As you may have a seen in recent news articles involving San Diego Pest Control, there is some trouble with the Zika virus, and the fact its transmitted by Mosquitos. Having reached South America, it stands a good chance of eventually reaching North America. When thinking about this issue, the first thing to consider from a pest control standpoint is that here in the United States, our states and counties have Vector control planning and operations. The two big and most notable pests they deal with is Rats, and Mosquitos. This means in areas where they operate, there is a drastic difference in the amount of problems which accompany both of those pests as compared to countries which do not implement these programs.
So what does this mean for the residents of San Diego county, and our surrounding counties? Specifically with pest control, a great deal has to do with Integrated Pest Management (IPM) of Mosquitos. The most effective IPM measure that can be undertaken is the elimination of Mosquito breeding areas, which include standing, untreated water. When rain seasons start up, this is the time of year that untreated, standing water is most likely to be present on a property. The simply way to check if this is present is a walk around your property. Locations of standing water from rain may not be readily known as they only appear during and right after a rain, dissipating as the water evaporates. They may also be man made, and recurring, a commonly seen issue where over irrigated landscaping leaves saturated lawns or grounds that don’t dry up fast enough before the sprinklers come back on. This one is highly problematic as it affects the ascetics of landscaping, and even when pointed out to a home owner or business owner, it may be a habit they are not ready to alter. A business with a large property may not even be aware of this issue as they often contract out their landscaping work, and may not get reports on such conditions from that contracted company.
What can be done is to address one’s irrigation equipment. From broken pipes or sprinter heads, to a timer set to water too frequently, the equipment changes are relatively easy to address. The habits of the human owner however are much more difficult to affect. The balance of lush landscaping against pest management needs to be considered with accurate information about each side of the issue.
The next tier down for dealing with Mosquitos is landscaping itself. If your plants block a good deal of sunlight and/or air flow, this increases the amount of moisture in those areas. A weekend of trimming and pruning can easily remove this condition.
Next up is barriers. Check all your window screens to ensure they are undamaged. Look for window or doors commonly left ajar, and seal any hole as needed. Barriers also include personal barriers, i.e. clothing. We may have some of the planet’s best weather here in the San Diego area, and Southern California, but that doesn’t mean you can’t wear sleeved shirts or long pants to keep Mosquitos from landing on skin. Mosquito/bug repellant products and recipes can be found at many stores or online, and should be read carefully to understand their properties and capabilities.
Lastly is how your pest control technical can help. Expanding treatments through moist areas, widening equipment to produce broadcast type sprays, these can help reduce Mosquito activity around your home or business. The most important thing your technician can do though is the inspection of your property. Locating Mosquito breeding areas is simply the key to keeping them away from where we live.
