The Most Effective Mosquito Management Method For Your Fort Worth Yard

When the days get longer, mosquitoes in Texas come out to play. Do mosquitoes like certain blood types? What plants repel mosquitoes? Here's what Fort Worth homeowners should know about identifying mosquitoes, how dangerous their bites can be, how to repel mosquitoes from your yard, and the best form of mosquito and pest control in Fort Worth.

How To Identify A Mosquito

What do mosquitoes look like? Less than half an inch in length, adult mosquitoes have narrow, oval-shaped bodies and long, needle-like proboscises that they use to sniff out potential targets – and pierce the skin. While most mosquitoes fit this general description, there are also different types of mosquitoes in Texas, including:

• Asian-tiger mosquitoes: Known to carry the Zika virus, you may also hear Asian tiger mosquitoes called Aedes mosquitoes.

• Anopheles mosquitoes: Found in every state in the United States, Anopheles mosquitoes spend plenty of time in Texas. They're most active during dusk and dawn, and they're known to carry malaria.

• Culex mosquitoes: These mosquitoes tend to be more active during the evening and have the potential to spread the West Nile virus to their hosts.

These mosquitoes may be difficult to identify, but regardless of the species, you'll want to keep them away from your Fort Worth yard.

Mosquito Bites Can Be More Than Just Itchy

Are mosquitoes dangerous or just a nuisance? While many people would probably classify mosquitoes as an annoyance, these pests are actually considered the most dangerous animal in the world – and for good reason.

Mosquitoes can transmit dangerous diseases to you when they bite, and while not all mosquitoes carry disease, there's always the risk of transmission. Some of the most common mosquito-borne illnesses that these insects may carry include:

• West Nile virus

• Yellow fever

• Dengue fever

• Chikungunya virus

• Zika virus

• Malaria

In addition to these illnesses that put humans at risk, mosquitoes can also harm livestock and dogs by transmitting heartworm disease. While the diseases listed above can put anybody at risk, there's also a small percentage of the population that may be allergic to mosquitoes. This is called Skeeter syndrome, and it can occur when you're allergic to the protein that mosquitoes inject into your skin.

The allergic reaction to mosquito bites can range from moderate to severe. If you suspect you may have Skeeter syndrome or a mosquito-borne disease, you should seek medical attention promptly.

How To Make Your Yard Less Attractive To Mosquitoes

While some people may expect to encounter mosquitoes during Fort Worth's scorching hot summers, there could be a reason why you're finding them more than usual. Certain factors can attract mosquitoes to your Fort Worth yard, such as:

• Standing water: Mosquitoes are always on the lookout for somewhere to breed, and they have a strong preference for laying their eggs in standing water. If your property or yard contains a birdbath, decorative pond, flooded gutters, or another source of standing water, you may be luring these pests in.

• Flowering plants: While female mosquitoes need blood to nourish their eggs, adult mosquitoes also feed on the sweet nectar from flowering plants. If you've got bright flowers or a thriving garden that's too close to your home, you could be laying out the perfect feast for nearby mosquitoes.

• Tall grass and weeds: Just like people, mosquitoes like to cool down or rest during the summertime, and the perfect place to do this is in shady, tall grass or weeds. Unkept yards or tall grass can look appealing to mosquitoes, and keeping up with regular lawn maintenance can help prevent this.

To help prevent mosquitoes in Fort Worth, you should remove any standing water sources on your property, be careful about the placement of your garden and what you plant, and get rid of tall grass and weeds that may provide shade.

The Best Mosquito Control Solution For Your Yard

You can use the tips above to help prevent more mosquitoes from laying their eggs or hanging around your property, but the best form of mosquito protection in Fort Worth is contacting All-Safe Pest & Termite. Not only can we drastically reduce mosquito problems around your Fort Worth property, but by keeping these critters away, we'll also be reducing your risk of contracting a mosquito-borne disease.

If you think your Fort Worth property has too many mosquitoes, don't wait any longer – call us today at All-Safe Pest & Termite to learn more about how our mosquito control treatments can help you.