This post is brought to you by Orkin. All opinions are my own.
Controlling mosquitoes is important if you want to have any sort of fun outdoors. There’s nothing worse than having your family and friends over for a backyard barbecue extravaganza and having the entire thing be nothing more than an extended session of tag with all the mosquitoes in the back yard. You’re manning the grill, which means the only thing you can do is swipe futilely at those blood sucking jerks, and all of your guests are now crammed into your house to get away from the bugs.
This is no exaggeration. As a resident of Florida, I have the inside track on how important controlling mosquitoes is. So let’s look at how we can keep the mosquito level down in our yards and keep our summer partying outdoors as it was meant to be.
Controlling Mosquitoes
There are two parts to mosquito warfare. We have to make our property less mosquito friendly, and we also have to protect ourselves from those suckers. It’s about reducing the number of mosquitoes on our property and keeping them at bay while we’re out and about. That’s incredibly important these days because in addition to being annoying and itchy, mosquito bites can spread disease. We have to watch out for West Nile, Zika, and the newcomer, Chikungunya.
Controlling Mosquitoes on Our Property
So let’s talk controlling mosquitoes on our property first. Of course, we can’t keep mosquitoes completely out of our orbit, but we can eliminate the areas on our property that allow them to breed. We can also reduce the likelihood that they’ll get into our houses.
One of the first things we need to do is eliminate standing water. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water, so the less we have, the less places mosquitoes have to breed. Major things to do are:
- Remove standing water from gutters, buckets, toys, and containers.
- Keep pool water treated and circulated.
- Change water every week in birdbaths, fountains, and any containers that must hold standing water.
In addition to removing access to standing water, we’re also going to need to prevent those suckers from getting into our homes. All it takes to do that is a little low-level handy man action.
- Seal any spaces around our homes’ exteriors like gaps around windows are window mounted AC units.
- Install or repair window and door screens.
- Never keep windows or doors without screens open.
Controlling Mosquitoes on Our Person
Okay, so our property is squared away. We’ve removed their breeding areas and sealed up our homes. Now we have to protect ourselves from those suckers when we step out the door.
- Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants. I know that one’s hard to do, but at least do it at dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are at their worst.
- Use EPA-registered mosquito repellents with DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, para-menthane-diol or IR 3535.
Controlling Mosquitoes Makes Life Better
Now that’s summer is here, it’s time to party. But nothing kills a party faster than mosquitoes. If you follow the tips above for controlling mosquitoes, you should have far fewer of those blood sucking jerks to contend with. But don’t forget the last step in controlling mosquitoes – Orkin. Orkin is a leader in pest control, including mosquitoes. Their technicians can answer your questions about the exact treatments they’re performing on your yard. That’s important because every treatment is different depending upon what your property requires.
So use the tips above on controlling mosquitoes and call Orkin, and your summer should be far more fun and far less bitey.
Special Offer!!
If mosquitoes are ruining your summer fun, contact the licensed pest professionals at ORKIN at 877-778-2497. Use my offer code Zero Bite (0Bite) for $50 off your first mosquito service. Offer code is good via phone only!