They say everything is bigger in Texas, and sometimes it feels like that applies to the mosquitoes as well. They may not be any bigger, but they sure feel like more of a problem here than anywhere else. It’s a helpless feeling having mosquitoes on your property, and it makes us waste our potential for outdoor fun on our Austin properties. In this blog, the pros at White Knight will keep you in the loop about why mosquitoes are such a big problem for Austin residents, the threats they pose, and things you need to consider if you want to be able to protect yourself and your family when mosquitoes start buzzing around your home.
Real Mosquito Dangers In Austin
While mosquitoes can be a huge frustration on your property, these small winged pests with an affinity for human blood can actually be very dangerous as well. Most people who consider mosquitoes a simple nuisance like most other pests don’t consider the health hazards that a mosquito bite can bring with it. Did you know that one in every three hundred mosquito bites results in disease transferal? Those odds don’t sound too bad…until you think about how many times in your life you’ve been bitten by a mosquito.
More disturbingly, these diseases transferred by mosquitoes are far worse than the common cold. Mosquito bites have been known to transfer diseases like dengue, malaria, yellow fever, and worse. While the female mosquito is the only one who will bite humans, they can actually numb your skin as they feed on you, allowing them to feed for longer (which increases your risk of disease incursion).
Mosquitoes Play Favorites
Have you ever been hanging out with a group of people, and mosquitoes will just single out one or two to attack the most? That’s because female mosquitoes will play favorites and are much more attracted to certain people than others. For instance, mosquitoes love pregnant women, and they also prefer to attack people with type O blood.
Other things that can attract them to one person more than the next include:
- Dark clothing
- Heavily scented shampoos/perfumes
- Alcohol in the bloodstream
Now, you might not be able to control your blood type, but some of these are controllable. Whether you deal with mosquitoes on your property or not, it’s always wise to understand behaviors that can limit mosquito attraction, such as:
- Wearing light-colored clothing
- Avoiding dusk and dawn activities as these are the most active time for mosquitoes
- Limiting activities at places with lots of standing water and moist soil, as these more humid environments tend to attract higher mosquito populations
Protecting Your Property
Making mosquitoes less attracted to your own body is one thing, but keeping them off of your property entirely is much more difficult. Mosquitoes are very attracted to any amount of standing water since it creates an ideal breeding ground. These areas include:
- Backyard ponds
- Water features (such as fountains and birdbaths)
- Wheelbarrows
- Flowerpots
- Pet water bowls
While these provide a breeding ground, mosquitoes can exist in many other areas of your yard. Many homeowners make the mistake of thinking they can just limit the areas of standing water in the yard in order to get the mosquitoes to leave. This may work for a short time, but they will always come back to where their eggs and larvae are located.
That’s why the professional, guaranteed method for breaking the cycle involves treating the standing water for mosquitoes in order to prevent any larvae growth. Trying to take care of mosquito issues yourself will only lead to inconsistent results and increase your risk of incurring a dangerous disease.
For more advice or mosquito control assistance that works the first time, contact the professionals at White Knight Pest Control.