How to get rid of mosquitos: Steps to protect your home
Recent rains in the Houston area have led to an increase in mosquito populations. The bloodsuckers are not only annoying but can carry diseases.
Brooke Thompson, general manager of Mosquito Joe West Houston and Galveston, says the first step in fighting mosquito swarms is prevention.
"All they need is a tablespoon of water to lay eggs, and they’re going to live a few weeks on average. They can lay multiple series of eggs; it’s an exponential problem," he says.
Thompson recommends assessing your yard and determining if you have pools of water from roof runoff or slopes in your landscaping. Standing water could be deferred by adding French drains.
He also recommends checking and turning over yard toys and equipment like tire swings to dump water where mosquitoes can lay eggs, and keeping your grass mowed.
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"Mosquitoes love shade, so they’re going to go in the bushes, and the shrubs, overhangs, and high grass," says Thompson.
He also encourages the use of traps that use pheromones to attract mosquitoes to lay eggs inside. "The good news for the homeowner is the eggs won’t hatch. It’s all contained."
In south Houston, on Old Spanish Trail, the Harris County Public Health Mosquito and Vector Control Division is trapping and testing mosquitoes for various diseases including Zika, St. Louis Encephalitis, Dengue, Chikungunya, and especially West Nile virus. Residents have been ringing their phone lines to get pesticides sprayed in their areas, but the process requires approval through mosquitoes testing positive for the illness.
"When our trucks are in the neighborhood, that means we have disease in that area. Our concentration right now is on West Nile virus," says Dr. Maximea Vigilant, Director of the Mosquito and Vector Control Division for Harris County Public Health.
He says their technicians are then scheduled to go out at night using trackers and applying ground pesticides.
Dr. Vigilant recommends if people see trucks coming down the street, they should stay inside so the fog doesn’t get on their clothes or body parts.
"[However] the particles that come out are so small and the formulation is structured, so it doesn’t impact people, it impacts mosquitoes," he adds.
To help fight mosquito mania, he says to remember to "tip, toss, and take action."
In other words, toss containers like old tires that hold water you don’t need, and change the water in birdbath and pet bowls. Dr. Vigilant also recommends using EPA-registered insect repellent, and pet owners should administer heartworm prevention since heartworms are transmitted through mosquito bites.
Visit hcphtx.org/PreventTheBite for more tips and to track mosquito-borne diseases in your area.