Not only are mosquitoes an annoyance in summer, they carry potentially dangerous diseases such as West Nile virus. But the safest and most sustainable way to protect your family from mosquito bites does not mean treating your yard once a month with a pesticide. Not only do spray treatments kill beneficial insects, they also are causing pesticide resistance in many mosquitoes on the North Shore. This leaves county officials with fewer tools to control a disease outbreak when it occurs. Instead, you can take some common sense precautions on your property and make use of the free services provided by the North Shore Mosquito Abatement District.
The most important thing you can do is to eliminate standing water everywhere on your property, because this is where mosquitoes lay their eggs. Click here for more tips and information on how the professionals at the NSMAD monitor insect populations and treat larvae for the most effective control. For more information on the risks involved in hiring a barrier treatment service, click here. Remember that many birds, bats and dragonflies rely on mosquitoes for food, and that insecticides of any kind can have unintended negative consequences.
