Mosquito Control 101: Protecting Your Virginia Beach Property

About The Breeding Habits Of Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes are insects with wings. Like most insects, a mosquito's life begins in an egg, but let's back up pre-egg to get a complete picture of the breeding process. When the wings and body of a female adult mosquito harden to the point where it can fly, it will leave the breeding area searching for a mate. 

Both male and female mosquitoes eat nectar and are part of the pollination process, but to stimulate egg production, the female must have a blood meal from a human or another mammal. Blood provides proteins, iron, amino acids, and other nutrients necessary for egg production. Since only females have eggs, they are the mosquitoes that bite. 

How do mosquitoes find humans? Carbon dioxide, sweat, blood type, body temperatures, dark-colored clothing, and perfumes attract mosquitoes seeking blood to breed. 

When a female mosquito gets a blood meal, she flies to a protected area to develop her initial egg batch. Once she produces the eggs, the mosquito flies to find a location to deposit the eggs. When she locates a suitable area, she deposits the eggs in the soil near the water line or on the water. Once the eggs hatch, which may be within days or months, the emerging worm-like larvae immediately feed on organic plant and animal matter in the water. Breeding locations need water and nutrients for future offspring, and stagnant water in containers, ditches, puddles, and swamps provides the perfect environment. These are ideal because they collect organic animal and plant debris and because the development process for mosquitoes is aquatic. 

One characteristic of insects is that their skeleton is on the outside of the body (exoskeleton). Thus, for an insect to grow, it must shed (molt) its external shell so its body can expand. Whenever an insect is molting is known as an instar. The larvae go through four instars over the next five or more days to progress to the pupa phase. After the pupa phase, the mosquito matures into an adult, and the cycle begins anew. 

When you contact Hawk Mosquito & Pest for mosquito control in Virginia Beach, we can identify potential breeding areas on or near your property. Part of our treatment process focuses on eliminating developing mosquitoes in breeding areas on the homeowner's property.  

Why Mosquito Population Control Is So Important

The more mosquitoes you have on your property, the more bites you will experience from female mosquitoes seeking to breed. Most mosquito bites are annoying and result in a few days of itching; however, those with severe allergic reactions may experience swelling around the eyes and a swollen area where the wound occurred. In children, this reaction is called skeeter syndrome. 

Although most mosquito bites are irritating for a short time, some can spread infectious diseases. Because mosquitoes draw blood from humans and animals, if they bite an infected human or animal, they may pass the pathogen onto their next bite victim. Fortunately, American citizens have access to treatments and can avert severe symptoms if they seek medical treatment; however, many people outside the United States do not have good medical access. As a result, diseases spread by mosquitoes kill over one million people annually, which makes them the most deadly pest in the world. 

Mosquitoes transmit malaria (the disease responsible for most deaths worldwide), West Nile virus, dengue, chikungunya, encephalitis, and tularemia. Some illnesses produce flu-like symptoms like fever, nausea, and body aches, but other diseases cause brain and spinal cord inflammation, which may lead to severe consequences. If you experience flu-like symptoms after experiencing mosquito bites, seek medical help immediately.

Reducing the mosquitoes around your Virginia Beach home will help protect you from their bites. Hawk Mosquito & Pest uses the In2Care system to keep mosquitoes out of the yard.

Effortless Tricks To Reduce Mosquito Numbers In Your Yard

Mosquitoes have a role in our ecosystem, but that does not mean they must be flying around in your yard or house. These are simple steps you can take to reduce the mosquito population around your Virginia Beach house: 

• Remove water-collecting containers
• Provide drainage to ditches, puddles, and low-lying areas
• Clean debris from gutters and downspouts to allow for drainage
• Drain and replace bird bath water regularly
• Eliminate locations with heavy vegetation

Standing water attracts female mosquitoes that need only a capful-sized container to lay eggs. Old tires, baby pools, potted plant trays, AC unit collection pans, buckets, and drink cans are examples of water-collecting containers to remove from your yard. If you insist on having a bird bath, drain the water every few days to remove mosquito eggs. Remember, it does not take long for a mosquito to develop from egg to adult. 

Fortunately, most mosquitoes fly only about 100 to 200 yards from their breeding locations, so if you maintain a clean, dry property, you will reduce the mosquito population around your house. However, if you live near a pond or an area with poor drainage within a few hundred yards of your home, talk to the owners about installing a sprinkler or fixing the drainage issue. 

Clear areas with dense vegetation because the overgrowth of grasses, shrubs, and trees prevents airflow and water evaporation. Remember, mosquitos need only a tiny amount of stagnant water to deposit eggs, so remove the overgrowth and trim shrubs and trees to allow maximum sunlight exposure and airflow.

In addition to these suggestions, avoid wearing dark clothing and perfumes when enjoying outdoor activities. Covering your body will also reduce the mosquito's ability to bite. Because mosquitoes are weak flyers, fans blowing away from the meeting area will discourage them from entering. Most mosquitoes are active during the dusk and early morning hours, so avoiding outdoor activities during those hours also decreases your risk; however, the Asian Tiger mosquito is in our area, and this particular species is active during daylight hours. 

When a technician from Hawk Mosquito & Pest arrives to inspect your property, they will provide additional ways to get rid of mosquitoes based on your location.