Prior to Hurricane Harvey, biting midges were an issue for our customers in very specific locations – namely around Lake Conroe. Since that time, however, biting midges have become a very real problem for most of our customers. Bryan/College Station has them everywhere, and now we see them as far south as Tomball and as north as Huntsville. Few people have heard of them, so we are here to clear up some misinformation about mosquitoes and help you distinguish the two.

Mosquitoes are dawn and dusk insects because they are unable to regulate their body temperature. The only exception to this is the Asian Tiger mosquito (see photo), which is larger than your average mosquito and has clear black and white stripes on its body. Biting midges are not as affected by the sun, so they will be out all day, mostly in the ground and grass.

Here is how some typical conversations go in the office:

Caller: “Hi, I have mosquitoes everywhere. They are swarming and they are in the house!”

MoJo: “Ok, do you get bitten during the day, maybe more so on your lower legs than elsewhere?”

Caller: “Yes! How did you know that?”

Or

Caller: “Hi, I need help. The baby mosquitoes are really bad at my house, and I can’t go outside without being attacked.”

MoJo: “I’m so sorry – is this all the time, during the day and evening?”

Caller: “Yes! My kids get eaten when they are outside playing or when they swim. They swarm them.”

Or

Customer: “Hi, I don’t think your service is working. I’m still getting bitten and now they are in my house. I think you guys pushed them inside.”

MoJo: “Ok, so please understand that our service kills mosquitoes and won’t push them anywhere. But tell us more so we can help. Are you bitten in the sun during the day? Do you have lots of bites on your legs?”

Customer: “Yes! There are a lot of baby mosquitoes, so I don’t think it’s working.”

The first thing to know is that there is no such thing as a baby mosquito. Mosquitoes hatch fully grown from pupae. “Baby mosquitoes,” are never mosquitoes and always something else. The second thing to know is that midges live in the ground and grass, which we don’t treat when we treat mosquitoes; since mosquitoes live, shelter, and feed in the green leaf. We ask everyone who calls where they are in their yard when they are bitten, as well as the time of day, so that we can try to drill down to the insects causing them issues. Biting midges are smaller than a mosquito and black in color.  They have different wing veining and more feathering on their antennae, but neither of these can be seen when they are flying, so we understand the confusion.

We often hear the comment that they are, “in the house.”  While it is totally feasible that a mosquito flies in through an open door, mosquitoes have no desire to be inside. They are far too busy looking for plant nectar to be focused on an open door. If they are focused on biting you, they may follow you in, but unless you keep your door wide open, or have open windows with the lights on at night, mosquitoes have better things to do, like eat and breed.

To understand what is happening we need to appreciate that midges feed off decomposing matter. They love the sludge in gutters, decomposing pine needles and leaves, sludge in your gutters and downspouts, and the sludge in the U-bends of your sinks. When someone calls in with “mosquitoes” in the house, we are confident that the drains are the issue.

There is a super easy trick everyone can do inside, and we recommend this twice a year to everyone:

1. Pour 3 “glugs” of household bleach into every drain, shower, tub and sink in the house.
2. Let the bleach sit for 5-10 minutes.
3. Run your water on hot for 5 minutes in each drain.
4. Plug any sinks, tubs etc. that don’t get used much (guest sink for example).

This simple task will flush out the U-bend and clear out any eggs laid there too.  Within a week most people report a dramatic difference in their issues.

Another consideration is your septic tanks if you are on septic. Those lids will crack over time with mowing or just the sun. Sometimes the septic company does a poor job of sealing the lids back up after a visit. The number of mosquitoes and midges that can come from this one issue can be overwhelming. Take a moment to check your septic tanks – if you open one and a cloud of insects flies out, you know you have an issue with your lid (any insect inside that tank is getting in somehow and getting out to feed).

To treat for midges, Mosquito Joe will tack an add-on service to your treatment (for this we charge only the cost of the products and time). This involves treating all the ground and grass in addition to our mosquito service. We always request that we coordinate this service with the customer so that the grass is short when we visit, and that they avoid mowing (and thereby cutting off the product) for 4 days after we come. If you would like to learn more about our services or have questions, don’t hesitate to call or email us. We are always here to help: 979-859-5998

 
It’s a new year and along with it come new resolutions. Maybe you want to get in the gym more, or be on your phone less, or tackle that big project you’ve been putting off. It’s highly unlikely that your resolutions involve mosquitoes, but if there was ever a time to work on reducing your summer bites it would be now. Just like your “summer vacation self” would thank you for starting that new workout routine now, your family will thank you come to the warm weather. So how can you get rid of mosquitoes?

