Understanding Mosquitoes and Ticks: The Dangers and How They Enter Your Home
You know how it goes – the warm summer nights are perfect for backyard barbecues, camping under the stars, and enjoying the great outdoors. But as much as you love the longer days and warmer weather, those pesky mosquitoes and ticks seem to love it even more. Nothing ruins an evening on the patio like the incessant buzzing of mosquitoes hovering around your face or the thought of ticks crawling through the grass waiting to hitch a ride on you or your pets. Doing proper pest service information research can make all the difference.
Preventing Mosquito and Tick Infestations: Tips for Making Your Home and Yard Less Inviting
Mosquitoes and ticks are more than just a nuisance – they can transmit dangerous diseases like West Nile virus, Zika, Lyme disease, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. To keep these pests out of your yard and home, it’s important to understand how they operate.
Mosquitoes breed in standing water, so eliminate any areas in your yard where water can collect, such as pet bowls, gutters, birdbaths, and kiddie pools. Female mosquitoes need blood to develop their eggs, so they hitchhike their way indoors on clothing and pets. Use an insect repellent containing DEET or picaridin when outside, and apply it to clothing and exposed skin.
Ticks are arachnids that feed on the blood of mammals, birds, and reptiles. They hang out in brush, leaf litter, and overgrown grass, waiting to crawl onto their next meal. Ticks can’t fly or jump, but they are adept hitchhikers, grabbing onto people and pets as they brush by. Wear light-colored clothing, tuck pants into socks, and do regular tick checks after being outside.
To control mosquitoes and ticks in the yard, mow the lawn, remove leaf litter, and clear brush. You can also apply an insecticide or natural repellent like citronella oil. Repair any holes or tears in screens on doors, windows, porches, and patios. By eliminating access to standing water, keeping vegetation trimmed, and using repellents, you can enjoy the outdoors without the worry of disease-carrying pests.
Professional Pest Control Services: Why You Should Hire the Experts for Mosquito and Tick Elimination
To make your home less inviting to mosquitoes and ticks, there are some tried-and-true tips you can put into action.
First, eliminate standing water where mosquitoes breed. This means draining things like pet bowls, gutters, birdbaths, kiddie pools – anything that holds water for more than a few days. Mosquitoes only need about an inch of standing water to lay eggs, so be thorough.
Second, keep your yard tidy by mowing the lawn regularly and clearing brush. Long grass and dense shrubs provide shelter and shade for mosquitoes and ticks. Rake up leaves and compost or dispose of yard waste.
Preventing Bites When Outside
When outside, wear light-colored clothing, including long sleeves and pants. Ticks and mosquitoes are more easily spotted on light clothing. Apply an insect repellent containing DEET or picaridin, and reapply as directed.
Do regular tick checks after being outside, especially in wooded or brushy areas. Ticks typically need to be attached for at least 24-48 hours to transmit disease, so prompt removal is key. Take a shower as soon as you come inside to wash away any unattached ticks.
By eliminating access to standing water, keeping your yard well-maintained, wearing proper protective clothing, using insect repellent, and performing regular tick checks, you can make your property significantly less habitable for mosquitoes and ticks. Using these proven strategies will help ensure you and your family stay bite-free all season long.
