Six Easy Ways To Reduce Mosquitoes Around Bay Area Properties

Mosquitoes in the Bay Area can be merciless. If you go out into your yard and find yourself fighting off mosquitoes all the time, we have good news for you. There are some easy ways you can reduce mosquitoes around your home or business. Here's what works and why.

1. Getting Rid Of Containers

When you walk around in your yard, do you notice objects that are capturing rainwater? This might be a toy dump truck left in the yard, a kiddie pool, a cup left on the deck, a bucket used for work projects, or any number of other things. If water sits for more than a week, mosquitoes can develop in these locations. One female mosquito can lay a hundred mosquitoes in an old tire or a clogged gutter. Containers are a serious threat to the safety of your family because the hundreds of mosquitoes that hatch in your yard can present a disease threat as they bite squirrels, mice, rats, raccoons, birds and other animals, and then bite you. If you're able, remove containers from your yard to reduce mosquito populations.

2. Reduce Moisture

Some mosquito species breed on damp ground. If you want to reduce mosquitoes, you have to consider conditions that lead to ground saturation. The drier you can make your yard and landscaping, the more resistant your yard will be to mosquitoes. Obviously, you can't keep it completely dry because your plants need moisture. And there really isn't anything you can do about a long stretch of rainy days. But, just because you can't get complete control of moisture doesn't mean you shouldn't try. Every little bit counts.

• Take a few minutes to get out into your landscaping and trim your shrubs and bushes. This helps air move through your vegetation to keep things dry.
• Water the plants in your landscaping in the early morning. The water your plants need will sink into the ground and the sun will dry the topsoil as the day begins.
• Cleaning your gutters will not only remove containers of water, it will prevent your foundation perimeter from becoming oversaturated. This is a difficult task, so you might want to hire someone to come and clean your gutters for you. We recommend investing in gutter guards to prevent debris from getting into your gutters. This will remove the cost of having your gutters cleaned and keep water flowing down and away from your property.
• Trim tree canopy where it is needed. It is nice to have shade on your property but too much shade can lead to dampness.

3. Get Rid Of Extra Vegetation

When vegetation becomes overgrown, it can increase moisture. It is important to keep your lawn and landscaping trimmed. But even more important than this is the removal of unnecessary plants. Mosquitoes feed on nectar and plant sap. The more plants you have, the more food you have. Pluck up weedy plants and get rid of unwanted grasses. Trim, neat, and dry landscaping will resist mosquitoes.

4. Plant Some Mosquito-Resistant Plant Species

This tip is a little confusing. We're not saying that you can plant mosquito-repellent plants in your landscaping and keep mosquitoes from ever visiting your property. We're suggesting that you plant mosquito-resistant plants to increase your resistance to mosquitoes. Vegetation, such as lemon balm, catnip, citronella, lavender, marigold, pennyroyal, and many more, have a scent that mosquitoes don't like. If the scent is strong enough, it can keep mosquitoes away. But it takes a strong breeze to activate the scent. Or you have to rub them with your hand. Just keep this in mind. This tip isn't the end-all for mosquito control. These plants are a part of a very large picture.

5. Remove Plants That Attract Mosquitoes

This is more important than tip number four. Flowers, flowering plants, and plants that develop in water sources, such as hyacinths, lilies, and water lettuce, should be considered for removal. If it is undesirable to remove these plants, look into having these locations treated with a larvicide that prevents mosquito development.

6. Professional Treatments

The easiest way to reduce mosquitoes in your yard, and also the most effective way, is to contact Bay Pest and invest in mosquito reduction services. We'd love to talk with you about this. Reach out to us today. We're standing by to assist you.