Area-wide control of mosquitoes is generally the concern of professional services, including those obtained by mosquito abatement districts. Personal protection is usually the consumer's area of control.
- Water management to prevent mosquito breeding is essential for effective control. Eggs cannot hatch without water. Locate standing water and eliminate. Drain or fill stagnant water pools, puddles, ditches or swampy areas. Fill tree holes with sand or mortar. Remove tires, buckets, tin cans, jars, toys and other receptacles so they will not collect rainwater or other moisture. Mosquitoes can breed in as little as a cup of water. Change water in birdbaths and wading pools once or twice a week. Clean out roof gutters. Check the water in flowerpots and other plant containers for mosquito larvae.
- Attacking the mosquito problem through larval control is a logical approach to reducing public health concerns and annoyance. The larval stage is the only time in the insect's life cycle when it is truly confined and concentrated. Larvae may be killed off when standing water is treated with larvacides in the form of briquettes, granules, liquid concentrates or other controlled released systems.
- Adult control programs are necessary in areas of disease epidemics such as encephalitis as may occur in localities with a high density of mosquitoes, Cutbacks in funding for local mosquito abatement districts are of concern, especially when weather conditions have encouraged greater mosquito populations. These methods include: thermalfogging, effective as a space spray treatment when applied in late evening, at night or early morning when winds are calmest; ultralow volume application, with special nozzle adaptations that break up undiluted, specially formulated insecticides into microscopic droplets; mist spraying of very fine mist of insecticide in water by blowing machines; and residual spraying as a barrier zone to tall grasses, weeds and shrubs, with effectiveness of several days.
Because community controls cannot reduce mosquito populations to zero, people may need to protect themselves as well, particularly on evening outings. Consumers have a wide variety of products available for personal mosquito control, probably more than for any other type of insect.
These include indoor aerosol products for control of mosquitoes that do enter the residence and outdoor foggers to spray the patio area and areas near the patio for mosquito control. There are arrays of personal repellents for mosquito control that can be applied directly to the exposed skin or the clothing. At this time, it appears that chemical based mosquito control products are the most effective, while the mechanical and bug zapping devices are not very effective in controlling mosquitoes. The following focuses on flying insect killer aerosols, outdoor foggers, house and garden type products, and personal repellents.
- Flying insect space sprays can be used indoors for control of mosquitoes that come inside. Aerosols and pump sprays are effective.
- Outdoor foggers, house and garden products, and flying insect space sprays can be used on the patio, and in the yard and environs for effective control against mosquitoes. These products appear to be much more effective in controlling mosquitoes spatially than mechanical devices such as bug zappers.
- Repellents can protect humans from mosquito bites from one to five hours, depending on the amount of perspiration and rubbing of skin and abundance of mosquitoes. Personal mosquito repellents can be applied directly to the exposed skin and/or to clothing, depending on label instructions. Other repellents for outdoor use, space repellents, include candles and torches.
- Use insect repellents from April through October, until the first frost.
- Use an appropriate repellent for the type of activity and location. Aerosol and pump spray products allow broad and even application of repellent on both clothing and skin. Liquid, cream, lotion and stick products allow consumers to apply insect repellents in exact locations where protection is desired. Match the concentration of repellent to the duration of outdoor exposure. Brief outdoor activities require the lowest concentration, while activities that keep people outside longer require higher concentrations. Lower concentration repellent products are appropriate for most situations when exposure to biting insects is limited.
- Use a mosquito net over an infant's buggy or stroller. Keep small children's fingernails clipped short in summer months to prevent excessive scratching of bites. Take precautions to help children guard against scratching insect bites including advising them not to scratch any bites. Do not apply insect repellent to the hands of young children, who often put hands in their mouths.
Always keep insect repellents out of the reach of children. Adults should apply repellent to young children. Follow all child safety precautions on labels.
- Read and follow product label directions and cautions. Apply repellent only to exposed skin and/or clothing as directed on the product label. Do not apply under clothing. Use only enough to cover exposed skin and/or clothing. Saturation of clothing or frequent reapplication to skin is unnecessary for effectiveness. Do not apply repellent to eyes or mouth, nor over cuts, wounds or irritated skin. On returning indoors, wash treated skin with soap and water. This is particularly important when repellents are used repeatedly. If any reaction to a repellent is suspected, wash the treated skin and seek medical attention. Show the product to a health professional for proper identification.
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