Whether you enjoy working in the garden, playing catch with the kids, or sharing a meal with friends, mosquitoes make it impossible to enjoy your outdoor space. These pests can be a problem year-round, but they are at their worst toward the end of summer into early fall. If you are tired of fighting these buzzing pests, this blog is for you.
Mosquitoes are sometimes confused with other small, flying insects, so we'll start by describing how to identify them at a glance. We'll also review the risks of biting mosquitoes around your property and provide some expert tips to help keep them away from your yard. Learn more about mosquito control in the Bay Area with the pros at Bay Pest.
Mosquito Or Not? How To Identify Them At A Glance
When you're outside enjoying the day, and a small buzzing fly lands on your skin, it's easy to assume the pest is a mosquito. But several types of bugs look like mosquitoes in our area. Because mosquitoes can carry dangerous illnesses, and most of these other pests do not, it helps if you can identify them quickly.
Culex mosquitoes are the most common type in our area that spread disease. These mosquitoes are predominantly gray, with white, silver, green, or blue iridescent scales. Culex mosquitoes are between 1/4 and 3/8 of an inch long and are most active at dusk and dawn.
Other pests that are sometimes mislabeled mosquitoes include gnats and midges. You can usually differentiate them from mosquitoes because they swarm in groups, appearing like a cloud of bugs. Gnats and midges are also smaller than their mosquito cousins, being between 1/16 and 1/8 of an inch long.
If you have trouble identifying the pest on your property, the pros at Bay Pest are here to help. Contact us today with any questions about our services or to schedule your free inspection.
Mosquito Bites Can Spread Dangerous Diseases
Female mosquitoes, gnats, and midges all require a blood meal to lay their eggs. Mosquitoes are disease vectors, while gnats and midges in our area do not transmit illnesses to people. When a female mosquito takes a blood meal, she can also pick up pathogens from the host and then transfer that pathogen to the next person she bites.
Not every mosquito bite results in a disease, but they all can be carrying something. The following list includes the diseases carried by mosquitoes in the Bay Area:
- West Nile virus
- St. Louis encephalitis
- Japanese encephalitis
- Tularemia
- Dengue
- Chikungunya
The more mosquitoes you have on your property, the greater the chance of illness. Bay Pest offers pest control services in the Bay Area to reduce the number of mosquitoes in your yard significantly. Contact us today to learn more about our services or to request a free estimate.
Proactive Tips To Prevent Mosquitoes Around Your Yard
The internet offers a variety of tricks to keep mosquitoes away, including special candles, sticking dryer sheets in your pockets, and an array of essential oils. If you have been trying these ideas, you already know they don't help.
Here are some pro tips to prevent mosquitoes around your yard:
- Fill in low areas in the yard where puddles form to remove breeding sites.
- Check the yard regularly for containers holding water and empty them.
- Inspect your gutters to ensure they are free-flowing.
- Periodically refresh the water in birdbaths and kiddie pools.
- Keep the grass short and remove excess vegetation to reduce shady resting areas.
The most effective way to keep mosquitoes away from your yard is to work with a local company like Bay Pest. Contact us today to learn more or to schedule your free inspection.
The Ultimate Mosquito Control Solution For Your Property
If you have been searching for a solution to your mosquito problem, look no further. Bay Pest offers monthly mosquito treatments that can significantly reduce their populations. Nothing can entirely eliminate these pests, but the fewer mosquitoes around your property, the safer everyone will be.
Our service technicians will first inspect your property, searching for potential breeding sites and conducive environments for mosquitoes. Then we use a fogging system to treat your foliage and areas under leaves where they will breed. Contact us today at Bay Pest to learn more about our residential and commercial pest control services in the Bay Area or to schedule your free inspection and reclaim your yard from these dangerous pests.