Terminix recommends one weekly habit to keep backyard mosquitoes in check

In observance of National Mosquito Control Awareness Week, Terminix Service, Inc. shares prevention tips and explains a year-round, source-focused approach to mosquito control

Mosquito season is underway across the Carolinas and the Central Savannah River Area, and the heat and afternoon storms that come with a Southern summer give the insects almost everything they need to multiply. In recognition of National Mosquito Control Awareness Week (June 20-26 ), Terminix Service, Inc., the nation’s tenth-largest pest control company, is educating homeowners about how mosquitoes actually breed and why the most persistent ones usually hatch in the backyard rather than drift in from elsewhere.

Every mosquito starts its life in water. A female lays her eggs in or right beside standing water, and in about two weeks, the larvae hatch, grow, pupate, and then turn into biting adults. Those early stages live in the water itself, which is why almost any container that holds water for a week or more can quietly become a nursery.

Where that water sits matters more than most people expect. Several of the species common to yards in this region, including the Asian tiger mosquito, rarely travel more than a few hundred feet from where they hatched. So the mosquitoes ruining a backyard cookout very often grew up in that same yard.

“People tend to think mosquito control is all about spraying, but the biggest gains usually come from getting rid of the water they breed in,” said Kevin Hathorne, technical director of Terminix Service, Inc. “If you walk your property once a week and tip out anything holding water, you have already done more than any single treatment can do on its own.”

Hathorne suggests homeowners walk their property regularly and take the following steps to reduce mosquitoes:

• Disposing of old tires, buckets, drums, bottles, or any water-holding containers.
• Cleaning debris from rain gutters, ditches, culverts, and outdoor drains so water can flow properly.
• Ensuring swimming pools and ornamental ponds are properly maintained, and that water in birdbaths, plant pots, or drip trays is emptied and replaced after every rainfall.
• Checking around outdoor faucets, air conditioner units, and repairing leaks.
• Filling in tree holes and hollow stumps that hold water with sand or concrete.
• Keeping grass cut and shrubs well trimmed where adult mosquitoes may rest.
• Sealing out mosquitoes by ensuring windows and door screens are in good condition.
• Wearing light-colored clothing, long-sleeve shirts, and long pants when possible.
• Using personal insect repellents that contain at least 20% DEET.

The reason this is worth the effort goes beyond itchy welts. Mosquitoes can carry disease, and different species carry different risks. Culex mosquitoes, which are most active from dusk through the night, are the primary concern for West Nile virus transmission. Aedes species, which bite during the day, have been tied to viruses such as Zika. Reducing breeding sites lowers the odds of both bites and exposure.

When water sources like ornamental ponds or drainage areas cannot be removed, targeted treatment of larvae is more effective than broad-spectrum spraying. Terminix Service, Inc.’s Mosquito365 program addresses this by utilizing covered stations treated with the larvicide Sumilarv (pyriproxyfen). By focusing on the larval stage, this Smarter-Safer-Simpler approach reduces mosquito populations while minimizing impact on beneficial insects, a benefit supported by independent research.

Hathorne is quick to add that no single method handles everything. “The best outcomes come from combining habitat removal, larval control, and treatment of adult resting areas only where it is actually needed.”

Terminix cannot promise anyone will dodge every bite or every mosquito-borne illness, but meaningfully shrinking the local population does lower the risk. Homeowners who want to learn more about Mosquito365 can visit www.TrustTerminix.com or call 1-800-TERMINIX.

Photo courtesy of Terminix Service, Inc.

About Terminix Service, Inc.

For 75 years, our customers have trusted Terminix Service, Inc., for the best termite and pest control protection for their homes and businesses. With annual revenue of over $150 million, the family-owned and operated Terminix Service, Inc. is the tenth-largest pest control company in North America. Terminix Service, Inc. operates in South Carolina, western North Carolina, and the Central Savannah River Area of Georgia. Visit TrustTerminix.com or call 1-800-TERMINIX.