Mosquitoes are one of the most irritating insects that bite people around and are responsible for various illnesses, some of which even turn out to be fatal. The mosquitoes are amongst those creatures who have one of the most complex biologies. However, if you do your homework properly and understand this biology then it will only help you to understand different ways in which you can target them and repel or kill them. This is why before you decide to eliminate the mosquitoes it is important to understand their biology and life patterns which will go a long way in ensuring that your methods of elimination are effective and efficient.
The mosquito life cycle and spraying them as per these cycles
The male and female mosquitoes are different in their biology plus their primary source of food. The male mosquitoes have a short span of life and they don’t necessarily feed on the blood. The main source of nutrients and sustenance for the male mosquitoes is the flower and fruit nectar. While it depends on the different species but the female mosquitoes live approximately 3-4 weeks which is almost twice as male mosquitoes. It’s also the female mosquitoes who bite humans to feast on their blood. However, they don’t do this for their sustenance since even the female mosquitoes rely on nectar and similar stuff for their survival. The female mosquitoes need blood for them to be able to reproduce and produce eggs. The female mosquitoes usually lay eggs in any form of standing water that is available for them.
When do mosquitoes eggs develop?
The eggs develop into the new mosquitoes in the period of anywhere between 48 hours to a few months. Within the next 4-7 days, these mosquitoes reach adulthood and become ready for breeding again. This short and concise mosquito cycle should be kept in mind when you trying to get rid of the mosquitoes.
Spraying as per the life cycle of the mosquito: When you are starting the spraying process you must spray the target area almost every day or at a somewhere similar frequency so that you can disrupt the breeding cycle of the mosquitoes. This will assist you in getting rid of the adult mosquitoes as well as their eggs. After that, the spraying interval can be increased to once per week however it is important to note that you shouldn’t extend the spraying period beyond this as it might defeat the intensity of the mosquito elimination. If you keep spraying regularly once a week then you will notice that mosquitoes won’t have time for breeding thus gradually reducing their presence in your area.
What’s important in getting rid of mosquitoes?
An important aspect of getting rid of the mosquitoes in your area is to stop them from breeding before it happens. Before you even start spraying you must try to get rid of unwanted standing water or anything that might hold water which has the potential of becoming a breeding ground for the mosquitoes. You must dump all of the standing water by ditching the containers, emptying the buckets and all sorts of water holding pieces so that the water is not collected in them. This will mean that the mosquitoes will nowhere to look for breeding in your area and thus they will go away looking for suitable conditions in a different place where they can breed.
As per the relevant studies and research, the mosquitoes usually don’t go far from their breeding place and are usually within a distance of 2 km from their original place of breeding. There are other breeds of mosquitoes who remain even closer than that whereas there are some others that stay within 5-10 km. Then some species travel about 50 km from their place of birth and this is the farthest any species of the mosquitoes that travel. Thus you must look out for areas that have high mosquito populations so that you can spray the necessary solution in these areas by strategically attacking them.
The best time for spraying the mosquitoes
Numerous factors play an important role in the population of mosquitoes in any area or region. The mosquitoes are considered to be the most active during the time of dusk and dawn since they are looking for food during that particular period of time. So the logic suggests you should spray and use similar other methods of repelling the mosquitoes during these times so that it can have the maximum impact of eliminating the mosquitoes from your area. Besides tackling the mosquitoes, spraying during that time will also help to keep other insecticides in check. The heat of the summer often makes the impact of the sprays less effective and thus it is important that you must allow the spray to settle in before the heat of the day makes its impact and reduces the effect of these sprays.
The weather conditions are important and play a significant role in tackling as well as eliminating the mosquitoes in your region. For instance, if there is a wind blowing or there are rains in the area then you must wait until those weather conditions have changed so that your spraying can have the desired impact. This is because the wind and the rain are likely to dissipate insecticide-laced spray and it will negate the impact of your spray. For the spraying to work effectively you must provide it the opportunity to settle properly on the surfaces so that it can do the job efficiently.
What are some other conditions that they like?
The similar conditions apply if it starts raining or strong winds start blowing after you have sprayed the necessary mosquito-killing pesticide or repellant. That will prevent the spray from settling on the surfaces and similarly negate its impact on the mosquitoes which was the ultimate goal of the whole exercise. Thus if you encounter such a situation then you must choose to re-apply the spray once those weather conditions have changed so that the next time the spray gets proper time and opportunity to settle and thus fight against the mosquitoes in that region.
The mosquitoes are more active during the rainy and winter seasons as compared to the summer, especially in hot tropical countries. The heat of these summer seasons doesn’t provide the perfect conditions for the mosquitoes to breed and thus you will notice a negligible population of the mosquitoes during this time of the year in hot, tropical countries. So when the summer ends and it’s time for winter or rains the mosquitoes are likely to come back in big numbers so you must be prepared accordingly. As mentioned earlier before the onset of those seasons you must take proper preventive measures and care to ensure that mosquitoes don’t breed or move in your area. Some of the preventive things that you can do include maintaining good hygiene, ensuring that there no bodies of standing water that can serve as a breeding ground for the mosquitoes and finally regularly spraying the mosquito-prone spots to ensure that they don’t settle in these locations.
Let’s see some other things that can help
Besides standing water and weather some of the other factors that impact the presence of mosquitoes adult mosquitoes include green locations. For instance, the adult mosquitoes choose to hide in bushes or tall grass during the time of the day and then move into houses and areas of the population during the time of the night. During the day when they are not as active the presence of bushes, tall grass and shade trees that are hanging low provide a perfect harboring ground or location for these mosquitoes.
If you have a property or house that is adjacent to the field, woods or similar arrangement then you are likely to see an increased presence or population of these mosquitoes in your area. The charming and relaxing garden that you have adjacent to your house also becomes a perfect resting place for these mosquitoes and then they become active mostly during the night time. As is the case with humans, the mosquitoes prefer resting on these low-lying trees during the day hours when they are most active. These trees and greens provide a perfect place for the mosquitoes to relax and spend the day time resting when they are inactive for the most part. Thus if your property or house is besides standing water or lush green low hanging trees then you should consider different mosquito control options so that you can get rid of them or repel them from your area.
Conclusion
These are some of the significant factors and considerations that go a long way in ensuring effectiveness as well as the efficiency of the spraying exercise. Before you begin the task of spraying you must read and do your research so that you can be well informed in all the aspects related to mosquitoes and the best ways or techniques in which you can repel or kill them. The more you study and gain knowledge the better it becomes for you and your efforts will yield effective outcomes of removing them from your backyard.