It won't take long for you to feel like the mosquitoes in your yard are overstaying their "welcome" this spring and summer. Mosquitoes are more enthusiastic than we are to resume activity after a long Ohio winter. As soon as the weather warms up in May, these pests start buzzing, which continues through the first frost, usually sometime in October.
Suppose you're worried about how to keep mosquitoes away? In that case, you'll find solace by knowing that Columbus pest control services can get rid of mosquitoes and keep them from returning safely and effectively. Read on to learn about the lifecycle of common mosquitoes and the dangerous diseases they can spread. We'll also provide three natural ways to make your yard less appealing to mosquitoes and tell you why professional mosquito control is an excellent idea for your yard.
The Lifecycle Of Common Mosquitoes
Male mosquitoes live for about ten days, while females survive for two months.
The difference in lifespan may be due to reproductive responsibilities. Only female mosquitoes bite humans, and that's because the proteins in blood play a role in reproduction. After mating just once, female mosquitoes go on to lay up to 100 eggs every third night for the duration of their lives. Egg maturation depends mainly on whether the female mosquito has access to a blood source.
The Dangerous Diseases Mosquitoes Are Known To Spread
Not only do mosquitoes bite humans, but they also bite other warm-blooded mammals. When mosquitoes pierce the skin and contact blood, this exposes them to the viruses and parasites in the host's blood, which then transfer to other people and animals they bite.
Some of the diseases mosquitoes are known to spread include:
- Chagas Disease
- Chikungunya Fever
- Dengue Fever
- Malaria
- Rift Valley Fever
- West Nile Virus
- Yellow Fever Virus
You will not know if it's an infected mosquito or not by looking at it, so prevention is the best defense against these pests.
Natural Ways To Make Your Yard Less Appealing To Mosquitoes
There are quite a few factors that may draw mosquitoes to your Ohio yard. Consider the following three suggestions on natural ways to repel mosquitoes:
- Remove Standing Water: Mosquitos need ongoing access to water to survive. Maintenance issues such as clogged drains and gutters and pooling water make conditions more comfortable for them. Also, remove any birdbaths.
- Use Plants That Ward Off Mosquitoes: Mosquitoes dislike certain scents, including lavender, citronella, marigolds, basil, rosemary, and thyme. Planting a few outdoor plants that repel mosquitoes and placing them nearby frequently opened windows and doors can prevent mosquitoes from entering.
- Tend To Your Yard Regularly: Mosquitoes prefer yards with shaded areas to hide and stay calm. Periodically mowing the grass, picking up fallen twigs and branches, and trimming brush and tree limbs offer them fewer places to do so.
The best measure is to pair prevention with regularly scheduled mosquito control. Prevention is only effective in avoiding an infestation in the future, but if there's already one underway, you'll need help from pest controllers.
Professional Mosquito Control Is A Great Idea For Your Yard
Residents in Columbus will benefit significantly from a yard space that's quiet, tame, and free from buzzing mosquitoes and their hard-to-avoid bites.
1st Response Pest Management, LLC is a local, family-owned, and operated business that's been keeping pests out of Columbus homes and yards for almost two decades. We're available to answer phones 24/7 to meet our customers' needs immediately, and we use quality, eco-friendly methods, and products to minimize our environmental impact.
For help with mosquitoes and other pests, call 1st Response Pest Management, LLC today.