Kansas City lawns are extremely happy from all of the rain they received over the weekend, but so are the mosquitoes. While mosquitoes enjoy resting in our shrubs, they can not complete their life cycles without water. This is why eliminating stagnant freshwater from around our homes is an important part of deterring these pests from our home.
Breeding Grounds
When we think of standing water, we typically think of puddles, but there are many breeding grounds in our own backyards. Here is a checklist to help these areas under control:
- Empty tin cans, buckets, or other containers after rain
- Either clean or drain swimming pools and hot tubs
- Drain swimming pool, boat and other outdoor covers
- Change water in birdbaths and fountains at least once a week
- Unclog rain gutters
- Flush sump pump pits weekly
- Clean vegetation and debris away from pond edges
- Dump out any children toys that can collect water
Bonus Tip: Drill holes in the bottom of outdoor containers to allow water to drain on its own.
I Can’t Drain This Water, Help!
Whenever water stands for four to seven days, mosquitoes have a chance of multiplying. There are certain situations, for example, backyard ponds, where the water can not be drained. Thankfully, you are not doomed to have mosquitoes as pets. The EcoPride system has discovered a biological control that can be placed in these areas that will eliminate mosquito larvae but leave fish and plants unharmed.
For more information, contact your Lawn Coach today about mosquito control!
