They may be common, but mosquitoes can also be incredibly dangerous. Learning how to avoid these parasites and protect your property from them will help you avoid the serious health risks that they pose.
Spotting Mosquitoes
While there are many different species of mosquito, they all pretty much look alike. They’re generally small, though, in warm, humid climates like ours they can grow much larger. Mosquitoes like swamplands and moist areas because they need to lay their eggs in standing water. Mosquitoes are all flying insects with long noses that they use as needles to puncture the skin of people and animals. They then feed off of our bloodstream, getting all the nutrients they need to nourish their eggs. This trait is also what makes mosquitoes such nasty health risks since they can easily transmit pathogens in the process.
How Dangerous Can Some Tiny Bugs Be?
In a word: hazardous. Mosquitoes are considered some of the most dangerous animals on the planet because of their parasitic feeding habits. Since they bite numerous animals throughout the day, mosquitoes are what’s known as vectors -- organisms able to spread diseases from one organism to the next, even from one species to another. This is how even treatable illnesses become matters of national or global health concern. The World Health Organization estimates that nearly 20% of all infectious disease transmission every year comes from parasites like mosquitoes.
Here are just some of the many diseases that mosquitoes are known to transmit:
- Zika Virus: One of the most recent pandemic scares related to mosquitoes, the Zika virus is a disease that causes fever and joint pain. Cases can be especially concerning in pregnant women.
- Chikungunya: Another viral infection that results in fever and joint pain, cases tend to be mild and go away once the virus runs its course.
- Dengue Fever: Also called “breakbone fever,” this disease results in extreme discomfort in the joints and muscles. While this is a common symptom of mosquito-borne disease, dengue fever is often more severe, though not often life-threatening with proper medical care.
- West Nile Virus: A common virus associated with mosquitoes, West Nile virus usually results in flu-like symptoms. However, thanks to unchecked mosquito populations in certain parts of the world, it can spread like wildfire and overburden healthcare systems.
- Malaria: The only non-viral infection on this list is also one of the most serious. Malaria is a parasite that attacks red blood cells and can vary in severity from case to case.
Steps For Mosquito Prevention
Not every mosquito is riddled with these kinds of diseases, but the risk of serious health problems isn’t one you should take lightly. While it’s important to take preventative steps when you’re traveling or going outdoors, you also should take steps around your property to make it less attractive to mosquitoes looking for a new home. Here are some actions to take:
- Landscaping: Mosquitoes like yards with lots of landing grounds for them to rest on, which means tall grass or overgrown vegetation. Proper landscaping is key to pest prevention.
- Moisture control: Removing standing water around your property, and addressing moisture buildup quickly, will help curb this big attracting factor for mosquitoes and other pests.
- Protection: This applies mostly to covering your skin or wearing treated clothing or garments that repel biting insects when going outdoors.
Let Aiken Pest Assist You
With the very serious side effects that can come with a mosquito population, every property owner should take proper pest control seriously. The best way to make sure that you’re addressing all these factors and lowering your risk of mosquitoes is with assistance from experts who know what they’re doing. At Aiken Pest, our trained staff can help you identify pest problems in your yard that can wind up inside structures, too. Our treatments can not only eliminate existing pest problems but also prevent future infestations. Protect your yard from disease vectors by getting started on proper mosquito prevention -- contact Aiken Pest today.