While the term mosquito control brings to the mind giant pipes blowing suffocating smoke all over by governmental pest control groups, there are easier and cleaner procedures available for controlling mosquitoes; these are the organic pest control methods.
The initiation of these organic pest control methods begin with removing their habitat that are chiefly the stagnant water bodies; by using EPA-registered mosquito repellants with adequate precautions taken; by making door and window screens bug tight and by replacing ordinary outdoor lights with lights that are bug repellant. But there is another beginning to this story where surveillance appears as the first step.
Trained pest control specialists give surveillance an upper hand and always start by checking the domestic as well as the migratory birds. Surveillance regarding the larval habitats of mosquitoes is also conducted for preventing large mosquito populations from forming. This requires detecting the water bodies where they breed and then, taking adequate pest control measure to put them to sleep before crossing the larval stage. These measures include:
- Stocking particular fish species that feed on mosquito larva into the water body.
- Using bacterial insecticides.
- Using Methoprene, an organophosphate insecticide.
- Using mineral oils.
- Using monomolecular films.
But the above measures are not sufficient for killing the adult mosquitoes; they require specific pesticides called adulticides. Among these, the organophosphate insecticides are preferred over the synthetic insecticides and these organic pest control methods have been found to be more effective than their synthetic counterparts. When sprayed in ultra-low volumes, the fine aerosol droplets stay aloft and upon contact with flying mosquitoes, kill them immediately. But these are expensive items; for easier and cheaper organic pest control methods, the following may cast some useful light.
- Garlic solution: This requires making a mixture of garlic, canola/soy bean oil and liquid dishwashing soap. Spraying it in areas with high mosquito population before mid-morning and/or late afternoon has been found very effective. The oil helps the detergent and garlic juice to adhere to the flying mosquitoes.
- Citronella oil: The citronella oil is long known for its mosquito-repelling properties and burning candles with citronella scent can repel mosquitoes up to quite a degree. Multiple candles spaced closely are thus an effective organic pest control measure to chase mosquitoes off.
- Bug zappers: These small electrocuting devices trap and kill mosquitoes with electric shock and hence does not pollute the environment.
Apart from these organic pest control measures, the market is infested with synthetic mosquito repellants; but as they say – “Use them at your own risk!”
