Places Where
Mosquitoes Can Breed
It is
common knowledge that mosquitoes lay their eggs in bodies of standing water,
but what you may not realize is just how elusive it is to track down these
breeding grounds. "Standing water" doesn't necessarily have to be a
pond. Herein, some places to look for potential mosquito hatcheries:
Your trash can. If you leave your outside trash can
uncovered and rain or dew can collect in the bottom, that's all a mosquito
needs to start a family. You need to either keep your trash cans tightly lidded
or drill a small hole at the bottom so collected water can drain.
Bird baths and pet water dishes. It is a pity that
providing comforts for our preferred companions from the animal kingdom also
provides a breeding ground for mosquitoes. However, simply changing the water
daily in all receptacles is enough to keep mosquitoes at bay. For a bird bath,
this can be as simple as hitting it with a high-pressure garden hose.
Pipes
and hoses. You should tightly cap off and seal any pipe which can have water
inside, doesn't get flushed very often, and has a connection to the outdoors.
Hoses should have a spray nozzle on the end so they are sealed when not in use.
Trash.
All manner of trash, with rain water collecting in it, can be home to
mosquitoes. This can be the case in many places you didn't think of, such as a
pile of lumber scraps, old mop buckets, hub caps, and tires. Patrol your
property after every period of rain and dump out anything that collects water -
and you might want to keep anything that collects water overturned or in the
garage so that it doesn't become a problem in the first place.
Your
swimming pool. If you own a pool, you will no doubt already be familiar with
the massive amount of water treatment you have to do to keep it clean. Here's
another reason to do that. Swimming pools should have a water treatment at
least once a week to keep the balance of chlorine and other chemicals
sufficient to repel mosquitoes as well as other pests.
Pitcher plants. The pitcher-shaped plants known to be carnivorous enough
to eat other bugs ironically can supply yet another breeding spot for
mosquitoes. Any other kind of plant which can collect water, such as the stump
of a hollow tree, also makes an ideal breeding spot.
Other home furnishings. Rain gutters, wading pools,
flower pots, planter boxes, and irrigation control boxes are also likely spots.
If
you've eliminated all of the above and mosquitoes are still thick in your area,
remember that these voracious beasts can fly up to two miles from their place
of birth, so you might want to start a mosquito awareness program with your
neighbors.
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