Mosquitoes: Disease & Control

Yesterday's blog was all about mosquitoes-what they are and their life cycle. Today's will cover a little bit about the diseases spread by mosquitoes and controlling the mosquito population.

Mosquitoes are known to be major vectors for disease-causing viruses and parasites in humans. The infected mosquitoes carry the viruses and parasites, which are then spread from person to person.

Some of the diseases carried by mosquitoes include yellow fever, dengue fever (which is commonly found in travelers of the Caribbean, Central America and South Central Asia), malaria, lymphatic filariasis, West Nile virus and Tularemia.

In Canada, among other temperate and developed countries, mosquitoes are generally just a nuisance over a major health concern, however there are still known cases yearly where illness and death do occur because of mosquitoes. In fact, just yesterday (July 3) Toronto's public health department confirmed that mosquitoes  carrying West Nile virus have been found in Toronto. If you want to read the article from the Toronto Sun about this development, you can do so here.

Controlling mosquitoes is where Integrated Pest Management really comes in handy. Some steps to take include:

• Source reduction- removing stagnant water from your property
• Bio control- using natural predators of mosquitoes such a dragonflies and bats to naturally control the mosquito population
• Trapping and/or insecticides- can be used to kill larvae and adults
• Exclusion- using mosquito nets and window screens to prevent them from entering your home or cottage

If you are having an issue with mosquitoes and you have an event coming up such a family reunion or outdoor wedding, give Cottage Country Pest Control a call. We can come in and spray so that if you are using tents or awnings for example, any mosquitoes that land on them will no longer be an issue.

If you are having a pest problem, remember it is better to deal with is sooner rather than later as it can quickly become a very expensive problem to deal with. To book an appointment with Cottage Country Pest Control, give us a call at 705-534-7863 or email us today.