AVOIDING MOSQUITO HABITATS

Mosquito habitat

  • Avoid stagnant water. Mosquitoes are generally attracted to water, especially stagnant water, so swamps, marshes, ponds, stagnant rivulets are paradise for mosquitoes, especially during summer months. Majority of the mosquito species lay their eggs in stagnant water and have adapted themselves to lay their egg in salt water. Refrain from going near any bodies of stagnant water as a lot of species of mosquito stay really close to where they hatch and breed and thus you would be able to avoid them completely.
  • Don’t let water accumulate near your home or campsite. It’s easy for you to accidentally create habitats for mosquitoes to live and breed in. For example, your child’s inflatable pool left ignored for some days can end up becoming the hotbed for mosquitoes. Instantly flush out any standing water around your home or campsite. If you have a pool, try and cover it when it is not in use and use chemical additives like chlorine after reading the manufacturer’s instruction. Here are just few places where water can accumulate:
  • Keep in mind certain “mosquito” seasons. In the tropics mosquitoes can easily survive in warm-weather year-round. In temperate locations, however, mosquitoes are highly functional during warmer months. During winter season, mosquitoes tend to hibernate and new adults do not grow past the larval stage. For instance, certain areas in India have cold, snowy winters that eliminate mosquitoes completely, but also have hot, humid summers, which leads to increase in the population of mosquitoes. “Mosquito season” changes depending on the locale – mostly, it is the hottest and/or most-humid part of the year.
  • Another seasonal factor that can control mosquito population would be flooding. Certain parts of the world, like Egypt’s Nile River, experience periodic flooding. Stagnant water from the flooding can increase mosquito population exponentially.
  • Refrain from increasing body heat. This advice is suitable for people living in a hot, humid climate. Mosquitoes are known to be attracted to warm bodies, so staying cool is one way to not gather their attention. Dark-colored clothing can absorb more heat from the sun when compared with light-colored ones, so avoid them. Also, avoid excessive exercise when possible around mosquito infested areas. Not only exercise will generate heat, it will also make you breathe heavily. The carbon dioxide you exhale can be smelled by mosquitoeseven from a relatively long distance.
  1. Discarded tires or industrial containers
  2. Construction ditches or trenches
  3. Pools
  4. Natural low points on a piece of property
  5. Clogged storm drains

 

 

 

 

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