The thought of spring with its warmer weather and flowers blooming is typically followed by the anticipation of summertime heat, pool days, and popsicles melting…however it also means it’s time for all of our favorite pesky pests to come out and play too. As wonderful as living in Florida is, all of our warm weather, extensive rainy seasons, and all-around humidity create the picturesque dream home for a mosquito scourge.
To help protect your family, including your pets, from having itchy insect bites all spring and summer long, we’ve compiled our top tips on how to prepare your home for the buggy season.
Start Early
In the Southeast, spring definitely arrives sooner than anywhere that experiences snow and blizzards – that’s for sure. While the weather might not be consistent, we still have pockets of sunshine and shorts weather as early as March, or even late February some years.
With mosquitos able to survive in temperatures as low as 50 degrees Fahrenheit, the earlier you start preparing your yard and garden, the better. We recommend getting pest control services ideally in early March and April as your best bet to prevent pest infestations in their tracks. That way your home is ready prior to the ground getting soggy and the humidity is thick in the air. And speaking of soggy ground, …
Minimalize Standing Water in Your Yard
The saying, “April showers bring May flowers,” rings true, especially in Jacksonville, and the Sunshine State in general for that matter. Guess who’s favorite nesting ground includes any body of water they can find? That’s right. Our good ‘ole friend mosquitos. Female mosquitos lay their eggs in any standing water they can find – ponds, pools, puddles, and flooded plant holders included.
Make sure that you remove toys, buckets, and any yard gear or item that is shaped like it could collect fallen rainwater when they are not in use. If you do have items, perhaps more stationery, that can collect rainwater, like planters or raised garden stands, make sure that those items have a drainage system of sorts. At the least, try to purchase planters with holes in the bottom that way excess water that’s not absorbed by the plant and soil can trickle out the bottom.
Some unsuspecting factors that can add to the undesirable standing water around your home could be your home’s gutters and the soil used in your garden. When gutters aren’t cleaned often enough, debris like twigs and dead leaves can clog the pathway water normally flows through and become backed up, therefore causing stagnant water. Your soil may be the wrong type of soil for your environment. Try adding more compost to your soil mixture, and also give your grass and soil a good raking to remove the thatch that might’ve piled up after the dry winter season.
Think Beyond Mosquitos
Standing water goes further than just the nesting area of mosquitos. It is also a breeding ground for bacteria, and even fungus, both of which can cause infections in your garden that are difficult to fight once an infestation occurs.
Water is great for watering plants, drinking during hot days outside, or in the shower to wash off the chlorine from the pool, but it’s not great for your home. Excess water pooling around your home can weaken the home’s foundation, causing cracks and fissures in walls, concrete, and water damage.
With Russel Pest Solutions as your trusted termite and pest control company in Jacksonville, FL, you needn’t worry about mosquitos or any other insects that also come in summer-like ticks, silverfish, and fleas too. Contact us today for any insect/rodent extermination, bug control, or WDO inspection services you may need.
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