Eliminating Mosquitoes – How to Prevent a Mosquito Invasion
Acquisition Marketing
As we recently uncovered, deterring mosquitoes in your own backyard can be a futile task. A massive infestation of uncontrollable mosquitoes, however, can also be a national emergency. Brazil continues to witness one of the insect’s most concerning characteristics as a disease vector, through the spread of Zika virus. The disease’s recent outbreak shows just how difficult mosquito reduction measures can be once the insects reach mature form.
Preventing a mosquito population’s spread is most attainable during the earliest phases of its life, becoming increasingly difficult once they achieve adult form. In this blog installment, we will discuss popular techniques used in preventing a mosquito invasion and why doing so is important.
Mosquitoes do not exist without standing water in some form, as all larvae are aquatic. Thus, the most important phase in holistically reducing a
mosquito population involves surveillance and source reduction. This includes surveying the land around your building, evaluating the key mosquito attractants, and determining a sustainable level for that particular habitat.
Breeding conditions need not be extensive for mosquitoes to establish a population. The smallest containers that trap water can act as a source for mosquito amplification, which includes areas such as a clogged drain, a birdbath, a storm drain, or the inside of a tire. First, remove standing water from any moisture collective devices surrounding the building. Minimizing these origin points can be hugely beneficial to improving mosquito incidence.
Source reduction becomes especially important considering the recent floods. Water could be filling pockets of land near your commercial structure, naturally creating a hospitable environment for mosquitoes. If you notice pooling water in unnatural locations around your building or should you be located near a retention basin, contact a specialist on how to properly landscape the space in order to create better a better flow.
Larvicide
Treating a mosquito infestation prior to evolution beyond the larval stage is highly critical, as it’s much easier to contain the insects at this phase than adulthood. It’s important to employ a professional at this stage to correctly identify the mosquitoes’ life cycle phase and create a treatment program based on its progression.
Two methods are used as this stage. Insecticide application is the more common, which involves directly administering some form of water resistant insecticide to the surface of the breeding site. This consists of bacterial insecticides, special polymers, or oil formulations that rest on top of the water. It’s important to only address those patches exhibiting a mosquito issue, however, as misuse could indirectly harm surrounding vegetation.
Some researchers have found that introducing a larva consuming fish, the Gambusia, can have a positive effect on mosquito prevention. This method is only preferred in the most localized cases due to the Gambusia’s ability to consume other creatures in populated water environments.
Adult Mitigation
All mosquito deterring strategies favor prevention rather than on-site treatment, because pesticide application to adult mosquitoes can negatively impact surrounding ecosystems. Nevertheless, a large population of grown mosquitoes terrorizing your building needs to be addressed.
Adulticiding, the term used for removing matured species, is most-often handled through frequently spraying insecticides around the affected area. Sometimes this requires twice-daily administration to achieve levels that coincide with acceptable ecological levels. Again, this should only be handled by a professional.
Although insecticide spraying can offer much-needed relief, it’s only a temporary solution. Most chemicals used at this stage are non-residual, meaning they have no long-term agent that can act upon future mosquitoes. Your pest professional should only be treating at levels that meet the action threshold, so mosquitoes will continue to exist either way. As such, it’s important to consistently monitor activity levels and preemptively contact a pest expert.
Contact Holder’s for more information on tackling your home or business’s mosquito problem.
