Mosquito Identification & Prevention

If you have spent any time in Florida, you are likely already well-acquainted with mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are those small insects that annoyingly buzz around you and are constantly trying to deliver painful, itchy bites. They are also known for driving us indoors and preventing us from enjoying time outside around our pools and outdoor eating areas.

Though mosquitoes are fragile and easily squished, they are considered one of the world's most dangerous creatures because of the deadly diseases they spread.

The mosquito's most unique physical feature is its proboscis. The proboscis is a thin, extended mouthpart. Males and females use it to feed on their primary food source, plant nectar. The females also use the proboscis to pierce the skin of warm-blooded animals to feed on their blood. Their host's blood provides them with the protein required to produce viable eggs.

Yes, mosquitoes are dangerous and pose significant health risks. As the females feed on the blood of their hosts, they acquire and then transmit different parasites and disease-causing pathogens that make people ill.

In Florida, mosquitoes are well known for spreading parasitic heartworms to our pets and West Nile virus to people. Mosquitoes in our state also spread eastern equine encephalitis and St. Louis Encephalitis.

Limiting contact with mosquitoes is the best way to avoid their itchy bites and the diseases they are capable of spreading.

The biggest reason you have a mosquito problem on your Naples property is that Florida's hot, humid weather conditions allow mosquitoes to thrive and be active throughout the year.

Another significant reason mosquitoes take over our properties is that they have a short lifespan; adults (if not quickly eaten by a predator or squished by a hand) live two to three weeks at most.

In order to ensure their species' success, mosquitoes reproduce quickly, and each female can lay 500 eggs in its lifetime. Ten breeding females on your property means the potential for 5,000 new mosquitoes flying around your yard!

Female mosquitoes like to lay their eggs on top of standing water. Therefore the more areas of standing water on or near your property, the more problematic mosquitoes will be for you and your family.

You are most likely to see mosquitoes swarming around their breeding sites and are most likely to receive bites from mosquitoes at dusk and dawn. Most types of mosquitoes in Florida are less active during the middle of the day when temperatures are hot, and the sun is shining.

Mosquitoes like to rest during the day, hiding in damp shady areas like tall grass, shrubbery, and underneath tree canopies.

Places that water starts to pool in our Florida yards and then offer breeding sites for mosquitoes include:

• Clogged gutters
• Plant pots
• Tree stumps
• Gardens
• Buckets
• Trash cans or piles of yard debris

Even something as insignificant as water collecting on the top of a soda can provide female mosquitoes a place to lay their eggs!

Though there is no way to get rid of mosquitoes from our outdoor spaces completely, there are certain things you can do to reduce their numbers significantly. One of the best ways to control mosquitoes and limit their threat to you and your family is to partner with a professional.

Here at Bugs & Beyond, we are committed to helping you take back your backyard from Florida mosquitoes using quality treatments and a combination of green and natural products. Please call today for information about mosquito control in Naples or a custom quote.

You can use the following tips to help keep mosquitoes from taking over your yard.

• Eliminate as much standing water from your property as possible. 
• Store containers upside down when not in use.
• Don't overwater gardens or your lawn. 
• Use outdoor fans to keep mosquitoes away from outdoor eating areas.
• Maintain your property and keep the grass cut short and shrubs and trees cut back. 
• Keep mosquitoes away from your pool by adequately treating the water and making sure it is constantly circulating. 

For mosquito control and prevention in Naples, Florida, call Bugs & Beyond today.