Tips And Tricks To Avoid Mosquitoes Living In Spring

If you have lived here for any time, you have dealt with your fair share of mosquitoes. It can feel like no matter what you do, this pest is always there to chase you inside, ruining any plans of being out and enjoying the weather. 

While other areas of the country get some relief from mosquitoes during the colder parts of the year, we aren't as lucky here as this pest can be persistent all year long. Even so, mosquitoes are most active spring through summer, with June to August being the worst.

There are more than 3,000 mosquito species globally, but many are not like the mosquitoes we experience. Did you know there are 85 types of mosquitoes in Texas? It's true! However, out of all the types of mosquitoes in Texas, four are the most common:

• Aedes aegypti: Also known as the yellow fever mosquito

• Aedes albopictus: Also known as the Asian tiger mosquito or forest mosquito

• Culex pipiens: Also known as the common house mosquito

• Culex quinquefasciatus: Also known as the southern house mosquito

Adult mosquitoes range between 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch long; they have long, delicate legs, one pair of wings, and a narrow body. Mosquitoes have unique mouthparts called a proboscis, which is straw-like and allows females to take blood meals, and both males and females to consume plant nectar and honeydew, which is where they get their nutrition. Because only females need to take a blood meal, mosquitoes are not considered parasites like other pests that feed off a host. 

Although mosquito species vary in size, color, and other attributes, identifying them is not a simple task for the average person. Most people will agree that you can put forth better-served efforts elsewhere when dealing with this annoying pest.

Modern Pest Control can provide you with the Spring pest control you need, including services to keep mosquitoes away. So please keep reading to learn about this pest, tips to avoid them, and much more!

How Dangerous Are Mosquitoes? 

If you look up "the most dangerous animal," you might be surprised to find mosquitoes in the number one spot. While we don't often refer to insects as animals, we classify them as such, just like humans. In short, animals are living organisms that breathe, reproduce, eat, and move in a specific way. In any case, the point we are making is that mosquitoes are dangerous! 

Mosquitoes are disease vectors, which means they carry and transmit pathogens to people and animals. These pathogens cause viruses and parasites that are dangerous and even deadly. 

Mosquito-borne viruses that may occur in Texas include:

• Chikungunya

• Dengue

• Eastern equine encephalitis 

• La Crosse encephalitis 

• Saint Louis encephalitis 

• Western equine encephalitis 

• West Nile virus

• Yellow fever

• Zika 

• Jamestown canyon

• Snowshoe hare

• Tularemia (bacteria, not a virus)

Mosquito-borne parasites include:

• Dirofilariasis (also known as dog heartworm)

• Lymphatic filariasis

• Malaria

While some of the mosquito-borne illnesses listed above may affect animals, it is essential to understand how dangerous this pest is. Many people wonder why we don't just eradicate them all because of these dangers. At the same time, this may seem like a good idea, but eliminating all mosquitoes from the world would negatively affect the environment and how we live; this is because:

• Mosquitoes are an essential part of the food chain, with many other insects and animals relying on them as a primary food source.

• Mosquitoes are also pollinators, so our food supply would be affected.

• Mosquitoes that transmit diseases help with animal population control.

Although many people believe they are, mosquitoes are not vectors of HIV/AIDS because this virus is not transmittable through saliva. When mosquitoes bite a person or animal, they inject saliva, not blood. Plus, as you will learn in the next section, for a mosquito to transmit a disease, it has to make it through its gut, which HIV cannot do and instead gets broken down.

What Does The CDC Say About Mosquitoes?

Naturally, the CDC, The Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention, has a lot to say about mosquitoes because of how dangerous this pest is. When you look at the CDC's website, they offer much information about mosquitoes, including a breakdown of this pest in the United States, which is an important distinction from mosquitoes around the rest of the world. 

Above we discussed how dangerous mosquitoes are, but the truth is they don't pose the same threats in North America as in other areas of the world. Some of the information the CDC includes on their website includes:

• Over 200 mosquito species live in the lower 48 states

• Only 12 of the 200 species can transmit pathogens that make people sick

• Most mosquitoes are a nuisance and don't spread germs

• The most common mosquito-borne disease in the United States is West Nile virus

• Chikungunya, dengue, and the Zika virus have all had outbreaks in the U.S.

• In the 20th century, malaria was common in the U.S.

• Reported malaria cases are about 2,000 each year, but most occur with travelers returning from out of the country

Mosquitoes don't naturally carry diseases but have to bite an infected person or animal, which, the CDC says, is a complex process that takes two to three weeks. Not only does a mosquito have to take a blood meal from an infected person or animal, but the germs in the blood have to pass through the mosquito's body, grow and multiply, and move to the salivary glands. 

