Mosquitoes

The signs of the season are upon us: the smell of charcoal grills, the new or refreshed lawn furniture, tiki torches, convertibles, short shorts, and tank tops. These are in addition to the buds and blooms forming on the landscape and filling the air with colors. We all know those long, hazy days have returned. Another telltale sign, that no one wants to see, is the ubiquitous mosquito. These pests stick their pointed “noses” all over us to remind us summer is back.

Worldwide, there are 3,000 species of mosquitoes, 200 in the United State, and about 60 in Pennsylvania. Beyond their annoying bites, the mosquito is a carrier of several diseases such as West Nile virus and encephalitis. The mosquito even puts our dogs at risk by transmitting canine heartworm disease. The mosquito most often discovered in urban areas of Pennsylvania is the northern house mosquito, Culex pipiens.

Adult female mosquitoes require a blood meal in order to produce viable eggs. While feeding, the females inject saliva-containing anticoagulants that prevent the blood from clotting. Because mosquitoes take numerous blood meals, they can acquire disease organisms from an infected host and later transmit those organisms to previously uninfected hosts.

With this in mind, it is important for the homeowner to take these steps to manage the effects mosquitoes can have on the quality of life:

Encourage indoor activities: The northern house mosquito is most active at dusk to dawn. Pennsylvanians with immune system deficiencies should try to limit outside activities to daylight hours. Likewise, parents of young children and infants should keep children inside during these same hours.

Eliminate standing water: This will reduce the number of potential mosquito breeding sites.
• Remove old tires, cans, buckets, pots, and similar items that can trap rainwater.
• Position tarps and boat covers to allow rain runoff and limit ‘ponding.’
• Turn plastic wading pools and wheelbarrows upside-down when not in use.
• Keep swimming pools chlorinated.

Exclusion: All doors and windows should fit tightly and remain closed during the peak mosquito activity. Replace screening that has holes or tears.

Effective Repellents: Materials containing DEET (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) are effective in repelling mosquitoes. For more information on the safe use of insect and tick repellents, or other horticultural issues, contact the Penn State Master Gardner Helpline at 570-963-6842 or email: LackawnnaMG@psu.edu


Steve Ward
Master Gardener Coordinator
Penn State Cooperative Extension in Lackawanna County
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