Warm weather means different things to Austin residents. While some enjoy the blooming flowers and swimming in pools, others cannot stand the different types of mosquitoes invading their properties, since they can be pretty annoying. Apart from buzzing in your ears, most people have a fear of mosquitoes biting them and leaving itchy bumps. Mosquitoes trigger histamine release by injecting you with saliva and enzymes. Histamine increases blood flow to the affected area, causing swollen skin.
It’s worth noting that only female mosquitoes bite humans. That’s because they need your blood’s protein to develop eggs. You don’t have to live with the fear of mosquitoes; Daniel Pest Control can help you keep mosquitoes away.
What Mosquitoes In Austin Look Like
You should know how to identify mosquitoes before thinking of ways to repel mosquitoes. Although approximately 3500 types of mosquitoes exist worldwide, many kinds of these flying insects have common features. For starters, they have three body sections, namely, abdomen, thorax, and a head with big eyes. Mosquitoes range between 1/8 and 1/3 inches long and have gray-brown to black bodies with green, blue, or white markings. You can also spot scales along the wing’s veins.
Because only female mosquitoes bite humans and spread diseases, distinguishing females from males is crucial. The first difference is sound. Though both genders produce a buzzing noise with their wings, a female group of mosquitoes has a higher-pitched sound. Female mosquitoes live closer to humans because they require blood for nourishment, unlike males, and they can find humans through their body heat and carbon dioxide exhalations. Additionally, a male mosquito’s antennae are bushier than a female’s because of their use in detecting their mate’s wing movements.
Mosquitoes: The Lifecycle of The Little Fly
A mosquito’s development stage determines the strategy you’ll use to keep mosquitoes away. A mosquito undergoes the following growth phases:
- Egg: The insect lays eggs separately or in bundles called rafts. The mosquito leaves the eggs on water or areas prone to floodings, such as tree holes and damp soil. While some species’ eggs hatch within several hours, some eggs may take longer as they await ideal hatching conditions.
- Larva: Larvae live in water and dangle upside down from the surface. Most species have siphons stretching to the surface to aid breathing. However, Anopheles larvae get oxygen by lying parallel to the surface. Larvae shed skins four times throughout this phase.
- Pupa: Though the pupa doesn’t eat, it still needs air from the water surface. It’s also sensitive to light and shadows and rolls or tumbles away from these disturbances. This phase takes between 1 ½ and four days.
- Adult: The adult mosquito stays on the water surface for a while before its wings are dry and strong enough to fly. Ordinarily, male mosquitoes appear first and wait for females near the breeding site for mating.
The Role Mosquitoes Play In Spreading Dangerous Disease
A group of mosquitoes may be a nuisance, but that’s not the only reason to eliminate these pests. Mosquitoes also spread deadly illnesses. Germs are carried in the mosquito’s body when it sucks infected blood. However, mosquitoes don’t transmit all germs, only those that multiply in its body. The germs then spread to the salivary glands and infect your blood when the mosquito bites you. As a result, you can contract the following diseases, among others:
- West Nile Virus
- Chikungunya
- Dengue Fever
- Zika Virus
It’s estimated that mosquitoes are responsible for one million deaths a year, due to the diseases they carry and spread, which makes mosquito control for your Austin yard all the more important.
Natural Ways To Keep Mosquitoes Away in Austin
There are a number of natural ways to repel mosquitoes while avoiding side effects. The first step is destroying mosquito breeding grounds. That includes changing birdbaths regularly and removing water from your kids’ toys, wheelbarrows, and garden pots.
You can also drain clogged gutters and clear piled leaves and decaying logs. Likewise, you can introduce plants like mint, lavender, rosemary, and marigolds that repel mosquitoes. For more information about keeping away mosquitoes and similar pests, contact Daniel Pest Control to defend your property.