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Posted: June 15, 2005
Our recent rains have turned Plano into a tropical oasis filled with riotous
profusions of blooming flowers, lush green lawns and thick leaved trees.
From fast and furious rain storms to soothing showers, the rain has produced
a beautiful landscape for “mosquito motels” all across our fair City.
Standing water provides the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes to lay
their eggs. Their larvae “rafts” float slightly under water, containing air
tubes attached to the surface. Any disruption of the water can dislodge the
air tubes, killing the developing larvae. Thus, any body of still or
stagnant water, regardless of size, will attract mosquitoes.
Still bodies of water, such as creeks or ponds normally contain fish which
will feed on the larvae keeping these water bodies relatively clean. Around
the home or business, however, temporary pools of water, caused from rain or
excess sprinkler watering pooled in any container capable of holding water,
are prime sources for mosquito larvae to develop.
Mosquitoes aren’t picky. Any size puddle or pool of standing water should be
suspect. Everything from a small amount of water contained in the leaves of
a pitcher plant to stagnant water in outdoor flower pots, abandoned swimming
pools, stacks of lumber, old tires, seldom used children’s plastic wading
pools all are magnets for mosquito breeding. Reducing the sources of
standing water around your home in turn reduces the mosquito population
around your home.
“There are many simple ways persons at their home or business can partner
with our City efforts to further reduce the mosquito population,” said Mr.
Steve Berry, Environmental Health Manager. “To help reduce mosquitoes around
the home, we recommend going straight to the source and attacking the
larvae. Remove any stagnant or standing water sources. Keeping swimming
pools treated and circulating, and rain gutters unclogged dissuade
mosquitoes. Water in bird baths, fountains, animal bowls, and wading pools
should be changed at least weekly.”
Additionally, the Environmental Health Department recommends containers,
such as cans, buckets, empty flower pots, plant saucers, toys or anything
that can contain and hold water, be removed from outdoors, turned upside
down, or emptied weekly. Remove sagging areas from tarps, and cover boats
and canoes with tight-fitting tarps or turn upside down for storage.
Watch for standing water in yard indentions, drainage ditches and check
French drains or pool traps for standing water, cleaning them out weekly, or
adding a larvacide “donut” (purchased in the pesticide section) to kill any
larvae.
“It can take as little as ten days in warm weather, for a mosquito to go
from larvae to adult,” said Mr. Berry. “Just a single female mosquito is
capable of depositing up to 300 eggs every three days. Removal or weekly
cleaning of standing water sources can go a long way in this weather to help
reduce the initial number of mosquitoes we may see throughout the summer.”
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