Moline, Illinois, is a city with unlimited entertainment opportunities. The downtown area is close to shops, arenas, restaurants, hotels, and even parks and plazas that offer outdoor concerts and dancing. Whether you're downtown enjoying outdoor entertainment or relaxing at home in your backyard, mosquitoes in the area will most likely try to ruin your fun and relaxation without Moline pest control services.
Understanding Mosquito Behavior: The First Step To Mosquito-Proofing
The first step in mosquito-proofing your yard is understanding mosquito behavior. For mosquitoes to thrive, they need two essential ingredients – blood and water. Female mosquitoes must obtain a blood meal from people or animals to have the nutrients to reproduce. That's why they often make life miserable for humans. Once a female has mated and obtained the blood she needs, she will need a place to deposit her eggs; that's where a standing water supply enters the picture.
A mosquito's life begins in water; females will lay their eggs on the surface. After a few days, the eggs will go below the water's surface, where they will hatch and enter a larval stage. During this stage, they eat and shed their external skeletons multiple times until they're ready for the next stage of their life – the pupal stage. This stage is where they finish their development and grow wings and legs. New adults will move to the water's surface to dry their new wings until they're ready to take flight in search of food. The males will focus on plant juices and nectar; the females will also seek out nectar but typically concentrate on obtaining a blood meal to continue the reproduction of new mosquitoes. Since the life cycle of Moline mosquitoes is partially dependent on water, homeowners who hope to deter mosquitoes must address standing water issues around their yards.
Eliminate Standing Water: Interrupt Mosquito Breeding Habitats
The second step in mosquito-proofing yards involves eliminating standing water from your property. Mosquitoes in Moline only need about a half inch of standing water to lay their eggs. That means something as small as a cap from a soda bottle can hold enough water for a mosquito to lay her eggs. Considering it only takes a small amount of standing water to attract mosquitoes to properties, homeowners should watch out for and eliminate potential water attractions.
Six areas around yards that often accumulate water include:
- Clogged gutters
- Pooling rainwater under waterspouts
- Pool covers
- Yard debris (kiddie pools, buckets, flower pots, toys, tarps, tires, garbage lids, leaf litter)
- Water decorations with no agitation (bird baths, fish ponds)
- Low-lying areas in your landscaping
While monitoring your property for potential mosquito water attractions is a positive step in deterring them from getting comfortable on your property, it's not always a complete fix. For those times when mosquitoes seem to be everywhere despite your prevention measures, it's time to call in the professionals at Quik-Kill Pest Eliminators. We offer multiple options for mosquito treatments that can help homeowners protect their yards.
A Natural Approach: Plants That Repel Mosquitoes
The third step that may help mosquito-proof your yard involves a natural touch. While some people may take a skeptical approach to plants' ability to deter mosquitoes, others are adamant that certain plants help keep mosquitoes away. Whether they are right or wrong, it never hurts to add plants to your yard; you'll gain some beautiful additions to your landscape and possibly set up some natural deterrents to keep local mosquitoes away from your yard.
Some of the best plants to keep mosquitoes away include:
- Lemon grass (related to citronella)
- Citronella (strong lemon smell)
- Lemon balm (from the mint family)
- Geranium (an annual plant with pretty flowers)
Plants use natural chemicals to defend themselves against attacks from viruses, bacteria, and insects, making them smell. Planting them around your yard won't necessarily release these chemicals into the air, but they can with help. People can release mosquito-repelling chemicals from plants by trimming or crushing their leaves. Taking a natural approach to mosquito-proofing yards is admirable, but sometimes homeowners need more help. At Quik-Kill Pest Eliminators, we stay current with the latest advances in mosquito treatments to effectively keep mosquitoes away from yards without damaging plants, trees, and bushes.
Professional Mosquito Control: Create A Mosquito Barrier For Your Yard
Partnering with a professional mosquito control company like Quik-Kill Pest Eliminators is the last step necessary to ensure a mosquito-proof yard. We are a second-generation, family-owned and operated pest control company that has served the Moline area since 1929. We are a reliable full-service pest control company that takes pride in offering pest control solutions to help you stay pest-free. Take steps today to mosquito-proof your yard with help from Quik-Kill Pest Eliminators; contact us for a free, no-obligation inspection today.