There’s Still Time to Take the Bite Out of Mosquitoes
According to pest control expert Jonathan Cohen, you dont have to resort to harmful chemicals.
The best way to keep mosquito populations down is to restrict their breeding sites. Female mosquitoes lay their eggs in pools of standing water, so the first step in controlling mosquitoes is to eliminate standing water wherever possible.
In warm weather, mosquitoes can develop from eggs to adults in a little more than a week in just a few ounces of standing water, Cohen explains. Its important to empty out birdbaths, pot saucers, kids swimming pools and unclog rain gutters to reduce the areas where mosquitoes can lay eggs.
Where standing water remains or can collect after a heavy rain, there is a natural mosquito killer that attacks only mosquito larvae.
Mother Nature has her own mosquito killer”its a naturally occurring bacterium called B.t.i, Cohen says. B.t.i., which is short for Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies israelensis, is deadly to mosquito larvae but harmless to other living things.
Cohen recommends using Mosquito Dunks, a product that has become the number one selling biological mosquito control in North America. Just float biodegradable Mosquito Dunks in ponds, birdbaths, outdoor tubs, water gardens or wherever water collects and remains for periods of time. Mosquito Dunks are approved for use in organic production, and they are also approved for use in fish habitats and animal watering troughs.
When female mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water treated with a Mosquito Dunk, the mosquito larvae will hatch and begin to eat the B.t.i. contained in the Mosquito Dunk. The B.t.i. will kill the mosquito larvae before they can grow up to become biting and disease-spreading adults. Each Mosquito Dunk will treat up to 100 square feet of surface water for about 30 days.
In grassy or marshy areas where the sustained release action of Mosquito Dunks is prevented from covering the water surface, or where the mosquito population is extremely dense and a quick kill is needed, a granular form of B.t.i. is available in a product called Mosquito Bits.
Eight ounces of Mosquito Bits will cover approximately 2,000 square feet. The B.t.i. is released from the granule as soon as it comes in contact with the water. Mosquito larvae are controlled within 24 to 48 hours.
These products are available at home centers, hardware stores, garden centers and mailorder catalogs. For more information visit www.summitchemical.com.
Published by Schultz Communications, a full-service public relations agency that provides services to home and garden companies including Wingscapes, Natural Industries, Summit, EarthBox, NatureHills.com, High Country Gardens and the Direct Gardening Association,. For more information, contact (505) 822-8222 or [email protected] or visit our website at www.schultzpr.com.
Courtesy: Home Improvement News and Information Center
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