Category Archives: Mosquito Control

It’s October, a time when many Texans wish for cool, crisp air and pumpkin flavored everything. The reality is that we are usually still sweltering in the heat and sipping our pumpkin lattes in the AC.

There are several things you can count on in Texas in October: pumpkins will immediately begin disintegrating once placed on your patio, the leaves will fall while the trees will seemingly continue to produce more leaves to fall, and mosquitoes will bite you.

There are several things to be aware of this time of year to help your little trick and treaters from getting bitten. Firstly, your Halloween decorations can hold a lot of water, particularly items like plastic pumpkins, which can sneakily fill up with water after rain or running your sprinklers. The same goes for plastic signage in the yard. Any open top items will also gather water of course. The use of hay bales in your yard décor will encourage biting midges and gnats, particularly fungus gnats, to gather in droves as the hay gets wet and warm. The same is true for those decomposing pumpkins, so keep an eye on them and get rid of them once they start the dreaded pumpkin slump (which for some reason always seems to happen on the side not facing you.)

Now to the impact of falling leaves in your yard. Firstly, they fill up your gutters at an alarming rate, clogging up the works and causing pockets of water in the gutters after rain. Combine this standing water with the resulting decomposition of the leaves and you end up with a mosquito breeding ground that you neither see nor often consider. With one teaspoon breeding 300 mosquitoes every couple of days, these gutters will really contribute to your population. On the ground the fallen leaves provide shade and dampness mosquitoes love. Once you decide to rake the ground you will see the mosquitoes rise up as they fly off to find shade elsewhere. It’s another job no one enjoys, but it is so important to keep your yard devoid of as much of this ground cover as you can this time of year. Mosquitoes are active until temperatures fall under 55 degrees and remain there for at least a week. That never happens in Texas in the fall, and for that matter very rarely in the winter either.

So, the takeaway is: manage the water both in your décor and in your gutters. Keep the leaves and pine needles picked up from the ground and keep those gutters clean. Be aware of the impact of decomposing vegetation in the yard – keep an eye on those pumpkins. Let’s see those trick and treaters leave your yard with candy and not bites!

If you need help controlling the population of mosquitoes in your yard, give us a call. We will provide a quote over the phone at no charge, and we are always happy to offer advice and suggestions for you to help. The mosquito is the world’s most dangerous creature, and we want to help spread the word on how to reduce the population so we can all benefit from the results. Give us a call at 979-859-5998 for more information!

A lot of the inquiries we receive come from folks who have issues both inside and outside the home with mosquitoes. We wanted to help clarify some of the misunderstandings we often hear regarding mosquitoes in the house.

Firstly, contrary to popular belief, mosquitoes do not want to be inside.  They want warm, wet soil and plant life to feed from. Certainly, mosquitoes can gather by your doorways, seeking shade from the sun under the eaves of your home. But they typically make their way inside by mistake – the force of the air movement and suction when a door opens can pull them inside. Mosquitoes are not good fliers at all, and given their size and body weight, even a light breeze can disrupt their flight.

Once inside mosquitoes are facing a very short life span. Without food (plant nectar from the underside of leaves) and water, they won’t survive long. They will congregate by windows to try and get back outside. To help alleviate the issues of mosquitoes inside you should control the numbers outside (we have provided some easy-to-follow steps to do this in several of our previous blog posts, but the less water in your yard the better off you are.) The other thing you can do to help is to avoid having your outside lights on at night – these will draw mosquitoes and other insects up to the house and make the situation worse. This includes bug zappers which only serve to draw mosquitoes close by but won’t kill them (mosquitoes won’t fly into the light but instead start looking for CO2 plumes.) Hanging mosquito traps near the house is also a bad plan. You draw mosquitoes in from the yards around you, and then get bitten when the mosquito opts for you over a trap (mosquitoes seek you out both via CO2 plumes and by heat.)

Speaking of other insects, the majority of the time that we receive calls for mosquitoes inside the house they are not mosquitoes at all. They are, instead, lake flies or “biting midges.” These guys look very similar to a mosquito, maybe just a tad smaller, and bite the same way. What’s interesting about them is that they are often found in bathrooms and the customer assumes they came in through an open door. The truth is they mostly come in through your drains. The sludge that builds up in your u-bends makes for the perfect home for them to lay eggs.

