Mosquito Treatment
Additional Information
To effectively control the presence of adult mosquitoes in and around homes, it is important to not only eliminate breeding sites, but also take measures to manage adult mosquitoes that migrate in from surrounding areas. Adult mosquitoes tend to rest in vegetation, so it is recommended to keep weeds near the home and in nearby lots well-trimmed.
For outdoor control, using appropriately labeled insecticides as residual treatments can be useful. However, it is important to apply these treatments judiciously to avoid killing non-target insects. Residual treatments on structures should be limited to mainly vertical surfaces up to about 8 ft. above ground level, and a radius of 15 ft. around each door, window, porch, or similar place where people congregate, especially at dusk.
In areas with heavy mosquito populations, it is advisable to tightly screen openings in inhabited buildings. Using a 16 mesh to the inch screen can keep out most mosquitoes, but an 18 mesh screen may be necessary for some small species. Space spraying with mist blowers, thermal fog generators, or ULV generators can be an effective technique for adult control. However, this method should not be the only management strategy used, as water elimination and larviciding can also be advantageous.
To optimize the effectiveness of space spraying, it should be done during the cool hours of the night or early morning, and timed to coincide with the period of greatest activity of the most abundant species to be controlled. Fogging should only be done when the wind velocity is less than 5 miles per hour, but mist sprays can be applied in wind velocities up to 10 miles per hour.
To exclude mosquitoes from the home, keeping windows and porches tightly screened is recommended. Additionally, space sprays or aerosols containing synergized pyrethrins and some pyrethoids can be effective against mosquitoes found in the home.