How many times have you sat outside on your patio deck or porch and just randomly started itching on your leg, and the moment you look down, you realize you've just been bit by a mosquito? It's probably happened more frequently than you would like.
When it comes to mosquito bites, especially if you have an infestation of them, you don't necessarily ask why do mosquitoes bite you but why are so many mosquitoes on your property.
If you can get to the bottom of what's attracting mosquitoes to your Houston home, you can implement the best plan to control mosquitoes and prevent them from returning. But you'll need mosquito control services first. Let the Houston pest control professionals help safeguard your home and yard against blood-feeding mosquitoes.
What Are Mosquitoes?
Mosquitoes are parasitic insects that feed on warm-blooded beings and animals (female mosquitoes need blood meals to produce healthy eggs). Physically, mosquitoes have long legs, slender bodies, and wings, but the difference between a mosquito's wings and a true fly's wings is that a mosquito's wings have scales on them. Also, the mosquito has a mouth tube for sucking blood and plant nectar.
The Dangerous Diseases Mosquitoes Are Capable Of Spreading
Mosquitoes may be tiny flying insects, but they pack a mean bite. A single bite from a mosquito will leave itchy red bumps on the affected area and can transmit serious diseases. There are many different mosquitoes in Texas, but some of the diseases carried by mosquitoes in the Houston area include:
- West Nile Virus (WNV): Symptoms include diarrhea, rash, fever, body aches, and joint pain.
- St. Louis Encephalitis Virus (SLE): Typically, there are no symptoms, but one can experience headache, nausea, tiredness, and fever.
- Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE): Symptoms include fever, joint pain, body aches; severe symptoms include mild to severe brain dysfunction and intellectual impairment.
- Western Equine Encephalitis: Mild symptoms can include headache, lethargy, fatigue, and stiff neck.
The two more prevalent diseases in the Houston area with the most cases are WNV and SLE. The symptoms of these viruses range from headache and dizziness to fever and confusion. For older adults 60 years or older, contracting these mosquito-borne diseases can lead to coma or death.
Environmentally-Friendly Mosquito Prevention Tips
Mosquitoes are an important part of our ecosystem, and a world without them just wouldn't be good (surprisingly enough). However, that doesn't mean mosquitoes need to be on your property. To maintain a mosquito-free yard and home, follow these tips:
- Seal all points of entry.
- Fix any window or door screens that have holes or tears.
- Fill holes in the yard that house standing water.
- Regularly cut your grass.
- Place citronella candles around your property.
These are great ways to keep mosquitoes at bay after removing an infestation. Just remember that regular prevention and inspections will keep these pests away.
Houston's Secret Weapon For Total Mosquito Control
At All-Safe Pest & Termite, when it comes to total mosquito control, we're not going to keep any secrets from you. We ARE the secret weapon. We have the best treatments for mosquito infestations of any size. Plus, there will be no harm done to your yard or home through our eco-friendly methods.
We truly are the safe choice. Give us a call today to schedule an inspection.