Mosquito season is between May and October in Northern Virginia. These biting insects are a nuisance, but they can also prove dangerous by carrying diseases like West Nile virus and encephalitis.
During the summer, mosquito bites may seem unavoidable. They can make outdoor activities like barbecues and evening walks unpleasant.
You might wonder if there is a way to spend time in your yard without ending up with itchy bites.
While you can’t eradicate mosquitoes from your broader area, planning a mosquito control strategy that limits their habitat and removes some of the population from your immediate area is possible.
Remove Habitats That Attract Mosquitoes
Female mosquitoes need stagnant water to lay their eggs. Removing pooled water from flower pots or lowlying landscaping features will force the insects to move elsewhere to breed.
Mosquitos can also take advantage of poorly-maintained gutters. You should ensure your gutters are clean and adequately pitched so that water does not pool in them, providing breeding conditions for mosquitoes.
If you have permanent water features, such as ponds, you may want to hire a professional to treat them with larvicide.
Finally, mosquitoes like places to hide. Keeping the lawn mowed and trimming shrubs and bushes around the home can limit these hiding places. You should also clear leaves and remove heavy ground cover.
Attract Natural Predators and Plants That Repel Mosquitoes
You can also enlist the assistance of Mother Nature when combatting mosquitoes. Natural repellant plants like lavender, lemon grass, basil, rosemary, and sage can aid your yard’s mosquito prevention efforts. Cedar oil is another natural repellant, so putting down cedar mulch around your home may also help.
Some species of birds, spiders, bats, and amphibians are natural mosquito predators. As long as these creatures don’t become a nuisance themselves, they can help limit mosquito populations.
Environmentally-Safe Mosquito Elimination
Choosing a method for eliminating mosquitoes on your property can be confusing. One of the safest options is the In2Care InsecTech system. Instead of relying on spray for mosquitoes, this system attracts the mosquitoes with bait and transfers biocide to their bodies using polarity.
This system targets and eliminates mosquitoes from your property and surrounding areas in an environmentally-safe way that will not harm your pets or children.
If you want to get the most out of your yard this summer, contact us to discuss a control plan and other steps you can take to keep mosquitoes away.
