It’s been a big year for mosquitoes. But getting rid of mosquitoes is easy once you understand their biology.
All mosquitoes need stagnant, dirty water to go through their life cycles – and they don’t need a lot of it. When the temperature is warm, the mosquito can develop from egg to adult in 7-10 days.
You can help eliminate mosquitoes by removing stagnant water from these common backyard sources:
- Clogged rain gutter
- Neglected or out-of-order swimming pool, hot tub, pond, or fountain
- Containers such as rain barrels, cans, buckets, jars, flower pots, etc.
- Old tires
- Any container that can hold water for more than seven days.
To personally protect against mosquitoes, make sure that doors and windows have tight fitting screens to prevent mosquitoes from entering your home.
Wear light-colored, long, loose clothing, such as long sleeve shirts and pants when outdoors. Keep in mind that mosquitoes can bite through thin or tight clothes.
Apply approved insect repellent whenever you are outdoors, even for a short period of time.
The Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District’s mission is to reduce the populations of mosquitoes to prevent or stop disease outbreaks. For more information, contact them at 562-944-9656 or online at www.glacvcd.org.
