Mosquitoes are one of those unfortunate insects that are not only annoying, but they can also be dangerous disease-carrying pests. Mosquitoes are quite small but you’ll know when they’re around because of their irritating, itchy bites. While the bite of a regular mosquito is irritating, there are some mosquito species in Texas that are invasive and can carry diseases like the West Nile virus, Yellow Fever, and even the Zika virus. Even the bite of a domestic common house mosquito can get irritated, and lead to an infection. To protect your home or business from mosquitos, first learn about these pests, their behaviors, steps for prevention, and contact Stellar Pest & Wildlife should an infestation occur.

Female mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water, either in the damp areas surrounding rivers, lakes, or ponds or in areas around humans where standing water has collected. If you regularly leave buckets filled with water, birdbaths out in the spring, or have low patches in your lawn or parking lot that collects water, you can expect that it will quickly become a haven for mosquito eggs. Mosquitoes are very tenacious and will lay their eggs in tiny amounts of standing water.

Mosquito control in Texas starts with emptying all standing water around your home or business and taking steps to make sure it doesn’t build up again. Many of the disease-carrying species of mosquitoes prefer to breed in these man-made containers rather than in natural wetlands, so they can be closer to humans.

The best way to prevent mosquitoes is to ensure there is no standing water on your property. Walk around and dump out water from containers. By taking control of their breeding ground, you can cut off the mosquito eggs and larvae before they can hatch into full-grown adults.

After you’ve removed all the standing water, take steps to ensure that water cannot collect again. Store empty containers indoors, and work with your neighbors to get rid of standing water throughout your neighborhood.