I hate mosquitoes. The only good mosquito is a dead mosquitoes. I think you'd agree. For years, the pest-control industry has had the answer for mosquito eradication to a certain extent. The use of integrated pest management makes the most sense for mosquito control. The Florida Department of Agriculture, in conjunction with the Environmental Protection Agency has established a set of guidelines, for spraying and misting for the control of mosquitoes, no see-ums, and other biting bloodsucking flies.
The traditional method for mosquito control is the spraying of insecticides on the target pest, in and around breeding areas and harborages, and common sense preventative measures to reduce the potential for mosquito reproduction and growth. In this approach, certified pest-control operators, specialist in the field, identified through fact-finding, areas on private property or public
domain that seem suspect for mosquito breeding and resting adult mosquitoes. Once the extent of the problem has been determined, a plan is put motion that will eliminate the existing population, while having the least impact on the environment, humans and pets.
There are two basic types of products that are used in spray applications for mosquitoes; they are adulticides and insect growth regulators. As you may well imagine by the names, these products target a distinct time in mosquito development in the mosquitoes lifecycle to bring about their elimination. Most adulticides normally fall into major categories: pyrethrum, a naturally occurring
organic, insecticide that is the derivative of the chrysanthemum flower and synthetic pyrethroids which tend to allow for different types of applications with greater residual effect on the mosquitoes. Both products, are neurotoxins, and affect the nervous system all insects. They are widely used throughout the pest-control industry, and if applied following label directions, are quite effective and
environmentally responsible. The second category would fall under the definition of insect growth regulators. These products again fall under the scrutiny of the Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency. These products focus on inhibiting the lifecycle of the mosquito and all insects for that matter. They stop the development of the egg, to the next stage in the insect's life. They work very well, in conjunction with an integrated pest management plan to eliminate the target pest.
Over the past decade, automatic misting systems have grown popularity in the pest-control industry. In the process of purchasing, and installing an automatic misting system, many of the same integrated pest management principles are taken into consideration. This would include identification of breeding and harborage areas of mosquito population. The advantages of an automatic misting
system have become widely recognized in the mosquito control industry. An automatic misting system has three major components: the reservoir tank which carries the insecticide to be delivered to the target areas, the pump, motor and timer apparatus, the tubing (delivery lines) and strategically located misting nozzles placed around the property.
The advantage of the automatics misting system is quite obvious. Having the nozzles placed in strategic locations throughout the yard, where an active mosquito population resides will allow you to reach the target pest before they have a chance to bite. The automatic timer gives the homeowner, the opportunity to manipulate the environment to such an extent as to not only kill the
existing adult mosquito population, but to actually repel other mosquitoes that may choose to take up residence in your yard. The timed sprays that deliver a metered dose of the insecticide product contained in the reservoir, and can be altered for each individual property to have the greatest impact on the pest population that resides there. The homeowner, has the opportunity to choose the type of
insecticide, within guidelines to spray, at periodic intervals, in areas that the family, guests and pets most frequent outdoors. The beauty of the automatic misting system, is the elimination of having to pay somebody trudge around your yard, week in and week out, in an attempt to control on the mosquito population. |