Who doesn’t love warm summertime weather? The barbecues, the water balloon fights, the mosquitoes…
Nothing’s worse than feeling like you can’t enjoy your time outside because you’ve got a mosquito problem outside your home. Particularly if you live in an area that gets humid as well as hot, mosquitoes are a fact of life. It’s important to know that mosquito control doesn’t just make your time outside more convenient, it can actually help keep you from getting sick.
Few Pests are as Deadly as the Mosquito
Mosquitoes are nasty pests and carry hundreds of dangerous diseases. Over the course of history, more people have been killed by diseases they contracted from mosquitoes than by every war that’s ever taken place. Malaria, the most well-known mosquito-borne disease, infects over 250 million people each year. Stateside, the biggest risks include encephalitis, West Nile virus, and Dengue fever.
Avoiding mosquitoes is hard: there are hundreds of blood-sucking species and they typically swarm when the weather’s most pleasant…exactly when you want to be outdoors! There are, of course, dozens of home remedies for mosquito control. Citronella candles are extremely popular and somewhat effective, although they only affect a small area and likewise for sonar bug repellents. On-skin sprays containing DEET work well, but their lifespan is limited and many people worry about the long-term effects of the chemical compounds contained.
Should You Consider Professional Mosquito Control?
In a word, yes. Keeping mosquitoes at bay for the evening may be convenient but it still leaves your family at risk of bites and your pets at risk of contracting heart-worm. Professional mosquito control actually helps eliminate egg colonies in your yard and keep large-scale infestations at bay.
Of course, you’ll want to do your best to make your yard an inhospitable place for mosquitoes to live by removing all standing water and food sources. Professional exterminators use cutting-edge barrier sprays that keep mosquitoes out of your yard. The best treatments leave undetectable residue on the plants in your yard mosquitoes like to eat. That way, if any survive the initial spray they’ll likely be eliminated soon after. These treatments work best when performed multiple times a season but they’re not invasive and can usually be done when you’re not even home.
Professional mosquito treatments are likely less expensive than you think and they typically work better than home remedies or temporary solutions. In some cases, you may actually be able to purchase a special package in conjunction with your neighbors that helps protect the whole area from the pests. Ask an exterminator about your options.
You should always take care to avoid mosquitoes outdoors and to watch bites closely to ensure they’re not infected. And, of course, if you experience any symptoms of illness after being bitten by a mosquito you should see your doctor immediately.