What are the Most Common Mosquito Breeding Sites?

Standing water

Any stagnant water body near your house is an invitation for female mosquitoes to lay eggs in it. Stagnant water sources can be buckets, a stack of tiers, marshes and pools. If you want to get rid of these sources, you need to clean bird baths regularly, store buckets and boats to prevent water from collecting in them. Empty the buckets and place them upside down and throw out any plastic containers you don’t use often.

Air Conditioner drip trays

We all are aware of a well-known fact that air conditioners tend to pile up a lot of stagnant water. This makes it one of the most comforting mosquito breeding sites. A female mosquito uses AC drains and residue pans in order to breed. Mosquitoes can also easily enter your house through the vents of AC. In order to avoid this scenario, ensure that your AC’s drain is free of water. Condensation can also cause water puddles inside the house and can attract a lot of insects, but as long as you keep the drains clean and check for drips now and then, there is nothing to worry about.

Children’s play sets

Your children’s play set can be one of the safestmosquito breeding areas for these monstrous creatures to seek shelter and mate during monsoon.To safeguard your children fromthese mosquitoes, you can create a concrete base for the playset that will reduce the number of mosquitoes reaching your children. Besides, you can also use netted canopy and keep moving your playset on daily basis to keep mosquitoes at bay. You can also stick mosquito repellent patch on your kid’s clothes or use mosquito repellent wristband.

Tree stumps and wood piles

Hollow areas of a tree is another place that collects water and can be aplace for mosquitoes to breed. This hollow area can be filled with sand or mud to prevent mosquitoes from breeding at such spaces. Similarly, the space underneath the wood piles can be an ideal locationfor mosquitoes to breed. Keep the under decks clean in order to avoid such situations. When going for a hike on mountains carry mosquito repellent spray or apply a thin layer of mosquito repellent cream on your body to prevent yourself from mosquito bites

Trash cans

Trash cans usually come with lids but most of the recycling bins are without lids. When these trash cans are left outsideuncovered, they can retain huge amount of rainwater in them. Make sure that youkeep an eye on your trash cans and empty them after a major rain storm.

Pools and spas

Scorching sun and humid weather is here! And jumping in the pool is one thing that we all look out to during this time. Empty your pools if going for a long vacation or at the end of the season. If not looked after properly, these outstanding outdoor accessories can become troublesome by hosting thousands of mosquitoes. Therefore, be sure of emptying your pools on a regular basis.

Birdbaths

One favorite spot for mosquitoes is birdbaths. Birdbaths are always placed at sunny locations with a little water in them to attract birds but those can become the best location for mosquitoes to lay their eggs in. How to stop mosquitoes from breeding in the birdbaths?

• Change the water in birdbath every day
• Add a small aerator or a little waterfall to keep the water agitated or moving and prevent mosquitoes from using it as a breeding location
• Water treatment options are also available. Some bacterial insecticides can also be used which are not harmful for birds but can surely kill those pesky little creatures.

Old Tires

A stack of unused tiers can be a perfect breeding site for mosquitoes as these tiershold a lot of water. Emptying these tiers fortnightly or weekly or storing them in a covered location can help you keep mosquitoes away.

Mud pots

Mud pots collect a lot of rain water and can serve as a perfect breeding spot for mosquitoes. Emptying these mud pots or keeping them covered in rainy season can prevent the breeding of mosquitoes in them.

Gutters

How many of us are regular in cleaning the gutters? Probably none, it is always a “tomorrow’s job” for everybody. Gutters with debris provides an ideal situation for mosquitoes to hide and standing water in them help mosquitoes in breeding. To avoid this situation, ensure regular cleaning of debris and water from rain gutters.