It is important that you know how to control mosquitoes safely to protect your family and pets. This is particularly true if you are having a garden party, barbecue or if your kids have friends around to play in your garden or yard.
Many people are unsure of what steps to take, and might use any old bug killing spray they find in their local store. This could be a mistake, because many sprays contain a chemical known as N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET) that can be harmful to children. So what type of mosquito control system should you use so that it presents least harm to your children and your pets?
Permethrin Mosquito Control Systems
Permethrin is as safe a mosquito control chemical as you can get. It used in many African countries to impregnate mosquito nets for children, where nets treated with this substance have been found to significantly reduce infant mortality rates.
There are other types of mosquito control treatments available, but you should be able to trust the one chosen by charities and other bodies as being the best for their needs – particularly in Africa where malaria is a significant cause of infant and adult mortality. Nothing is truly 100% safe, but permethrin is likely the safest available chemical for effective mosquito control.
In western countries, mosquito control largely consists of an initial attack on existing populations and then a foliage misting spray to prevent further infestations. It should not be surprising to learn that DEET is used in many such systems, although permethrin is the one most recommended for domestic use. Even commercially, if you have greenery around your premises, it is still best to use a permethrin control system. It is not unusual for visitors to commercial and industrial units to be bitten by mosquitoes.
How to Control Mosquitoes Safely
This is the usual sequence of events that occurs when you decide to take positive action to control mosquitoes safely to protect your family and pets – accent on the ‘safely’, meaning permethrin and not DEET.
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- You call in a mosquito control company to check over your property.
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- They thoroughly investigate your entire garden, yard or the area external to your premises to identify areas where mosquitoes are already living and breeding, and also where they would spend their time when not active.
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- You will be provided with a price for removing the existing problem, and also for taking action to prevent future infestations.
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- On acceptance they first eliminate your current problem within the perimeter of your yard: standing water, ponds, puddles, buckets, bird baths, flower pots, roof guttering and anywhere else water can lie around for a while.
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- They will then apply a mosquito control misting system to cover the underside of your perimeter and other foliage where mosquitoes tend to spend most of their time when not biting you. Sometimes your grass if it is long.
- They then maintain this system, which lasts 21 days, so that you have mosquito protection throughout the ‘mosquito season.’
Mosquito Protection for Children and Pets
It is very important that you do not allow these flying pests to breed uncontrollably. Not only will the affect you, your children and your pets every time you walk out your door, but they will also affect your neighbors. They can turn a fabulous barbecue or garden party into a total disaster. They can give your children meningitis and encephalitis, and give you serious joint pain and arthritis. Forget malaria – in the USA, mosquitoes can cause many diseases just as dangerous, if not more so.
If you live in an environment that is a haven for mosquitoes then you must employ a mosquito control system if your want to protect your children and pets. Such environments are common in the southern states of the USA (Georgia is America’s most popular state for mosquitoes,) many areas Central and South America, the warmer climates of Europe and the most humid areas of Oceania, Africa and Asia.
If you live in any of these parts of the world, you must learn how to control mosquitoes safely to protect your family and pets. DEET is very effective, but keep kids and pets away from areas treated with this chemical. Permethrin is good for continued mosquito protection and is safer for everybody. If you want to have an enjoyable yard party or barbecue, then take care of the mozzies first!