It’s a beautiful summer day and you can’t wait to get outside and enjoy the garden by your porch. You open the door and there they are, mosquitos, which are attracted to the carbon dioxide that you exhale making you a delicious target. Even opening your mouth is a tricky maneuver so you don’t suck them in with each breath.
If you are tired of being bombarded by mosquitos the second you open your door to the outside, consider looking up mosquito control in Augusta. Below you will find some tips and tricks to controlling the mosquito population so that you can begin to enjoy your yard again, without being chased by these flying disease vectors.
Standing Water
Mosquitoes are attracted to, and actually need water to reproduce. Laying their eggs in standing or “still” water, mosquitos go through several stages consisting of egg, larvae, and pupa over a short period of time to become fully formed mosquitoes with the potential to lay thousands of eggs and repeat the cycle.
When attempting mosquito control Augusta, be mindful of areas on your property that collect water from rain or irrigation. The potted plants on your porches and patios are a great source of water in the drainage trays under your plants. Even bromeliads with their central funnel-like cup holding water for the plant makes for a great breeding ground for mosquitoes. Be sure to monitor areas that you keep water in such as birdbaths, and change the water out every few days to keep clear of hatching eggs.
For areas that tend to collect standing water such as buckets and other empty containers, be sure to regularly empty and overturn the items so that rain water doesn’t collect to create the perfect nursery for wrigglers. Consider trimming back overgrown vegetation giving less cover to hide in moist, undisturbed areas. This will be an ongoing process as mosquitos are capable of living for months in dry conditions, but with the addition of water, spring into life hatching within days.
Chemical Treatment
Although you can’t eliminate all of the water in your garden for mosquito control in Augusta, you can treat the water with chemicals to render the areas inhospitable to the pesky bitters. There are low-impact insecticides available to treat your garden and surrounding areas to control the mosquito population. If spraying chemicals do try to avoid the beneficial pollinators such as butterflies and bees by spraying early in the morning, or late in the afternoon towards the evening hours when helpful insects are typically less active.
There are other methods to control the mosquito population in the form of popular pellets that are pet and bee safe. These pellets, or are dropped into areas that contain standing water on a regular basis such as rain barrels and ponds. This type of chemical kills the wrigglers effectively ending the lifecycle of the mosquitoes. This treatment must be repeated frequently but is a good solution for areas where you will not be draining the water.
Infectious Disease
Mosquito control in Augusta isn’t just about bites that are uncomfortable and itchy but can be dangerous as well. There are more than a few viruses, as well as parasitic conditions transmitted by mosquitoes. In particular, West Nile Virus (WNV) in the US affects not only humans but birds and other animals as well.
Within a few weeks of being infected by a mosquito carrying West Nile virus, around 80% of people infected will show no symptoms at all, with the other 20% showing flu-like symptoms of headache, fever, muscle aches and pains, vomiting, and possibly a rash. For the small percentage of people, usually less than one percent, who are unlucky enough to suffer from severe symptoms, the outcome is more severe with encephalitis or viral meningitis a possibility.
Risk Control
Following a few of the tips above will lessen the mosquito breeding areas on your property and surrounding areas. When in areas outside of your control, use an insect repellent when venturing into places where mosquitoes are abundant. Protect yourself from being attacked by swarms of biting insects including mosquitoes with an approved formulation that is considered safe for humans and pets. Look for EPA-registered repellents, which are considered safe for children, and even pregnant women.