How to Prepare for Mosquito Season
1. Get Rid of Standing Water
As the rain falls — or snow melts — make sure you’re not allowing standing water to build up in overturned trashcan lids, old tires, plastic sheeting, kiddie pools, birdbaths and so forth. These serve as ideal mosquito breeding grounds. In addition, you’ll want to fix any leaking spigots that might be leading to puddles around the perimeter of your home. Any water that stands for more than a week can become a mosquito breeding site.
2. Keep Gutters and Drains Clear
Mosquitoes don’t need a deep pool of stagnant water to breed. In fact, they can lay eggs in as little as a bottle cap full of water. Many gutters become cluttered with pine straw and fallen leaves over the winter. Add that to melted snow and ice or built up rain water, and you have the perfect recipe for a mosquito breeding ground. Clear out your gutters so that any liquid can flow freely, and you can reduce the places in which mosquitoes can lay their eggs.
3. Maintain a Well-Kept Yard
Toss out any old tires or other debris that could collect water. You should also consider filling in or leveling off any dips in your yard that are prone to becoming puddles in rainy weather. When you’re trying to figure out how to keep mosquitoes away, you’ll want to keep a close eye on any water features, too. Consider installing bubblers that churn the water in ponds so that it’s not stagnant. You can also introduce fish or minnows that feed on mosquito larvae as a natural means of prevention.
4. Enlist the Help of a Professional
Prevention can help nip a mosquito infestation in the bud, which is always a wise move. However, mosquitoes are prolific breeders, which means there’s a good chance you may need to look for control methods at some point. It’s best to call on a trained professional — like a trained Life After Bugs technician — who can evaluate your mosquito problem and present a solution tailored to your needs.
