How To Control Mosquitoes This Summer

During the summer, you definitely don’t want mosquitoes causing you to pack up a backyard barbecue or end a pool party sooner. The thought of unsightly red splotches overtaking the body and itchiness leading to scarring can quickly send individuals running for cover indoors, hoping these blood-sucking pests didn’t follow them in. Rather than waste 88 degree summer highs hiding, learn how to control mosquitoes in Charleston, SC with Anchor Environmental!

At Anchor Environmental, we have over 30 years of combined experience ridding our community and surrounding areas of these annoying and abrasive insects. We offer safe treatments rather than toxic chemicals and same-day services that won’t keep you from your beautiful outdoor landscape. But before calling, let’s break down what mosquitoes do to you and what we can do for you.

How Do Mosquitoes Affect Humans?

Mosquitoes in the Culex, Aedes, and Anopheles subspecies are just a few for which to look out.

• Those most commonly seen include Culex mosquitoes, evident closer to fall. You can identify them by their black body and vague white markings, and they cause the spread of West Nile virus and encephalitis.
• Aedes mosquitoes also appear black but with more distinct white stripes along the body and legs and transmit yellow fever, dengue, and Zika virus.
• Anopheles have brown coloring and, although common, rarely but surely spread malaria.

Luckily, not all mosquitoes bite people, and even fewer target animals. In the mosquito subspecies that do, only the females, which have proboscis organs that puncture the skin and suck blood. However, it takes one bad bite to affect you, your pets, or your loved ones, so consider mosquito control in Charleston, SC.

How Can You Tell If You Have An Infestation?

Infestations increase your chances of these dangerous side effects and diseases, so you should recognize if you live in an area or under certain circumstances that improve your chances of getting bitten.

Mosquitoes thrive in hot and humid temperatures with plenty of nearby moisture, especially since females nest in that environment. Here in Charleston, our near 90 degree summer highs and five to seven inches of rainfall from June to August leave a comfortable home for the insects throughout the city. But you likely have an infestation and need to control mosquitoes if you notice the following:

• A higher number of mosquitoes than usual around your property or within your home since many species can survive indoors
• Mosquito sightings during the afternoon or early evenings (or even all day long), which points to a high population since mosquitoes usually only come out at night
• An extensive number of bites along your skin and constant irritation or itchiness that doesn’t seem to subside

How Anchor Environmental Can Control Mosquitoes

Our Anchor Environmental team offers a wide range of chemical-free, organic solutions for mosquito control in Mount Pleasant, SC, and surrounding areas. Choose the treatment option most appropriate for your area type and needs.

• Fogging backpacks: To ensure we cover all parts of your larger property, we place backpack foggers throughout the grounds and time them to emit small insecticide solution droplets no more than 50 microns in diameter. They reduce flying pests by about 90%, effective immediately but decreasing in potency after some time, so you may need regular fogging.
• Misting systems: Whether you have a vast or simple property space, misting offers an ideal option, working similarly to fogging backpacks by releasing insecticide into the air to eradicate the concern. However, unlike fogging, we mount nozzles around your backyard’s perimeter, each connected to a supply tube, activating at preset intervals for a more long-term solution.
• Mosquito pots: Unlike the other two solutions, mosquito pots have one origin point from which the insecticide sprays, making them best for small properties. You can also position the pots near your seating area and relocate them as you move around or purchase multiple to cover your property perimeter and control mosquitoes.

What Are Some At-Home Methods For Mosquito Control?

If you prefer DIY tips to add to your Anchor Environmental solution and increase the mosquito fatality rate, start by understanding their habits and life cycle.

According to the CDC, mosquitoes breed in standing pools since the larvae and pupae survive in stagnant water. While some permanent water mosquitoes (that also live in semi-permanent pools) prefer clean water, others do fine in nutrient-rich ones, so clear all property water regularly. That includes extracting water from old tires, pool covers, watering cans, plant pots, and other rain-catching or water-using items.

While you can regularly empty, scrub, and replenish bird baths, outdoor pet water bowls, and kiddie pools about two times a week, other standing water may be harder to empty. Instead, drop a dissolvable mosquito dunk disk into built-in pools, outdoor hot tubs or jacuzzis, large fountains, and ponds. While safe for wildlife, its high bacteria concentration proves toxic to larvae.

Floodwater mosquitoes lay eggs in moist environments and temporary stagnant water. From puddles caused by heavy rainfall and melted snow to constantly dampened soil and floodplains, these environments allow larvae to dry out above the water line and hatch when they come in contact with water. Therefore, trim back brush and spray larvicides across your garden. Other things you should do include:

• Plant essential oil-derived plants like lavender, basil, and lemongrass
• Wear insect repellent
• Avoid going outdoors between dusk and dawn when the females are out
• Place mosquito-eating fish in your outdoor pond
• Consider landscape treatments if your local government offers abatement programs

The Environmental Way To Reduce Pests!

At Anchor Environmental, we’ve spent over 30 years studying the life cycle of mosquitoes, learning their habits, and exploiting their weaknesses with mosquito control in Daniels Island, SC, alongside Charleston and other surrounding areas. Therefore, we’re confident in our services, providing a 100% money-back guarantee. To schedule your free inspection and control mosquitoes, call 843-906-9457 today!