Every year I warn folks new to the city to get ready – our mosquitos are brutal. So I was delighted to see a message from the owner of Pfeiffer’s Hardware, in Mt. Pleasant, on steps that can be taken to lessen the damage:
Three steps to a holding on to your red blood cells this summer:
1. Prevent Mosquito Breeding
The Asian Tiger Mosquito can breed in as little as a capful of water. So, take some time now to rid your yard, your neighbor’s yard, and your neighbor’s neighbor’s yard of anything that collects water after a rain. ESPECIALLY, fix gutters that don’t drain properly. Seriously, talk to and work with your neighbors – the range of the tiger mosquito from their breeding ground is at least a 100 yards.
2. Get the Larvae before they get to Biting Age
Then, for anything you can’t remove or fix, treat with Mosquito Dunks or Mosquito Bits, the safe and effective way to prevent tiny larvae from reaching biting adulthood. The active ingredient is a bacteria that targets mosquitoes without targeting other wildlife, such as birds and fish. Treat fish ponds, bird baths, rain barrels, storm drains at the front and rear of your house, areas of the yard that get soggy after a rain, etc. Check out http://www.pfeiffershardware.com for details and safety reassurances.
3. Encourage our flying mammals: They eat the Adults
For all those of you who have been requesting bat houses to attract bats, THEY ARE FINALLY IN (starting Wednesday afternoon). A single bat can eat 500-1000 mosquitoes an hour, given the right conditions. Check out our homepage for more information on bats: the myths and the facts, and how to build your own bat house.
Sweet, I say we all adopt bats!!!!
