Culex spp.
Characteristics
Size: About ½ inch in length
Color: Pale brown with whitish bands across the
abdomen
Behaviour
The house mosquito is actually a type of fly with a thin body, thin
wings and long legs. The females are easily recognized by the long
thin proboscis, or mouthparts, extending from the bottom, front
of the head.
Only the female mosquito bites; male mosquitoes
feed on the nectar in flowers. When a mosquito bites, she injects
an anticoagulating agent into the skin to prevent the blood from
clotting and allowing her to feed. It is the body’s immune
response to the anticoagulant that causes the reddened welts and
itching. People have varying reactions to mosquito bites, with some
individuals experiencing rather large welts and severe itching.
Habitat
House mosquito larvae breed in standing water that remains fairly
calm and undisturbed. Larvae are common along the edges of a pond
or a ditch, but they will not be found in a quick-running stream
or creek. As a rule of thumb, any water that stands for at least
seven days can breed mosquitoes. Often, mosquito outbreaks occur
within two weeks of heavy rainfall where ditches, puddles and other
low-lying areas fill up with water.
Mosquitoes that attack people in their own yard
are usually breeding close by on the property or on adjacent properties.
Most mosquitoes found around homes are known as “tree hole”
or “container” mosquitoes. This species does not breed
in a natural body of water, rather the female seeks out accumulated
water in hollows in trees; in water-capturing plants such as bromeliads;
or in manmade containers such as bird baths, barrels, cans, clogged
gutters and old tires.
Smaller children’s swimming pools and regular
swimming pools that are not well maintained can also serve as a
source for mosquitoes.
Tips for Control
Complete control or elimination of Aedes mosquitoes around any property
is not possible. Mosquito reduction, however, is very possible and
involves a number of components:
Habitat Reduction
Getting rid of any item that could contain water and
hold it for more than seven days needs to be addressed.
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Empty and refill birdbaths at least once
per week.
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Drill holes in the bottom of tire swings
to prevent rainwater from accumulating.
-
Avoid using barrels or other containers to
capture rainwater unless the container is emptied every few
days.
-
Empty children's "kiddie" pools regularly.
-
Examine gutters regularly. Conditions, such
as debris or loose guttering, should be corrected.
-
Fill in accessible tree holes with a material
that will not harm the tree. Check with a local nursery for
advice.
-
Use soil to fill in low areas in lawns and
landscaped areas that allow rainwater to collect and stand for
more than seven days.
-
Install an agitator in garden ponds used
in landscaping or buy fish that eat mosquito larvae. The wave
actions created by an agitator can prevent mosquito adults from
successfully emerging from pupae.
Controlling Mosquito Larvae
For properties that have ditches, small ponds or decorative garden
ponds, environmentally friendly mosquito larvicides can be applied
to the water by a pest professional in areas in which mosquitoes
can breed.
-
The insect growth regulator (IGR), methoprene,
affects only insects, interfering with a mosquito larva’s
ability to pupate into an adult. IGR products are generally
applied about once every 30 days to help reduce mosquito populations.
-
Bacterial mosquito control products that
affect only mosquito larvae also can be used, but such products
require specific timing in order to obtain maximum results.
Controlling Adult Mosquitoes
The best way to limit mosquitoes is to prevent adult mosquitoes
from developing by eliminating or treating breeding sources as
described above. Because some adult mosquitoes are most likely
always going to be present, treatments can be applied around a
home to control as many as possible.
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A pest professional can apply residual products
to shrubs and other vegetation around the home and yard. Since
mosquitoes spend most of their time during the day resting in
vegetation, such treatments can effectively reduce mosquito
populations. Such treatments need to be periodically reapplied
during the warm months when mosquitoes are active.
-
Some of the mosquito traps available commercially
do attract and capture large numbers of mosquitoes. Concern
may exist that such traps may draw mosquitoes from adjacent
properties, so locating the trap at the perimeter of the property
is preferable to placing it next to the patio, deck, etc. where
people are active.
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a member of THE PEST CONTROL ASSOCIATION OF MALAYSIA