How Does Mosquito Extermination Work?

Mosquitoes are annoying, but it hasn’t been until the past few decades that the general public has become aware of what a health risk these pests can actually be. Mosquito control assists with regulating and/or preventing many disease outbreaks in the country. According to the American Mosquito Control Association, over-population of mosquitos can affect everything from prevalence of serious diseases like malaria to production of beef and dairy farms.

Mosquito control is often handled on a local level by many county and community governments. Known as abatement programs, these focus on an integrated approach to controlling mosquitos on a larger scale. The populations are surveyed and intervention methods are chosen at various stages to limit numbers in the best possible way for the local or regional area. What if your community doesn’t offer this, or what if you still have a serious mosquito problem in your backyard, though?

That is where a professional mosquito exterminator comes in. Not just any exterminator will do for this job. Many use practices that are not approved by the EPA. Others simply come out and blanket-treat the entire yard, which can harm other insects and plant life or create insecticide resistance issues over time. You need to find a trained, licensed professional that understands the unique nature of mosquito control.

Mosquitoes Pose Serious Health Risks

Aside from putting a damper on enjoying outdoor activities, mosquitos contribute to many health hazards and other problems. The World Health Organization reports that around 1 million people die every year because of mosquito bites. Usually, the cause is malaria, which was mostly thwarted in the U.S. by the 1940s. However, there are still about 1,500 documented cases of imported malaria in the country every year, usually related to travel.

With the increase in global travel, the risk of mosquito-borne illness has made a resurgence in recent years. Mosquitoes can cause a number of health risks for humans, including carrying diseases like:

• Zika Virus
• West Nile Virus
• Encephalitis
• Yellow Fever
• Dengue Fever
• Chikungunya Virus
• Rift Valley Fever

The majority of mosquito bites result in a red, itchy, sometimes swollen welt that heals itself in a matter of a few days. However, when mosquitoes feed on a diseased host, those pathogens can be transmitted and carried to another person, resulting in disease outbreaks. Situations like this are why many communities focus on abatement at a local or regional level. However, as we mentioned before, that isn’t always an option and it certainly isn’t the only solution.

Mosquito Prevention Tips

Mosquitoes need water to breed. They love damp, dark spaces and can often easily find a new favorite spot in the average backyard. Look around your yard for a minute. Standing water, if only just a small puddle on your pool cover, is a haven for mosquitoes. Before you call the exterminator, consider these tips:

• Get rid of any tires on your property. The shape of tires is ideal for breeding thousands of mosquitoes.
• Drill small holes in garbage and recycling cans so that water can drain regularly.
• Repair any outdoor leaks, including faucets and hoses.
• Turn over any boats you are storing so they don’t collect water.
• Empty standing water on various items in your yard regularly.
• Make sure your pool cover is taut to avoid water collecting over the fall and winter months. This is better for protecting your pool, too.

You obviously can’t completely eliminate mosquitoes. However, you can discourage them from choosing your yard as the place to hang out. Keeping things in your outdoor space clean and dry can prevent a variety of pest issues, including reducing the number of mosquitoes in your yard.

You can use mosquito repellent when you are outdoors to reduce the risk of getting bitten. Usually, this is effective for most outdoor activities and backyard occasions. However, if your mosquito problem is bigger than just a few pesky bugs, you might want to consider investing in professional assistance. Mosquitoes will put a damper on outdoor fun, and, as discussed previously, they can also pose a serious danger to your health and well-being.

Professional Mosquito Extermination

When you have an over-infestation of mosquitoes in your backyard, even the best prevention and protection tips aren’t going to do a lot of good. That’s when you need to call a professional pest control service that is experienced with mosquito control and extermination in the greater Boston area.

When choosing a professional mosquito exterminator, Boston residents should find a company that offers individualized pest control services. The company will send a technician to your home to inspect your outdoor areas and help determine the best course of action. This is usually a process, rather than a single visit, and may require the homeowner’s assistance.

For example, if a technician notices a lot of standing water around your backyard, they might suggest removing it or mitigating the issue in addition to utilizing their chemicals to treat the space. If there is a lot of debris around your foundation, they might suggest moving it to clean up the space and deter mosquitoes and other pests. These are just a couple of examples.

Professional mosquito treatments typically offer a custom solution based on your needs. Rather than applying a blanket spray to the entire yard, a technician will do a walk-through to find the hot spots on the property—these are the places mosquitoes love to hang out. The focus of the treatment will be on these areas. Typically, treatment looks at five areas of control:

1. Exposure that causes difficulty in food digestion, resulting in death
2. Growth inhibitors that prevent maturing of larvae
3. Insecticides that affect the nervous system of mosquitoes
4. Other materials, such as films or oils, that are put into water and cause immature larvae and pupae to drown
5. Adulticides, or sprays designed for adult population control, which kill mosquitoes on contact

To discuss your mosquito problems or find out more about creating an Integrated Pest Management plan for your home, contact the team at AAA Exterminating Company. We have been serving the Boston area for decades and can help with all kinds of mosquito control needs.