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Mosquitoes Are Coming. Be Prepared.
Tips To Reduce Mosquitoes & Disease In Your Community
We welcome longer days and warmer weather, but mosquitoes are part of the deal. Unless you’re one of the lucky few who these pesky insects don’t bother, it can be challenging to avoid them. And, unfortunately, itchy bites aren’t the only effect mosquitoes can have – they are also the most common vectors of harmful and sometimes deadly diseases, including West Nile virus, Malaria, Chikungunya, and Zika virus.
Cold-blooded mosquitoes thrive in warmer temperatures and can get dangerously out of hand without proper management. To protect yourself during outdoor activities all summer long, consider these simple, natural, and effective ways to limit their impact.
Eliminate Breeding Habitats
Throughout her six- to eight-week lifespan, a female mosquito will lay about 300 eggs, often in standing or stagnant water. Clearing gutters, picking up litter, and emptying buckets and small outdoor containers can help decrease the number of available habitats for mosquitoes to reproduce and thrive. And don’t forget to educate family and neighbors to do the same.
Circulate Stagnant Lakes & Ponds
In aquatic environments such as lakes, ponds, and stormwater basins, the introduction of a floating fountain or submersed aeration system can help consistently circulate warm, stagnant water to create unfit mosquito breeding grounds. Simultaneously, these systems can help impede the growth of algae and nuisance weeds by supporting ideal water quality conditions.
Treat Undesirable Aquatic Plants
Stagnant water pockets in ponds can also be eliminated through the removal of phragmites and non-beneficial floating and emergent vegetation. Effective solutions may include mechanical harvesting, hand-pulling, or highly-targeted herbicides, to name a few. Your aquatic specialist can help you identify the appropriate option for your waterbody.
Plant Vegetation That Attracts Dragonflies
Dragonflies can feed on hundreds of larvae and full-grown mosquitoes each day. The introduction of native, beneficial vegetation around your pond, like blue flag iris, pickerelweed, arrowhead, spatterdock, lizard’s tail, and various types of rushes and sedges can help attract predator dragonflies to your property.
Stock Fish That Feed On Mosquito Larvae
Stocking a lake or pond annually with fathead minnows, bluegill, and mosquitofish can help prevent mosquito larvae and adult mosquito infestations throughout the summer. Check with an experienced fisheries biologist about your state’s specific stocking regulations.
Integrate Sustainable Biological Larvicides
If the above natural management methods aren’t making enough of an impact on pesky mosquito populations, a safe EPA-registered biological larvicide or insecticide may be used. When applied by a professional, either via ground services, drones, or even aerial fleets, this method is extremely safe and effective.
Consider A Proactive Comprehensive Management Plan
An Integrated Mosquito Management (IMM) program leverages science, technology, and strategic, environmentally responsible applications to target the insect through each phase of its lifecycle. Thorough site assessments, surveillance, and disease monitoring are all a crucial part of a successful mosquito management program.
It’s critical for communities to understand the threats posed by mosquitoes, educate their residents, and implement a preventative management plan before peak mosquito season arrives. Now that the days are getting longer and warmer, take some time to prepare for a mosquito problem before mid-summer hits—your bare skin will thank you!
Lake and pond management is a complex field that presents never-ending puzzles and surprising challenges. Like a fingerprint, no two bodies of water are exactly the same—and they are always in a state of continuous change based on how the water is used, the surroundings, and even the weather. When diagnosing and designing a solution for a problem like bad odors or nuisance 
Glenn Sullivan entered the aquatics industry in 1993 and is currently the President of the New York State Aquatic Managers Association (NYSAMA). He is also a former member of the Board of Directors for the Northeast Aquatic Plant Management Society (NEAPMS). Over the course of 20 years, he held many roles including President, Director, Treasurer, and Editor, and continues to serve as a committee co-chair. In 2015, he was named Preferred Applicator of the Year by SePRO Corporation. He is also the recipient of multiple awards recognizing environmental stewardship, best management practices and sustainable leadership.
Kim Niesel holds her CMCA (certified manager of community associations) designation, as administered by the Community Association Managers International Certification Board and is involved in several industry-related organizations, including the Southeastern Virginia and Central Virginia chapters of Community Associations Institute (CAI). She has served as a board member and president for both of these associations. Kim is also one of the founders of the Virginia Leadership Retreat and has been recognized several times for her volunteer involvement. She currently serves on the Board for the Virginia Leadership Retreat and is the Chairperson for the Communications Committee of the Southeastern VA CAI.
SOLitude Lake Management is committed to providing full-service lake and pond management solutions that improve water quality, preserve natural resources, and reduce our environmental footprint.
