Tag Archives: fall

How Canceling Your Mosquito Control Early Can Backfire

Believe it or not, the first day of Fall is quickly approaching, which means the official end of summer is upon us. But just because we’re saying goodbye to summer on the calendar doesn’t mean we’re saying goodbye to warmer temperatures and those pesky mosquitoes. In most parts of the country, there are weeks (if not months!) of warm weather ahead, and with the temperatures cooling just a bit and humidity giving us a break, it’s the ideal time to enjoy the outdoors. You may be tempted to end your mosquito spraying season a bit early, especially if the kids are in school for a majority of the day. But we wanted to give you some information on why completing the full season of barrier spray treatments can help you avoid a frustrating start to your autumn and help your spring be a lot less itchy.

The Life Cycle of Mosquitoes

The last few sprays are some of the most important for a couple of reasons. Ending your spray season early not only breaks the barrier our services provide, it also gives mosquitoes a chance to breed. The time it takes a mosquito to complete the life cycle is 4-7 days. From the time a female lays her eggs to those eggs becoming biting adults is less than a week. Mosquitoes are tricky creatures. They lay eggs, hibernate, and can survive some pretty frigid temperatures throughout the winter months. All the eggs that were laid before hibernation can also survive the colder temps. They only need water and temperatures above 50 degrees to hatch! Cool weather like that might seem far off, but it’s only weeks away in some parts of the country. You might think the end of summer means the end of mosquitoes too, but stopping your mosquito control treatments early can backfire next year.

Avoid a Breeding Ground

If you end your season early, it gives female mosquitoes a chance to not only make your yard a home, but lay more eggs before the first freeze. That last mosquito treatment spray is vitally important to make sure technicians get rid of those last mosquitoes and mosquito larvae. Along with the barrier spray, our technicians can treat areas of standing water that are unavoidable. Examples of these are pool covers, creeks in your yard with muddy banks, or the base of flower pots. The technicians can treat these areas to make sure they stay free of mosquito larvae which keeps your yard “winterized.” If the last spray and treated areas of water are completed, then there’s no spring hatching in your yard!

We know it’s tempting to cancel service, but after a long day at school, those kiddos will be itching for some outside fun at home. We want to make sure that’s the only itching going on around your house. If you have any questions about your season, contact your local Mosquito Joe, and they’ll be happy to explain the process to you.

Don’t let mosquitoes trick you into ending service before the season ends. You’ll thank us later.

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Mosquito Control Tips in the Fall and Winter

Halloween is this weekend and it sure snuck up on us (perhaps because of the almost 80 degree temperatures in Virginia Beach), but that coffee drink menu and everyone’s Pinterest boards tell me the pumpkin has arrived! Yes, Fall is here and bringing with it the end of the mosquito treatment season for many (though not all) of our locations. That said, until you’ve had your first frost and temperatures consistently stay below 55, you may still see those pesky mosquitoes buzzing around.

Those are who lucky enough to still be enjoying this warmth and sunshine should still rely on Mosquito Joe services to keep your yard itch free, but if you’ve already switched from A/C to heat and you’re putting on your jacket in the morning, mosquitoes are probably fading from your mind. What you may not know is that there’s still some precautions to take in the fall and winter months to maintain a mosquito-free yard, even after your last spray. Here’s what you should know:

In the autumn months after mating, male mosquitoes die. But did you know female mosquitoes actually hibernate? That’s right, they can actually survive the winter months. In the spring when the weather warms up, they seek blood to feed on so they can lay their eggs. All mosquito larvae (eggs) require water, even in winter, and mosquito larvae can last years. As the water temperature drops, it basically creates a dormant stage in the mosquito larvae called diapause, which stops further development. Development resumes when the water warms again. They’re just full of tricks, aren’t they?

So as you’re outside this weekend trick-or-treating, raking leaves, or just enjoying some cooler temperates, remove all standing water from your yard and remove objects like toys or flower pots that can collect rainwater. This will ensure that come springtime, you don’t have an early hatching.

And for all those customers who have seen the yellow MoJo van for the last time this season, we say THANK YOU. We love making outside fun again and you give us the opportunity to do that. Happy Halloween from all of us at Mosquito Joe! We hope it is full of lots of treats, no tricks and definitely no mosquitoes!

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