Mosquitoes

What are mosquitoes?

Mosquitoes are a type of fly and are part of the Culicidae family. An insect that bites and feeds on the blood of people and other warm-blooded animals, mosquitoes are unwanted pests. The loud buzzing sound a mosquito’s wings produce often alert a person of their presence just before being bitten. Because of their annoying buzzing, itchy bites, and the serious mosquito-borne illnesses they can spread, mosquitoes can ruin any outdoor event or time spent enjoying your backyard when they arrive.

mosquito on grass

The main characteristics of mosquitoes include:

A thin, oval-shaped body that is typically brown or black; some may have white or other colored markings.
Long, extended sharp mouthpart used to pierce the skin of its victim and suck out the blood.
Delicate fast-moving wings.
Long thin legs that dangle below the body when flying.
Only females need a blood meal to produce eggs.
Mosquitoes pick-up and transmit the diseases and parasites they carry through their saliva.

Are mosquitoes dangerous?

The most common reaction after being bitten by a mosquito is itching and swelling at the bite site. When a person or animal scratches at the bites, there is always the possibility of a secondary infection developing.

Labeled as the most dangerous animal in the world, mosquitoes spread deadly and debilitating diseases. While not all mosquitoes are infected with disease, many are, which makes them dangerous and unwanted in our yards and near our families. According to the CDC, some of the other diseases that mosquitoes spread in the United States include:

West Nile Virus
Chikungunya Virus
Dengue Virus
Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus
St. Louis Encephalitis

Mosquitoes carry and transmit parasitic heartworms to dogs and cats. Heartworm disease is a serious and life-threatening condition for pets. Work with your pet’s veterinarian to place your pets on heartworm preventative to keep them safe.

Why do I have a mosquito problem?

The weather dramatically affects mosquito populations causing them to be more or less problematic for people. Thriving in hot, humid weather, mosquitoes are most challenging during the late spring, summer, and early fall seasons.

Mild, wet winters often lead to many overwintering mosquitoes (adults or larvae) surviving and allowing large mosquito populations to develop quickly in the spring. Summers with lots of rain provide plenty of breeding sites for mosquitoes to utilize.

Things that attract mosquitoes to a property include:

Dense vegetation and tall grass that provides resting spots for mosquitoes.
Any amount of standing water.
Gardens and flowering vegetation—the primary food source for both males and females is plant nectar and pollen.

Where will I find mosquitoes?

Mosquitoes are most active at dawn and dusk. Females find their warm-blooded food sources by scent, heat given off by the body, or exhaled carbon dioxide. Areas where dense populations of mosquitoes gather include:

Wooded areas
Yards
Fields and meadows
Near ponds, marshes, and other bodies of standing water
Pools

Properties that have or are located near breeding sites (standing water) are where you find large numbers of mosquitoes. Mosquitoes tend to stay near where they were hatched; therefore, it is safe to say the more places on your property where mosquitoes can lay their eggs, the more mosquitoes you will have using you, your family, and pets as a food source.

How do I get rid of mosquitoes?

By eliminating breeding sites and completing monthly treatments, we can significantly reduce the number of mosquitoes living, feeding, and reproducing on your Arizona, Texas, Utah, or Colorado property. Mosquitoes are pests that can make enjoying your outdoor space impossible, but by working together, your backyard will become yours once again.

At White Knight Pest Control, our experienced professionals control mosquitoes with products that provide residual protection and suppress mosquito activity for up to 30 days, offering a reliable solution to your property’s mosquito problem. If you would like to live in a backyard not overrun by biting mosquitoes, call us today and learn more about our Monthly Mosquito Service!

How can I prevent mosquitoes in the future?

At White Knight Pest Control, we will help you prevent problems with mosquitoes through our regular treatments. In conjunction with our outdoor pest control services, the following prevention tips will help you keep mosquitoes out of your Texas, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, or Oklahoma home!

Eliminate entry points: Make sure that any open windows and doors have secure screens on them to stop mosquitoes from getting inside and biting you.
Limit resting areas: Keep grass cut short, cut back overgrown trees, and remove overgrown landscaping.
Eliminate standing water: Store containers that collect water like buckets, water dishes, and plant pots upside down when not in use. Remove natural containers like tree stumps from your yard. Fill in low-lying areas of your yard. Keep tight-fitting lids on rain barrels, trashcans, and recycling bins. Keep gutters free of debris.
Maintain water features: If you have a pool or manmade pond, make sure the water is circulating. Also, ensure the water is treated with the proper amounts of chemicals.