Mosquitoes are just one of the pests that people expect to encounter when hiking, fishing, or doing other outdoor activities. And while it may be common to see these tiny flies when you are in a rural and natural setting, many people don't expect to find them swarming around their back patios and yard.
If you are dealing with an increased amount of mosquitoes this year, there is probably a good reason for it. At Quik-Kill Pest Eliminators, our Bettendorf pest control technicians can help you find and remove the factors attracting mosquitoes to your property.
What Exactly Are Mosquitoes?
A mosquito is a tiny, flying insect. They typically measure around ⅛ inch long and have narrow bodies, thin legs, and two transparent wings. They also have a long and thin mouthpiece called a proboscis. This needle-like appendage can pierce human skin and allows them to extract blood from your body easily.
The female mosquitoes are the only ones that take a blood meal. Female mosquitoes need the protein and other nutrients found in animal and human blood to lay their eggs. But when they are not reproducing, female mosquitoes eat the same thing as male mosquitoes always eat, which is plant nectar.
Because of their nectar-based diet, mosquitoes are excellent pollinators. Even though they don't have fur-covered bodies like honeybees, they can still collect and deposit pollen from one plant to another and play a vital role in creating a healthy ecosystem. Mosquitoes may be unwanted guests in your home, but the world would be a much less pleasant place if mosquitoes didn't exist.
The Potential Dangers Of A Mosquito Bite
When a female mosquito needs a blood meal, she will get it from any source she can; this includes sick animals. If a mosquito bites a disease-ridden animal, she could become infected with the same disease. If that same infected mosquito bites, then goes and bites you, she could transmit whatever disease or virus that already infected her. Some of the most common illnesses that people in this area catch from a mosquito bite include:
- Dengue fever
- Encephalitis
- Chikungunya
- Tularemia
- West Nile virus
The diseases that the mosquitoes in Bettendorf are known to transmit to humans have relatively mild symptoms. While mosquitoes are known to be the deadliest animals in the world, being bitten by a mosquito in the United States is rarely fatal. The most deadly diseases that mosquitoes are known to transmit are malaria and the Zika virus. The mosquitoes known to carry and spread both deadly illnesses are not here in the U.S.
Five No-Nonsense Mosquito Prevention Tips
In the summer, it can seem like mosquitoes are everywhere. These dangerous and annoying bugs are constantly looking for a nice area to hang out with plenty of food, shade, and water. If you want to keep mosquitoes away from your yard this summer, some of the things that you can try include:
- Don't leave wheelbarrows and other land equipment in your yard that have the potential to collect and hold water.
- Keep the grass in your yard from getting too tall. The grass should never reach over eight inches tall.
- Make sure that your yard can properly drain water away from your home.
- Limit the amount of trees and other vegetation in your yard to reduce the number of shaded areas.
- If you have a bird bath in your yard, change the water regularly and try not to keep the bird bath too close to your home.
Animals like birds and bats like to eat mosquitoes. Mosquitoes prefer to invade yards with plenty of hiding spots to keep themselves safe from predators. If you have a lot of debris or clutter in your yard or around your home, you will likely attract mosquitoes to your property.
Pro Mosquito Control Offers The Best Protection For Your Yard
Mosquitoes can be relentless. Many homeowners will run inside and lock their doors when they invade yards. If you want to enjoy your yard all summer long, call the professionals at Quik-Kill Pest Eliminators today. We offer a multi-step mosquito control plan that will eliminate the mosquitoes in your Bettendorf yard and prevent them from coming back in the future.