The easiest way to get rid of mosquitoes is to call Mosquito Joe of S Brazos Valley and we can take care of it for you, but we want to give you some tips and tricks to drive the population in your yard down come summer that you can do yourself.

One mosquito lays about 300 eggs every couple of days in ONE teaspoon of water. Half of those offspring will go on to do the same in as many days. In this way, one mosquito can become well over millions in a month.

Mosquitoes lay their eggs wherever the ground holds water or where is doesn’t dry. If there is no water, then they are very sneaky about their placement aiming to lay the eggs where water will gather later.

For this reason, one of the first and most important steps you should take to reduce the population is to reduce these potential breeding spots. This starts with your gutters – clearing them out and keeping them clear of leaves. Don’t forget the important step of flushing them out with water when you are finished. The sludge is just as important and is often forgotten. Keeping up with this can be tedious but it is well worth it. Make sure that the gutters are flowing freely all the way down the downspouts, they are easily blocked and missed. Make sure that the runoff blocks, if you have them, are directed away from your home and not pooling water or damaging your foundation.

Once the gutters are clean you should turn your attention to the ground. Raking up all the fallen leaves and pine needles will help the soil dry out and stay that way – piles of leaves will shade the soil and thus produce the perfect place for eggs to be laid. The same holds true for fallen branches and brushes – cleaning them all up and removing them will make a big difference, don’t make the mistake of leaving piles of them in the yard.

Take some time to walk through your yard. Remember that only one teaspoon of water is enough to create a population, so look for holes in tree stumps, low-lying spots in the yard, pots turned the wrong way, or even fence posts without caps on them. Remove any tires, plastic containers, or anything that holds water.

Children’s toys can hold a lot of water, and this includes plastic swing seats, see-saws, and such. Removing these areas that hold water will make a huge difference come the spring. And what you cannot remove you can remedy – drill holes in the bottom of tire swings, kids’ toys, even your trash cans that will hold water after rain.

Once you have your yard in order staying on top of it after rains (and leaves fall) is vital. But if you keep at it and keep the water away you will have made a huge impact on the bites you receive in the spring. And of course, if you would just rather not have any issues reach out to us for a free quote at 979-859-5998.

National Mosquito Control Awareness Week

The last week of June every year is Mosquito Control Awareness Week (MCAW).  Some folks we talk to are surprised that there exists a week devoted to the mosquito, but if we can devote a week to sharks – who are responsible for a very, very small number of deaths, then we should certainly devote a week to the deadliest animal on the planet.

The concept of MCAW is just as its name describes, to bring awareness not only to the mosquito and the diseases they carry but to what we can do to reduce the population where we live.

Mosquitoes carry EEE, West Nile, Malaria, Zika, Dengue, and Chikungunya Virus. Transmission occurs once the mosquito bites, sharing saliva and potential blood particles, transferred from the last bite they took. There is no evidence that Covid can be transferred through a mosquito.

Mosquito Joe works with Nothing But Nets every year, donating a portion of its’ revenue to the organization, who supplies pesticide-treated mosquito nets to families in sub-Sahara Africa where Malaria is rampant. Closer to home, we work hard to educate whenever we can to help spread the word about some simple things you can do to keep the population down. We have a lot of information in our blogs about mosquitoes, what you can do yourself, how to best deal with bites, how to look for trouble spots, and more.

The biggest takeaway for mosquitoes should be water, water, water. Water is where they lay their eggs, where the eggs hatch into larvae, and where the larvae grow into adults. The less water you have, the fewer mosquitoes.  Remember, one teaspoon of water will give you 300 eggs. And with a life cycle of 3-5 days, those 300 can multiply into the millions in less than a month. So, tip and toss and dump that water every time it rains. Keep your gutters running clear and your fallen leaves and pine needles picked up.  Flush out your French drains and keep tarps and kids’ toys stored inside and away from the rain. Rinse out your birdbaths and scrub the sides when you do – eggs cling to the bowl and if you don’t scrub you’ve simply refreshed their water. And a HUGE issue we see all the time, especially after this last winter weather, your septic tank lids. If they are cracked or warped replace them and where possible, screw them down.  You would not believe the mosquitoes that can reproduce in those tanks.

Finally, and we apologize in advance for this, we will leave you with this most epic of videos.

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.