When it comes to mosquito control, Florida poses many unique challenges. With a temperate climate year round and high humidity, Florida is the perfect breeding ground for mosquitos. Additionally, many homes have pools and many communities have bodies of water and small ponds which can further attract mosquitoes. Mosquito bites leave you itchy and irritated for days. But mosquitoes can be more than a nuisance. They carry diseases. Bates Exterminating wants everyone to enjoy the outdoors and protect yourself, your family and pets against them.
The Zika Virus
The Zika Virus is spread by infected Aedes mosquitoes. Common symptoms include fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis. The illness is usually very mild. Those who have contracted the Zika virus are unlikely to need hospitalization. Severe illness or death are uncommon. Zika symptoms can go undetected and can be transmitted from human to human or from mother to unborn baby. Cases have been reported in the United States since 2015.
West Nile
West Nile virus is a common mosquito-borne virus spread in North America and has been reported in all continental United States. Symptoms of West Nile virus are relatively uncommon. Those who develop symptoms experience headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea, or rash. While anyone of any age can contract this severe illness, those over the age of 60 and those with existing health conditions are most at risk. There is currently no vaccine for the West Nile virus.
The Chikungunya Virus This virus is transmitted through infected mosquitoes. Symptoms of the chikungunya virus develop three to seven days after being bitten. The most common symptoms are fever and joint pain but headache, muscle pain, joint swelling and rash are common. While chikungunya typically isn’t fatal, it can be debilitating. In 2013, chikungunya was reported for the first time in the Americas in the Caribbean. Those traveling to this area are especially at risk.
Dengue Fever
Dengue fever is transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito, usually the Aedes aegypti. More than one third of the world’s population is at risk to contract the dengue virus. Dengue is most prevalent in tropic and subtropical climates. Symptoms of dengue include a combination of high fever and severe headache, eye pain, joint pain, muscle pain, bone pain, rash or mild bleeding manifestation. There is no specific medication or treatment for dengue.
Effective mosquito control is important in Florida. Without year-round control, mosquitoes get the opportunity to breed on your property, and with warm temperatures year round, your yard is the ideal environment for mosquitoes to lay their eggs. Some species of mosquitoes can complete their lifecycle in just four to seven days, meaning the number of insects on your property can multiply very quickly without effective and recurring mosquito spraying in Florida.
You need a protective barrier to keep your family safe from mosquitoes and the diseases they can carry, and to stop the annoying buzzing and itchy swollen bites they can cause. Don’t let mosquitoes ruin your outside plans.
- Eliminate standing water from your property. Stagnant water provides a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
- Repair leaky faucets.
- Drain hoses.
- Empty birdbaths, children’s toys, kiddie pools, tire swings and gardening materials like watering cans and pots regularly.
- Clear gutters so rainwater doesn’t accumulate.
- Use soil to fill in low areas in lawns and landscaped areas where rainwater may collect and stand for more than seven days.
- Maintain your lawn and ornamentals frequently and clear tall grasses and brush around your home.
Don’t Wait – Bates Exterminating Can Help!
Schedule Your FREE Inspection for Mosquito Control We will send a trained inspector to your home for a FREE inspection. Specializing in pest control, termite control and lawn spraying and fertilization since 1978, our representatives will help develop a comprehensive plan for year round mosquito control, and evaluate your home for any other signs of pest and insect invasions.
