Warm Weather Has Finally Arrived: How To Keep Those Pesky Mosquitoes Away

Now that the warm weather is finally arriving, it's time to start worrying about mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are more than a warm-weather nuisance; they're actually a health risk. Mosquitoes carry the West Nile Virus, which can make people extremely sick. In fact, according to the CDC, 1 out of every 150 people who develop West Nile Virus develop life-threatening symptoms from the disease. In some cases, those symptoms prove fatal. The time to protect yourself, and your family, from West Nile Virus, is to take steps before the first mosquitoes appear this year. Here are four safety precautions you should take right now to prevent mosquito activity.

Start with a Professional Pesticide Treatment

If you're going to be spending a lot of time in your yard this year, you need to make sure that you're going to be safe from mosquito bites. The best way to do that is to start the season with a professional pesticide treatment. Contact your local pest control company and arrange to have them come out to spray your entire yard. This will provide with your first line of defense against disease-spreading mosquitoes.

Remove All Stagnate Water From Your Yard

Once you've had your yard sprayed, you'll need to start taking your own evasive action to keep the mosquitoes away. One way to do that is to remove all the stagnate water from your yard. You might not realize this, but mosquitoes will lay their eggs in any water they find.

To prevent that problem, get rid of all the water that shouldn't be there, including puddles around leaking faucets, pools that have turned green, and any other water you've found in your yard. If you did find puddles of water around leaking faucets, be sure to have a plumber come out and make the necessary repairs. That will ensure that the problem doesn't continue throughout the warm months.

Install Outdoor Fans on Your Patio

You may be using fans in your home, but you should also be using them in your yard. Installing a fan on your patio, and using it throughout the spring and summer, will help keep mosquitoes away. The breeze that's created by the fan will make your patio a mosquito-free zone. Not only that, but the fan will also keep other warm-weather pests away, as well.

Don't Let Your Lawn Get Out of Control

If you have a lawn in your yard, it's important that you keep it trimmed during the warm months. Long grass can create the perfect hiding places for mosquitoes. Unfortunately, if you've got mosquitoes hiding in your lawn, they'll take that opportunity to bite you whenever you're nearby. Prevent the infestation, and the bites, by mowing your lawn as often as needed.