It doesn’t take much to make a comfortable home for mosquitos. All too often, PMPs face callbacks and customer complaints because they’ve overlooked a single area where mosquitos can happily breed, rest, and feed. Some hotspots are obvious. Others are more hidden. Follow the tips in this guide to check — and treat — the most common spots overlooked by PMPs.
Where there’s water, there’s a potential breeding site
Water plays a crucial role in mosquitos’ life cycles. Female mosquitos lay their eggs on the surface of stagnant water, or in areas that may become flooded. The larvae hatch within 48 hours, then live in the water from seven to fourteen days feeding on microorganisms. After coming to the surface for air, they go through four larval stages. The larvae then pupate for one to four days before the fully developed mosquitos emerge as adults. Prior to flying away, the mosquitos rest on the surface of the water, where their bodies dry and harden. After obtaining a blood meal, female mosquitos will repeat this process.
Use the seven-day rule for locating mosquitos
While some sources of stagnant water are evident — for instance, bird baths, gutters, and marshy areas — others are less obvious. Keep in mind: Anything that can hold water for seven days can serve as a breeding site. Water can also collect on objects that aren’t necessarily designed to hold liquids. For instance, mosquitos often seek out old tires, where they can find both water and protection. Wheelbarrows, bottles, gutters, rain gauges, and downspouts are also common targets. Don’t forget larger areas like pools — including children’s pools — and lower-elevation yard areas. In addition to checking these sites yourself, you can also package them as a checklist for home and business owners — a great opportunity for customer education.
Get mosquitos where they rest
For barrier treatments, keep in mind that different types of mosquitos rest in different areas. For instance, members of the Culex genus tend to rest higher up in trees, 15 to 25 feet up in canopies. To treat them, aim to apply treatments 15 feet away from structures, and 15 feet high. Aedes aegypti, on the other hand, rarely fly more than a few hundred feet from the water where they first developed, attacking humans around the ankles. Aedes albopictus also rest in lower vegetation, where they wait to ambush victims. Meanwhile, as overwintering adults, Anopheles quadrimaculatus prefer dark, protected shelters like barns and tree holes. Research the species of mosquitos in your specific region to ensure you’re treating the correct areas.
Take control of tough areas using Scion® Insecticide with UVX™ Technology
Once you’ve identified mosquitos’ key breeding, resting, and feeding spots, keep them at bay with Scion®. Thanks to FMC’s proprietary UVX™ Technology, Scion provides long-lasting mosquito control — even against high temperatures, intense sunlight, and harsh surfaces. Scion is also backed by an unprecedented 75-day assurance for mosquitos. The result is longer protection, reduced callbacks, and fewer applications, leading to great savings on gas, labor, and product.