Effective Mosquito Control for Columbus, OH
MOSQUITO CONTROL IN COLUMBUS, OH
Tired of swatting mosquitoes away during outdoor activities? Or are you getting all bitten up by them? Mosquitos are a common headache for homeowners throughout the Greater Columbus area. In fact, our state has over 60 species of these pests!
What can you do about these bugs? You can take a few steps on your own — but our pest experts can help you out even more! At ScherZinger, we offer effective mosquito control services in Columbus. Let’s go over how to identify these pests, where they live, how to deal with them, and more!
Columbus Mosquito Control
How can you make sure your yard is well-protected against mosquito infestations? Our ScherZinger Mosquito Mitigation Program can help! This mosquito control service involves the following:
- Our pest experts identify areas where mosquitos are most likely to breed or seek shelter to overwinter, such as vegetation or standing water sources
- We treat these areas to repel mosquitoes and keep them away
- We continue to treat these areas every month from April through September to control mosquitoes
Our 6-month mosquito treatment program helps reduce the risk of having mosquitos invade your yard — and stay for the winter. This gives you peace of mind and allows you to enjoy outdoor events and activities without ending up with tons of mosquito bites!
Where Do Mosquitoes Live?
Again, that partly depends on their species. Some are found more in woodlands and marshes. Others tend to live in yards and other populated areas. Here’s where you’re likely to find different mosquito species in the Columbus area:
- Asian tiger mosquito: Tires and other containers that hold water
- Banded spring mosquito: Woodlands
- Eastern tree hole mosquito: Mostly in trees, tires, and other containers in wooded areas
- Floodwater mosquito: Mostly in floodwater pools and puddles
- Aedes vexans: Mostly in standing water in yards and other areas
- Malaria mosquito: Mostly in fresh water and other standing water sources
- Cattail mosquito: Permanent water sources, like marshes
- Northern house mosquito: Clogged gutters, tires, and other standing water sources
What Attracts Mosquitoes?
Why do these pests buzz around your yard in the first place? They’re looking for somewhere to breed and increase their population. Females fly around looking for something to feed on — usually people or pets! In some cases, mosquitos look for shade.
Sources of standing water or vegetation give them spots to breed and overwinter. Note that some mosquitoes are active at dusk. Others are active during the day or at night.
What Do Mosquitoes Look Like?
That can depend on their species. But generally, adult mosquitoes have a thin, long body with three pairs of thin legs, a pair of wings, and a proboscis for feeding.
These characteristics may help you identify certain mosquito species that we have in Ohio:
- Asian tiger mosquito: Black body with white stripes and roughly 3/16 of an inch long as adults
- Banded spring mosquito: White bands on their body
- Eastern tree hole mosquito: Black with silvery white scales
- Floodwater mosquito: Two whitish stripes on their thorax
- Aedes vexans mosquito: Brown with white-scaled rings — and the most common mosquito pest in Ohio
- Anopheles mosquito/malaria mosquito: Large with dark brown coloring and dark spots in the center of their wings
- Cattail mosquito: Rounded abdomen with scaly wings and white bands on their body
- Northern house mosquito: Brown coloring with white scales on its abdomen
How to Prevent Mosquitoes from Populating in Your Backyard
So, what can you do to keep these pests from invading? Doing all of the following can help discourage them from coming into your yard and sticking around:
- Get rid of standing water: Dump water from old tires and any other containers that might fill up when it rains.
- Empty inflatable or plastic pools: Don’t leave them filled with water when they’re not in use
- Change water often: This goes for bird baths and pet water bowls in your yard.
- Keep gutters clean: Gutters clogged with leaves or other debris can cause water to pool, leaving a breeding ground for mosquito populations.
- Clean your pool: Keep your inground or above-ground pool free of debris and treated with pool chemicals.
- Toss containers: Get rid of old cans and other containers in your yard that can easily fill up with rainwater.
Are Mosquitoes Dangerous?
Yes! You might think they’re more of an annoying nuisance, thanks to all the itchy bites they leave. But some can carry diseases that may cause severe illness in you or your pets, such as:
- West Nile virus: Northern house mosquito transmits this
- Eastern equine encephalitis virus: Asian tiger mosquito and cattail mosquito spread this
- St. Louis encephalitis virus: Asian tiger mosquito and northern house mosquito carry this
- La Crosse virus: Asian tiger mosquito, banded spring mosquito, and Eastern tree hole mosquito transmit this
- Malaria: Anopheles mosquitos carry this — it’s not common in Ohio, but be wary when traveling to areas where it’s more common
Mosquito species that don’t spread diseases can also be a problem. Their itchy bites can lead to secondary infections if you scratch them open.
And don’t forget your pets! Some mosquitos transmit heartworms to dogs and cats when they feed. Heartworms in pets can lead to life-threatening illnesses, especially in dogs. That’s one more reason for mosquito control Columbus services.
Schedule Mosquito Treatment for Your Yard
Ready for mosquito control Columbus services to protect your property? We can set up our Mosquito Mitigation Program to keep mosquito populations down. We also offer tick control services — and other pest control services as needed. Contact ScherZinger today to request a free quote!
