Customer LoginBirds & Bats VS Mosquitoes
If you are looking to eliminate the amount of mosquitoes in your area think about adding some bird boxes near your home. Birds like swifts and purple marlins enjoy the all you can eat mosquito buffet. What about bats? In Texas houses were built for bats in high mosquito areas to play a role as a mosquito control device.
Standing Waters
Mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing bodies of water or on damp soil that is flooded regularly. In order to eliminate the mosquito population make it not as easy for them to breed in your area. If you live near wetlands you may not be as lucky. But if you have standing water that you can eliminate then do that regularly, dump out buckets, fill in flooded puddles. If you do not have a regular supply of standing water then mosquitoes do not have a place to lay their eggs.
Necessary Waters
If you just can’t get around having standing waters try stocking these areas with copepods, tiny aquatic predators of mosquito larvae. Tiny shrimp, crabs, lobster and crayfish are very useful in controlling the mosquito population. Another option is stocking pond with exotic fish or adding a pump to agitate the water, mosquitoes will not breed in moving waters.
Reduce Bites
In order to reduce bites there are a few things you can do, but this is to reduce bites, not reduce the population. Stay inside behind screens in the early evening when mosquitoes are the most active. Keep your windows and doors closed and screened properly, if they are not shut or you have holes in them mosquitoes will find a way in! Wear long-sleeves shirts and full-length pants when you are outside.
Bug Spray
You can’t not go outside, so what should you do when it’s too hot for long sleeves? Most people reach for bug spray, DEET has its risks so you need to consider, DEET being absorbed through the skin or West Nile Virus… Another option is using a repellent with Permethrin in it. Permethrin repels and kills mosquitoes as well as ticks and fleas, it even remains on your clothing after going through the wash.
Spreading Diseases
It is extremely important to keep mosquitoes under control as they spread diseases easily and quickly. The last thing you want is for you or your family to be at risk of malaria, yellow fever, West Nile Virus, or any other diseases.
The Bite
If you do get bit even after you did all you can to protect yourself here are a few things to do that can help reduce itch and infection.
- Wash the area
- Do Not Scratch (easier said than done)
- Cover it in a paste of baking soda and water
- Cover with an ice pack
- Good old calamine lotion
- Ibuprofen as an anti-inflammatory
- Take an antihistamine
- Apply aloe vera