There is a super simple way to prevent this issue, and we recommend to every customer that they do this twice a year. Simply pour an eighth of a gallon of bleach into each drain and then flush with hot water for 5 minutes.  The bleach helps break up the sludge and the hot water will flush the drains out. In bathrooms that are rarely used, such as a guest bath, close the drains where you can. Within a few days you will see a dramatic improvement. Of course, if you need help reducing the population of mosquitoes and biting midges outside you can reach us 979-859-5998. We provide our quotes at no charge and there are never any contracts with us.

Ahhh August…incredibly hot, incredibly humid and the most active month of the year for hurricanes. It won’t be long until the kids go back to school and just a few more months before the weather cools, but for now we are in the thick of things.

Hurricane season is a stressful time here at Mosquito Joe. Obviously, it is a stressful time for everyone as we worry about damage to property and flooding impacts in the area and to our property. However, we have some additional stressors that can impact us at the office. We don’t treat when it is raining, so weather this time of year can really impact our ability to keep everyone on track. Beyond that, the results of the rains and flooding has a massive impact on the mosquito population. Water washes into properties we treat, bringing with it mosquito eggs that begin a whole new life cycle in a yard where we recently had control. The quantity of rain itself will increase the population of mosquitoes tenfold. All the water left behind will continue to increase this population if we don’t take action.

We all have a plan in place in the case of a weather disaster. Many of us have a stock of beans and rice, a battery powered radio, a collection of water bottles, etc. And while we all head out to help neighbors remove fallen trees or assist stranded cars, we don’t often think of the impact of the weather on mosquitoes.  From a health standpoint, controlling the mosquito population is important.  The county will often send out trucks to spray and reduce the numbers, but since this spray is only done on the streets, hitting some of the culverts, it won’t impact what is going on in your backyard.

We would like to suggest that you also implement a simple, but important, mosquito reduction plan after the weather that will make a huge difference in your backyard:

1. Clear out your gutters – any debris that has fallen in will mean water will get trapped up there, breeding mosquitoes for you.
2. Rake up fallen leaves and pine needles. They act to keep the ground wet and prevent everything from drying out.
3. Along the same lines, as soon as you are able, mow the yard. This again will help dry out the ground and rid you of standing water.
4. Empty out every container in the yard of water. Just a teaspoon (a capful from a bottle of water) will breed 300 mosquitoes every few days, so even the small amounts you might not notice (saucers under plant pots) will increase the population. Turn pots and containers upside down, remove kids’ toys (it’s amazing how much water they hold after a rain), and make sure you are not missing those small places that mosquitoes won’t. Don’t forget any tarps in the yard either!

It doesn’t sound like much, but the impact of these 4 steps can reduce your mosquito population substantially and really make things more manageable in your yard.  We highly encourage everyone to make this plan a part of your “post storm” routine.

Mosquito Misting Systems have been in use since the 1990s when Fly Control Systems were used to protect valuable racehorses and were modified for home use. Since then, tens of thousands of systems have been installed in properties of homeowners across the US.

How Misting Systems Work

A network of specially designed nozzles is positioned around the area of a property that needs to be protected from mosquitoes. Nozzles are also positioned around the landscaping and eaves of the home. These nozzles can be attached to eaves, fences, and other permanent structures. They can also stand alone on risers in the middle of landscaping where there is no structure. Each nozzle can control mosquitoes in an 8-10 foot radius.

These nozzles are fed by small tubing that is attached to a control unit. This control unit has timers, a pump and generally a reservoir of mixed pesticide. However, some units can mix the pesticides automatically. These units do need to be connected to a tap water source.

The pesticides used in mosquito misting systems are pyrethrins (natural) or pyrethroids (synthetic). Botanical oils can also be used to prevent mosquitoes if you prefer a more natural option.

These systems will automatically activate 1-4 times a day and can also be activated with a remote if needed by the owner. They generally mist from 30-60 seconds with each activation. This mist will kill active mosquitoes in the area and also kill mosquitoes that come into the area and lands on the residual mist left on landscaping.

Things to Consider When Shopping for a Misting System

• Misting systems should always be installed, filled, and maintained by a certified pest control professional. This ensures that all legal, ecological, and safety concerns are met.
• Not every property is appropriate for a misting system. Some properties are subject to winds that can make the systems ineffective. Some properties may not have enough landscaping to allow for effective residual killing time.
• All misting systems should be part of an Integrated Pest Management system which includes treating or eliminating standing water that mosquitoes use for laying eggs.
• Misting nozzles should be kept under 10’ from the ground as the winds can cause the mist to drift out of the treatment zone.
• Care must be used when misting around lakes and ponds. Misting systems around these areas should only use products that won’t harm aquatic life.
• Misting system should not be activated when people, pets or food is in the treatment zone.
• Misting system will require maintenance and filling periodically. The maintenance includes repairing or replacing blocked nozzles, repairing system leaks, cleaning or replacing filters, and winterization.
• Misting systems generally cost between $2500 – $5000 depending on the size and number of nozzles used.
• The larger the system the more often it will need to be filled.

