There are a lot of mosquito breeding grounds near your home. All your efforts of getting rid of mosquitoes inside your home will go to waste if you have mosquito breeding grounds outside. These pests will keep coming if you don’t destroy their habitats. Here are the most common mosquito breeding grounds you should look out for around your property.
Clogged gutters
Mosquitoes have a heavy preference for stagnant water. They like to lay their eggs on ponds, marshes, swamps, and other wetlands. But there can be stagnant water near your home too. Clogged gutters are particularly notorious for attracting mosquitoes.
Why do gutters clog? The most common reason is leaves, especially during autumn. Gutters can also clog if they don’t drain properly or if they are not slanted enough to let water flow downward. Here are things you can do to prevent clogged gutters that can become mosquito breeding grounds:
- Regularly clean your gutters. Leaves and other debris can get into your roof and end up in your gutters. Make sure to clean your gutters regularly to prevent clogging. Check more often during autumn, where leaves fall more than usual.
- Fix drainage problems. Gutters have an entire draining system. The water going through your gutters flow downward to small downspout openings. Water and debris can build up in this system and cause drainage problems. Check these openings for materials that may cause clogging. Check more during rainy days.
- Fix sloping problems. Gutters need to be slanted a bit to let water flow downward. But sometimes they are not slanted enough to drag everything in them into the downspout openings. Sometimes, they leave debris behind. If you think your gutters are not slanted enough, consider hiring a professional to fix your problem. But remember that even properly slanted gutters can have this problem.
If you have clean and well-functioning gutters, you are giving less chances for mosquitoes to breed near your home.
Overgrowth
Do you have a garden, lawn, or yard? If you do, here’s the bad news – they are good mosquito breeding grounds. Mosquitoes like to stay in overgrowth. And sometimes, an overgrowth can accumulate stagnant water too. Mosquitoes will only need a very small amount of stagnant water as their breeding ground.
But here’s the good news – you can maintain these parts of your property to reduce the chances of mosquitoes breeding there. Here are some things you can do:
- Keep your greens short. Mosquitoes are weak flyers. They don’t like the wind very much. They protect themselves from winds by hiding on overgrowth or debris. Keep your bushes and grasses short to minimize the hiding places of these pests.
- Get rid of debris. Leaves, tires, twigs, and other unattended materials and debris outside your home can also be the perfect hiding places for mosquitoes. Throw away the unattended materials if you have no practical use for them. And clean away the debris.
- Insect-proof your compost pile. Do you have a compost pile somewhere outside of your home? Make it insect-proof as much as you can. Make sure to put the right amount of water. If you put too much water in your compost pile, the pile can be too wet and may end up attracting mosquitoes. If possible, put the pile in a container with a lid to make it inaccessible not just to mosquitoes, but to insects in general.
A well-maintained garden, lawn, and yard are unattractive to mosquitoes.
Standing water
We can’t stress this enough. Mosquitoes really like stagnant water. They are the best places for mosquitoes to breed because they stimulate the eggs.
Your gutters are not the only places where stagnant water can accumulate. Here are other places around your home that can accumulate stagnant water.
- Birdbaths. They are great ornaments, but they can be mosquito breeding grounds if you don’t replace their water regularly.
- Flower pots. They can accumulate water at the base. Make sure to water your plants and flowers only with the right amount. Drain the excess or bury them in dry sand.
- Fountains. Like birdbaths, they are great ornaments. But their water can become filthy if you don’t run them from time to time.
- Pavements. They may have cracks and holes where water can accumulate whenever it rains. Cover them up or clear the pools of water in them, especially on rainy days.
- Ponds. Have running water on them if possible. If not, consider adding bacteria or fishes that prey on mosquitoes, such as gambusia affinis.
- Rainwater barrels. Close the barrels with lids. Keep the top of the lids clear of stagnant water. And empty the barrels regularly.
- Swimming pools. Treat them regularly with the appropriate products. If you are not sure how to do this, consult a professional.
- Vases. Don’t forget to replace their water regularly. Many people seem to forget to replace their water and just leave them as they are.
Take a close look at your surroundings. There may still be places where stagnant water can accumulate. The items above are just some of these places. Every home is unique. Your home may have unique features where water can accumulate.
The key idea is to avoid stagnant water as much as possible. Fix draining problems. Empty or replace basins that can accumulate water. And keep everything clean.
Water for pets
You can clean your entire garden, lawn, and yard, but you can still attract mosquitoes if you unknowingly provide them water yourself. One of the most common among these attractors is the water you provide for your pets.
You put water in a bowl for your pets. You leave this bowl outside and you tend to forget about it. If you leave it long enough, it can become a mosquito breeding ground. Here are some things you can do to prevent this from happening.
- Replace their water at least once a week. Have a routine so you don’t forget about replacing the water in these bowls.
- Don’t leave them outside for too long. If possible, don’t leave these bowls outside. If you can’t bring them inside, at least turn them over. This way, you clear them of water and prevent them from accumulating water from the rain.
- Check your automatic refillers. Most people forget about their pets’ automatic refiller bowls just because they can refill themselves. But remember that you should still maintain these mechanisms by cleaning them and replacing their water.
Be mindful of how you handle your pets’ water bowls and you will not attract mosquitoes near your home.