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Mosquitoes: A Guide To Identification, Prevention And Control In Houston

Serving Families Throughout Dallas, Fort Worth & Houston
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As experts in Houston pest control, All-Safe Pest & Termite can resolve your mosquito infestation issues for you. But before we talk about the benefits of working with pest control professionals like ourselves, let’s first run down some of the most important things to understand about mosquitoes and why they choose to get close to humans and stay close for as long as they can. And don’t worry, this will also include ways to repel mosquitoes that you can put to use today.

Mosquito Or Not? How To Identify Them At A Glance

There actually isn’t a long list of bugs that look like mosquitoes but aren’t mosquitoes. In most cases, if you see an insect that looks like a mosquito (long, dangling legs and a long, skinny “nose”) and it’s behaving like a mosquito (landing on skin and biting), then it’s probably a mosquito.

Common types of flies might resemble mosquitoes in terms of certain qualities, but they won’t have long legs like mosquitoes do. In contrast, you might see a certain type of wasp or hornet with long, slender legs, but they’ll also have larger bodies than mosquitoes and different coloring as well. While young mosquitoes may not have very long legs, they will indeed behave like mosquitoes, hovering around humans and pets, waiting for their chance to strike.

Mosquito-Borne Diseases: How These Insects Pose A Serious Danger

The list of diseases caused by mosquitoes in Houston is a long one, though the specific diseases depend on the type of mosquito and your location. In the United States, mosquitoes can potentially spread West Nile virus, Jamestown Canyon virus, and Eastern equine encephalitis. Outside of the country, mosquitoes can also spread dengue, malaria, yellow fever, and Zika virus.

As a general rule, you don’t want to risk your health by letting mosquitoes bite you freely, making it all the more important to handle mosquito infestations as they arise. If you or someone you know is experiencing serious symptoms shortly after being bitten by a mosquito, please contact a medical professional as soon as you can. 

The Key To Mosquito Control: Proactive Measures For Prevention

To keep mosquitoes away, here are some proactive prevention tips that can get rid of mosquitoes before they even have time to establish themselves around your house: 

  • Get rid of standing water of any kind. If there’s water around your home that’s sitting stagnant, there’s a high chance it will become a breeding ground for mosquitoes.  
  • Keep cinnamon, cedar, and lavender scents around the house. This is one of the natural ways to repel mosquitoes, as they don’t like these scents and naturally avoid them.  
  • Don’t leave your windows or doors open, especially in the summertime. 
  • When spending time outdoors around sunrise or sunset, wear long clothing that covers most of your skin. 
  • Keep some insect repellant in a convenient location for outdoor activities. 

Follow these tips on a regular basis to keep mosquitoes away for the long term. If you don’t give the mosquitoes any reasons to visit your home, then they’ll have to look somewhere else to do their feeding and lay their eggs.

Total Mosquito Control: How Professionals Ensure Long-Lasting Results

All-Safe Pest & Termite can provide you with fast and efficient mosquito control to keep your home and your backyard free of these pesky pests. We can easily identify factors that are attracting mosquitoes to your home and take action to resolve these factors. We can also provide ongoing protection to make sure that the mosquitoes won’t be returning later in the season.

Contact us to learn more and schedule a visit so that we can help keep you and your family safe from mosquitoes now and in the future.

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