Rain and warming temperatures are the perfect recipe for Mosquitoes to begin arriving in NOVA! There are several environmentally respectful ways to control mosquitoes in your outdoor living space while also provide protection for you, your family and your pets from not only the annoyance, but the dangerous diseases, mosquitoes bring.
After reading this post, be sure to contact the Pros at ProLawn at 540.662.8316 with any questions or to find out more about Organic-based Mosquito Control and Prevention Programs.
2018 a Boon for Mosquitoes in Virginia
By October, rainfall was 14 inches above normal. No doubt that contributed to an uptick in the reporting of mosquito-borne illnesses, such as 38 West Nile virus cases statewide, with 7 in NOVA alone.
While those infected with West Nile can experience severe fever, disorientation, vision loss, seizures, paralysis, or even death, most people never experience the symptoms to the degree that they associate headaches, body aches, joint aches, vomiting, diarrhea, or rash with a mosquito bite. In other words, it’s possible hundreds, if not thousands, of people across the state were bitten by mosquitoes carrying the West Nile virus last year.
The gist of mosquito control is interrupting the reproduction cycle. Mosquitoes migrate just like birds, hence the “sudden” arrival of adult mosquito swarms with rising temperatures and rainy weather. Suppressing egg production subsequently stifles larvae growth, which means significantly reducing the adult population to lay eggs in the next 28-day cycle. Reduced, not eradicated. So, multiple applications are necessary throughout the growing season.
The questions is, can you effectively protect your family and your pets while being environmentally responsible at the same time? You bet. How?
By applying organic-based oils on landscape beds, along the perimeter of your property and throughout the entire lawn. Unlike harsh chemicals, these oils put a protective barrier around your outdoor living space that interrupts the mosquito’s reproduction cycle without harming you, your family, your pets, or the environment.
Additionally, the Virginia Department of Health offers the following suggestions to keep mosquitoes away.
Use Insect Repellent
When used as directed, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents are proven safe and effective, even for children and pregnant or breastfeeding women. Use an EPA-registered insect repellent with one of the following active ingredients:
DEET
Picaridin
IR3535
Oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE)
Para-menthane-diol (PMD)
2-undecanone
Cover up
Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants.
Keep mosquitoes outside
Use air conditioning, or intact window and door screens. If you are not able to protect yourself from mosquitoes inside your home or hotel, sleep under a mosquito bed net.
Eliminate mosquito breeding habitats
Tip, toss, and cover items that hold water, such as tires, buckets, planters, toys, pools, birdbaths, flowerpots, or trash containers at least once a week.
For even more info on Organic Mosquito Control, read our blog from last summer!
