Tips and Tricks for Preventing Mosquitos

Tip & Tricks for Preventing Mosquitos

Mosquitos are one of the most common flying pests in southern Louisiana.  They are easy to get annoyed by and are they kill more people every year than any other animal.  A mosquito survives on the blood of humans and animals.  The bite itself is not painful because mosquitos excrete a small amount of numbing chemical into the skin when they first penetrate the skin.  

Mosquito bite is a misnomer.  Mosquitos don’t actually bite.  They have a thin proboscis that penetrates skin or hide to withdraw blood.  In this process, diseases can be transmitted and the site is left itchy afterward due to a reaction to the numbing chemical in mosquito saliva.  Here are a few ways to reduce the amount of mosquitos on your property.

Eliminate Standing Water

Standing water is where mosquitos breed.  The female mosquito lays her eggs in water and over time, they hatch.  Think about everything that is in your backyard that could hold water.  Empty flower pots, birdbaths, fountains, and even ashtrays can provide the perfect environment for female mosquitos.

Consider purchasing a bubbler for your fountains and non-toxic mosquito rings for your birdbaths.  Be sure to dump out any buckets, empty flower pots, ash trays, or anything else that holds water after every rain.  Moving water is harder for mosquitos to reproduce in, so the goal is to keep the water moving or treat it chemically.

Build a Bat Box

Bats love to dine on mosquitos.  If you have a large number of mosquitos in your yard, you may already see bats flying around at twilight.  They are doing you a favor, don’t be afraid of them.  Building them a bat box will just extend the invitation to get the bats to stay closer to your property and eat more mosquitos.

As a bonus, building a bat box can also help keep the bats from setting up camp in the crags of your home by providing them a place to be.  Removing bats can be difficult and can get expensive.

Read more about mosquito prep on our blog!

Prepare for Mosquito Season

Plant Citronella, Basil, Lavender, or Rosemary

Among other plants, these herbs do well to keep mosquitos at bay.  Some plants emit fragrances or chemicals that repel mosquitos.  We’ve all seen citronella candles at the store that boast repelling mosquitos, but planting a citronella plant can have the same effect and you don’t have to worry whether or not you blew out a flame.

Citronella isn’t the only plant with this magical property.  Basil, Lavender, and Rosemary are all credited with mosquito repelling traits.  As an added bonus, you can use Basil, Lavender, and Rosemary in your kitchen, too.

Call Skeeter Force

Probably the best way to keep mosquitos under control on your property is to call us so that we can FIGHT THE BITE and keep you from being driven outside.  We used non-toxic, pet safe chemicals to fight the bite and keep the mosquitos in check.  Our chemicals are used to treat standing water to kill mosquito larvae where they grow.

 Call us to schedule a consultation today!