Who hasn't had a picnic or cookout ruined by mosquitoes? Or perhaps you were out hiking,
or watching a sports game, and got eaten alive. And who doesn't have a story to tell about
that one camping trip, where even the bug repellant didn't seem to work.
Unfortunately, mosquitoes can cause a lot more than just an itchy bite. It's common knowledge that they spread malaria and West Nile virus, but they are also known vectors for other pathogens, including yellow fever, dengue fever, chikungunya fever, lymphatic filariasis, Eastern equine encephalitis virus (or the sleeping sickness), and tularemia. Although rumored at one time, mosquitoes cannot carry the HIV virus or pass it on to other people.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
The most important thing to do, of course, is to remove or restrict the stagnant water on your property. That means removing or changing anything that could fill with water naturally and stagnant. Make sure there are no buckets, old tires, unused wading pools, or anything else that can collect rainwater on your property. If there is, either put it under cover, periodically dump out any water that has collected, or simply turn it on its side so that water can't collect. Make sure that water in birdbaths is changed regularly. Keep an eye on any ditches, tree stumps, or hollows on your property that might form natural basins for rainwater. Clean out any clogged gutters to allow rainwater to flow freely and not stagnate. Also, trim back any heavy vegetation on your property, as the leaves of overgrown bushes and trees are a favorite hiding place for adult mosquitoes.
OUR TREATMENT
Just in 2014, we have developed a mosquito treatment that is having success. Using a special mister, we spray the bottoms of leaves on bushes and small trees where adult mosquitoes like to hide. The mister allows for an even application of product. This treatment has to be repeated every month, as vegetation grows and new leaves form, but is very affordable and only has to be repeated for the few months of mosquito season.
Unfortunately, mosquitoes can cause a lot more than just an itchy bite. It's common knowledge that they spread malaria and West Nile virus, but they are also known vectors for other pathogens, including yellow fever, dengue fever, chikungunya fever, lymphatic filariasis, Eastern equine encephalitis virus (or the sleeping sickness), and tularemia. Although rumored at one time, mosquitoes cannot carry the HIV virus or pass it on to other people.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
The most important thing to do, of course, is to remove or restrict the stagnant water on your property. That means removing or changing anything that could fill with water naturally and stagnant. Make sure there are no buckets, old tires, unused wading pools, or anything else that can collect rainwater on your property. If there is, either put it under cover, periodically dump out any water that has collected, or simply turn it on its side so that water can't collect. Make sure that water in birdbaths is changed regularly. Keep an eye on any ditches, tree stumps, or hollows on your property that might form natural basins for rainwater. Clean out any clogged gutters to allow rainwater to flow freely and not stagnate. Also, trim back any heavy vegetation on your property, as the leaves of overgrown bushes and trees are a favorite hiding place for adult mosquitoes.
OUR TREATMENT
Just in 2014, we have developed a mosquito treatment that is having success. Using a special mister, we spray the bottoms of leaves on bushes and small trees where adult mosquitoes like to hide. The mister allows for an even application of product. This treatment has to be repeated every month, as vegetation grows and new leaves form, but is very affordable and only has to be repeated for the few months of mosquito season.
Unless otherwise indicated, all photos are courtesy Wikimedia Commons or the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.