Alternatives to Misting Systems

Misting systems aren’t for every property. Often properties may be better suited for Mosquito Barrier Treatments. These are applications of Mosquito Control agents by pest control technicians that protect properties from mosquitoes for 3 weeks.

Whenever deciding on mosquito control for your property it is best to rely on the expertise of a certified pest control technician to help you decide on the best alternatives for your specific property. Mosquito Joe can help you with that decision. Mosquito Joe can also repair and maintain systems that are currently installed, even by other companies. Contact Mosquito Joe for a free estimate at 281-815-0228 or 979-859-5998 or email us at nwhoustonbrazos@mosquitojoe.com.

It’s January so why on earth are we writing about this? Well in Texas mosquitoes don’t exactly hibernate like they do in other areas of the United States. Temperatures need to stay under 55 degrees for 5 days in a row, or we need to have 3 deep freezes in a row, for hibernation to occur. As you may have guessed, that happens rarely in this part of the world, and when it does it is almost always immediately followed by a rise in temperatures that takes them right back out of hibernation.

It’s often a mistake to think, “oh the temperatures have dropped; I don’t need to worry.” Think of the folks in Alaska – they deal with incredibly low temperatures every year and have one of the worst mosquito problems in the summer. Even if we have unexpected low temperatures, it doesn’t mean anything in terms of our population the following spring (or in our case a week later typically.)

What drives the population in your yard is the potential for egg-laying areas. If you have few moist or wet zones, mosquitoes will be much less likely to lay eggs. Granted it won’t stop mosquitoes from coming in to visit you from a neighbor, for that you need Mosquito Joe to help. But getting rid of those egg-laying zones on your property will have a HUGE impact on the population at home. So, what do you need to do?

We always tell our customers to, “think like a mosquito.” It’s no good walking around your yard without this in mind – it’s a bit like childproofing your home without thinking like a child. A mosquito wants to lay her eggs in stagnant water, or in damp soil that is protected from the sun. She is smart enough to know if a dry area has a tendency to hold moisture, even if the ground is bone dry when she is hunting for a place to lay eggs. You have to think this way as well when you walk the yard.

Here is what you need to look for:

• Piles of fallen leaves or pine needles: It’s a pain and we all hate to do it but raking the yard and keeping the ground clear of all the leaf litter is important. The ground covered in leaves stays damp and is protected from the sun. It’s an ideal place for mosquitoes to lay eggs, so rake, rake and rake some more!

• Gutters: keep them clear of leaves and debris. It soon turns to sludge and blocks your gutters, creating stagnant pools of water. Even if you have gutter covers don’t be fooled into thinking your gutters won’t cause issues! The same leaves can decompose on top of the covers, causing the sludge to fall through into the gutter and producing the same effect. Running a hose through your gutters once you’ve cleaned them up is the best way to ensure there are no blockages.

• Pot saucers, plant pots, wheelbarrows, toys, etc. You will be amazed at how much water a kid’s toy can hold, and any small saucer has the potential to create quite the population for you. 1 teaspoon of water makes for 300 eggs! Remove all the water and then remove the object as well: store your saucers and pots upside down, preferably in a shed or indoor location.

 

• Store wheelbarrows on their sides and be aware that you are looking for a teaspoon or more– so fence posts without caps, a frisbee, dog bowls, umbrella stands – the list is endless and you will be surprised at the amount of water you find. If you are not spending much time outdoors this time of year, store these items inside away from mosquito visits.

• Tarps and other covers are also pretty sneaky when it comes to collecting rainwater. Pool covers can be a nightmare too – mosquitoes won’t visit chlorinated water, but the water on the top of the cover is a different story.

• Drill holes at the bottom of your trash cans and tire swings etc. If water gets in them, you’ll want to find a way to get it to flow back out. It’s a simple job that can make a world of difference.

• Finally, consider your drainage both above ground and below. If you have a French drain that backs up, remember that you will likely have stagnant water under the ground that you can’t see. The more you control and manage any drainage issues in the yard the better off you will be.

Mosquito Joe will remove and treat all your standing water at each visit. We do this because the majority of mosquito issues stem from these areas. You can help yourself a lot by taking the time to manage all these areas and by keeping on top of falling leaves, etc. The more you do this month the happier you will be, come summer!