Control Methods

Mosquitoes take about seven days to complete their life cycle. The first three stages in this cycle are aquatic. Therefore, the best way to prevent mosquito breeding is to remove stagnant water. This can be accomplished in a number of ways.

Physical Control

Remove items that hold stagnant water. Dispose of all open containers in covered receptacles, get rid of old tires, always check for any standing water and either cover or invert the items to drain. Change water for birdbaths, pet containers and flowerpots on a weekly basis. Store wading pools and toys after each use to prevent water from becoming stagnant.

Mechanical Alteration

This might be as simple as opening a drain plug in the bottom of a boat, drilling a small drain hole in the bottom of a tire swing or a barbeque grill, or some other physical method to prevent water from standing in a container. When it is not possible to drain or otherwise remove a standing water source, the placement of a larvacide into the water or into an area where water collects and stands after a rain may control some mosquitoes before they emerge.

Cultural

Proper mowing and trimming techniques reduce the resource areas required by mosquitoes for resting sites. Therefore, less treatment will be required to control the adult mosquitoes. Ditches can be drained or culverts installed to move water away from the site to be protected. Low spots can be filled in to prevent standing water. Water holding plants, such as bromeliads, should be planted in pots that can be turned upside down to drain water from the plants as needed.

Treatment

A proper treatment regimen is important for the control of mosquitoes after source reduction efforts and cultural control practices are utilized. Treatment methods include the use of larvacides to prevent adult mosquitoes from emerging and the use of adulticides to knock down adult populations and establish barriers for ongoing mosquito reduction.

During the larval and pupal stages, the developing mosquitoes are confined to their watery site until they emerge as adults. The application of a larvacide product to the water site during this period of development may result in large numbers of larvae being controlled before the adult mosquito is free to fly off.

Potential treatment areas for mosquito larvacides include birdbaths, urns, tree holes, old tires, rain barrels, water gardens, flower pots, roof gutters, pool covers, ornamental fountains, abandoned swimming pools or other water holding receptacles. When used as directed, larvacides will not adversely affect humans, animals, fish or vegetation. Mosquito larvacides are also used to treat larger areas such as ponds, lakes and ditches that contain large volumes of water.

Adult mosquitoes can fly freely to any non-protected place. Ultra Low Volume (ULV) treatments can be rendered to quickly reduce adult populations of mosquitoes in limited areas for short periods of time. Barrier treatments with residual products provide longer lasting controls to areas where mosquitoes hide and rest.

ULV treatments are helpful in circumstances warranting quick knock down for short time periods, such as before parties, weddings, picnics and other special occasions. Timing of the applications is critical to the success of the program (night flyers vs. day flyers).

ULV treatments place an extremely fine aerosol in the air, which floats with the breeze to contact and knock down adult mosquitoes. "Fogging" in this manner is an excellent way to clear a large area of adult mosquitoes because the aerosol floats into almost every nook and cranny. However, once the aerosol has floated through the area, there is no longer any control left. How long this control lasts - a few hours to a few days - depends on several factors, including knowledge of how, when, where and why to apply the product, climatic conditions and other parameters which may not be able to be directly controlled by the applicator.

Barrier control is one of the more effective and longer lasting methods of mosquito reduction. It readily lends itself to large areas or to small back yards. Years ago it was discovered that by applying a perimeter strip of barrier protection, mosquitoes (while capable of flying over the barrier strip) resisted the treated area within the barrier. This proved extremely effective in areas like home yards.

Barrier controls are applied as a light mist with a sprayer - preferably one with a high-volume air blast to push the product into the foliage and other difficult to reach spots. The light mist is applied to grass, shrubbery, foliage, under shaded areas such as storage sheds and decks, around animal shelters, etc.

Mosquito treatments can reduce the potential exposure to mosquito bites and help prevent the spread of mosquito-borne illnesses.

Handy Andy Outdoors, LLC Mosquito Management Program is a proactive approach rather than a reactive approach in the reduction of mosquito breeding and resting sites.

With Handy Andy Outdoors, LLC mosquito treatment program, your lazy days of summer await you!