Mosquitoes can put homeowners in a predicament: they're are loud, annoying, and their bites can carry deadly diseases, making them a serious nuisance that can't be left untreated. Unfortunately, a mosquito infestation can be notoriously difficult, almost impossible, to eliminate alone.
Do-it-yourself mosquito treatments have a number of inherent setbacks: they can be quite expensive, and the variety of options available can make it confusing to find the solution that best fits your home. In addition, some of these options can go beyond just killing mosquitoes, and may end up hurting local plant and wildlife as well.
As if that wasn't enough, many DIY treatments don't fully eliminate the mosquitoes, allowing them to re-populate over time, wasting you money and effort while effectively leaving you right back where you started.
So, why should you go with a professional mosquito control specialist this summer? Here are five good reasons:
Wealth of Knowledge
Professional pest control companies deal with mosquitoes every day. Through years of testing and experience, they have figured out which methods of mosquito treatment are effective and which aren't. A professional will also recognize the warning signs of a mosquito infestation and be able to identify a potential breeding ground so that it can be treated effectively.
Professional services also spend a lot of time educating their employees on mosquitoes, so by hiring a professional, you'll get the opportunity to have all your mosquito treatment questions answered by an expert.
A great professional will be able to look at your yard, pinpoint the specific cause of the mosquito problem, explain why the mosquitoes have invaded your yard, and advise you on next steps to keep them out.
Fewer Headaches
While there are hundreds of websites and DIY-pages dedicated to helping you solve your mosquito problem on your own, it will still take a lot of trial-and-error to find the best solution.
To make matters worse, a DIY mosquito treatment probably won't be able to fully eliminate the infestation, meaning that you'll only have more headaches later on.
On the other hand, a professional service will be able to fully and permanently treat the infestation. Most pest control companies do not require you to even be present at home during your treatment, meaning that you won't have to take time out of your schedule to fix the mosquito problem.
Better Targeting
It may seem easier or more cost-effective to buy pesticides at your local convenience store or make your own solution. However, just having the pesticide doesn't guarantee you'll know how to use it. You may be able to mitigate some of the problem, but chances are low that you'll be able to locate and eliminate it at its source.
By contrast, a professional exterminator will know exactly where to look and how best to apply pesticide to hit mosquitoes where it hurts. Better targeting comes with two key advantages: for one, materials won't be wasted, and just enough will be used to eliminate the infestation; for two, better targeting means that only mosquitoes will be eliminated, not other wildlife.
However, before you agree to work with a pest control company, be sure to check their policies regarding the pesticides they use and how they target mosquitoes. Less reputable companies may not fully consider their environmental footprint on your yard; more on that in the next section.
Safer Service
One common method of mosquito treatment involves using mosquito blowers, also known as "foggers" or "misters." These blowers release chemical insecticides into the air and evenly distributing them across the property, killing any mosquitoes unfortunate enough to come into contact with the deadly fog.
Unfortunately, while mosquito blowers are effective at killing mosquitoes, they don't stop there. The same chemicals that mosquito blowers use to kill mosquitoes also cause harm to local flora and fauna, especially bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Worse, blowers can also harm some of the animals that prey on mosquitoes and cancelling out natural population control.
While some pest control companies still use blowers, reputable ones will not. Mosquito blowers may be an easy solution, but they are not the best. A great exterminator will be able to kill the mosquitoes infesting your yard without putting the rest of the yard at risk.
Elimination of Larvae
When people think of mosquitoes, they picture the flying, buzzing, biting adults. However, mosquitoes spend the vast majority of their lives underwater, out of sight and protected from many of the treatment methods.
After mating, mature female mosquitoes find bodies of standing, stagnant water to lay their eggs. The eggs hatch as larvae, molt several times until they become cocoon-like pupae, and finally emerge as adult mosquitoes. Only after all the adult mosquito's shell has hardened does it finally leave the body of water it was born in.
On average, it takes about ten days for a mosquito to mature from egg all the way to adult. This means that if you've treated your home and yard for mosquito adults but neglected to treat or eliminate all nearby mosquito breeding pools, the infestation could be back at full strength in only a few weeks.
One of the biggest advantages of hiring a professional pest control specialist is that he or she will have the tools and skillset to take care of the immature mosquitoes as well as the adults. With a professional by your side, you'll be able to kill every mosquito on your property, keep them from breeding, and stop the infestation for good.
For more information about mosquitoes, the risk they pose to your family, and the steps a pest control professional will take to keep your home safe, download our free informative Ebook, How to Keep Mosquitoes Out of Your Yard This Summer.
If you find yourself needing mosquito control services, don't hesitate to contact us today!
