Where do mosquitoes breed?
If you have a lot of severe mosquito issues, there’s a chance your environment has ample breeding places for these pests.
Mosquito Breeding Places
Mosquitoes are easily considered as being among the deadly pests to have around due to the diseases caused. Most diseases spread by mosquitoes are fatal hence the need to seek far-reaching solutions.
Diseases spread by mosquito bites include malaria, West Nile virus, Zika virus, Dengue virus, Chikungunya virus, Japanese encephalitis virus, Eastern equine encephalitis virus, St. Louis encephalitis, and yellow fever among others.
To get rid of mosquitoes, you’ll need to identify their breeding grounds.
Causal Approach to Mosquito Control
The best way to carry out pest control is by identifying the causes while also treating the effects. Treatment of both causes and effects goes a long way to provide comprehensive results.
Here, the effects are mosquitoes themselves which arise from favorable conditions such as breeding grounds.
On the other hand are the causes. As expected, the cause of mosquito presence within an area is the presence of suitable breeding sites.
The more such conditions are, the greater the mosquito presence.
Of these two (causes and effects), the causes are of greater concern to us.
Mosquito Breeding Sites
A lot of homeowners have no idea that the condition of their surroundings could encourage mosquito presence.
When there’s a significant presence of these pests, it’s very likely that your surroundings are unkempt and require a great deal of hygiene.
Such conditions include runoff & clogged gutters, ornamentals, plant saucers, standing water, water for animals & birds, overgrown or dense weed, yard debris, buckets & oil drums, as well as toys & swing sets.
Your garbage & recycling bins can also serve as breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
Tires, swimming pools, kayaks & boats can serve as ready breeding grounds. So, why and how are mosquitoes attracted to these potential breeding grounds?
This is an interesting question we’ll be providing answers to.
Let’s have a look at each of these breeding sites.
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Runoff & Clogged Gutters
As debris accumulates in your gutters, it easily creates a condition where the path is clogged. With no clear path for water, it accumulates leading to a runoff.
Sometimes, the cause may not be due to debris, but a poorly designed gutter.
With such water, stagnation comes a suitable breeding ground for mosquitoes. The obvious and most logical thing to do is have your gutters cleared out.
Here, you’ll need a ladder to get access to the gutters for cleaning.
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Ornamentals
Ornamentals are among possible mosquito breeding grounds.
This is especially true due to the water present in most. For example, an ornamental waterfall might have several small pockets that hold stagnant water.
Ornamentals should be constructed in such a way that water is kept constantly flowing and never stagnant.
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Plant Saucers
Mosquitoes need water to breed. Now, plant saucers accumulate some water that may seem negligible to many.
However, the reality is that such accumulated water is enough for mosquitoes to breed.
You may want to have such saucers emptied after excess water accumulates in them.
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Standing Water
One of the most common breeding grounds for mosquitoes is stagnant water. Water as little as a bottle cap is enough for mosquitoes to breed in.
So, standing water would easily be considered a huge breeding ground. Such standing water may be on the ground, in water tanks, in trashcan lids, as well as grill covers, etc.
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Animal & Bird Baths
As a bird lover, you might be interested in attracting birds to your surroundings. Having bird baths serves the purpose of pulling birds, but also attracts mosquitoes.
This creates a bit of a problem because mosquitoes are unwanted.
Weekly cleaning of such baths will help reduce mosquitoes.
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Overgrown or Dense Weed
Mosquitoes are drawn to areas with overgrown and dense weed & brush.
Such areas have a lot of moisture which mosquitoes love. You’ll need to have these trimmed off to help keep these pests at bay.
Doing so also improves the look of your surroundings.
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Yard Debris
Having a lot of debris around your home is an open invitation to mosquitoes. Such debris includes thick vegetation, compost piles, grass clippings, and raked leaves.
The longer they’re left to sit around, the worse the problem gets. So, it’s important to have such debris cleared off from your surroundings.
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Buckets & Oil Drums
Did you know that having buckets and oil drums standing around your home equals creating breeding grounds for mosquitoes?
These accumulate water which is mostly ignored because you’re oblivious of the dangers posed.
Before long, mosquitoes come around and utilize such as breeding grounds.
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Toys & Swing Sets
Outdoor toys and swing sets can become breeding sites for mosquitoes. No matter how little water they hold, such is sufficient to be utilized by these pests.
This is especially true for toys that aren’t used frequently. A good preventive strategy will be to turn this upside down when not in use.
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Garbage & Recycle Bins
Your garbage and recycle bins can serve as prime real estate for mosquitoes especially when moisture collects on covers or within open bins.
This is why such bins must be kept tightly sealed and properly used. Plus, it’s necessary to have such cleaned as often as necessary.
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Tires
Are you having unused tires lying around your home?
The hollow parts of tires easily collect water and can serve as breeding sites for mosquitoes.
You’ll have to be wary of such possibilities and have them properly disposed of or stored.
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Swimming Pools
For a lot of people, the possibility of swimming pools serving as mosquito breeding grounds is unlikely. However, you’ll need to think in terms of when the pool isn’t in use.
On long vacations, such pools are mostly not in use. As such, when left with water, they attract mosquitoes. Pools need to be emptied when not in use.
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Kayaks & Boats
If you own a boat kayak, you might want to be careful about how well they’re stored when not in use. These can hold stagnant water when left outdoors.
As such, they accumulate water which creates a nesting site for mosquitoes.
All the above examples are clear illustrations of mosquito breeding grounds around homes. So, if you’ve wondered how best to get rid of the mosquito problem, you might want to identify these and act accordingly.