What Keeps Attracting Mosquitoes To My Eugene Yard?
Like anyone else who wants to enjoy time out in the warm, sunny weather, you should be able to spend time in your backyard without the threat of mosquitoes leaving itchy bites scattered across your skin. Mosquitoes are small insects with thin bodies, a pair of scaled wings, and a long proboscis to feed on plant nectar and blood. These common pests thrive in our warm, humid climate, which is why Eugene property owners must implement effective mosquito prevention strategies.
Why Do Mosquitoes Bite Some People More Than Others?
If you’ve ever enjoyed time outdoors with your family, you’ve probably noticed that mosquitoes do seem to have a preference on whom they choose to bite. Mosquitoes locate their targets by sight and smell. These tiny pests are attracted to certain chemicals in your sweat as well as the carbon dioxide you emit when exhaling. Mosquitoes are most attracted to individuals who have been drinking, are pregnant, or have type O blood. However, these irritating insects pose a serious problem for everyone in Eugene.
Are Mosquitoes Dangerous?
Despite their small size and often painless bites, mosquitoes are the most dangerous creatures in the world. Each year, more than one million people die from a mosquito-borne disease. Mosquitoes can transmit malaria, yellow fever, West Nile virus, Zika virus, chikungunya, and dengue, among other illnesses. These common pests pose a serious threat to your health and that of your family, which is why you should always take precautions to keep mosquitoes out of your yard.
Where Do Mosquitoes Breed?
Mosquitoes are land creatures; however, they breed in water. More specifically, these pests lay their eggs on sources of stagnant water around properties. Some places mosquitoes might breed around your yard include inside birdbaths, ornate pools, puddles, clogged gutters, and ponds. Understanding this is the first step in keeping these pests from growing out of control around your property. The next step is putting in place preventative measures to keep mosquitoes at bay.
How Do I Avoid Mosquitoes?
The key to reducing the mosquito population around your Eugene yard is first understanding what may attract them to your property in the first place. Mosquitoes seek out moisture, shade, and food, which is why your goal is to reduce these factors as much as possible.
Implement the following mosquito prevention tips to avoid attracting mosquitoes to your backyard.
- Eliminate sources of standing water around your property, as mosquitoes depend on them to lay their eggs.
- Clear leaves, sticks, and other debris out of your gutters to prevent water from building up.
- Trim your grass short and keep foliage cut away from your exterior walls.
- Drain water from low-lying areas of your lawn.
- Wear light-colored clothing when you spend time outdoors.
- Avoid going outside during dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes are most active.
- Apply insect repellent before going outdoors.
While prevention tips are helpful, they should never be a replacement for professional mosquito control. At Ultimate Pest Control, we put a strong focus on providing high-quality pest prevention. We defend homes and families from all kinds of different pests, including mosquitoes. To help you protect your property against these nasty pests, we offer year-round services. If you want to keep these pests away for a shorter period, we also provide single service visits for an event or outdoor gathering.
Give our team a call today to discover more about our mosquito and pest control programs, and schedule your Eugene yard for a service visit.