What Attracts Mosquitoes to New England Homes and Gardens?

There are two things mosquitoes need to survive and blood isn't one of them. While finding a blood meal is definitely a requirement for a female to fertilize her eggs and reproduce, male and female mosquitoes require moisture and food to survive. If you have a garden or lots of vegetation in your yard, you'll provide mosquitoes with both. Here's how it works.

Food

A yard teaming with plant life is the ideal environment for mosquitoes. Plants provide nourishment for mosquitoes in the form of nectar and plant sap. In the same way mosquitoes draw blood from your skin, they can draw nectar and sap from flowers and plants. This makes areas of vegetation highly attractive to mosquitoes. Your plants are food for them.

Moisture

Mosquitoes are incredibly delicate. You've probably noticed if you've ever squished one on your skin. Their delicate frame requires a lot of moisture. For this reason, mosquitoes will avoid being exposed in the middle of the day as much as they can help it. They hide in vegetation and in shaded areas. The higher the humidity, the more attractive a hiding spot will be. Since our plants require moisture, landscape vegetation and gardens are often a prime location for mosquitoes to hide. And, while they hide in our vegetation, they feed on it as well.

Drinking Water

Along with moisture for their bodies, mosquitoes require moisture to drink. They can get a drink from the smallest of water reservoirs. They can drink from rainwater captured by a small toy lying in the yard or a gardening scoop left on the deck. They can drink from a leaf that has captured some rainwater. Many species of mosquito will use stagnant water pools to breed in. So one mosquito finding a drink in your yard could turn into hundreds of mosquitoes roaming around in your yard.

Mosquito Management

It may seem futile to try and manage the attractants in your yard to control mosquitoes but you can actually have an impact on mosquito populations by altering these conditions. Here are a few ways you can make your yard less interesting:

Reduce moisture by trimming tree branches to allow the sunlight into areas that have a lot of shade. Putting space between your plants will let air channel through your landscaping and dry out your topsoil after watering or after it rains.

Reduce drinking water and breeding sites by cleaning out your gutter system and repairing any breaks. Remove objects from your yard that capture rainwater. Fill ground holes in. Alter objects that collect rainwater by poking a hole in them if possible. In cases of bird baths and other containers, consider adding a water circulator or some goldfish to prevent mosquito development.

Reduce food sources and make your landscaping more repellent by removing plants that aren't necessary or by eliminating weeds and overgrowth. Consider adding mosquito-resistant vegetation to your landscape. Vegetation such as citronella, lavender, rosemary, scented geraniums, marigolds, and others can make your landscaping smell bad to mosquitoes. Keep in mind that some of these plants must be brushed with your hand or moved by strong winds in order to activate the scent.

Get control of mosquitoes by investing in seasonal mosquito control. No matter what the conditions are in your yard, routine applications of mosquito control products can break the cycle of reproduction and make it harder for mosquitoes to hide on your property.

Call The Mosquito Professionals At American Pest Solutions

If you live in Connecticut or Massachusetts and you're in our service area, be aware that American Pest Solutions is a leader in the pest control industry. We have national recognition for excellence in business practices, environmental stewardship, employee training, and other key areas. We've earned this through hard work, listening to customers needs, applying modern Integrated Pest Management, and continually seeking to learn the most advanced pest control methods available. We have over a century of experience in pest control. Let our experience and training work for you. When it comes to battling mosquitoes and the dangerous diseases they can spread, you shouldn't settle for anything less than the best. Get your protection in place today by scheduling a free pest control inspection for your property.

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