What is Attracting Mosquitoes to My Home?
Upon learning that mosquitoes have invaded your home and the space around it, you likely want to remove them as soon as possible. Not only are mosquitoes annoying, but they also carry diseases that are potentially fatal to humans, such as West Nile virus. If mosquitoes are entering your home, the problem is probably coming from outside. Fortunately, when you can identify what is luring mosquitoes to your yard, you can remove the attractants from your yard and enjoy your space once again.
Factors that Attract Mosquitoes Outside
You may have certain items around the home and yard that are attracting mosquitoes without even realizing it. Mosquitoes will likely enter your yard, and perhaps even your home, if there are:
- Flowers: Although most people understand that mosquitoes feed off of blood from a host, many also feast on nectar produced by flowers. If you have a lot of nectar-producing flowers in your yard or in your home, you may seen an increase of mosquitoes.
- Standing water: Bird baths, forgotten toys, old tires, and clogged gutters can all contain standing water. Mosquitoes require standing water to breed and so, if it is present in your yard, you will also have more mosquitoes. Other places that standing water can collect include troughs, leaky faucets, and plants that do not have proper drainage.
- Grassy areas: Tall grass, bushes, and weeds provide protection for mosquitoes from the sun during the day. At night, when it is cooler, the mosquitoes will emerge and become more of a pest, and disturbing the grassy areas can also cause mosquitoes to come out and bite.
- Zappers: Many homeowners purchase bug zappers for their outdoor space, but these devices can actually attract mosquitoes to your yard. They are highly ineffective, killing only about eight of the bugs that are attracted to the space, and mainly kill male mosquitoes, which do not bite.
When any of these attractants are outside, mosquitoes can easily come in and invade your home, as well.
Factors that Attract Mosquitoes to You
It is not only certain factors such as standing water and grassy areas that attract mosquitoes to your yard. Humans are also very attractive to mosquitoes by their very nature. The factors that attract mosquitoes to you when you are trying to enjoy your yard include:
- The heat you generate
- Drinking alcohol, as this increases your core temperature
- Sweat, as mosquitoes use it for moisture
- Your breath, which contains CO2 and attracts mosquitoes
- Certain types of clothing, such as that which is brightly colored or dark in color
Our Missouri Mosquito Control Specialists can Help with Your Problem
Although removing the attractants from your yard can help reduce the mosquito population around your home, sometimes those measures are just not enough. If you have an infestation, our St. Charles mosquito control specialists are here to help. At Amco Ranger, our technicians will identify the source of the problem so we know where to spray to effectively eliminate the problem. Our mosquito control measures have been proven to drastically reduce the number of pests in your yard. Call us today at (636) 223-8214 to schedule a free inspection so we can get started on your problem today.