Mosquito Control Requires That You Know Mosquito Facts

Most are tropical. BUT, there are mosquitoes in the artic regions, in deserts and certainly near your home.

They can fly at up to 10 miles an hour, dart between raindrops, even fly backwards. Most live and die close to where they hatch, but some are strong flyers that travel many miles in search of a victim.

Only female mosquitoes bite. They require a "blood meal" in order to develop eggs to make more mosquitoes. Most female mosquitoes lay eggs on standing water. But, stagnant ponds, ditches and fresh and saltwater wetlands are favorites. But even a few tablespoons of water in a flower pot or old auto tire will do!

In the water, the eggs hatch...become swimming larvae, then pupae and finally, flying adults. Mosquito larvae are an important source of food for certain fish and the flying adults are eaten by birds, bats and other mammals.

But to humans and domestic animals, mosquitoes are strictly a nuisance and a health hazard, transmitting a variety of diseases.

Inn their quest for blood,mosquitoes may bite birds, frogs, snakes and mammals including people. Some, called "peridometic" mosquitoes, actually live and breed around our homes just to be near us.

Twenty-four hours or so after hatching, a female mosquito flies off in search of a meal. She homes in on body warmth, odor, moisture and the carbon dioxide we exhale.

When she bites, she injects a bit of saliva that slows coagulation so blood flows freely. It' your body's allergic reaction to the saliva that causes the welt and itch.

In tropical countries mosquitoes transmit:

1. Malaria
2. Dengue fever
3. Yellow fever
4. Filariasis

In the U.S., equine encephalitis is the most common disease affecting humans. It's untreatable and can be fatal. Outbreaks frequently follow a surge in the mosquito population brought on by warm, wet weather.

The recently-arrived Asian Tiger mosquito, now spread over much of the Southern U.S., is an aggressive, persistent biter that carries encephalitis. It's commonly found breeding in discarded auto tires.

More recently, a variety of encephalitis new to the U.S., called West Nile Viral Encephalitis, has appeared in various Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states. It is spread by a number of mosquito species already present in these states.

Mosquitoes also transmit canine heartworm, fatal to dogs once contracted. Pet owners can purchase a preventative medicine from a veterinarian.

Trends In Mosquito Control

They use low-toxic biopesticides, such as like BTI, a live bacteria that's deadly to mosquito larvae, but harmless to other living beings.

But, the mosquito that bit you last night may have hatched in the bird bath right in your backyard!

What steps can you take to accomplish mosquito control?

Look for places where rain water collects and stands. Fill all holes and depressions. Drain flower pots, children's wading pools and toys. Flush bird baths and fountains weekly. Clean clogged gutters and drains and cover cesspools. Remove debris such as cans, bottles, and old tires.

When you can't flush or drain the items, or in stagnant ponds, low-lying wet areas, tree holes, unused swimming pools, and rain barrels, implement mosquito control by using a BTI product like mosquito dunks.