Southern California Mosquitoes
Are there mosquitoes in southern California? Yes, there are 53 species that are established in the state in the categories of Culex, Culiseta, Aedes, and Anopheles. In recent years, Aedes albopictus and Aedes Aegypti have been added to the list. The Uranotaenia, Coquillettidia, Psorophora, and Orthopodomyia are other types established in the state.
When identifying mosquitoes, there are two distinctive traits that make them stand out from the rest. These are their long legs and their long nose. Overall, mosquitoes are typically gray with colorful hair-like scales that may be silver, green, white, or iridescent blue.
Mosquitoes are year-round pests but are more active during the warmer seasons. They do not like cold weather and are less active when the temperatures dip. Their mating season begins around May, and it takes only seven days for a mosquito to emerge from an egg to adulthood, contributing to a rapidly growing population. Males live for about a week while females, who are the biters, can live for several months.
There are known dangers for humans and animals from mosquito bites. They are carriers of diseases and parasites such as the Zika virus, dengue fever, malaria, eastern equine encephalitis, and dog heartworms. Mosquito bites can also lead to serious situations for those who have severe allergies.
What Draws Mosquitoes
The main attraction that draws mosquitoes to your home or business is any source of standing water. That combined with a humid environment and the mosquitoes have found the ideal habitat.
Whether it’s stagnant water in the bottom of a flower pot saucer, an old bucket, containers, clogged gutters or downspouts, a wheelbarrow in the garden, birdbaths left unattended, children’s pools that aren’t drained, water bowls for pets, old tires, or any other receptacle, large or small, that holds even the smallest amount of water, that is all that is needed for the mosquito to lay its eggs.
Keeping in mind it only takes about a week for adult flying mosquitoes to become active, removing any standing water sources is one of the first lines of defense against itchy, and sometimes harmful, mosquito bites.
Inspect the area around your home or business at least once a week — more frequently is better — for any standing water sources and empty them. If possible, throw the container away or turn it upside down to avoid future water collection. For those who have a swimming pool, a decorative fountain, or a pond feature on the premises, these too are magnets for mosquitoes.
To help stay bite-free, there are a variety of spray and wearable repellents to keep mosquitoes at bay, but these don’t address the source of the problem. Mosquitoes are not only a pest that can ruin outside activities, but they also pose a threat to your health. To get down to the basics of eliminating a mosquito infestation, so you can enjoy life without itching and scratching, it is best to call in the professionals from a company such as O’Connor Pest Control.
Schedule an Appointment with the Pros
When you want immediate action to remove a pesky problem, you want to call on the best in the business to carry out a plan of action. At O’Connor Pest Control, we’ve been on the frontline providing homeowners and commercial businesses with protection and defense against invading pests since 1952. We have years of experience that our professional team draws on to locate and eliminate the problem.
Remove the misery of itchy mosquito bites with a free inspection and free estimate. Give us a call or fill out the online form to schedule a visit. We are licensed, bonded, and insured and have the latest products and innovative techniques available for our inspectors to do the job right from start to finish.