Are empty puddles the answer to mosquito control?

April showers perhaps brought May flowers, but what else might they bring? If you guessed mosquitoes, you are correct!

There are times we long for a cooling spring or summer rain. It cuts the heat, clears the air, and helps our lawns and gardens thrive. When it comes to controlling mosquitoes around our homes, rain can be a challenge. Well, not necessarily rain itself, but what is left behind.

Puddles, puddles…go away!

It’s no secret that mosquitoes love the rainy season too. Have you ever wondered what makes us see more mosquitoes during seasons of precipitation? Let’s get into some mosquito semantics pertaining to their population explosions during rainy weather.

Mosquitoes love puddles – it’s where they lay their eggs. How many mosquito eggs can be in one puddle? Untold numbers! One mosquito can lay 100-200 eggs in one clutch. Perhaps more incredible than the number of eggs they produce, is the short timespan of incubation. Once a fertilized mosquito egg hits the water, it takes only 8 to 10 days for that egg to develop into a flying adult! Once female mosquitoes reach adulthood, they go in search of blood, which is required to fertilize their eggs. And so, they find their puddle of standing water in which to lay their 100-200 eggs.

If you have areas of standing water around your home, it’s time to get rid of them! And while large puddles are obvious areas of concern, it is important to note smaller ones too. Mosquitoes can lay a eggs in as little water as can be held in a bottle cap. Make it a habit to walk to moist areas of your property often. You have only a few days to rid your yard of the standing water before new mosquitoes emerge.

Here are some great ways to keep your yard puddle-free…or at least puddle-mediated!

• Look around your garden mulch, where ground animals or birds might dig to nest, and water might gather during rain.
• Check your sidewalk perimeter and areas on your concrete with indentations, where water can pool, including cracks.
• Look at planters and other decorative receptacles around your yard, which might have potential for holding water.
• If you have pool or other outdoor toys left out in the open, see that water is not allowed to gather in them for long. Try storing them out of the rain if possible. Empty wading pools after each use.
• Don’t forget to look up! Check your gutters for gathered leaves and debris, which cause puddling. Conversely, check downspouts.
• If you keep your pool covered, be sure to drain the gathered rainwater often.
• Clean up your lawn, deck, or porch after parties. Make sure that all garbage and recyclables are disposed of.
• Try to keep stored items of any type in a protected space. Be wary of storing items beneath open decks because water can still seep through and pool under them.

Entrust your Charlestown mosquito control to Mosquito Squad of Rhode Island.

Now is the time to consider calling in the mosquito control experts to augment your puddle remediation efforts! Mosquito Squad of Rhode Island offers EPA-registered mosquito control barrier protection mist for all the areas around your home. This treatment is the most effective offered by our company and can eliminate up to 90% of the mosquitoes in your yard for about three weeks. Once you receive your first mosquito treatment, your next mist will be automatically scheduled, so that there is no lapse in protection. You don’t even have to be home for our highly-trained technicians to treat your lawn! We will leave a door tag to let you know your yard had been treated. For more information about protecting your yard from the threat of mosquitoes, follow our 7 T’s of mosquito control.

Call on Mosquito Squad, America’s original and guaranteed mosquito control since 2005, to help control mosquitoes around your home. Call us today at (401) 825-0110 to begin your Charlestown mosquito control regime!