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Mosquito Control |
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Mosquitoes lay their eggs in still water or on dry land likely to be flooded. It takes about a week for the larvae to mature to adulthood.
It is possible to control adult mosquitoes, but it is a whole lot easier to control the population when they are larvae. |
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Habitat Removal Get rid of the larval habitat. Most species of mosquitoes do not fly more than a few hundred feet from where they are born. So if you are feeding them, you are probably breeding them. Pay attention to any bit of water that lasts for more than a week, is still, and lacks predators like fish.
· Drill holes in tires not disposed of
· Store buckets and wheelbarrows upside down
· Dump water troughs weekly
· Landscape to prevent flooding
· Straighten and unclog roof gutters,
· Screen over rain barrels
· Pick up trash like cans, paper cups,
· Unless you are detail-oriented, don’t get a pool. I know it sounds like a good idea at the time: the kids want it, you want them to get out of the house and play outside, you picture yourself floating around on a lounge with a beverage on the weekend, and you can get one of those blow-up kinds with a filter for $199 but...don’t. After a month or so, you will get busy, forget to test the pH, use too little chlorine, or something, and it will turn green. You will resolve to “take care of it later” and then later that summer, I will spend several days looking around your neighborhood trying to figure out |
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Predators Mosquitoes are delicious. At least that is what many animals seem to think. Many different predators from fish, to dragonflies, to water beetles love to eat mosquitoes.
Fish Just about any species of fish will eat mosquito larvae (or adults resting on the water surface tension to lay eggs). Goldfish are an economical solution for ornamental ponds and other permanent to almost permanent bodies of water. Minnows work as well. Gambusia (mosquito fish) are not permitted in Pennsylvania.
Dragonflies, damselflies, water beetles If you see these guys around, be happy. They are eating all sorts of things, including mosquitoes. They eat the larvae and adult mosquitoes.
Birds Despite what you may have read in the birdhouse catalog, bluebirds do not feed primarily on mosquitoes. They could eat them, but they primarily feed on larger insects, like caterpillars, grasshoppers, or the dragonflies that do eat mosquitoes. If there are hundreds of thousands of mosquitoes clouding the air, yes, insectivore birds will eat them since they are so easily available, but they will not be picking mosquitoes out of the many other insects flying around.
Bats Of the 2 most common species of bats in our area, only the little brown bat feeds on mosquitoes and other soft bodied insects. They will not purposefully pick out mosquitoes but will feed on them along |
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Dragonfly and Damselfly larvae |
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Water beetle |
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Water Boatman |
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Larval Control Products Due to their role in spreading malaria, yellow fever, dengue, and various other maladies, mosquitoes have the dubious honor of being the most deadly animal on the planet. Despite this fearsome title, they are rather delicate creatures and easy to kill. Most larval control products specifically target mosquitoes and do not result in collateral damage to other organisms.
BTI (bacillus thuringiensis isrealensis) BTI is a naturally occurring soil bacteria. There are several different subspecies of BT that are specific to different pests such as gypsy moths or European corn borer. BTI can be found in both granular or time-release donut-shaped “dunks.” It is a very effective option that kills the larvae outright by producing a toxin as it eats the larvae’s gut. It will not kill the pupae or “tumblers” stage as they do not feed and are unable to ingest the bacteria. The granular formulation must be reapplied every week to maintain full control. Some trade names are QuickKill, Vectobac, Aquabac, and Tekknar.
Methoprene Methoprene is a juvenile growth hormone for aquatic flies (like mosquitoes). The hormone does not allow them to mature. It’s like Neverland (the one without Michael Jackson). They get stuck in the pupae stage and eventually die from starvation. The advantage of methoprene is that it can be applied to an area likely to flood and can be wet, dry, wet, dry, and still be effective. It is also dark in color and sinks, making it more aesthetically pleasing. It comes in granular or briquette form. Some trade names are Prestrike and Altosid.
Bacillus Sphericus Vectolex is the trade name for this product that is usually only available through a pesticide distributer. It is like BTI, but in the granular form it lasts for 28 days, making it more cost effective for treating large areas on a regular basis.
Oils Oils such as Agnique are available through distributers. They have the advantage of being able to spread throughout a contiguous body of water and they kill pupae. Agnique is labeled for use in drinking water.
Equipment A hand-spreader is an economical and efficient way to apply granular products.
If applying on a large scale, a gas-powered duster could be advisable. |
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Adult Control Adult mosquitoes are either killed by fogging them when they are flying or applying a residual pesticide to surfaces they will rest on. The active ingredient in most control products will be permethrin or some derivative such as deltamethrin, resmethrin, sumethrin, or some other “-methrin.” Permethrin, while not as toxic as some other control products is still toxic to most insects and if applied to flowers can affect honeybees. It is also toxic to fish in moderate doses and care should be taken to not contaminate fisheries.
Fogging is done on a small scale using aerosol sprays. On a large scale, an ultra-low volume sprayer (ULV) is used. In either case, the fog must be applied when the mosquitoes are actively flying around and exposed to the pesticide. The usual period of highest activity is around sunset.
To protect a small area when surrounded, a liquid barrier spray may be applied to vegetation (excluding flowers) that mosquitoes
Adult control is only a temporary fix if the larvae are not also controlled.
For more information, check out the National Pesticide Information Center, pesticide distributors, and Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
If you are hypersensitive to pesticides (a medical condition, as opposed to an objection) a doctor familiar with your condition can certify that you should be placed on the state Hypersensitivity Registry. This will not prevent pesticides from being applied around your home or work, but it will require you to receive fair warning so you can avoid being there during the application. |
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Trade names are for example only, not an endorsement of any particular brand. The label is the law. Label directions supersede any advice found here. Applying pesticides to any property other than your own is illegal without a license. Be aware of federal, state, and local laws regarding pesticide use because ignorance is not an accepted legal defense by most authorities. |
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Mosquito Pesticide Distributors: Umbergers, Wilhelms, Jono & other home/garden stores carry small quantities. Adapco- 1(800)220-0882, http://www.e-adapco.com Clarke- 1(800)323-5727, http://www.clarke-usa.com Univar- 1(800)888-4897, http://www.pestweb.com |
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Some Things You Might Want To Take A Pass On Bug zappers: They kill lots of insects. Just not lots of mosquitoes. Mosquitoes’ primary attractant is CO2, not light.
Sonic Devices: There just is not any sound, independent research supporting their efficacy to repel mosquitoes.
Propane-burning mosquito traps do capture a lot of mosquitoes, but like Japanese Beetle traps, they can attract many more than they capture and concentrate the population around them. If you do use one, place it far from people or horses. Or give it to your neighbor. |