Here in Illinois, keeping mosquitoes away from your skin on a warm summer evening is a task of herculean proportions. The buzzing little kamikazes seem to appear from nowhere and are determined to stick around.
Mosquitoes are ubiquitous insects, numbering over 2,500 species, and they are found just about everywhere humans call home. In their natural environment, these insects pollinate a number of plants and serve as an important food resource to birds, bats, and other small predators.
However, when the mosquito population gets out of control, be it due to an abundant food supply, lack of predators, or easy availability of breeding grounds, mosquitoes can become a serious problem.
Unpleasant bites and itchy welts aside, mosquitoes spread a number of deadly diseases, with malaria being the world's deadliest disease among them. Thankfully, malaria cases in the United States are very rare. This disease is more common in tropical areas.
Let's take a look at the dangers inherent in mosquito bites, how to keep mosquitoes away, the best ways to get rid of mosquitoes, and where to find reliable pest control in Rock Island if the time for prevention has passed.
The Role Mosquitoes Play In Our Environment
Surprisingly, many types of mosquitoes don't rely on blood for their sustenance. Only the females of the species will put your sleeveless arm on the menu. They do this to acquire the nutrients needed to lay eggs. All mosquitoes consume nectar and honeydew, pollinating a huge variety of plants as they go about feeding themselves.
As mentioned, mosquitoes are relied on for providing a reliable food source for birds bats, frogs, etc. A swallow doing acrobatics in the air is most likely mosquito hunting and can consume hundreds of these insects in a day.
How Mosquito Bites Spread Dangerous Diseases
When feeding on human and animal blood, mosquitoes can ingest a number of viruses and parasites from their hosts and can transfer them to the next victim as they move on to a new blood donor.
In our area, you may be exposed to the following diseases if you've been bitten by a mosquito:
West Nile virus
Dengue fever
Chikungunya
Encephalitis
Tularemia
Most of us will not have much of a reaction to a mosquito bite. It will most likely result only in minor swelling and redness in the area, but for people predisposed to mosquito bite allergies, a bite can be the start of a serious allergic reaction.
Some Mosquito Prevention Methods Are More Effective Than Others
You can keep mosquitoes away from your Rock Island home by ensuring they do not have a place to lay eggs and by removing their preferred food source (aka you) from being easily accessible:
Keep standing water from accumulating in puddles around your property.
Get rid of shady areas around your yard to remove areas where mosquitoes can hide in midday.
Keep indoors in the morning and early evening when mosquitoes come out of hiding.
Use insect repellent and wear long sleeves when outside.
Unfortunately, once mosquitoes find a suitable location to procreate, their numbers grow exponentially and can soon get out of control. At this stage, clearing mosquitoes out of your yard is best left to Rock Island mosquito control professionals.
Call The Professionals For Total Mosquito Control For Your Yard
A Quick-Kill Pest Eliminators technician will start the visit by inspecting your property to locate the breeding grounds for mosquito infestation. Once that's out of the way, we'll apply a proven spray treatment or install a mosquito misting system to eliminate the insects on your property and prevent an infestation in the future.
If mosquitoes on your Rock island property are keeping you from enjoying your yard, give us a call today to learn more about our residential and commercial pest control services in Rock Island. We can help!