Recent heavy rains and the resulting flooding have a lot of people worried about the mosquito population this year. And with good reason. Standing water is the perfect breeding ground for mosquitos to lay their eggs.

Mosquitos have been around for 170 million years and there are approximately 3500 species. A mosquito can grow from an egg to a reproducing adult in just 7 days. 100 female mosquitos can produce 5000 more mosquitos in 7 days, laying eggs every 3rd night of their lives. Those are pretty bad numbers when you think about the damage mosquitos do. Not only do they give you big, itchy bites, they can carry West Nile virus, dengue fever, St. Louis encephalitis, yellow fever, malaria, eastern equine encephalitis and heartworm disease.

Only the females bite, because they must have protein for egg development – that’s where you and your dog come in. Mosquitos find you by scent. They are extremely sensitive to carbon dioxide (we breathe IN oxygen and OUT carbon dioxide) and also sweat. They can smell us 100 feet away. Men are more likely to be bitten as well as those who are overweight, and those with blood type O.

Mosquitos rest during the heat of the day – in your shrubs, on the side of your house, on tree trunks, and down in the grass where it’s cool. At dusk, when temperatures begin to cool, they come out and bite you. After biting someone, a mosquito needs to rest on a vertical surface to digest (again, like tree trunks, or the side of your house.)

Here’s what you can do to help prevent mosquitos from visiting you:

Every 3-4 days, empty anything on your property that might hold rainwater, including dishes under flowerpots, tire swings, buckets, dog toys, that old Frisbee in the yard.
Every 3-4 days, change the water in anything on your property that normally holds water like pet dishes, wading pools, birdbaths, or water troughs.
Keep guttering and downspouts cleaned out so water doesn’t stand in them.
Correct areas in your lawn that have standing water after a rain – fill in low places with soil, keep ditches clear of leaves and debris, aerate your lawn, fill in hollow tree stumps with cement or sand.
Make sure outside faucets aren’t leaky, creating constant puddles.
Make sure sprinkler system heads aren’t aimed straight down, causing puddles, and check frequently for leaks.

Keep grass short and shrubbery trimmed around the house where mosquitos may rest.
Consider having your property professionally treated. It won’t necessarily guarantee that you never get bitten – a mosquito can always fly over a neighbor’s fence – but it will seriously reduce the amount of mosquitos in your yard. Get a Free Estimate for Mosquito Control.