The warm, humid climate in North Texas creates the perfect conditions for mosquitoes to thrive. While you may not be able to eliminate these pests entirely, professional lawn care services can help reduce their activity by controlling the conditions that attract them. As many Tarrant County homeowners know, mosquitoes make spending time outdoors less enjoyable, and often signal underlying lawn care issues like poor drainage. The following suggestions can limit mosquito activity while also improving the overall condition of your lawn.
How to Protect Yards From Mosquitoes and Other Lawn Pests
Mosquitoes are attracted to areas with high moisture and shade. Unfortunately, this means that many yards are particularly attractive, with standing water or thick, dense turf and landscaping that provides moisture and shelter. Consequently, lawn care professionals focus on proper care and treatment for lawns to reduce the factors that support mosquito activity. As many lawn pests thrive in similar conditions, effective treatment can often resolve multiple unwanted pest issues at the same time.
Simple Ways to Protect Your Lawn From Mosquitoes
The first line of defense for almost everyone is to use insect repellent. While this may seem like common sense, be diligent nonetheless. Many of us won’t use repellent for brief tasks, such as picking up the mail if your mailbox is at the curb. Any activity that is carried out at twilight or just before dusk brings a greater risk of mosquito bites, as these hours cover one of the most active times of day for these biting insects. Also, be aware that many West Nile cases can actually come from indoor mosquito bites.
Number one is to eliminate standing water in your backyard. Even if you traditionally take this critical precaution, do more than a casual inspection. Our heavy rains have probably created far more “mosquito homes” than you have seen before, so do make a thorough search. If you have a bird bath, change the water at least once every two weeks. If you can’t drain all the standing water on your property, mosquito dunks or an insect growth regulator called methoprene are effective treatments.
If you live near a creek or pond, the fish generally take care of controlling your problem. Of course, ridding mosquitoes from your yard isn’t enough. If you are planning an outdoor activity such as a picnic, short-term insecticides such as pyrethrins or resmethrin can be used on mosquitoes resting in shrubbery, trees and shade trees.
Overgrown grass and weeds provide shaded spots for mosquitoes to rest during the day. When you use a professional lawn service, they can recommend maintenance techniques suited to your yard that reduce pest activity and help prevent pooling caused by overwatering.
You can also use a garden sprayer for pyrethroid sprays on trees and entryways (where mosquitoes are more likely to enter your home). This can be a challenging task and may require regular treatment. While pyrethroid insecticides are effective, they should only be used during the peak season, from July through September. Application directions must be followed carefully.
How to Avoid Harming Beneficial Lawn Insects
To minimize the risk to beneficial bees and butterflies, limit your spraying to dusk and do not apply on windy days, or when rain is expected. If all of this sounds too involved, consider hiring a professional. Many lawn care companies offer these services and can usually do a more thorough job, such as spraying into higher areas of shade trees, where some mosquitoes often rest. In addition, professional turf insect management will combine preventative measures with reactive treatments to reduce the impact of pests now and into the future. Unfortunately, despite your best efforts, it’s unlikely that all mosquitoes will be eliminated from your outdoor spaces. However, taking action means you can still enjoy your summer.
Expert Insect Control for North Texas Lawns
Green Top Lawn Care is your best choice for turf insect control, lawn disease prevention and fertilizer treatments. Our lawn care specialists prevent common issues affecting Tarrant County yards to ensure healthy, thriving turf. Call (817) 684-4044 or request a free lawn care quote now.
