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Spring 2004 is here and the mosquito season is well underway. State, City and Local Governments have been planning and debating their Mosquito Abatement strategies for months: Will they spray, how often, where will they spray, what chemicals will they use and of course how will they fund their program?
A majority of the answers to these questions depend, in large part, on the weather, the magnitude of the mosquito population and the health risk the mosquito population may impose on the inhabitants, human or animal, in the community. Public pressure also has an important role in the decisions that your government officials make concerning mosquito abatement. Advocates for or against spraying will voice their concerns and opinions in an attempt to sway the debate in their favor.
The answer to, “Who is responsible?" is, you are! You do not have to wait for all the options and public opinion to be weighed and decisions made, you can take mosquito control into your own hands and lessen your exposure to mosquitoes and the diseases they may be carrying. You do not need to use expensive equipment or dangerous pesticides in your mosquito control efforts. Just remember this, “If you are breeding and harboring mosquitoes around your home, then you become their easiest prey"!
If you have a mosquito problem around your home you may unknowingly be breeding them in your back yard. The mosquito species that breed around the home are considered "domestic species" and rarely range far from human habitations. If you are harboring them then you become their easiest prey. Why would they spend the energy to fly next door or across the street for a blood meal when you are right there in their back yard?
Your first step in mosquito control is to eliminate all standing water, this is the best way to reduce mosquito populations. All mosquitoes have one common requirement; they need water to complete their life cycle. Any water source that has been standing for more than three or four days is a perfect incubation site for the female mosquito's eggs! Some mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water where they hatch in a day or two. Other mosquitoes lay their eggs in old tires, tin cans, tree holes, mud, and other water holding containers in which they may remain un-hatched for weeks or months, even years until they are covered with water. Thousands of mosquitoes can be produced from a minimal amount of standing water if the conditions are right. Remove sources of standing water. If you can't remove a standing water source remember to "TIP and DUMP" the water out on a regular basis. Fill in low areas in lawns or provide a path for them to drain.
Another area to concentrate on is tall grass, shrubs and weedy areas. These are a perfect resting and feeding spots for both the male and female mosquito during the heat of the day. Ever walked through a lot or field of tall grass and been engulfed by hoards of mosquitoes? Understanding why they were there will help you control them.
Why were they there? Well as with any living thing mosquitoes need nourishment to survive. A misconception many have is that the blood they suck from animals, birds and humans nourishes them. But the female mosquito is the only one that bites and takes a blood meal. This blood meal is not what provides her with nourishment, she only needs the proteins found in blood to produce and nourish her eggs after mating.
Both the male and female mosquito get their nourishment and flight energy from feeding on the nectars and fluids found in plants and grasses. They also find refuge during the day in tall grasses and other vegetation that provide protection and shade. Using Mosquito Barrier from www.MosquitoCzar.com along with your mosquito control program denies them these feeding and resting areas.
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