Central Florida is no stranger to rainy weather lately, and with more wet weather predicted in the forecast, it looks like drying out won't happen anytime soon. Unfortunately, rain doesn't just fill our lakes, rivers, and reservoirs. It also collects in buckets, flower pots, birdbaths, kids toys, and any other container capable of holding liquid. Standing, stagnant water such as that found following a rainstorm is the ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes. No one wants a horde of mosquitoes taking up residence around their home, but why?
Here are 10 facts you might not know about mosquitoes...and why you should avoid them.
- There are 80 identified species in Florida alone. No shortage here!
- Females lay up to 300 eggs at a time. See how quickly they could take over the area around your house?
- Only female mosquitoes bite. Males and females both feed on fruit and nectar, but the females require protein (found in blood) to develop their eggs. So, when it's time to reproduce (which is often), you look like the perfect host!
- Mosquitoes do not, in fact, "bite" you at all, since they don't have teeth. A long, straw-like probe, called a proboscis, is what the female injects into the host to suck up the blood she needs.
- They can't fly more than 3 miles from their home base, and most of them tend to stay within several hundred feet of where they were first hatched. That's why you don't want them hatching in your yard!
- They feed day AND night. You are never safe.
- That itchy bump you get from being bitten? It's actually a mild allergic reaction you suffer thanks to a pain killer and anti-coagulant the mosquito injects into you when feeding. Nervous yet?
- They are considered the most dangerous animal in the world. They carry malaria which kills over 1,000,000 people worldwide each year.
- Their main predators are fish and dragonflies. So unless you plan to fill your yard with these guys, you might want to look at alternative forms of mosquito control.
- Zappers, mosquito repellents, and other DIY forms of control either fail to have any effect at all, or are effective for the short-term. Mosquitoes have been around since the beginning of time...they're pretty hearty!
So, now that you know why you don't want them near you or your home, how do you keep them away? Fortunately, Country Boy Pest Control has you (or rather, your property) covered! We offer mosquito elimination and control services that are specially designed to kill mosquitoes when they are least active by attacking them in their habitat. Most of them head back to shrubs, trees, and other cover around your home when it's time to bed down for the evening, and that's where our control treatments hit first. These treatments are exponentially more effective than traditional mosquito elimination techniques, but they aren't offered by everyone. Give us a call to get your estimate and make your appointment today!