Mosquitoes And Disease: How To Protect Your Family’s Health

Everyone knows about mosquitoes. These little insects are all over the place, especially during the warmer months. Their presence, however, is not the issue; the problem is that mosquitoes bite. On a basic level, mosquito bites are mildly painful and extremely annoying. This is not where problems stop. Some mosquito bites are dangerous. We are going to take time today to discuss the threat mosquitoes pose and break down some methods to avoid potentially harmful bites.

Reach out to Miller Pest & Termite if you would like to learn about professional mosquito treatments or if you are looking to protect your property. We will schedule an appointment with one of our qualified pest control specialists and provide you with services to combat these biting pests. Continue reading to learn more about mosquitoes and your risk of mosquito-borne diseases.

How mosquitoes spread disease

A mosquito bite is not inherently dangerous. All these little insects do is stick their needle-like mouth parts under your skin and draw a small amount of blood. Female mosquitoes need this blood to provide nutrients for their eggs. Problems arise when mosquitoes do not watch what they eat. Just like you might get food poisoning from eating a bad piece of meat, mosquitoes might pick up a disease from biting an infected human or animal. This contaminates them. In third-world countries, diseases like malaria, chikungunya, and dengue fever are common because of the number of people and animals that carry these viruses. Things are a bit different here in the United States. Let’s talk about your risk of contracting a mosquito-borne disease.

Your chances of getting sick from a mosquito bite

Mosquitoes can bite you all day without you getting sick. The thing that matters most is that you are not bitten by an infected mosquito. If you travel out of the country, be extra cautious, regularly check travel alerts, and do your research on how likely you are to contract a mosquito-borne disease in the area you plan on visiting. Otherwise, keep an eye on the news and online for local outbreaks. Last year, we saw an increase in West Nile virus cases in Nebraska, Missouri, Iowa, and Kansas. This was due to wetter conditions. If we have another wet spring and summer, West Nile Virus will be a legitimate concern this year as well.

Unfortunately, there is no way to reasonably tell if a mosquito is infected before it bites you. For this reason, it is best that you take every precaution to avoid bites. Let’s talk about some of the best methods for reducing your risk this season and some professional strategies to fight back against these insects. 

How to avoid mosquito bites

Whether you don’t want to get sick or you are simply looking to avoid annoying mosquito bites, we have some things you need to consider. Use these practical mosquito prevention tips and tricks to reduce your chances of being bitten this spring and summer. 

• Avoid going outside from dusk to dawn, as this is when mosquitoes are most active.
• Avoid mosquito-dense areas like marshlands and swamps.
• Wear lighter-colored clothing to make yourself less visible to mosquitoes.
• Use mosquito repellant if you plan on spending time in a mosquito-dense location.
• Cut your grass regularly and trim vegetation to eliminate potential shade for mosquitoes around your yard.
• Pour out water that collects on playground equipment, trash can covers, empty flowerpots, and other areas.
• Make sure your gutters are working properly and have them cleaned at least once a year.
• Remove ornate pools and bird baths from your property or invest in ones that self-circulate their water.
   

These tips and tricks are great for avoiding mosquito bites, but they are not perfect. For better protection, reach out to your Miller Pest & Termite professionals for seasonal mosquito treatments. 

The benefits of professional mosquito control

Fight back against these pests with a mosquito control plan from Miller Pest & Termite.  Available in Omaha, Kansas City, and Des Moines as well as throughout our multi-state service area, our seasonal mosquito control not only targets adult mosquitoes but also prevents new mosquitoes from hatching! Services include:

• An initial mosquito inspection to identify mosquito resting and breeding sites.
• An initial mosquito treatment to knock out the existing mosquito population and disrupt the mosquito breeding process.
• Monthly treatments from May through September to prevent these biting pests from taking over.

We would love to pay you a visit and help you take back your outdoor living space from mosquitoes. All we need is for you to share your problem with us. We will take care of the details. 

Reach out today if you have questions about our mosquito control or if you are ready to schedule an appointment for your property. We will send a highly trained and fully licensed pest control specialist your way to help you take the bite out of mosquitoes!