There is no reason to use harsh chemicals to control mosquitoes when you can use BTI to kill mosquitoes. That’s because BTI is a naturally occurring bacterium that kills mosquitoes before they can become flying, biting, disease-spreading adults.
Everyone hates mosquitoes. Mosquito bites are itchy and painful. Plus, mosquitoes spread some of the world’s deadliest diseases such as Zika virus, West Nile virus, malaria, chikungunya and dengue fever.
Wherever there’s moisture there will be mosquitoes—even in times of drought. Reduce your chances of getting bitten by mosquito pests by being “mosquito smart.” Start by understanding why mosquitoes bite people.Then, learn to reduce mosquito breeding sites and follow the mosquito-control strategies that are most effective in keeping mosquito populations down.
Why Do Mosquitoes Bite?
A female mosquito will bite humans, mammals and birds in search of a blood meal so she can produce eggs. She can extract up to four times her weight in blood. After biting a person or an animal, a female mosquito lays her eggs in standing water—usually only yards from where the bite occurred.
To reduce the chances of getting mosquito bites, wear long sleeves and long pants to cover as much of your skin as possible. Mosquitoes are attracted to dark colors, so wear light-colored clothing.
Using mosquito repellent is another good way to keep mosquitoes—and mosquito bites—at bay. Apply an EPA-recommended repellent directly to skin or clothing, following the instructions on the product label. To keep mosquito larvae from growing up to be flying, biting adults, treat standing water with chemical-free Mosquito Dunks.
Reduce Mosquito Breeding Sites
The first step in reducing mosquito populations is to reduce mosquito breeding grounds. It doesn’t take much standing water to become a mosquito breeding site. “Some species of mosquitoes can breed in as little as a bottle cap full of water,” said Jonathan Cohen, mosquito control expert and president of Summit Responsible Solutions. “That’s why property owners need to be vigilant in eliminating places where water can collect and stand in their yards and gardens.”
To reduce mosquito breeding grounds, dispose of cans, plastic containers, old tires and other items that can collect water. Turn over wheelbarrows and empty children’s wading pools. Clean clogged roof gutters, which can become prime mosquito-breeding pools. Periodically empty the saucers under ceramic pots to make sure they are not harboring mosquito larvae.
Kill Mosquitoes with Chemical-free BTI
Many mosquito-control products are available in stores and online. Some products kill the insect pests in the larval stage. Other products kill adult mosquitoes. A naturally occurring bacterium called BTI (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis) is an effective, all-natural way to kill mosquito larvae before they can grow up to become biting, disease-spreading adults. BTI is deadly to mosquito larvae, but it is harmless to people, pets, fish, wildlife and beneficial insects. BTI is the active ingredient in top-selling Mosquito Dunks® and Mosquito Bits®.
Just float a chemical-free Mosquito Dunk in standing water. The BTI in the Dunk kills mosquito larvae for up to 30 days. Use Mosquito Dunks in ponds, bird baths, animal watering troughs, gutters, ditches, drainage pipes, rain barrels–and anywhere water collects. Buy Mosquito Dunks here.
Use BTI to Kill Mosquitoes in Small Amounts of Water, Too
Mosquitoes can breed in tiny amounts of water. Fortunately, you can use BTI to kill mosquitoes in small amounts of water, too.
In places where small amounts of water collect—such as tree holes, potted plant saucers, water reservoirs in self-watering planters, tires, and even in water-collecting plants like bromeliads, use a BTI product called Mosquito Bits.
Use Mosquito Bits to kill mosquito larvae in swampy areas and other areas where water cannot be drained. Mosquito Bits are highly effective as a “shock treatment” in water where immediate larval control is needed due to an extremely dense population of mosquito larvae. That’s because Mosquito Bits release the active ingredient (BTI) at once. Use Mosquito Dunks immediately after applying Mosquito Bits for long-term mosquito control. Buy Mosquito Bits here.
The BTI in Mosquito Bits will even kill fungus gnats in potted plants.
Another mosquito larvicide is call Spinosad, which is the active ingredient in Mosquito Killer Fizz Tabs. Spinosad is the newest agricultural chemistry to be introduced to the consumer marketplace. Spinosad is an insecticide based on the chemical compounds found in the Saccharopolyspora spinosa bacterium. Unlike BTI, which targets only mosquito larvae, Spinosad is highly active and can kill numerous insect species at various stages of their life cycles. For example, Spinosad kills mosquitoes in the larval stage, but it can also kill adult honeybees.
Control Adult Mosquitoes
Many different formulations of plant-based oils are used to repel adult mosquitoes, including citronella, garlic, spearmint and lemon eucalyptus. These can be effective in keeping mosquitoes away, but they do not kill the insect pests.
A variety of insect sprays are available that kill adult mosquitoes on contact. Permethrin-based insecticides are popular because they are effective in killing a wide variety of insect pests. One popular permethrin-based insecticide is Summit Mosquito and Gnat Barrier. The permethrin in Summit Mosquito and Gnat Barrier kills and repels mosquitoes and other insect pests for up to four weeks. Simply attach a garden hose to the hose-end sprayer bottle and spray the yard perimeter and fences. Also, spray the lawn and vegetation where mosquitoes can hide and rest.
So, reduce your chances of being bitten by disease-carrying mosquitoes. It’s easy. Simply reduce your exposure to mosquitoes, reduce mosquito breeding sites and use the most effective types of mosquito control products.
Mosquito Dunks®, Mosquito Bits® and Summit® Mosquito and Gnat Barrier are available at fine garden centers, hardware stores, home centers and click here to buy on Amazon.
For more information visit www.summitresponsiblesolutions.com.
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