The Perfect Breeding Grounds
Are you a mosquito breeder…unintentionally of course? No one intentionally sets out to breed more of these biting pests! But you very well could have many breeding grounds on your property without even realizing it. If the breeding grounds throughout your property are not handled appropriately you will just be adding to the problem. Take the time to walk around the area and identify all possible mosquito breeding grounds that need to be addressed.
What to Look For
Don’t know where to start when it comes to eliminating mosquito incubators? No Problem, just look for water! Large and small water sources will need to be addressed. Mosquitoes only need as little as 2 tablespoons of water to lay hundreds of eggs in. The larvae then will mature in just 3-4 days increasing the mosquito population on your property. Any water source that is larger than 2 tablespoons needs to either be removed or treated to kill off the mosquito larvae. So, let’s start identifying some of these potential breeding grounds.
Potential Breeding Grounds
The most obvious breeding grounds are large bodies of still water like a pond or swamp. Swampy areas contain the perfect breeding grounds. Wooded area, Tall grass, shade, and lots of moisture all contribute to a swamp’s attractiveness as an incubator. Ponds are just as effective because they contain a large quantity of still water. Both of these examples are unable to be removed so you would need to treat them with a larvacide. Just imagine how many mosquitoes a small pond or swamp could produce if left untreated; tens of thousands if not upwards of millions! Remember 2 TBS can hold roughly 100 plus mosquito eggs. So make sure your treat, treat, treat!
Commonly Overlooked Breeding Grounds
I know I have said this a couples times but I am going to remind you again of the mosquito breeding grounds only needing to be 2 tablespoons or more of water. I am stressing this fact because you would be surprised where you will find 2 tablespoons of water or more. I will guarantee that the mosquitoes have already found all of these areas and turned them into breeding grounds. Water gardens, flower pots, rain barrels, bird baths, tree holes, unused swimming pools, old automobile tires are just a few examples of breeding grounds that are commonly overlooked by homeowners. Each of those items can produce a large number of mosquitoes onto your property. It is always easiest to kill off large numbers of mosquitoes when they are in the larvae stage rather than trying once they have reached the adult biting stage.
Treatment with Larvacides
We highly recommend using Mosquito Dunks to treat the larger water sources on your property. Mosquito Dunks are made of Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis or Bti, a bacteria that kills mosquito larvae (as well as black flies). The dunks will slowly dissolve over time releasing the bacteria for continuous control. They are super easy to use. Just throw a Dunk into the water and let it work for up to 30 days before treating again. Each Dunk will treat up to 100 square feet of water surface. If the breeding grounds that you are treating are larger than 100 sq. ft. then you will have to use more than one Dunk for treatment per area. For smaller areas you can break the dunk into pieces in order to use less. Another option for the smaller areas could be to use the Mosquito Bits. They are the same thing as the Dunks except in a granular form. Both products are safe for the environment and the animals that live in the area.
Treat on a Larger Scale
Mosquito Barrier has a long list of uses, treating mosquito breeding grounds can be added to that list. Simply by mixing the Mosquito Barrier concentrate with the recommended amount of water and a bit of canola oil you can use the mixture to treat water sources. The Mosquito Barrier mixture will create a coating on the top of the water that will suffocate any mosquito larvae that may be in the water. The mixture is safe for all other animals that are in the water or the surrounding area. You can then also treat the surrounding vegetation with the Mosquito Barrier to chase away any of the larvae that has a chance to mature into biting adults.
Don’t be naïve any longer, eliminate all mosquito breeding grounds from your property and protect your family, friends, and pets from the threat of mosquitoes.