July 25, 2002

Homeowners Receive Tips on Controlling Mosquitos in The Backyard

The mosquito war is on and humans seem to be losing, however there is a way to level the battle field. According to a North Dakota State University entomologist, controlling mosquitos in the backyard may be as easy as getting rid of water.

Phillip Glogoza NDSU Extension entomologist says mosquito problems will follow water. He recommends the best way to control them is to get rid of any standing water in the backyard.

"In the backyard setting, one of the first things we encourage is that we don’t have any standing water as a breeding site. For example, we want to get rid of water in bird baths and wading pools so it is not there for a week at time," Glogoza says.

According to Glogoza, there are also some insecticidal approaches to take. These, however, will only provide residual control for two or three days. He recommends the insecticides be applied to all vegetation such as shrubs, low or short trees or tall grassy areas. These are the areas where mosquitos retreat during the day to find shade or high humidity.

He also recommends spraying should be reserved for periods when there is going to be a lot of outdoor activity planned such as a picnic or a large event. In these cases Glogoza says to spray 12 to 24 hours prior to the activity and that will help to reduce the numbers and provide some level of comfort.

"People will notice pretty quickly that you can spray rather frequently and you will never eliminate mosquitos, but you can cut down the numbers on your small property. But in times of large mosquito populations they are going to be replaced fairly quickly from the surrounding area," Glogoza says.

Glogoza gives a checklist of things a homeowner can do in the backyard:

• Remove water holding tanks such as old tires, tin cans, buckets, drums and bottles.
• Cover trash containers to keep out rain water.
• Clean clogged roof gutters and drain flat roofs.
• Empty wading pools at least once a week and store indoors when not in use.
• Change the water in bird baths and fountains at least once a week.
• Consider stocking ornamental pools with fish.
• Fill in or drain low areas in yards to discourage puddles.
• Keep drains, ditches and culverts clean of weeds and trash to allow proper drainage.
• Trim shrubs to discourage mosquitos from resting on foliage.

Reducing the number of mosquitos in your backyard will also lower the danger of acquiring disease. Some mosquito species may transmit diseases such as, West Nile Virus to humans and horses, and also heartworm to dogs. Glogoza states that the chance of receiving these diseases is very low.

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Source: Phillip Glogoza, (701) 231-7581, pglogoza@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Writer: Stephanie Renner, (701) 231-8371, Stephanie.Renner@ndsu.nodak.edu
Editor: Tom Jirik, (701) 231-9629, tjirik@ndsuext.nodak.edu