Seeing huge red mosquito bites can ruin your day. Mosquitoes are annoying and can carry harmful diseases such as Zika, malaria, dengue fever, and West Nile Virus. Thus, you need to take proactive steps to prevent mosquitoes from infesting your property or stop an active infestation. professionals at pointepest.com can offer the services you need to free your home of mosquitoes. While it may not be possible to eliminate mosquitoes completely, there are steps you can take to ensure you are prepared for the mosquito season.
What the Mosquito Season Can Bring
Spending time outdoors with your loved ones and friends is a great idea. However, you may need to retreat indoors during mosquito season to avoid getting bitten by these tiny pests. Mosquitoes will leave you itching and scratching. Also, they can be dangerous to people because of the possible diseases they can transmit. When mosquitoes bite you, they use their elongated mouthparts to pierce your skin. As mosquitoes feed on your blood, they will discharge their saliva into your bloodstream. When this happens, your body infuses the secreted saliva with an allergen. To get rid of the allergen, your immune system sends histamine to the bite area. Histamine causes bites from mosquitoes to itch and swell.
Steps to Take Before Mosquito Season
To prevent a mosquito infestation, you need to get rid of any standing water. Mosquitoes use this water to lay their eggs. Check for places such as ponds, bird baths, kiddie pools, and trash cans.
Clean the Drains and Gutters Regularly
Mosquitoes just need a small amount of water to breed. In fact, they can lay eggs in a can full of stagnant water. In winter, your gutters can be filled with clutter like leaves, debris, and dirt, blocking rainwater. To ensure the gutters do not accumulate rainwater, always keep them clean and free of debris.
Maintain the Yard
Your yard is home to possible hiding spots for mosquitoes to breed. Get rid of all old tires and unused toys to prevent water from accumulating in them. Unused planters and poorly maintained landscaping can become a perfect hiding spot for mosquitoes. Keep in mind that female mosquitoes can be drawn to less than one inch of water.
Stay Indoors
Mosquitoes can be active all year round. But they are more active in summer. Therefore, you can avoid extended activity from June to early September. Mosquitoes tend to be active during dawn and dusk. Thus, they must plan for activities to avoid such times. If it is not possible to avoid the outdoors during such times, long sleeves and pants should be worn to avoid bug bites. Mosquitoes are attracted to darker shades of color.
Reduce Indoor Plants
Houseplants are common in any house. But they need to be kept tidy and well-kept to avoid attracting mosquitoes. Some mosquitoes consume human blood and plant nectar. Thus, they will want to share with your house.
Some plants have properties that can fight mosquitoes. You should keep around catnip, horsemint, marigolds, lemon balm, and basil.
