Skip to main content
Mosquitoes Are Here, are they biting yet?

The annual ritual of swatting those nagging swarms of mosquitoes is about to begin for most people across Antioch, Gurnee, Waukegan and Lake Forest Illinois.  This usually takes place after the spring rains begin and temperatures rise above 70 degrees for a week or more.  Rain and rising temperatures ignite the hatching process of mosquito eggs that were left behind last summer.  These eggs develop into larvae and eventually flying mosquitoes within weeks of ideal temperatures and moisture of late spring.  The maturing females begin searching out protein to give them the nutrients necessary to begin their own egg production.  This protein is most easily found in the blood of mammals and luckily, us humans.  The good news is its only the mature females seeking out our blood and leaving us those nasty itchy bites.  Most humans are somewhat allergic to the bite resulting in an irritating and swelling red blotch on our skin.  

Most mosquito bites result in only an annoying itchy reaction, however mosquitoes have always carried disease.  This ability to carry disease from animals and humans to others is what has scared most people over the years.  West Nile virus along with malaria and yellow fever have been carried by mosquitoes throughout history.  Most recently west Nile virus has affected people in the Midwest and have even resulted in several hundred deaths in recent years.  

Many communities provide evening mosquito controls through commercial pest control application companies.  These services target large areas and neighborhoods close to wetlands with a fogging or misting system from vehicles driven on city streets.  These services provide some control of mosquitoes, however a plan of action for personal property should be in place to reduce populations in your own backyard.  Removing all and any standing water in your yard regularly in summer and not leaving behind toys, tires, or anything that would collect rain water will help prevent new eggs from getting laid and eventually hatching.  Applying a store bought insecticide to the shaded areas of your property or hiring a professional mosquito control company to do this will also greatly reduce the populations of mosquitoes on your property.  A company that provides several applications of EPA registered control products at 2 to 4 week intervals will greatly enhance your backyard experiences this summer.  When hiring a professional, make sure they are insured, licensed and use regulated products that are registered in your state by the EPA to insure there is no over-use of insecticides to your property.  


Get 10% Off First Lawn Doctor Mosquito Service

Call In Your Best Defense
Yard Armour®  Protects Against Mosquitoes






Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Importance of Early Spring Pre-Emergent Weed Control

The Key to a Weed-Free Lawn: Early Spring Pre-Emergent Weed Control As the first signs of spring begin to appear, homeowners across the country start dreaming of lush, green lawns. However, achieving that picture-perfect yard requires more than just hope and sunshine. At Lawn Doctor, we know that the secret to a beautiful lawn lies in proactive care, and one of the most crucial steps is early spring pre-emergent weed control. Let's explore why this treatment is so important and how it sets the stage for a successful lawn care season. What is Pre-Emergent Weed Control? Pre-emergent weed control is a preventative measure that targets weed seeds before they have a chance to germinate and grow. Unlike post-emergent treatments that kill existing weeds, pre-emergent herbicides create a barrier in the soil that stops weed seeds from developing into mature plants. The Importance of Timing When it comes to pre-emergent weed control, timing is everything. Early spring application is crucial ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Heat tracking in lawns

We have recently noticed a few instances of a somewhat rare phenomenon in the lawn care industry that we would like to point out in an effort to better communicate to both our customers and those interested in lawn care.  Along with the previously posted summer stress issues for the lawn in this blog, we wanted to bring up a more recent issue which is very rare but is currently a potential for lawns across the Antioch, Lake Villa, Lindenhurst, Gurnee, Lake Forest and Waukegan area.  This recent phenomenon is referred to by some in the industry as heat tracking. Heat tracking occurs when pressure is applied to the lawn from foot traffic, lawn mowers, fertilizer spreaders or anything else that can compress the leaf tissue down to the ground below.  When  this pressure is applied at the exact time frame (usually early afternoon at the peak heat of the day) that the turf is at its wilting point or entering dormancy stage it breaks the leaf tissue at the base o...
Post a Comment
Read more

Spring of 2016 has sprung, kind of...

Lawn Early April 2016 The spring of 2016 has brought just as many surprises and challenges as any in the past few years since we began writing this blog.  The spring began with a lot of early sunshine in March and no snow cover, which resulted in little to no snow mold on the lawn this spring.  The early sunny days allowed for the grass to begin greening up as the sun began slowly rising higher in the sky.  Although the temperatures did not rise early the sunlight allowed for the first phase of the lawn to begin waking in spring.  The lawn goes through two stages in spring, greening up- which allows for sunlight absorption to begin producing food for the plant through photosynthesis.  The second stage of spring lawn is growth which comes after photosynthesis begins and soil temperatures rise with warming temperatures.  Various weather conditions each spring is what causes varying spring green up and growth.   Lawn Early April 2015 ...
Post a Comment
Read more