis
- Yellow Fever
The most common mosquito in South Carolina is the Asian Tiger mosquito. Only growing up to ¼ of an inch long, this species sports long, slender legs, one pair of wings, and black and white banding over their entire bodies. Both male and female mosquitoes have a long needle-like mouthpart they use to consume their meals, which is also known as a proboscis. So how can you keep them from crashing your pool parties?
1. Lawn Maintenance
Mosquitoes live and hide within tall grass and overgrown underbrush during the hotter hours of the day. They have a difficult time retaining moisture, so they prefer high-moisture areas and environments with plenty of space to hide from the sun. Keeping up with a weekly mowing schedule for your South Carolina lawn will help to combat a potential mosquito population.
What is equally important is removing brush piles and leaves from your property. Piles of debris retain extra moisture, and they also offer more shelter for mosquitoes to reside in during the day. Removing these extra problem areas will make things more difficult for mosquitoes on your property, and will encourage them to find shelter elsewhere.
2. Remove Standing Water
On top of requiring high levels of moisture to survive, mosquitoes also need standing water to reproduce. The majority of a mosquito's life cycle is spent in water, as females lay their eggs within the murky depths of wading pools and puddles. To prevent this, make sure to dump out any water that has been collected in outdoor receptacles, and be sure your lawn and gutters maintain proper drainage. If you find that your lawn retains unusual amounts of water after a good rain, it might be time to look into some landscape modification.
3. Shrubbery Maintenance
Overgrown shrubs, bushes, underbrush, and tree limbs offer more shade and shelter for mosquitoes, which gives them more of an opportunity to amass their numbers. Removing any wild underbrush in your yard is super helpful, and keeping bush and tree branches trimmed back will also help in deterring these bloodthirsty super spreaders.
4. Minimize Food Sources
Surprisingly enough, mosquitoes don't only drink blood to sate their hunger; in fact, male mosquitoes don't drink blood at all. The only reason for the female's blood meal is to help with producing eggs. Mosquitoes have another food source they enjoy; plant juices and nectar. That means, the more plants you have in your garden, the more likely you'll attract mosquitoes. There are ways to reduce the chances of an out-of-control mosquito population while still enjoying a luscious garden, though:
- Regularly trim and prune garden plants
- Plant the garden away from the perimeter of your home
- Don't over-water your garden
- Keep tight-fitting lids on your outdoor trash cans; trash attracts other animals
- Fill in any holes in the ground that could shelter rodents
- Wear bug repellent whenever outside
- Double up on layers and wear long sleeves if possible
5. Give Your Local Pest Control Company A Call
If you've already got an active mosquito infestation on your South Carolina property, there's no easy way for you to get rid of them. Store-bought pesticides are far too expensive and largely ineffective, and if they do work they'll often harm the thriving ecosystem you've already got in your backyard. If you're itching for a solution, the Bugman has your answer.
Our highly-trained pest control experts at The Original Bugman Pest Elimination, Inc. know how important the safety of your family is to you. Mosquitoes may not look too menacing, but every bite runs the risk of contracting a dangerous and potentially deadly pathogen. We always use state-of-the-art pest control equipment and pesticides whenever we treat mosquitoes, and we back every treatment with our 100% guarantee; if you keep having trouble, we keep coming back out at no extra cost. Give us a call today, and take yourself back off the menu.
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