Summer Bites!
April 26, 2017
One of the featured pests to expect in the mid-east coast is mosquitoes. Due to the higher temperatures and humidity that we experienced this winter and spring, mosquitoes have been predicted to show up sooner than we'd like. Learn everything you need to know about the unwanted pests.
Two weeks ago we covered the 2017 Bug Barometer's release, and that's definitely something to check out if you are on the lookout for summer pests. The below guide will ensure your property and loves ones are safe from these blood-thirsty pests.
Why Are Mosquitoes Coming Now?
Mosquitoes are among many of the bugs known to hibernate over the winter, but this is only because they hibernate in temperatures below 50°F. Areas in North Carolina have seen 70°F weather as early as February this year! Even if it has fluctuated between 40°F to 80°F since February, weather warmer than 50°F is a wake up call to those sucking pests. When mosquitoes wake up from their hibernation, the first thing they look to do is reproduce.
The breeding ground for mosquitoes is in water, preferably standing water like ponds. This year we have been seeing more rain than average in certain parts, and experiencing more humidity as a result. These factors play a major role in the mosquitoes' wake up call, and therefore causing them to wake up much sooner.
Do Mosquitoes Carry Any Risks?
Mosquitoes have always been top of the list for most disliked pest, because not only are they taking from you, they leave behind swollen and itchy bumps where they suck from you! While we all hate getting bitten by mosquitoes, they actually can carry serious diseases that you should be aware of. Last year a new virus rang throughout media: the Zika Virus. It was a huge debacle for the Olympics being held in Rio, because at the time Zika was most prominent in areas south of the equator, such as Rio, Brazil in South America. Zika is a concern because there is no vaccine, and has a strong correlation to birth defects. A woman with the Zika Virus has a great potential to pass it onto their infant, and a man is also capable of passing it to a woman through intercourse. For any couple looking to start a family, Zika can be a homewrecker. For more information: CDC Zika.
West Nile Virus is also a disease several hear about when regarding risks of mosquito bites, but what does the virus actually do? Sometimes it does nothing, other times it gives you a rash and fever, but it also carries a 10% chance of death. To read a personal account of this, check out this MotherJones article about a grandmother who contracts West Nile. It also gives a history of when West Nile came to the United States, and gives a good idea of how deadly it can be. West Nile is something like the worst lottery, because dealing with it's deadly consequences is quite rare, but like Zika, West Nile has no vaccination. For more information: CDC West Nile.
How Can You Stop Mosquito Bites?
West Nile and Zika Virus alone are huge risks that should cause high alert to avoid mosquito bites this summer. No one wants to be bit purely out of the itchiness and scarring that the bites cause, but the importance of not being bitten only escalates when you look at the risks. When considering how to avoid Mosquito bites this summer, here are our tips from service experts at Go-Forth Pest Control:
-
- Use Mosquito Repellent
- If you know you're going to spend at least an hour outside, you should leave home prepared with mosquito repellent. Reapply as per instructed, but this method should keep you safe from blood suckers any summer
- Clear Standing Water
- As mentioned before mosquitoes prefer to breed in standing water, such as a pond. What has also been found is they also prefer man-made structures of standing water. This means pools, left out ashtrays, buckets of water, anything that can collect and hold water should be checked. Don't let the water collect, otherwise you run the risk of turning your home into a breeding ground.
- Hire Professional Pest Control Services
- No one can truly eradicate mosquitoes from your home, there are too many factors that allow them to pass through without issue; however, professional experts can greatly reduce the appearance of mosquitoes within your home territory. Between that and bug spray, you won't have to worry about mosquito bites at all in your backyard this summer.
- Use Mosquito Repellent
Previous Next
