Mosquitos

Where do the mosquitos come from?

Standing water is the biggest source. The ones that bother us most lay eggs and develop in small containers: a clogged gutter, a flower pot saucer, a bird bath, a kayak, an old tire back in the brush. In summer heat they can go from egg to adult in about a week, so dumping and rinsing anything that holds water once a week makes a real difference, and it doesn't take any pesticide.

The adults don't spend much time in standing water, and they also don't hang out much in the lawn. They're weak fliers that dry out in sun and wind, so during the day they rest in shady, dense spots: under the deck, along the tree line, in the bamboo. That's where we treat.

Do you spray the lawn?

No. The grass is where bare feet and paws have the most exposure, and it isn't where adult mosquitos like to rest, so treating it doesn't help very much. We focus on the shady spots where the adults hide, and we skip plants that are blooming so we're not impacting pollinators.

What about small yards and downtown lots?

On a tight property, many of the mosquitos may come from a neighbor's yard, and we can't treat that. We'll often pair a barrier treatment with mosquito bait stations (the brand is In2Care): small buckets of water where the females lay their eggs, treated so the eggs never make it to adulthood. Before a female dies, she carries the treatment to other breeding spots nearby, including ones nobody can find or reach. We check the stations regularly and map where every one sits, so none get skipped.

What should I expect?

Conventional mosquito treatments will make a difference just a few hours after application, and they'll usually last 3 to 4 weeks before new mosquitos return to the area. We'll usually reapply on a monthly schedule to keep the yard comfortable.

It takes 4 to 6 weeks to really notice the difference from mosquito bait stations. Our hybrid programs start early in the spring. The season wraps up when a mid to late fall cold snap takes care of remaining mosquitos for the year.

What does it cost?

Mosquito service typically runs $100 to $150 a month during the season, depending on the yard and whether we add bait stations.

What's the downside?

We can cut the numbers way down, but we won't get every single flying mosquito, especially with standing water nearby that we can't reach. Having a couple of adjacent neighbors doing the same program can really improve the overall effectiveness of any sort of mosquito control.