The Dangers of Standing Water

Author: Jon Kander

Have you ever noticed an annoying cloud of buzzing, biting mosquitoes while spending time near a lake or pond on a warm day? This is not a coincidence, and unlike you, those bugs are not there for the lovely summer setting. Fresh, still, standing water is exactly the incubator where baby mosquitoes are born.

 

Mosquitoes Breed in Standing Water

Adult females lay their eggs in standing water, where they incubate for five days and then hatch. Even a small pond is an enormous breeding ground for mosquitoes. Most people who spend spring and summer days in such locales know they need to apply a bug repellant such as DEET or an insecticide spray such as permethrin to avoid itchy, unsightly mosquito bites, not to mention as a means of protection from the West Nile virus and other mosquito-borne illnesses. These topical products maybe a good short-term solution, they won't reduce the mosquito population. For a long-term solution that does just that, you need a mosquito trap.

 

Start by Getting Rid of the Standing Water

What many fail to realize is that your own backyard may contain scaled-down versions of a mosquito-spawning pond; enough to facilitate a significant increase in the number of mosquitoes on your property – as well as around your friends and loved ones. Even small puddles, left undisturbed, are enough standing water for mosquitoes to lay and hatch their eggs.

Do yourself a huge favor by searching your property for standing water and eliminating it. You can't dump the water out of a pond, but you can surely do it to several pools of water that collect around your home. Wheelbarrows, buckets, plastic tarps, natural puddles and pools all are obvious places where water collects.  The good news is you have time to eliminate the standing water that's bound to accumulate, even if it rains at night and you can not deal with it until morning. By the time you get home from work the following evening, you still have time to prevent mosquito larvae from hatching.

Get out and about in your yard once every day or two, especially after a rainy day. As long as standing water has not been left undisturbed for five days, you have a good chance of preventing mosquitoes from hatching in it.

This is an important thing to think about for anyone with a bird bath on his or her property. Obviously a bird bath will never be intentionally emptied of water. It's important, then, that they be drained and refilled at least once a week, preferably twice a week to make sure they don't become a source of bugs.

These, unfortunately, are just the obvious places standing water collects. Some places are either not in plain sight or just hidden in plain sight, yet they are equally as dangerous. It is a good idea to make a list of these trouble spots and attend to them before they become a problem.

 

The Hidden Areas Where Standing Water Collects

One typical problem area is a rain gutter. Unless you're on the roof, you're not going to see what's going on in your rain gutter, but this is one of the most common places for water to collect. It is, after all, what a gutter is designed to do! Of course, gutters are also designed to drain water, but one season's worth of falling leaves can easily prevent this. If you have not cleaned your gutters since last fall, it's likely water has collected in them, providing the perfect place for mosquitoes to lay their eggs.

Flower pots sitting on dishes also tend to collect water, not just from the rain, but from watering your plants. Check that dish every time either event occurs. Even that small amount of water is enough for mosquito larvae to grow and hatch.

Old tires left outside present a particular problem because, unlike a bucket which can simply be turned upside down, there's no way to position an intact tire so that it will not collect water. Whether standing on its tread, leaning against a wall or lying flat on the ground a tire can collect and hold water – in fact, it's actually difficult to get the water out because of how its side walls curl back in toward the center. If you must hold on to your used tires, it is important they be kept sheltered from the rain.

If your tires are used in a playground, be sure to cut a hole in the bottom that's large enough for water to easily drain out.

You may not wish to repeatedly dump and fill wading pools, but realize they are ideal spots for mosquitoes to breed. You certainly don't want to increase your water bill by dumping and refilling the pool, so you may need a better solution to your mosquito problems.

Getting Rid of the Standing Water Will Not Solve Your Pest Problem

Following these steps, and asking your closest neighbors to do the same, may help keep the mosquito population lower around your house. Eliminating standing water, however, will not draw the remaining mosquitoes away from your family nor kill the ones that remain. Mosquito traps are your best line of defense- the long-term solution that works.

 

End Mosquitoes' Control Over Your Backyard with a Mosquito Trap

A mosquito trap disrupts the mosquitoes' breeding cycle to effectively reduce the population of mosquitoes in your yard. By mimicking human breath, mosquito traps release a steady stream of carbon dioxide plus an attractant to lure mosquitoes to the trap and away from your family and standing water sources. Mosquitoes can't resist this scent and once close, they are vacuumed into a net where they dehydrate and die. This type of mosquito trap runs continuously, ultimately killing a significant number of mosquitoes and interrupting their breeding cycle.

If you're tired of the mosquitoes, start by eliminating the standing water in your yard. Then buy a mosquito trap; you'll be happy you did!

 

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/the-dangers-of-standing-water-2911898.html

About the Author

I am a senior copywriter who enjoys writing about my favorite hobbies.