Preparing for the Cary Summer Mosquito Season

Cary, NC – As the weather starts to get hot and moist in the Summer, mosquitos start to lay eggs and spread around. Here’s the best ways to prepare for the spike in mosquito season and how to stay safe.

What Causes More Mosquitos?

Mosquitos lay eggs in water and mud and are attracted to the warm weather. May sees a big surge in mosquito populations as the heavy rain of Spring mixes with the hot temperatures of Summer. Pair that with the humid Summers the Triangle gets and you have an even more attractive breeding ground for the biting insects.

Female mosquitos bite humans and they have a life span of between one and a half and two months. That means once they hatch, mosquitos grow up quickly and become a biting nuisance. Additionally, mosquitos can lay eggs in pools of water as small as one-inch deep.

Mosquito bites do not only itch. There are a number of diseases that can be spread by the breeds of mosquitos in North Carolina. Encephalitis can result in fatigue, nausea, headaches and fevers, with the most severe cases result in serious problems with the brain. Also, some people are allergic to mosquito bites, which can causes swelling, hives, lesions and bruises.

Best Ways to Prevent Mosquito Bites

The first and best tip to avoid mosquito bites is to stay away from the places where they congregate. Swamps, marshes, rivers, creeks and other related spots. Also, keep mosquitos out of your home by making sure gaps and cracks are sealed (this will also help with overall energy costs for your home) and use screens on your windows if you want to open them to cool off in the Summer heat.

If you are spending time outside or have to go somewhere that mosquitos gather and breed, use insect repellent with the chemical DEET, which has an odor that turns the biting bugs away. If you are using sunscreen as well, put the sunscreen on first and then the insect repellent.

The other best tip that most people do not follow is get rid of places for mosquitos to breed around your home. After a rain such as the ones forecast for this week and next, find places where water has gathered. Bowls, pots, sloped concrete, anywhere. Dump the water out and clear any puddles to stop the mosquitos from laying eggs there. If you cannot drain some standing water for any reason, there are insecticide chemicals you can buy and add to them to get rid of the eggs and larvae at least.

If you have a pond or live near a pond and it has fish, no need to worry. The fish will eat the mosquitos and larvae for you. And if you really want to go all out in getting rid of mosquitos near you, look into building a bat box or fostering a bat habitat. These winged mammals will happily eat mosquitos on your property.

Story by staff reports. Photos by Tom Turkle and Animal Diversity Web.