As you can see, mosquitoes are more of a nuisance in North America than they are dangerous, causing itchy bites rather than transmitting diseases. Still, a point the CDC makes is that it's impossible to tell what mosquitoes are carrying diseases, but it only takes a few infected mosquitoes to lead to an outbreak. Because of this, it's best to prevent mosquitoes from living in large numbers on your property.

Read on further- we will discuss methods to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes and how to get the treatments that are necessary to reduce this pest around your yard.

Three Things You Can Do To Avoid Mosquitoes 

Have you spent time looking up things like "best product to keep mosquitoes away"? If so, you aren't alone. People commonly turn to store-bought products to relieve them of pests like mosquitoes. While these products may offer some relief, it is often short-lived and doesn't provide long-term solutions to the issue. Using the best product to keep mosquitoes away is like putting a bandage on an injury that requires stitches to heal. 

Before we even discuss eliminating mosquitoes from your property, there are three things you can do to avoid this pest without using any products. These three methods are natural and require you to spend little to no money! So, here are three things you can do to avoid mosquitoes this spring and summer:

1. Time it right: Mosquitoes are most active from dusk to dawn to avoid daylight because they become dehydrated quickly in sunlight and will not survive long. So plan your time outside during late morning to afternoon hours. Doing so, you will likely see a dramatic decrease in mosquito activity.
2. Blow them away: Despite flying insects, mosquitoes are not strong fliers and have to work almost four times harder than other flying insects. Because of this, you can use fans when sitting in shaded areas to keep mosquitoes away from you. Interestingly, fans can work double duty by dispersing the carbon dioxide people exhale, attracting mosquitoes.
3. Wear the right clothes: Some clothes are better at keeping mosquitoes from biting you than others. Mosquitoes can easily pierce through lightweight fabrics, so although tight-knit clothing isn't always ideal for summertime, it will help keep these pests from biting you. Wearing loose clothing will allow mosquitoes to get underneath your clothes, so you should wear close-fitting items. Because mosquitoes are attracted to heat, dark colors will draw mosquitoes in, while light colors will reduce heat and keep this pest away.

As a bonus, here are a few more tips to help keep mosquitoes away from you when outside:

• Avoid drinking alcohol, especially beer, as it can cause you to produce more carbon dioxide and heat.

• Shower before going out to cool off, remove sweat, and change out of sweaty clothes.

• Avoid using scented body products.

While these tips help keep mosquitoes away from people, they will not reduce mosquito populations on a property. You want to work with experts for professional mosquito control and prevention to do this. Unlike the products available to people at stores, the products used by professionals are the best product to keep mosquitoes away!

Is It Time To Consider Professional Mosquito Control?

If mosquitoes live in excess in your yard or prevent you and your family from enjoying your outdoor spaces, it's time to consider professional mosquito control. Professional mosquito control works. Industry experts have dedicated endless hours to figuring out how to reduce mosquito populations safely. 

At Modern Pest Control, we offer two types of services to get rid of mosquitoes: seasonal and year-round:

Seasonal Protection:

• Treatments performed monthly from April through October

• The use of the latest products and technology to reduce adult mosquitoes and prevent eggs from hatching

Year-Round Protection:

• Discreet installation of a Mistaway system on your property

• Easy to program system for specific seasonal dilution rates and misting times

• Has iMist Technology and Advanced Leak Detection, all controlled from your smartphone

Because every property and mosquito issue is different, we always send one of our specially trained mosquito management professionals to inspect and understand your needs. We will discuss your most important concerns and treatment areas with you during this inspection and design a custom layout for treatment implementation.

Once we install the system, we will instruct you on operating it correctly. With regular service visits to maintain the equipment and refill the product, you will have continuous support from our experts.

Along with professional pest control services to get rid of mosquitoes, our experts at Modern Pest Control recommend eliminating breeding sites and resisting areas from your property. We will modify or eliminate these areas that serve as mosquito breeding or resting sites to enhance the effectiveness of our treatments. Breeding sites consist of stagnant water, which mosquitoes only need a tiny amount of, about the size of a bottle cap, and resting areas are shady spots where this pest can escape the day's harsh sun.

These are natural ways to get rid of mosquitoes in your yard, such as :

Eliminating Standing Water:

• Remove birdbaths and other movable landscaping water features.

• For features that can't be moved, like pools and ponds, have them properly treated to prevent mosquito breeding and install filters.

• Remove organic debris from your yard, such as leaf litter; this includes clearing gutters.

• Remove garden tools such as wheelbarrows, children's toys, and other objects not being used that can collect water.

Eliminating Resting Areas:

• Keep your lawn cut short and trim foliage, preventing your yard from becoming overgrown.

• Remove dead trees, stumps, and logs.

• Get rid of any outbuildings like sheds that are no longer in use.

For more tips and natural ways to get rid of mosquitoes in your yard, call us at Modern Pest Control. We are ready to provide the necessary treatments to keep you and your family safe from mosquitoes while enjoying the outdoors this summer. So don't wait!