If you’re here, you likely have a problem; you’re sick of finding mosquitoes in your home, buzzing in your face and plaguing your life. You want them gone, quickly- and for a good reason. Since, as well as being a total nuisance, they’re a potential health hazard to you, your children and your pets, due to their ability to transfer diseases such as the Zika virus, Dengue fever, West Nile virus and many more, via their proboscis. Many people mistakenly associate virus-carrying mosquitoes with countries outside the US, but it’s just as real a hazard in Overland Park, and other US suburbs, as it is anywhere else.
So, why are these mosquitoes making your home their home?
Well, they may have followed you into the house for a snack, but you might, unwittingly, have turned your home into a mosquito-breeding haven. This is particularly likely if you’ve noticed more than just one or two flying about your house.
If there are any pools of untouched, stagnant water anywhere in your home, you’re providing the ideal location for mosquitoes to lay their eggs and, as such, you can expect to be housing their offspring for the foreseeable future.
When will the mosquitoes leave the house?
Well, the average lifespan of a mosquito is about two weeks, but depending on how old or young the mosquito is when it first invades your home, they can live in your house for up to a month. However, if the mosquitoes are using your house as a laying site, then the current mosquitoes will soon be replaced anyway. So, you need a better, more comprehensive solution than just merely waiting for the mosquitoes to die.
How do you get rid of the mosquitoes from your home?
The first step is extermination.
Yes, you can go around swatting them one by one, but if you have an infestation of mosquitoes, and these mosquitoes are using your home as a laying site, then the circle of life will continue, and swatting won’t do much good in the long run.
The most effective way to rid your house of mosquitoes is to hire a mosquito control company to come and carry out mosquito treatments in your home, spraying certain areas to kill the adult mosquitoes. In the Summer months, Overland Park becomes awash with mosquitoes and, consequently, mosquito treatments should be carried out monthly- and don’t forget to treat your yard. Fortunately, the spray is human- and pet-friendly and is only a hazard to insect health.
If you employ mosquito control frequently, you shouldn’t need a mosquito trap, but they are a helpful addition to your house if you’re someone who often leaves doors or windows open during the day to let in a breeze- they are also a handy accessory to keep in enclosed patios.
The mosquito trap works by attracting the mosquitoes in your home with carbon monoxide, which mosquitoes can’t get enough of. The mosquitoes are enticed into the trap, which they are unable to leave once in, therefore ridding you of your mosquito problem without hassle. The great thing about the mosquito trap is that it is harmless to humans and animals alike; it doesn’t produce any radiation or uses an electric shock system like many insect-ridding devices. Consequently, the trap is also quiet, and it’s not an eyesore, either.
Next step: prevention.
To ensure that you don’t continue to provide nesting grounds for the little critters, you should rid your house of any standing, stagnant pools of water, including old plant water in forgotten-about vases, jugs or cups which aren’t regularly emptied and toilets which don’t see much action ( simply flush the toilet and make sure the lid is closed to get rid of any eggs or larvae that may have been in there, and to prevent it being used as a breeding ground again).
Moreover, you should consider adding specialized anti-mosquito screens to any vents or doorways which mosquitoes are using to enter the house.
Until you’re able to get rid of the mosquitoes, how can you stop them from biting?
- Use mosquito repellent. Mosquitoes are attracted to human/animal body odor and sweat. If you spray yourself with mosquito repellent, then the mosquitoes’ senses will be blocked by the substance when they come towards you, making it more difficult for them to find their target and bite you.
- Burn sage in your home- or diffuse lavender. While this might sound a bit woolly, it’s a scientifically sound method of repelling mosquitoes. Because of the strong scent of the sage/lavender, the mosquitoes’ senses are overwhelmed, making your home a less attractive place to be. More than this, like the mosquito repellent, the mosquitoes’ overwhelmed senses will make it harder for them to locate their target (you, your family or your pet) and hit their mark.
- Use fans to deter the mosquitoes from individual rooms. If you have specific areas in the house that you don’t want to have mosquitoes in, such as the bedroom or kitchen, you can put fans in those rooms to deter the mosquitoes away from you when you’re sleeping or cooking. For example, mosquitoes are weak fliers, so they can’t get near you if you’re near a fan. Once they sense that they’re not able to fly in the vicinity, they’ll turn in the other direction and leave you alone.
- Treat your clothes (and other fabrics) with permethrin. While insect repellent and other deterrents won’t kill the mosquitoes invading your home, permethrin will. When you apply the mosquito-killing substance to your clothes, it binds to the fabric, and any mosquitoes that make contact with your clothes will be killed.
So, despite living in such a mosquito-occupied area such as Overland Park, you should be able to rid your home of mosquitoes and reclaim it as your own, as well as to prevent the blighters from coming back, if you follow these mosquito-ridding tips.