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Did you know that mosquitoes are considered to be the most dangerous animals in the world? The Anopheles mosquito is responsible for the deaths of over 1 million people every year. But what can you do to stop them? Read on to find out more.
One of the biggest driving factors behind the high mosquito population in several countries is standing water, which allows mosquito larvae to thrive. Combine the fact that mosquito larvae are not even visible to the naked eye and require very little water to thrive, a simple puddle of water might be the next breeding ground for life-threatening mosquitoes. So, how do you find mosquito larvae in and outside your home?
Here is what you should be doing to keep yourself safe.
Check out the video below:
Are you worried about mosquito larvae in your home but don’t know what signs you should be looking for to identify the larvae? Let’s take a closer look at how mosquitoes breed and how you can identify mosquito larvae.
Female mosquitoes lay only one egg at a time but they are capable of laying over 300 eggs in a row and they stick together in stagnant water. Some species of mosquitoes lay eggs that do not stick together and are capable of thriving in damp soil.
However, the Anopheles mosquito which is the most dangerous species lays its eggs on water surfaces. Eggs can take up to two days to full hatch into larvae. It is impossible for humans to easily identify mosquito eggs in water and the best way to avoid them is by not letting water stagnate.
Once the eggs hatch, the larvae float in the water surface to enable the mosquitoes to breathe. In its larval form, the average mosquito sheds its skin a total of four times. This is the best time to look for mosquito larvae. You will have to thoroughly look around your house and find any spots with stagnant water.
If you notice any tiny hair-like worms floating around the water, it is more than likely to be mosquito larva. Sometimes larva can also attach itself to plant life for the support and feed on organic matter. After the fourth molt stage, the mosquito larvae turn into a pupa.
In the pupa stage, the mosquitoes start moving but are not capable of fully flying around. If you have seen the metamorphosis stage in butterflies, you will easily pick up signs of pupa in your home. If you notice any pupa, generic larvae control methods will not work. You have to opt for bug sprays or other mosquito killing solutions.
Once the pupa stage is complete, mosquitoes take flight. While a large number of mosquitoes do not directly carry any diseases, they can come into contact with dangerous bacteria and microorganisms and act as carriers for diseases.
The Anopheles mosquito, on the other hand, is known to cause malaria and you should avoid being bit by them at all costs. If you know there is a mosquito infestation, you should opt for either mosquito-killing measures or call professional pest control services if things go out of hand.
Check out the how mosquito larvae wriggle in the video below:
Female mosquitoes are not only among the most dangerous insects in the world, but they can also breed very fast. It is estimated that a single female mosquito can lay over 300 eggs in a single session and over 3,000 eggs in a lifespan.
If you take into account that the average mosquito lives only for 15 days on average, preventing mosquitoes from breeding can be quite the challenge. If you want to reduce mosquito breeding in your home, here is what you can do.
If you have a lawn or garden with tall grass, weed or overgrown trees, things can get a little out of hand if you don’t actively keep things tidy. Keeping your lawn or garden clean is one of the best ways to stop mosquitoes from breeding. You can also consider planting mosquito-repelling plants, herbs, and flowers that can keep mosquitoes away. You can take your pick from marigolds, lemon eucalyptus, feverfew, lavender, and peppermint.
The rule of thumb for mosquito breeding is that they need stagnant water to breed. Female mosquitoes cannot hatch eggs on freshwater and you should definitely not let your water buckets, birdbaths or kiddie pools stay filled for too long. Mosquito breeding thrives in hot and humid weather conditions and you should definitely be more careful during the summer months.
If you leave a lot of junk outside your home, you may be making it easier for mosquitoes to build more breeding grounds. From unused shelves in your basement to unused car parts, haul everything that you will not be using away.
Things that can allow water to accumulate take number one priority and you should definitely do a sweep around your house to look for potential mosquito breeding grounds while you are at it.
You should periodically do a sweep of your home’s plumbing system to see if there are any water leaks that could lead to mosquitoes breeding in your home. From dripping faucets to faulty pipelines, you should thoroughly check for pipelines that need repairs every few months.
Another culprit of water stagnation is your home window air conditioner. ACs tend to drip condensation and pool water on the ground. Try to install a container for all the water from your air conditioners and throw away the collected water regularly.
If you have a water garden, you can consider investing in some mosquito-eating fish that can keep all the larvae away. Minnows and koi are ideal for keeping mosquitoes away but if you do not want to invest in fish, you can always get larvicide if you have a water garden. Fountains and aerators are also great for constantly circulating your water and keeping your water garden fresh.
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We strongly believe that prevention is the best cure when it comes to avoiding mosquito larvae. But if you need to get rid of mosquito larvae in your home using household products, we have you covered. You can try some of these household products to keep mosquitoes away from your home.
If you drop some apple cider vinegar on standing water, it can kill off any mosquito larvae within 18 hours. While you should not be having any standing water at home for extended periods of time in the first place, sometimes it can’t be helped in the case of swimming pools or water gardens.
You need to add one-part apple cider vinegar for every 6 parts of water to keep yourself safe from mosquitoes breeding in your home. One of the best things about using apple cider vinegar is that it is completely safe.
While water and oil don’t mix, they can be best friends together can get rid of mosquito larvae from your home. All you need to do is pour some vegetable oil or olive oil on standing water until a thin coating forms at the top.
Unlike apple cider vinegar, oil is far more efficient at dealing with larvae. You only need a teaspoon of oil for every gallon of standing water. You should not use this method on any water body that contains fish as you will end up killing them.
Some hardware stores sell insecticidal soap for pest control purposes but you can use any soap or shampoo to control mosquito larvae. For maximum efficiency try to get concentrated liquid soaps as they can kill larvae within a day. You only need one drop of liquid soap or shampoo per gallon of water to kill mosquito larvae.
Unlike oil or apple cider vinegar, soaps and shampoos may contain harmful chemicals. To be completely safe you can opt for herbal soaps and shampoos that are made of natural ingredients.
If you failed to keep the larvae in check, here are some measures that you can take to keep the grown mosquitoes away from you and your family.
There are various tried-and-tested products available to reduce and control mosquito infestations. Bug sprays and similar products are highly effective and can clear out mosquitoes even in damp and humid conditions where they thrive. While traditionally these bug sprays are known to contain harmful chemicals, there are many products available that contain natural ingredients and are much safer to use without posing any health risks.
You can use bug sprays to keep mosquitoes out only for a very short amount of time. After the gas wears off, they’ll be back for your blood. One of the best ways to keep mosquitoes away from your house if by installing window nets that can keep mosquitoes away. These nets allow air to flow normally but mosquitoes and other insects can’t make it through the small pores.
If you keep ground coffee sprinkled around your house, mosquitoes will be turned off by the smell and steer clear of your house. This is a very temporary solution and is not quite feasible long-term. You need to keep replacing the coffee every two or three days to retain its effectiveness.
There are electric devices that draw mosquitoes into UV light and kill them upon contact. You should install such devices at home in case the mosquito infestation gets out of hand in your home. They are non-toxic and pose no health risks to humans. They also come with safety measures to prevent accidental contact with the electric current.
There is no guaranteed solution to killing mosquitoes as they can multiply faster than we can kill them. While they might seem like creatures that are annoying, they can be carriers of serious diseases. Even a single bite can prove to be fatal if proper medical care is not administered.
You should try to do your best at preventing any nesting grounds from forming in your home and take precautionary measures. If you suffer from serious mosquito problems try to look for emergency pest control professionals who can get rid of all mosquitoes from your home. While it might not be a permanent solution, professionals can keep you safe for months via a single session of pest control.
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