It’s Wet and Warm and Louisville Mosquitoes Couldn’t Be Happier!

That’s an awfully peppy title for what isn’t the happiest of news. But happy or not it’s a fact! The latest persistent rain followed by temperatures in the high 80s and into the 90s is just the weather those little pesky biters love! 

The blog Mosquito.buzz tells us exactly what effects weather has on mosquito activity, although it’s not exactly a secret that wet weather in spring is going to lead to a summer full of mosquitoes. Lots of rain, leaving puddles and containers full of water make for great breeding grounds for mosquitoes. In fact, a female mosquito only needs about an inch of water to lay anywhere from 100-200 eggs. Mosquitoes also like hot weather and in extreme temperatures, they tend to bite more looking for blood and water. Mosquitoes also transmit viruses more efficiently in warm weather. Oh great. Well, we have water and heat here in Kentucky right now so we have and will have mosquitoes, there is no doubt.

You Can Take Control of Mosquitoes

Now to the good news. There are ways you can take control of your surroundings and keep the mosquito population down, but you have to be diligent. Cleaning up the yard is not a one-time thing you do at the beginning of spring. At Mosquito Squad of Louisville, we suggest following the 5Ts of mosquito-proofing your yard every time it rains. No matter how many times you empty out the little things that might hold water, if they remain outside they will continue to fill up and remember… they only need one inch to hatch new mosquitoes.

Keeping your grass short is awfully helpful too, thick grass holds water underneath. Grass clippings, brush, any yard waste needs to be removed. A clean yard, clear of standing water is less likely to be attractive to breeding mosquitoes and overall a nicer place to spend your time. There are other places you’ll want to consider checking as well, maybe places you haven’t thought of. Gutters that aren’t cleared as they should be will hold water if they become clogged with leaves. This is the perfect place for laying eggs. Septic tanks are also a great place for mosquito larvae to thrive. They are warm and have plenty of organic material for the mosquitoes to feed on. Check for cracks and compromised seals. By the time you realize your septic tank has mosquitoes, there could literally be thousands living there.

The realization that we have a heavy mosquito season coming is not a pleasant one but it doesn’t have to be hopeless either. Diligence in keeping your own yard free of the places that harbor mosquitoes will not only make your yard a more pleasant place to be but it will spill over into your community. Work with your neighbors to create a community effort in lowering the entire mosquito population. At Mosquito Squad of Louisville, we also believe that in this time of heavy mosquito activity you really can’t and shouldn’t try to fight it alone. Professional mosquito control can make all the difference in how much you are affected by a busy mosquito season. If you would like to know how, give us a call. Mosquito season may be a fight this year, but you do not have to fight it alone.