City, county, and state governments allocate funds each year for mosquito spraying. This normally keeps the population down to manageable levels in most areas of the United States – but what happens during an emergency or disaster, when local services may be interrupted or discontinued?
This is an especially important question today due to the Zika virus, which is spread through mosquito bites.
Hikingware.com explains a little bit more about these critters, and what you can do, during both normal times and during emergencies, to eradicate their impact in your neighborhood:
Mosquitoes can breed in any standing water, but they are particularly drawn to standing water with lots of organic debris. Nasty water is a common place to find mosquito larvae. During the summer months you can verify a water source's mosquito content by dipping a cup into the stagnant water. Look for mosquito larvae in the cup. The larvae are about the size of a fingernail and they squiggle around.
To eliminate mosquito breeding sites, begin with obvious areas and empty the water from them. These sites include: old tires, buckets, wheel barrows, and clogged gutters. Keep an eye on birdbaths, and replace the water at least once a day; when not in use, make sure to turn the bowl upside down to keep water from accumulating in it. Flower pots and the saucers that they sit on are often over-looked so check these. In-ground pool drains remove water from the pool decking and they are often full of water. The pool drains aren't easily emptied, but they can be treated with either baking soda or white vinegar to kill the larvae. Usually 3 tablespoons of baking soda, or a half pint of vinegar will do the trick.
Adult mosquitoes are commonly found in bushes and shrubs because they feed on plant nectar. Females need a blood meal in order to produce new eggs. They feed on people by following the scent of our exhaled carbon dioxide, our body heat, and a complex blend of scents found on human skin.
To get rid of adult mosquitoes spray the foliage of bushes and shrubs with a residual insecticide. If you have qualms about the chemicals in a residual insecticide you can use sulfur powder or diatomaceous earth.
When applying insecticides to plants, try to avoid spraying the flowers and blooms. This will minimize the insecticides impact on pollinating insects such as bees, butterflies, and moths. After a proper application, you can expect to start seeing results within two to four weeks.
It is a good idea to keep mosquito repellent stocked year-round. But did you know that you can get a mosquito repellent not just for your skin, but for your yard? It comes in the form of pellets you sprinkle in the grass which give off a scent that confuses mosquitoes so they can’t locate their human prey. Most larger hardware stores and home centers stock such pellets.
Finally, remember that biting mosquitoes are most active at sunrise and sunset, so if you are in an area that has experienced the Zika virus, Dengue fever, or malaria, make sure you minimize your time outdoors during those periods.
