Even the tiniest insects should not be ignored

Homeowners can prevent mosquitos

When people think of a killer creature, they tend to think of sharks, bears or tigers; however, this killer is smaller than a dime and lives right in our backyards.

“The mosquito is the No. 1 killer in the world,” Eileen Weckesser, managing owner of Mosquito Joe of Southern Maryland and Prince George’s County said.

The tiny insects can carry many fatal illnesses such as malaria, West Nile virus and Zika virus. Mosquitoes can infect dogs with heartworm disease as well.

“This particular year, there were no reports of mosquito borne illnesses in humans, [in Maryland] so far,” Brian Prendergast, Mosquito Control Program manager for the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) said.

Prendergast said last year there were around six reports, and the prior year there were much more; however, he did not suggest that the reports of illnesses were decreasing because “it varies from year to year, and we don’t know exactly what makes it vary.”

He said if people are going into wooded areas or places where there might be mosquitoes, to protect themselves by wearing repellant that is approved by the Center For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The MDA sets traps in order to see increases in population; however, Prendergast said that statewide, he has not seen a growth in population; “in general, it’s the same as in past years.”

Areas where there is an increase in these insects are due to more rainfall and/or water collecting, Prendergast added.

Weckesser said that with water, comes mosquitoes because that is where they breed. She said that up to 500 mosquitoes can be bred in just a half teaspoon of water.

Weckesser advises homeowners to make sure they are dumping any standing water around their yards. This can include water on kids toys, old boats, wheel barrels or even as small as a flowerpot drainage plate.

“It does not have to be a lot of water,” Weckesser said.

“We also advise homeowners to consider private companies, like Mosquito Joe, to come treat their yards, to keep [the mosquitoes] under control,” Weckesser said.

Mosquito Joe Southern Maryland is a mosquito control service, which provides direct treatments, customized for each home in the Charles, Calvert and St. Mary’s counties.

Many people also worry about how safe the treatment that companies spray around their homes is for their children and pets. Weckesser assured that the spray Mosquito Joe uses is “completely safe for all of the above.”

In some areas, the government provides controlled sprays; however, Weckesser says that it is not enough to control the mosquitoes because the spray neglects backyards, where many mosquitoes are hiding out.

Prendergast said the Department of Agriculture also comes out to homes to treat yards with larvicide, which helps kill the mosquitoes at their larval stage, before they become a problem.

“If people do have a nuisance [with mosquitoes], they can give the MDA a call at our local offices,” he said.

“We put a lot of effort in killing the larvae,” he said.

However, Prendergast said, “we cannot visit every backyard,” which is why he advises homeowners to attempt to control their mosquitoes by “dumping everything that holds water, and treating anything that can’t be dumped.”

“We get a lot of complaints about mosquitoes that are coming from people’s own property,” he said.

Prendergast suggested that homeowners can find mosquito treatment sprays at their local hardware store.

“We shouldn’t ignore this tiny little insect,” Weckesser added.