Mosquitoes are a major problem in some areas, causing several kinds of diseases like malaria. Controlling their population requires some vigilance. While there are conventional ways of doing this, like using insecticides, other less-common ways are related to tick control. This is because mosquito control can disrupt the tick cycle and vice versa. That’s why tick control servicescan be an effective long-term strategy for controlling the breeding of mosquitoes.
Why Control Mosquito Breeding?
In addition to malaria, mosquitoes are known to cause a host of other life-threatening conditions and diseases. For example, Western Equine Encephalitis (WEE) and Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) are two serious conditions spread by mosquitoes. These conditions can be life-threatening or, at the very least, can cause significant costs in terms of medical bills. That’s why controlling mosquito breeding is essential to ensuring a good living environment.
A mosquito has four stages in its life cycle. These include;
i) Egg
ii) Larva
iii) Pupa
iv) Adult mosquito
The larva stage is of particular importance. The larva lives in water. This is why a major strategy for controlling the breeding of mosquitoes involves ensuring that there is no stagnant water around the house.
Ways of Controlling Mosquito Breeding
While most methods of controlling the breeding of mosquitoes involve attacking the larva stage, several other methods involve attacking the adult mosquito directly. Below are the main methods of controlling mosquito breeding.
1) Removing Stagnant Water
Stagnant water is a major place where mosquito larvae tend to multiply. For instance, if you have empty containers around the house, they can provide the perfect breeding place for mosquito larvae if water accumulates in them. Rainwater can contribute to this problem. This is because rainwater can accumulate in unwanted areas like empty containers. Mosquitoes will then play their eggs there, thereby initiating the mosquito cycle. Similarly, things like flower pots can also be used by mosquitoes to breed. Always ensure that such places are free of water. Be vigilant in ensuring that there are no pools of water around the house.
2) Ensuring Fish Ponds and Pool Water are Running
Stagnant water is the perfect place for the breeding of mosquito larvae. In this regard, your swimming pool and fish pool can provide an ideal place for mosquito reproduction. The fish pool is particularly susceptible to mosquito breeding because it has no chemicals, unlike the swimming pool. Installing some features like a water agitator can help to ensure that your pool water isn’t stagnant. Regular maintenance of both the pool water and fish pool water can also help to mitigate mosquito breeding.
3) Using Mosquito Coil
While this may seem like an old trick, it is still effective if used correctly. A mosquito coil helps to keep mosquitoes out of a specific area of the house. When burned, a mosquito coil produces smoke that fans out words. This fanning out of the smoke helps to ensure that mosquitoes do not come into the area. Mosquito coil contains a chemical called pyrethrum, derived from a plant of the same name. It does not kill mosquitoes. Instead, It merely helps to keep them away, thereby reducing the chances of mosquito bites and laying their eggs.
4) Repairing Any Leaky Pipes or Faucets
Leaks in the house, whether from a faucet or a pipe, can lead to the pooling of water in unwanted areas. Such puddles of water can be used by mosquitoes to lay their eggs and multiply. Regular maintenance of your pipes and faucets is crucial to avoiding this problem. Resolve any water leaks as soon as they occur to prevent mosquito multiplication in such areas.
5) Avoiding Excessive Shrubbery Around the House
While having shrubs around the house can have its benefits, too many of them can be problematic as far as controlling mosquito breeding goes. Mosquitoes use thick bushes to hide in there. That’s why it’s always advisable to ensure that the shrubs around your house are kept neat and well maintained. This destroys the places where mosquitoes are likely to congregate and multiply.
6) Being Mindful of Outdoor Garbage Cans
Outdoor garbage cans will provide a place for mosquito breeding if they’re not well maintained. This is especially the case if watery waste is deposited there. It’s always advisable to keep such outdoor garbage cans well covered. Keeping such outdoor garbage cans covered ensures that things like rainwater do not accumulate inside and promote mosquito breeding.
7) Properly Storing Things Like Kiddie Pools and Pet Containers
If you have a kiddie pool at your house, it’s best to always keep it indoors when not in use. Similarly, Any containers used for pet feeding should be kept clean, dry, and indoors when not in use. This eliminates the possibility of water accumulation in them and mosquito breeding.
All in all, controlling mosquito breeding involves being very proactive in ensuring that there are no stagnant water pools in and around the house. Of course, there are crude methods like pouring oil on puddles of water which can be just as effective at controlling mosquito breeding.
