Mosquitoes trigger such instantaneous fear that people often dodge them and swat them at the same time.
But there is more to fear about mosquitoes than the red and itchy bumps they leave behind after they bite: they can transmit serious diseases, including dengue (an infection), encephalitis (an inflammation of the brain tissue), malaria, West Nile virus, and yellow fever.
If you want to deliver a one-two knockout punch to mosquitoes, eliminate their favorite breeding grounds first. Then call Bain Pest Control for mosquito control solutions to finish them off with our comprehensive mosquito treatment process.
Learn Prevention Tactics from Illinois Health Experts
The public health experts in Illinois got a crash course in the dangers posed by mosquitoes when a case of West Nile virus was confirmed in 2001. Only a year later, all but two of the state’s 102 counties reported that the virus had struck a person, horse, or bird. The toll was swift and horrifying, with the virus afflicting 884 people and claiming 66 lives – more than any other state in the country.
Thanks to public education efforts, the number of human cases dropped to 54 in 2003, and one person died. Health experts consistently counseled residents: “The first and best defense against these pests and the illnesses they may carry is to eliminate the places where they breed.”
Eliminate Mosquito Breeding Grounds
The state’s hard-won and successful lessons include:
- Keep your pet’s water bowl indoors.
- Be vigilant about emptying water from places where it can easily congregate and attract mosquitoes. Outdoors, these places might include children’s swimming pools, buckets, tin cans, bird baths, and landscaping decorations.
- Keep built-in swimming pools, rain barrels, garbage cans, and recycling bins covered when they’re not in use.
- Ensure that the soil around your home is even so that it does not collect water in low spots.
- Fill in rotting tree holes and hollow stumps.
- Stock decorative water gardens with mosquito-eating fish, including minnows and goldfish.
- Keep grass cut short since mosquitoes look for shady areas to nestle during the day.
- Check your roof and gutters to ensure that water drains properly. (But do not take unnecessary chances on a ladder; hire a roof inspector to handle this task for you).
- Inspect your door and window screens to ensure they are in good condition.
- Store boats upside down.
Protect Yourself from Mosquitoes
- Try to avoid peak times that mosquitoes fester outdoors, or just before dawn and right before and right after sunset.
- Keep your arms and legs covered while outdoors.
- Apply insect repellent to exposed skin and even clothing. (The more DEET a product contains, the longer the repellent can protect against mosquito bites. DEET is a repellent developed by the Army to protect soldiers in mosquito-infested combat zones.)
- Cover baby carriages and strollers with mosquito netting.
Call Bain to Finish Off Mosquitoes with Mosquito Treatment
Mosquitoes are stubborn and persistent; they don’t take a hint that they’re not welcome. So after doing what you can to eliminate their breeding grounds, call Bain Pest Control Services.
We’ll carefully survey your property, assess the conditions and level of infestation, and then recommend whether a pesticide or non-chemical procedure should be undertaken.
From there, Bain will customize a maintenance program of up to six applications throughout the peak mosquito season. Or, if you prefer, a single application can be performed before a special outdoor event to ensure the comfort of your guests.
We know you may have questions about the disease-spreading ability of mosquitoes. So ask any question; float any concern our way. Bain employs two entomologists and two environmental scientists – proving that there is nothing more important to us than the health and safety of our customers.