Some of the highlights of the training hit upon prevention/reduction of mosquito breeding places. Are you a mosquito breeder? Here are some of the hidden breeding grounds that you could be fostering in your own yard:
Birdbaths - flush them out and replace water every week.
Grills - store under a roof, or make sure water isn't puddling/standing anywhere on the grill.
Pet water dishes - refresh them often.
Bromeliads and other water-holding plants - flush them out once a week.
Gutters - keep them clean and clog free.
Kid’s toys/ pools - dump them out when not in use. Store toys indoors.
Rain barrels - use an enclosed system or cover with a screen/ lid.
Boats, canoes, kayaks - store upside down, or cover.
Tarps - punch out the water that develops in pockets.
Tires - get rid of them, stack them inside or at least stack them on top of each other and cover.
Accordion style downspout extenders - mosquitoes LOVE to breed inside of them, with the ridges they provide. Don't use those.
Those reduction methods will go a long way towards making your yard more livable. Here are some things that the University of Florida does not recommend:
Sound emitters - There is no scientific evidence that they work.
Bug zappers - They end up zapping a lot more species other than mosquitoes, some of whom could be beneficial insects.
Bats/ Purple Martins - If you want to make houses for them, that's fantastic. They will help. But they won't make your neighborhood mosquito - free.
Male and female mosquitoes feed on plant nectar for energy. It's only the female that comes to you for a blood meal, so she has the protein she needs to lay eggs. Blame it on the ladies!
What attracts mosquitoes to you and not to your friend? There are a number of complex chemical components which determine a mosquito's attraction to a host. They involve carbon dioxide emissions (so don't breath!) pheromones, etc.
The best way to avoid problems is to use a topical product containing DEET. The University of Florida also recommends Picaridin, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus or IF3535. Hernando County Mosquito Control Director Sandra Fisher is partial to DEET, and puts it on each time she goes outside. She has soap and water ready for when she returns indoors.
Hernando County Mosquito Control utilizes Integrated Mosquito Management to control those pesky critters in our county. A system of surveillance, trapping, sentinel chickens, aquatic larvacide, mosquito fish in ponds, pools and DRA's, aquatic plant removal, mowing, and other methods keep the populations down. The mosquito spray truck we all associate with mosquito control is the last ditch effort in an arsenal of tactical maneuvers. The insecticide is a contact killer, so it must reach the mosquitoes that are in that exact area at that exact moment. It is the combination of efforts on Mosquito Control's part that keep our county's mosquito populations at an acceptable level.
If you would like Hernando County Mosquito Control to present to your group give them a call at 352-540-6552.
Check out their website at http://hernandocounty.us/mosquito
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