Minneapolis Spring Clean-up for Fewer Mosquitoes All Summer Long

Do you know how long the weather has to be warm before Minneapolis mosquitoes begin to multiply?

After just ten days of the weather reaching above 45 degrees, females will begin to seek blood meals and water sources for producing and laying eggs. If you’re waiting for the first 70-degree day to go clean up your yard of debris and standing water, you’re going to be way too late!

We Can All Do Our Part

Mosquito populations are not confined to each of our individual yards. Suburban and urban living requires us to be cognizant of how we affect our neighbors. When it comes to mosquito population growth, we should each do our part for “source elimination.” Source elimination refers to removing the resources vital for mosquitoes to multiply.

Not Just Water – Standing Water

The key resource for mosquito multiplicity is standing water. Lakes, ponds, and streams are moving large bodies of water that are home to many larger organisms that feed on mosquitoes. The more effective source is in standing water like buckets, bottle caps, puddles, clogged gutters and sewer drains, bird baths, rain gauges, open rain barrels, kids toys, and even hollows in trees that can hold rain water.

So you see, it is not as easy as making sure you don’t leave a bucket in the yard. There are many things that are inadvertently providing this vital source unseen or unnoticed. 

So get out there, find anything that could hold any amount of water. It could be a deep pile of leaves that retain moisture, a saucer under a potted plant, a tiny candy wrapper that is just the right shape, whatever it is, clean it up, tip it over, and throw it out. Do not forget to check ditches for proper drainage and trees for holes that need filling.

Read our 5T’s of mosquito control for more ideas of water holding items and make sure to share this with friends and neighbors. Post it on your HOA Facebook Group or NextDoor page so your neighbors can help you fight the bite!

Call Mosquito Squad of the Twin Cities today to gain further mosquito population reduction. Our mosquito control treatment will eliminate 85-90% of mosquitoes in your yard all season long.