Do Mosquitoes Love Your Home and Yard?
Mosquitoes are small flying insects that feed on human and animal blood or plant juices. Only female mosquitoes bite to get a blood meal for their growing eggs. Mosquitoes are generally considered a nuisance pest, but occasionally can transmit disease.
There are about 70 different species of mosquitoes in New York State. Several mosquito species have been associated with West Nile virus, an infection that can cause serious illness.
Some mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water around the home.They can develop in any standing water that remains more than four days. Weeds,tall grass and shrubbery provide an outdoor home for adult mosquitoes,which may also enter houses through unscreened windows and doors,or broken screens. Many kinds of mosquitoes will breed in discarded tires.
Some mosquitoes are most active between dusk and dawn when the air is calm,and that is when the females are most likely to bite. However,others will feed at any time of the day.
You can and should reduce the number of mosquitoes around your home:
- Reduce or eliminate all standing water in your yard,and remove containers in which water can collect;
- Make sure all windows and doors have screens; and
- Keep all screens repaired.
How many breeding sites can you find?
Fight the Bite
Box 2000
Albany, New York 12220
World Wide Web
http://www.health.state.ny.us
Environmental Health Information:
1-800-458-1158
2747
03/04