Atlanta Homeowners' Complete Guide To Effective Mosquito Control

You know what a mosquito is. Atlanta is the mosquito capital of the world. But it is surprising how little Atlanta residents actually know about mosquitoes. Here are a few fun facts about mosquitoes that every resident should know:

• Mosquitoes don't travel far. They tend to hang out in the general area where they hatch. The mosquitoes in your yard are mostly your mosquitoes. If you get rid of mosquitoes, it takes time for your neighbors' mosquitoes to encroach upon your property.
• Most mosquitoes breed in stagnant water. If you don't have stagnant water, mosquitoes may not be able to hatch in your yard.
• You might know that only female mosquitoes bite, but do you know that both male and female mosquitoes eat nectar and plant sap for sustenance. When mosquitoes check out your yard, they will look for flowering plants (this includes weeds), and they will look for general vegetation. Mosquitoes can use their pointy mouthparts to draw sap from plants like they draw blood from your skin.
• Mosquitoes dry out in the sun. This is one reason why they don't travel very far. When mosquitoes come into your yard, they're going to hide in shaded and humid places, such as dense vegetation and near damp leaf litter.

These tidbits of information are more than just fun facts about mosquitoes, they provide insight into how mosquitoes behave and help us understand why mosquito control works to make Atlanta yards no-fly-zones. If you want no mosquitoes in your yard, you need to use this knowledge against the mosquitoes that come into your yard.

Why It Is Possible To Get Control Of Mosquitoes

• Mosquitoes don't zip about a neighborhood, going from yard to yard in search of someone to bite. They spend most of their time resting. This is because they're not strong fliers. It only takes a weak wind to stop them.
• Mosquitoes tend to hang out in the area where they hatched. This has to do with reproduction. A female mosquito isn't going to go on a long journey because she only lives for about two months. She will hang out in the area and look for a blood meal. Once she gets it, she will mate with the available male mosquitoes in the area.
• When a female mosquito finds her way into your yard, she can lay a hundred eggs at a time, but she needs stagnant water in order to do it. If you remove stagnant water resources from your property, you can make it difficult for mosquitoes to hatch in your yard.
• Not all mosquitoes that hatch are viable. Many of them die off quickly, particularly male mosquitoes. A male mosquito is lucky to make it to age ten—that's ten days, not years.

If you take steps to get control of mosquitoes in your yard, it will take time for mosquitoes to wander into your yard from neighboring properties, and it will make it more difficult for them to lay eggs and develop in your yard.

Breeding — When a mosquito comes into your yard to breed, she will be looking for stagnant water that is at least a half-inch deep. In these water sources, she will lay her eggs by the hundreds. Some species create egg rafts that float on the surface. When the eggs hatch, mosquito larvae emerge. These are called wrigglers. The wrigglers develop into pupae, which are referred to as tumblers because of their behavior. The pupae develop into adult mosquitoes that take to the air. All of this occurs in a little over a week. You have the ability to deter this development by pouring stagnant water resources out, or by removing stagnant resources in the first place.

Good

If you take steps to remove stagnant water resources from your yard, and address potential resting sights, such as leaf piles, brush, wood stacks, and other key areas, you can get some control of mosquitoes. You may even get enough control for your threshold of comfort.

Better

If you invest in seasonal mosquito control for your yard and have routine mosquito control applications, you're going to get even better control of mosquitoes. Not only will you be taking down mosquitoes that wander into your yard and rest, but you'll also be preventing female mosquitoes from hanging out in your yard and breeding.

Best

If you want the best possible control for mosquitoes, the best solution is to have a mosquito misting system installed. This will allow you to use your smartphone to apply applications as needed. If you're having an outdoor party and you want it to be mosquito-free, you have the power to make this happen.

Atlanta Mosquito Control Services

At Tuxedo Mosquito Control, we provide Atlanta homeowners and business owners with everything needed to get the best control of mosquitoes. If all you need is treatment before an outdoor event, we have you covered. If you want seasonal mosquito control, no problem. If you want the power of mosquito control in your own hand, we can install a mosquito misting system on your property. Reach out to us today for more information or to schedule a mosquito control service for your Atlanta property. We’re here to help.