It won’t be long before school is over and kids will be out of school. This time of year, as a parent, we struggle with a variety of things including what to do with our kids while we are at work, what camps should we send them to, and much more. Yes, there is already so much to think about, however, there is one more thing that parents should be aware of this summer…mosquitoes.
Mosquitoes are often underestimated because of their size and are usually just considered to be annoying. Besides the itchy, red welts they leave on our skin after biting us, mosquitoes can actually be quite dangerous and may carry and transmit serious diseases through their bites. These diseases include but aren’t limited to the West Nile virus, Zika virus, yellow fever, malaria, tularemia, and canine heartworm. In fact, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) predicts that insect spread diseases such as Zika from mosquitoes will triple in the U.S. this year. To be clear, the occurrence of mosquito-spread illnesses are much lower in South Portland than in other areas of the U.S. and are usually travel related, however, it is still important to remain cautious especially when it comes to our children.
There are a few things that you can do on your property to reduce the risk of your children being bitten while playing outside. The first tip is to reduce any areas of standing water by cleaning out gutters, filling in low lying areas, and dumping out wheelbarrows or kiddy pools when not in use. This will eliminate any potential breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Tip number two is to reduce the number of plants and landscaping on your property or at least move them away from the exterior of your home. It is also important to keep your lawn cut short to get rid of any hiding places. Third, repair any window or door screens that have holes in them and don’t leave any unscreened windows or doors open. Lastly, just make sure that your children (and yourself) are wearing protective clothing and use bug spray.
All of these tips may help, but unfortunately, mosquitoes prove to be difficult to keep away completely. The good news is that Big Blue Bug Solutions has developed a highly effective technique using multiple, diverse methods that can reduce the number of mosquitoes in your yard by up to 90% all season long! Our mosquito control solutions offer an inspection of your property to determine where problem areas are, reduction in breeding sites, larva control, and adult mosquito control. While we highly recommend one of our year-round protection plans, we also offer customers one-time intensive services. School getting out already brings many challenges for parents—why should you also have to worry about mosquito bites too? Contact Big Blue Bug Solutions today to learn more!