Have you ever had to leave a room because of a smell? For some people, one squirt of perfume is enough to give them a headache, for others, it takes a skunk-sprayed dog to make their nose turn. In the case of mosquitoes, their sensory organs are easily overloaded by certain fragrances.
The question is, is using smell-based deterrents the best way to handle these pests on your property? To help you make this decision, here are some things you should know:
Why Mosquitoes Invade Properties
The first thing mosquitoes come onto properties to find is food. As you may already know, mosquitoes draw blood from both people and animals. What you might not know is that all adult mosquitoes feed on nectar, honeydew, and other sweet substances. Both male and female mosquitoes consume plant nectar, but only female mosquitoes require the blood of humans and animals. The blood female mosquitoes collect provides the nutrients needed to produce eggs. This leads us to the second thing mosquitoes come onto properties to find, sources of stagnant water. They need these sources to lay their eggs. They find them in places like ornate pools, left-out containers, ponds, and birdbaths. By removing sources of still or standing water from your property, you go a long way toward reducing the mosquito populations around your Aiken home. Unfortunately, removing large sources of standing water isn’t enough. Female mosquitoes are capable of laying their eggs in pools of water no more than an inch deep.
How To Prevent Mosquitoes
Many people use certain smells to keep mosquitoes away from their properties, such as peppermint, lavender, and citronella. You can purchase a variety of natural citronella products, such as candles, lotions, and tiki torches. You can also fill your yard with a variety of plants that produce scents mosquitoes prefer to avoid. While using scents to deter mosquitoes might reduce the frequency that you are bitten, they rarely reduce the mosquito populations around your property. Thankfully, there are a few other prevention methods you can use to keep mosquitoes away from your backyard:
- Clear debris such as leaves and sticks out of your gutters to prevent water from building up.
- Keep your grass short and mow your lawn regularly.
- Trim thick brush and overhanging branches away from the exterior of your home.
- Remove items from your lawn that may collect rainwater, such as tarps, flowerpots, and buckets.
- Replace the water in your birth baths every two to three days.
- Prevention tips are a helpful way to reduce factors that may attract mosquitoes to your
- Aiken property. However, prevention methods are not nearly as effective as professional mosquito control services.
Why You Need Professional Mosquito Control
It’s important to take steps to reduce the number of mosquitoes in your backyard. While using scents, prevention methods, and other deterrents might help a little bit, the best way to minimize the mosquito populations around your home is to procure professional mosquito control services from Aiken Pest. At Aiken Pest, we are committed to delivering high-quality solutions. We offer mosquito, flea, and tick treatments designed to greatly reduce the number of these pests and eliminate their young. All of our treatments begin with a detailed inspection of your property to determine what is needed to drastically reduce or eliminate your pest problems. After we identify breeding and resting areas, we’ll perform an exterior treatment, targeting these areas. At Aiken, we provide both seasonal and one-time mosquito treatments, depending on your specific needs.
Give your Aiken property exactly what it needs by partnering with Aiken Pest today.