Brown Mosquito: Identification & Control Guide
Have you spotted brown mosquitoes on your property? There are many different species of mosquitoes, so homeowners need to be able to identify the type of mosquito they’re dealing with at home.
Brown Mosquito: Identification & Control Guide
If you see a brown mosquito on your property or in your home, you are most likely seeing a Culex quinquefasciatus, also known as the Southern house mosquito. They have slender bodies and narrow wings. Adults are around four millimeters long.
It’s important to understand that Southern house mosquitoes are an aggressive mosquito species that bite both humans and animals. As a homeowner, it’s important to understand how to identify these pests and learn about their behavior.
Brown Mosquito Behavior
Brown mosquitoes prefer to reside in urban and suburban neighborhoods with abundant access to food, water and shelter. They get their name, the Southern house mosquito, because they gravitate to residential areas in the south that offer several sources of stagnant water to breed and lay eggs in.
For example, brown mosquitoes are known for breeding in flower pots, bird baths, clogged gutters and any other type of container that holds stagnant water. Brown mosquitoes are most active at night and in the early morning.
How To Prevent and Control Brown Mosquitoes
One way to prevent and control brown mosquitoes is to eliminate sources of standing water on your property. Since these pests use standing water as breeding grounds, removing their options will deter them from your property.
Inspect your property for all standing water sources, such as buckets and wheelbarrows filled with rainwater. If you have a pet, refresh their water bowl daily so Southern house mosquitoes cannot settle in it. If you see mosquito eggs in your pet’s water bowl, wash it with soap and warm water before using it again.
Additionally, clear out your rain gutters regularly, especially after heavy rain, so mosquitoes cannot use them to lay eggs.
If you have a swimming pool, maintaining a regular cleaning routine will deter mosquitoes and other pests from living there. Additionally, you should keep your pool covered in the off-season.
Enlist the help of a professional pest control service to fully control a brown mosquito population. Most do-it-yourself methods only address adult mosquitoes. However, to control brown mosquitoes, it’s important to address them at every stage of their life cycle, including the egg, larva, pupa and adult stages.
A pest control expert will use their professional expertise to identify and control a brown mosquito population.
What are Mosquito Dunks?
Many homeowners will try different mosquito control methods to try to control the mosquito population on their property. One option is to use mosquito dunks, which are small, donut-shaped larvicide disks that dissolve in water and target mosquito larvae.
Mosquito dunks attack mosquitoes at one of their earliest life stages before they have a chance to become adults. They can be placed in various water sources where mosquitoes lay eggs, such as in fountains, bird baths, ponds and more.
While mosquito dunks can be a helpful tool to limit mosquito larvae, they are not enough to fully control an infestation. To control an entire population, it’s crucial to target mosquitoes at every life stage. Mosquito dunks only address these pests in their larval stage. Working with a pest control specialist is the best way to control a mosquito population at every life cycle stage.
Not only can they use their professional experience to target mosquitoes at each stage of the life cycle, but they can also identify all of the standing water spots that the mosquitoes are using as breeding grounds.
The best way to kick mosquitoes off your property is to partner with a pest control expert. Mosquitoes can leave behind annoying bites on humans and pets, so it’s best to get in touch with a pest control professional to control mosquitoes and get your home back from these pests.
What Do You Do About Mosquito Eggs in Water?
Have you spotted mosquito eggs in the water on your property? This is a common occurrence when you’re dealing with a mosquito infestation because these pests lay their eggs in water. In fact, mosquitoes spend their first three life stages, the egg, larva and pupa stages, in water until they emerge as adults.
Once adults, female mosquitoes seek out new water sources to begin laying their eggs, and the process starts over. Mosquitoes reproduce rapidly, so it’s important to deal with the problem when you spot mosquito eggs in water on your property. Acting quickly is the best way to avoid the issue before it becomes a significant mosquito infestation.
It’s also important for homeowners to know mosquitoes only need a small area of water to lay their eggs in. They will lay eggs in water that is only a fourth of an inch deep. This makes it difficult to eliminate every single source of standing water on your property.
However, eliminating as many standing water sources as possible will go a long way in dealing with an annoying mosquito population. This includes old tires, wheelbarrows, pet water bowls, fountains, bird baths, buckets, rainwater collectors and more.
If you cannot remove all sources of standing water, it’s important to refresh them on a regular basis so that mosquito eggs do not have a chance to develop. For example, refresh your bird baths and pet water bowls daily.
After you empty each water container, the next step is to scrub it thoroughly to remove any mosquito eggs that may be clinging to the sides.
How to Deter Mosquitoes From Your Property
In addition to eliminating standing water, you can try other at-home methods to keep mosquitoes off your property and out of your home. For example, installing screens on your doors and windows can help deter mosquitoes from your house.
Maintaining your landscaping, such as mowing your lawn regularly and trimming your shrubbery, can also help deter mosquitoes. These pests like to hide out in overgrown vegetation, so keeping a neat yard can eliminate their hiding spots.
Controlling an entire mosquito population requires a multi-pronged approach. The best way to deal with mosquitoes is to work with a pest control specialist. At-home methods can help, but they are not enough to solve the problem. Contact a pest control professional to target the problem from all sides.
Kick Mosquitoes Off Your Property
Mosquitoes are annoying pests. An infestation should not be taken lightly, and a robust, multi-pronged approach is required to fully control a mosquito population.
The most effective way to kick mosquitoes off your property is to work with a pest control specialist. Experts can use their knowledge and professional resources to identify where the mosquitoes are hiding and breeding. Contact your local pest control provider to get started with your mosquito control plan.
Chem-free Can Reduce Mosquito Populations on Your Property
Mosquitoes can make you miserable. If you’re ready to limit the number of mosquitoes buzzing around your property, contact Chem-free Pest Control. We offer holistic methods of mosquito control that have your family in mind. This way, you can feel comfortable at home again. They can even help if you notice mosquito larvae in water bowls on your property.