The Science Behind Mosquito Behavior And How To Use It To Your Advantage In Marietta

It is likely you've felt the bite of a mosquito. You know what it is like to wiggle around to prevent mosquitoes from landing on you. You know the sound of a mosquito buzzing around in your bedroom. If you aren't familiar with any of these, you are one of the lucky few. But, whether you've experienced mosquitoes or not, it is also likely that you don't really understand these irritating pests. Why do we say this? Because far too often, we see Marietta residents using methods and products that don't do anything to get control of mosquitoes in their yards. They use all kinds of things, like torches, candles, mosquito treatment products, essential oils, and other repellents – to name only a few. Unfortunately, none of these provide any real protection against mosquitoes in Marietta. And the reason why they don't work is likely to surprise you. 

Join us today as we explore the science of mosquito control and consider how understanding mosquito behavior can help you get fewer bites when you go out into your backyard. As always, remember that your ProCare Pest Services team is available to answer questions about Marietta pest control. We have the experience to provide you with the best solutions for your pest concerns. Contact us at any time for assistance, or check out our residential pest control service page to learn more.

Understanding Mosquito Behavior: Essential For Effective Control

Let's begin with a simple question: Why do mosquitoes suck your blood? You might think they do this because they survive on blood for sustenance. Many insects do this. But mosquitoes don't actually eat blood for general nourishment. A blood meal is only drawn by female mosquitoes, and only for the production of their eggs. So, what do mosquitoes eat? They actually find their nourishment from plants. Both male and female mosquitoes draw nectar from flowers and use their mouthparts to draw sap from plants. Nectar and sap have the carbohydrates mosquitoes need to survive. Carbohydrates provide energy. While blood also has carbohydrates, you won't find a lot of carbohydrates in blood. When dried and analyzed, blood contains around 93% protein and only around 1% percent carbohydrate. Female mosquitoes need the protein for egg production and are far too small to get meat in another way.

Why is this important for effective mosquito control? There are two factors to consider. The first is that female mosquitoes don't bite you to draw one of many meals. They seek to bite you for the purpose of drawing an essential meal for reproduction. Therefore, it is safe to say that they are highly motivated. The second factor to consider is that mosquitoes may not come into your yard for the reason you think. Sure, female mosquitoes will come looking for a blood meal, but most mosquito problems begin with another attraction. Can you guess what it is? Yes. They come into your yard to feed on nectar and plant sap.

Mosquito Motivation: Many of the products used to prevent mosquito bites are somewhat dependent on the motivation of the mosquitoes. Since they are driven by a primal urge to reproduce and guarantee the continuance of their species, you won't easily deter them with smoke from a fire, candle, or torch. You may even find that applying mosquito repellent to your skin and clothing isn't enough. The best you can hope to accomplish with repellents is to mask some of the signals mosquitoes require to lock onto you, land on you, and bite you.

Mosquito Attractants: When you go outdoors and mosquitoes start buzzing around you, it is easy to misunderstand what you are experiencing. Those mosquitoes don't come from your neighbor's yard because they see you come outdoors. You know this because they're on you in seconds. That means they live on your property. The reason they live in your yard is that they have nectar and plant sap to eat, and humid and shaded hiding places to rest. Vegetation and moisture are the most important factors that bring mosquitoes into your yard and allow them to stay. Moisture can also provide another reason you have lots of mosquitoes in your yard: Mosquitoes lay their eggs in stagnant water.        

Now that you know a bit about mosquito behavior, let's drill a little deeper. Let's look closer at mosquito attraction and consider why a mosquito might bite you more than someone else. Then, we'll look at how you can prevent mosquitoes.

The Science Of Mosquito Attraction: Factors That Draw Them To Humans