Sharing mosquito prevention tips with your customers helps to ensure the success of your mosquito control treatments as well as helping customers enjoy their outdoor spaces.
We’re in peak mosquito season in Australia. With the global Zika virus scare in the news, now’s a good time to remind your customers of the standard tips to reduce mosquito numbers around their property.
The key preventative steps for property owners to take are focused on reducing the potential mosquito breeding sites.
- Pot plants: Empty any water from plant pots or from the leaves of bromeliads (main picture above) once a week
- Ponds and water features: Make sure there are enough fish in any ponds to keep mosquito larvae in check and keep vegetation away from the edge of the water.
- Drains and gutters: Ensure drains and gutters are flowing freely and water is not pooling. Remove leaves from gutters.
- Rainwater tanks: Rainwater tanks need to have solid, close fitting lids on any access points and mosquito proof meshes on all inlets and overflows (mesh less than 1mm). This prevents access by adult mosquitoes and also prevents eggs or larvae being washed in from pooled water in the gutter.
- Swimming pools: Make sure swimming pool chlorine/salt levels are kept up and remove any leaves from the pool.
- Site drainage: If long lasting puddles persist (longer than a week) after a period of rain, improve drainage or level the ground to prevent puddles.
To stop mosquitoes entering a building, there’s nothing to beat well-fitted insect screens. Of course for areas with high mosquito pressure, now is an excellent time to be pushing your mosquito control programs.
Back to pest control mosquitoes or more information on mosquitoes.