The Most Effective Way To Keep Mosquitoes Away From Your Houston Yard
How many mosquito bites are too many? The answer is one. Mosquitos might seem like relatively harmless pests, but here in Houston (and everywhere else in the world), they remain one of the most dangerous pests because of the diseases they can spread.
If your house is swarming with these annoying insects, or if you find even one mosquito bite on yourself or your family, read more on how to identify and combat these threats to your family’s safety.
Mosquito Identification Tips
Mosquitoes have a very distinct look, even for insects. You’re far more likely to see them in the air than on your skin because they bite and draw blood so quickly you don’t even notice it. Mosquitoes grow to around ¼ of an inch long, though their six legs often grow longer than their bodies, making them appear much larger. These spindly insects also have body-length wings, two short antennae, and a long “nose” called a proboscis.
Mosquitoes don’t draw blood to attack, they do it to feed their eggs. Female mosquitoes rely on the nourishment from mammal blood to lay their young, so while all mosquitoes feed on nectar or plant life, it’s the females that that bite and leave scratchy bumps.
What makes a mosquito so dangerous, then, if they’re not trying to attack? Mosquitoes are vectors to some of the most infectious diseases. These pests can pick up diseases like malaria, West Nile virus, dengue fever, and Zika virus, then transmit these diseases to whomever they bite. While mosquito-borne diseases are much more common in African countries, there were an estimated 47,000 cases of mosquito-borne diseases in the United States in 2016.
Temporary Mosquito Relief
When Houston homeowners start waking up with nasty mosquito bites on their arms or ankles, they usually try to combat mosquitoes on their own. Some of these tactics are effective, though none of them last long term.
Effective methods for combating mosquitoes include:
- Remove standing water. This makes your property much less inviting to mosquitoes.
- Put up porch screens. While this won’t keep mosquitoes away from the property, it does protect a portion of your outdoors.
- Maintain your lawn. Mowing the lawn, cutting tall grasses, and trimming excess tree limbs helps remove the cool, moist spaces that mosquitoes nest in.
Common tips on the internet also include lighting tiki torches or citronella candles. However, these tips simply don’t work for mosquito control. While these pests may avoid candles or torches, they certainly won’t avoid your property – in fact, it might just drive them indoors.
Effective Mosquito Control In Houston, TX
The best way to keep mosquitoes off your property is to contact your local pest control experts. The technicians at Modern Pest Control implement a safe, comprehensive prevention plan that kicks mosquitoes out and keeps them gone.
We do one of two things to combat mosquitoes in yards. We can install a misting system that sprays a diluted insecticide year-round, making your yard safe for family and pets, but toxic for pests. We can also perform monthly treatments, spraying your property to target mosquitoes in all stages of their life cycle. This plan includes seasonal check-ups, though our clients are welcome to call us beforehand if they see the signs of returning mosquitoes.
This process is much more effective than DIY mosquito control because it makes your property unwelcome to these pests for long periods of time. To learn more about our Houston mosquito control process and how to say goodbye to dangerous bug bites, reach out to the Houston, TX pest control experts here at Modern Pest Control today.