They say you shouldn’t pull out gray hairs because for every one you pull out, two more come back in its place. That’s how it seems with mosquitoes, only for every one you squash, there are five more in its place. They buzz around your head, gnaw on your ankles and bite in the most uncomfortable and toughest to reach places.
It’s no wonder if it seems like there are 100 mosquitoes for every one person on the planet. A mosquitoes ideal breeding ground can be found pretty much anywhere. They breed anywhere there is water, including ponds, flower pots, old tires, tree holes, marshes, storm drains, pretty much any water source you can think of, mosquitoes can breed it. That’s why the more damp and rainy it is, the more mosquitoes are out.
They also tend to breed more in the evening and overnight hours. Some ways you can make your property a bit less appealing to mosquitoes. Most important is to get rid of any standing water you can. Some water on your property may not be avoidable but any that are, you should try to eliminate.
Make sure spare tires are stored where they won’t collect water, clean out storm drains and empty and refill wading pools at least once a week. You should also try to water your lawn as early in the day as possible so it is not as wet in the evening when the mosquitoes come out to breed. You can also minimize the number of mosquitoes on your property by storing your trash and recyclables in covered bins as far from your home and yard as possible.
When mosquitoes breed, a female can lay up to 250 eggs at a time. A female will lay eggs up to three times during her life. Once she has laid her eggs, it takes about 48-72 hours for them to hatch and not long after that, they are adult mosquitoes producing eggs of their own. To say that makes for a lot of mosquitoes, is a bit of an understatement.
With hundreds of thousands of mosquitoes hatched everyday, it is impossible to get rid of them entirely, no matter how bad you want to. Mosquitoes spread some pretty serious, even fatal illnesses, so it is important to protect yourself from mosquito bites.
Be sure to wear bug repellent containing DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus. You should also keep your skin as covered as possible with long pants, long sleeves, hats and socks and void wearing dark colors.
For more information regarding these pests and how to limit your exposure to them, give us a call at 215.799.2010 or fill out the form below and we will contact you.