Have you ever had a perfect evening ruined by mosquitoes? You went to all the trouble of planning a delightful meal on the deck, the lighting and music were perfect, the food was prepared just right, and the company was delightful. Only for your guests to get up and move into the house because they were being buzzed by every mosquito in Hudson Valley! It's so frustrating when you went to such time and expense to create your backyard space.

What Is A Mosquito?

Mosquitoes are very common on every continent, except Antarctica. There are 3,500 known types of mosquitoes worldwide. Not all of them bite or spread disease, and among the biting variety, it's only the females that do the bloodsucking. The type of mosquito that spreads the disease is referred to as a vector. This term is not unique to mosquitoes, it's used to describe any animal or insect that spreads pathogens.

They will bite day or night.
It only takes a few of them to start an outbreak in a community, potentially making hundreds of people sick.
Female mosquitoes need a ‘blood meal’ to produce eggs.
They can live indoors or outdoors.
Their lifespan is between two to four weeks.

Why Are They Dangerous?

Mosquitoes are considered one of the most dangerous creatures on the planet. They have the ability to spread deadly diseases that do not affect them. Diseases that can also be transferred from animal to human via a mosquito bite, specifically the West Nile virus. The following is a list of some of the diseases spread by Mosquitoes.

The Zika virus - Women that bear children while infected with this virus usually have babies with serious health conditions.
West Nile virus - There is no known treatment for WNV at this time. 1 out of 150 people that contract the virus suffers serious, and sometimes fatal, illness.
Malaria - We are experiencing a spike in cases this year. Recently we have been seeing about 410,000 cases worldwide, mostly children.
Yellow fever - The “yellow” part of the name is in reference to the fact that it tends to cause jaundice in its victims. There is no cure.
Dengue fever - Annually 25,000 people die from Dengue.
Chikungunya - Presents with horrible joint pain that lingers for years. There is no treatment.

Blood Sucker Prevention Tips

Aside from staying indoors all summer or in an icy climate, you will never be able to completely avoid mosquitoes. They thrive wherever people and animals live, work, or play. They make their way into homes, buildings, and even airplanes, feeding on the unsuspecting humans. There are ways to decrease the chance of a bite, but of course, they are not absolute.

Consider sleeping under mosquito netting.
Use a repellant. DEET is available in many strengths and works well. Consider spraying your clothing, hats, and shoes before you put them on. Several essential oil-based products work as well. This tends to work for some and not others, depending on personal body chemistry.
Use citronella candles and torches.
Wear light-colored clothing, for some reason they are not as attracted to them.
Stay inside during dawn and dusk.
Hang out around the campfire.

Keeping Them Away

Pestmaster® Services offers two types of mosquito services to both residential and commercial properties.

One Time Service - This is ideal for weddings or any large gathering that you need to be mosquito-free.
Ongoing Service - Treatments for the duration of the mosquito season.

We use high-quality, ‘green’ products that have proven results. Call for a free estimate today.