It seems like mosquito breeding season never ends in Texas, so we must always prepare to do battle with these pesky bugs. So, what can you do to help get rid of the mosquitoes from your yard? We have a few suggestions on how to decrease the chances that mosquitoes will breed in your yard.
Understanding mosquitoes and their breeding cycles, habits and habitats can better help you prepare to defend against them. Let’s start with:
What You Should Know About Mosquito Breeding Cycles
Why are mosquitoes so prominent in your back yard? What is it about your yard that has the mosquitoes hovering around just waiting for that next bite?
The mating pattern of mosquitoes are quite intriguing since females only need to encounter a male mosquito once to mate and can produce eggs up to five times from that single encounter.
Once the female has mated with a male mosquito, she will rest for a few days before she finds the ideal location to lay her eggs. Female mosquitoes lay their eggs in water, marshes, swamps or anywhere that has enough moisture for their eggs. Where the females prefer to lay their eggs varies by species. Some lay their eggs singly or in clumps (rafts) directly on the water surface whereas others deposit them along the water edge. Other species may lay their eggs above the water line, where they will remain until a rain raises the water level, submerging the eggs and causing them to hatch. This last method is typically used by the Asian Tiger mosquito, which can be abundant in your yard because there are many places that females can lay their eggs.
As the eggs hatch, they will become larvae. As they grow, they will mature to the pupae and eventually the adult mosquito emerges from the mature pupae. The life cycle of the mosquito depends on the sex, species, weather conditions and much more. They can live anywhere from as little as a week to as long as several months, with some species able to overwinter as adults.
Backyard Mosquito Breeding Locations
Go in your backyard and really take a good look around, you will find a number of possible breeding locations because all it takes is a small amount of stagnant water for a female to lay her eggs. In order to reduce your mosquito numbers, you need to reduce the number of possible breeding grounds within your property. Simply eliminating stagnate water around your property should drastically reduce the number of mosquitoes.
Places to inspect for stagnant water
- Gutters (clogged or uneven that does not quickly eliminate the water)
- Corrugated down spout extensions
- Planters and pots
- Kids toys
- Areas around property that puddle after a rain
- Open trash cans or buckets
- Bird baths
- Anything that will hold water after a rain
After it rains, go out and inspect your property, and be sure to dump any standing water to prevent any potential mosquito breeding grounds.
How to Reduce Mosquitoes in Your Yard: DIY Versus Professional Pest Control Services
In addition to reducing stagnate water throughout your property, you can either take the route of professional mosquito control or the DIY route. Below are some options for DIY methods and professional mosquito control.
DIY Mosquito Control Methods
If you’d rather take a stab at tackling the mosquitoes in your yard yourself, here are a few options you can try:
- Mosquito Repellent Candles: Candles that include citronella may provide some short-term relief to your yard. However, these methods aren’t very effective on windy days.
- Natural Plants: If you’d rather not jump to pesticides, try planting Citronella, catnip, rosemary or marigolds on your property. They have not been scientifically proven effective, but they may provide some relief according to DIYers.
- Outdoor Bug Foggers (found at most major retailers): These can kill on contact and may provide temporary relief, but effectiveness varies. Must be used with EXTREME caution and follow ALL directions on the labels.
- Outdoor Bug Sprays (found at most major retailers): You can attach your hose to a concentrated bug spray and spray throughout your property, with primary focus on vegetation and shady areas. The effectiveness of the bug sprays may last longer than typical foggers, however, effectiveness of over-the-counter products haven’t been scientifically tested
Professional Mosquito Services
Many DIY methods may be a cheaper option. However, they aren’t as effective at removing the mosquitoes like hiring a professional pest control company would be.
While our services might be more expensive than DIY methods, we will get rid of the problem. We treat all mosquito resting sites on a property and either remove or treat resting water areas with a larvicide. Mosquitos can breed in stagnant water as small as a cap full of water, so that is a crucial part of the program.
Coastal Green’s seasonal mosquito service provides customers relief. You can start a seasonal treatment at any point, if it is within season, and it won’t jeopardize the effectiveness of the treatments. The treatments for mosquitoes are not cumulative like with many other pests.
Mosquitoes can ruin a lot of fun, summer activities, but you don’t have to let them. Using simple inspections for breeding grounds and having a mosquito service in place to protect your family and friends from the itchy, red bumps synonymous with Texas outdoor life, will help keep your kids and pets safe.
From October through November, we’re offering a SPECIAL on our NEW mosquito application service. 1 Application per month, at $35.00 for 3000 square feet or less – or $45 per month for up to 6000 sqft! Contact us today to find out more: 713-723-3950 or visit our website CoastalGreen.net