The Ultimate Guide To Mosquito Control: Tips And Techniques For Your Greensboro Property

We've finally done it. What have we done? We've put everything you need to know about mosquitoes in Greensboro into one article. We're checking off all the boxes today. We'll discuss the different life stages of mosquitoes, explain why you should control mosquitoes, and the simple facts regarding how bad they are in the United States. We'll share effective mosquito prevention tips that are all-natural. Then, we'll inform you how the Go-Forth Home Services team applies science to dealing with mosquitoes. When you need professional mosquito control in Greensboro, we have you covered.

Understanding The Mosquito Life Cycle: A Key To Effective Control

A mosquito infestation can begin with one female mosquito. After mating, she will lay a hundred eggs at a time. When she enters your yard, she looks for appropriate breeding locations. Most species lay eggs in stagnant water, where there is microbial life. Some lay eggs on damp organic detritus. In both cases, moisture is high on the list for a mosquito mom. 

As female and male mosquitoes fly around your yard, they'll look for something else. They spend most of their time resting—not flying, so they'll look for suitable locations to take a break. Their favorite place to rest is vegetation; a big reason is moisture, but they also get into vegetation to shield themselves from the sun. But there is one motivation as to why mosquitoes hide in vegetation that might surprise you. It has to do with what they eat.

What do mosquitoes eat? Does the question confuse you? If you think they eat blood, we understand why. But mosquitoes don't eat blood to survive. Only the female draws a blood meal, and she does this for the purpose of providing protein to create viable eggs. Both female and male mosquitoes eat nectar and plant sap. They use their mouthparts to slurp up these sweet food sources. Mosquitoes need the carbohydrates in nectar and plant juice for energy. It takes a lot of effort for mosquitoes to fly around your yard, particularly on a windy day.

Let's return to the part of the discussion revolving around female mosquitoes laying eggs in your yard. The eggs she deposits in stagnant water will hatch into hundreds of babies. Have you ever seen baby mosquitoes in water? They look like little, wriggling worms; that's why they're called wrigglers. In this stage of the life cycle, they don't bite people or fly around your property; they do not leave the water source where they hatch.

When the wrigglers grow, they turn into tumblers. The wrigglers are mosquito larvae, and the tumblers are mosquito pupae. Tumblers don't eat anything. They live only to pass on into the adult stage of development.

It takes almost two weeks to go from egg to adult. That means you have some time to do something about the baby mosquitoes in your yard. Let's examine why you should take the time to do so.

Zika, Dengue, And Malaria: Common Mosquito-Borne Diseases Explained

If you're like most, you understand that mosquitoes are dangerous. You may also know they're not nearly as much of a threat in the United States as in other parts of the world. Do you know why? Is it that we don't have the kind of mosquitoes that spread malaria and other dangerous mosquito-borne diseases? No. We have mosquitoes that spread these diseases. But we also have an amazing infrastructure for mosquito control. 

The government implements mosquito control and surveillance. Businesses hire mosquito control services to improve their customers' outdoor experiences, and many residents get mosquito control to make their yards more enjoyable. So, while we occasionally have disease outbreaks in the United States, we track and stop them.

That's the good news. The bad news is that lots of people get sick from mosquito-borne diseases in the United States, and there are many fatalities. Here is a quick list of localized diseases carried by mosquitoes in the United States:

• West Nile virus (WNV), a zoonotic disease that causes encephalitis
• La Crosse Encephalitis (LAC)
• Western Equine Encephalitis (WEE)
• Easter Equine Encephalitis (EEE)
• St. Louis Encephalitis (SLE)

Do you notice anything about these diseases? They all cause encephalitis (or brain swelling). While having a headache with flu-like symptoms does not mean you have a mosquito-borne virus, it is a possibility to consider. Many people get sick with these diseases and think they have a form of influenza or the common cold. If you have a fever, body aches, and a headache, monitor your symptoms closely and seek medical attention if they worsen.
 

Mosquito Prevention: Eco-Friendly And Effective Tips

Since mosquitoes can make you sick, it is a good idea to take steps to keep them out of your yard. You may already know this, but you may also have noticed that it can be challenging. The reason is that many of the products used to control mosquitoes don't work so well, particularly products that promise to repel mosquitoes. Here's how to keep mosquitoes away naturally using methods that get results: 

• Find stagnant water and pour it out. If there are wrigglers inside, they'll dry out on the ground. Change the water in birdbaths regularly.
• Remove objects from your yard that hold rainwater. These containers provide a breeding site.
• Trim your plants, remove weeds, and cut grass to reduce humidity in vegetation and potential hiding places for mosquitoes.
• Clean your gutters to remove any material blocking the flow of rainwater.
• Address weeds in your yard. They are a source of plant sap and nectar if they have flowers.

In addition to managing mosquito breeding, feeding, and resting in your yard, use the following tips to avoid mosquito bites:

• Avoid going out at dawn or dusk when mosquitoes are typically more active.
• If you go out when mosquitoes are active, consider wearing clothing with netting and a mesh hat.
• Choose thick clothing that mosquitoes can't stick their mouthparts through.
• Wear loose clothing so mosquitoes can't find your skin underneath.
• Use mosquito repellent.
• Wear long sleeves and put pants on.
• Stay inside a screened-in outdoor recreation area.

These tips will help you reduce mosquitoes in your yard and guard against mosquito bites. Are they enough? It depends on your yard. Some yards are easier to protect than others. If you still have mosquito bite issues, contact Go-Forth Home Services for mosquito control. Let's take a look at how we deal with those mosquitoes and why the control methods we use work well. 

The Most Effective Mosquito Control Year-Round: Contact Us Today!

You know quite a bit about mosquitoes now. Using what we've discussed, let's talk about how the technicians at Go-Forth Home Services get rid of mosquitoes in your yard when you contact us for mosquito control near you.

Females Laying Eggs: We apply treatments to target the female mosquitoes hiding on your property. When we get rid of the female mosquitoes, they won't be able to lay eggs a hundred at a time, multiplying the mosquito population dramatically.

Larvae: Our treatments target mosquito development. We use a product that prevents larvae from developing into adults. When applied in key areas, it provides long-lasting results.

Resting Sites: We know where mosquitoes rest and ensure the treatment gets to where it will provide the best results. The product we use is a residual adulticide. What that means is it stays in place to deal with any adult mosquitoes that come onto your property after treatment and provides protection between service visits.

Pressure: We return to your property every month during mosquito season to treat key areas and ensure your property remains unfriendly to mosquitoes. With routine treatments, mosquitoes aren't able to take root in your yard.

Along with your treatments, our licensed and experienced technicians at Go-Forth Home Services share important facts about the environment around your home and help you zero in on any trouble spots. Our Integrated Pest Management approach is the gold standard in mosquito control.

There are three ways you can get mosquito control for your Greensboro property. You can get a one-time treatment in advance of an important outdoor event, like a birthday party, reunion, or family BBQ. You can get ongoing treatments throughout the year to keep mosquitoes out of your yard or get mosquito control along with general pest control by enrolling in our My Elite Plus service. 

When you have My Elite Plus, you get coverage for many pests, including spiders, ants, crickets, centipedes, wasps, fleas, ticks, fire ants, and more. As we work to control these common pests, we also deal with mosquitoes.

Do you want to make your dollars stretch? Are you ready to find out how nice life is without pests? Contact Go-Forth Home Services today to learn more about My Elite Plus pest control services or to schedule a service visit; we look forward to helping you get the pest control that works best for you. Contact us today for mosquito control in Greensboro.