Mosquito Control 101: Tackling An Infestation In Fort Worth

Wouldn't it be nice to live in a world without mosquitoes? Unfortunately, that doesn't look like it is going to happen any time soon. In the meantime, we have to do something about mosquitoes ourselves! Some things you can do yourself and some things are best left to the professionals. Join us as we consider mosquito control in a new way. Let's look at how mosquitoes behave in your yard, how they impact your life, and some natural ways to get rid of mosquitoes in your yard. Then, we will tell you what your All-Safe Pest & Termite team can do for you, and why the methods we use get results. If you want to know firsthand how effective our seasonal mosquito control program is, consider contacting us. When you need Fort Worth pest control, we're the right choice.

The Life Cycle Of Common Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes are somewhat misunderstood. When mosquitoes come into your yard, it helps to know what they're doing out there and how they develop from baby mosquitoes in water to buzzing pests hunting for someone to bite. Let's begin by looking at male and female mosquitoes and the primary reason they enter your yard.

Do you know that mosquitoes eat nectar and plant sap? They don't sustain themselves on blood. In fact, male mosquitoes don't draw blood at all. Only females bite, and they do so to acquire what they need for reproduction. So, male and female mosquitoes are on the hunt for nectar and plant sap much more than someone to bite, but when a female mosquito gets a blood meal, she is able to create eggs and lay them in your yard, and those eggs hatch into larvae.

Do you know that mosquitoes begin life as wiggly worms in stagnant water? It's true. They don't hatch as flying adults. So, you may stumble upon mosquitoes in a water source and not realize you're looking at mosquitoes. The larvae of mosquitoes are called wigglers. At about ¼ of an inch in length, you can see a wiggler. You're even more likely to see one because it will be wiggling in the water with 99 of its siblings. A female mosquito lays about a hundred eggs at a time. It only takes one female mosquito to create a swarm of mosquitoes in your yard if those wigglers grow up and become flying adults.

Do you know that adult mosquitoes dry out easily in the sun? Once adult mosquitoes take to the air, they tend to stay in humid vegetation where they get three things they need. First, the vegetation blocks the sun, so they don't overheat and become dehydrated. Second, the moisture and humidity in the vegetation provide a water source and hydration to sustain life. Third, male and female mosquitoes can find food from flowers and plant stems. A female mosquito will use the same mouthparts to draws sap out of a stem as she does blood out of your skin.

Do you know that mosquitoes are likely to stay in your yard? Male mosquitoes don't live long and have only one job. They make themselves available to the female mosquitoes for mating. Female mosquitoes stay close to the males so they can reproduce and generate eggs. Some mosquitoes won't travel more than a few hundred feet from where they hatch. So, when you go outside, and mosquitoes swarm you, those mosquitoes are your mosquitoes. They live on your property. That is actually good news because you can do something about them.

Mosquitoes seem mysterious, but they really aren't. They are motivated by food, like all of the other pests that enter your yard. They are always thinking about reproduction for the continuance of their species, like all the other pests in your yard. You can disrupt this process and drive them away, or limit their ability to grow a population. Before we tell you how, let's quickly look at why it is so important to get rid of mosquitoes.   

Mosquitoes Can Take The Joy Out Of Your Outdoor Spaces

These insects are irritating pests. While you know that mosquitoes spread viruses and can harm you, the greatest reason to get rid of mosquitoes is to take your outdoor spaces back. Your yard has the potential to bring joy and relaxation to your life. Unfortunately, there is a common belief that it isn't possible to rid a yard of mosquitoes. If you believe this, you may not try, or you may continue to do the things that don't work. If you want to get back to enjoying your yard, it is important to understand that torches, candles, spray, mosquito-repelling plants, and other repellents aren't going to get you there. They aren't effective. You have to target the life cycle of mosquitoes and prevent mosquito development. Let's turn our attention to the meat of our subject today. Let's look at the factors that attract mosquitoes and what you can do to tackle a mosquito infestation in your Fort Worth yard.    

Factors That Attract Mosquitoes To Your Property

We discussed the primary attractant that brings mosquitoes onto your property. Do you remember what it is? Yes. Nectar and plant sap. But, you may wonder, "Don't mosquitoes just wander into my yard randomly?" They may do this. But there are two reasons why nectar and plant sap increase your odds of having mosquito problems.

• Mosquitoes aren't going from yard to yard and moving about in your neighborhood. If they enter your yard, they'll do so from a neighboring yard. But, they need to have a reason to do this. If your yard has lawn weeds, you may invite mosquitoes into your yard. 
• Mosquitoes have poor eyesight and can't see the flowers in landscaping that line your walls, but they are sure to see flowering weeds on the edge of your property. They'll follow these until they get to your landscaping.

Nectar and plant sap isn't the only attractant that brings mosquitoes into your yard. There are a few more to consider.

Carbon Dioxide: If you have a party in your backyard, mosquitoes will detect the carbon dioxide your guests exhale. They can sense it from a distance. 

Light: Mosquitoes in Fort Worth are attracted to light. While they don't have great eyesight, they can see silhouettes of dark and bright contrast and are lured to them.

Moisture: On a damp day, mosquitoes may go farther from the location where they hatched. If female mosquitoes wander into your yard, they may look for stagnant water reservoirs and lay eggs.

Vegetation: If you have tall grass, piles of leaves, and other moist vegetation in your yard that provide hiding places for mosquitoes, these can invite mosquitoes onto your property.

Some attractants are easy to address. Some require effort. And, of course, some are impossible to address. The best you can do is the best you can do. But, once you've done what you can to remove attractants, the next step will finish the job.

What's The Best Way To Get Rid Of Mosquitoes Around My Yard?

Imagine a yard that doesn't offer any options for female mosquitoes to lay eggs. If mosquitoes can't lay hundreds of eggs and create swarms in your yard, your yard is resistant to a mosquito infestation, right? You can work toward removing stagnant water resources on your own. That is a great first step, and depending on the mosquito pressures in your yard and conducive conditions, it may reduce mosquito activity below your threshold of comfort. Often, more is needed, particularly in Fort Worth. When you get professional mosquito control to keep mosquitoes away, there are a few benefits.

• Your professional can treat mosquito breeding sites with larvicide that will prevent mosquito development.
• Your professional can treat your landscaping and other key areas with a product that has insect growth regulators. These prevent mosquitoes from developing and work to knock down adult mosquitoes. 
• Your professional will routinely reset your yard and return it to a no-fly-zone for mosquitoes.

If you choose All-Safe Pest & Termite, you'll get the best mosquito protection possible. We offer installation of the In2Care System. In2Care traps offer female mosquitoes desirable breeding sites. When they lay their eggs, they are exposed to the fungal spores in the trap. These spores will eventually stop the female mosquito in her tracks, but not until after she has spread the spores to other potential breeding sites in your yard. It is an amazing system. When combined with routine backpack sprayers, there is no better way to get control of mosquitoes in Fort Worth yards.

Are you ready to live that no-mosquito life? We're here to help you achieve it. You don't have to live with mosquitoes. They're not an inevitable fact of life. Contact us today to request mosquito control service for your property. We'll guide you toward the right solution for your specific needs and budget. Jump to our contact page and fill out the short form to get started, or text one of our agents. We're here to help!