Experts offer tips on mosquito control

By Christa Buchanan
C & G Staff Writer

When it comes to mosquitoes, pesky is an understatement — the buzzing biters not only wreak havoc on backyard barbecues and parties, but certain breeds of mosquitoes can also cause serious illness, such as West Nile virus.

And with the abundance of rain so far this year, mosquitoes are bound to be abundant.

“It’s a great year for bugs. With all the rain we’ve been getting since May and the warm temperatures, there’s definitely going to be a bumper crop of mosquitoes,” said Art Abbott, owner of Abbott’s Absolute Pest Control in Rochester Hills, which specializes in organic pest control.

The rise in vacant properties due to foreclosed homes is another factor that may add to the abundance of mosquitoes this summer, said Rose Pest Solutions Vice President Mark “Shep” Sheperdigian. “These properties could create vast breeding grounds for mosquitoes … and when these bothersome pests get hungry, they won’t stop at the property line.”

Sherry LaBelle, associate director of environmental health services in Macomb County, agreed that foreclosed properties, especially those with pools, may pose a problem; however, she said, “there’s not a lot we can do with that because it’s private property.” If there’s a concern with a neighboring property, she suggests contacting your local municipality to report the problem.

As for controlling mosquitoes in your own backyard, the experts agree, proper maintenance is key.

“What many people don’t realize is they may be growing mosquitoes in their backyard right now,” said Sheperdigian.  “Mosquitoes thrive in standing water. … The first thing people should do is to make sure they’re not growing their own mosquitoes. They should do an audit of their property and check for standing water:  clogged rain gutters, untended bird baths, backyard pools, children’s toys, discarded tires — anything that can hold water.”

“Typical yard or property maintenance issues, such as keeping grass mowed shorter, eliminating standing water, making sure pots and garbage cans have drain holes … keeping standing water off boats and pools with covers, and keeping pools properly chlorinated will help,” said LaBelle, adding that it’s a good idea to “avoid heavily wooded areas, wear pants and long-sleeved shirts, and if possible, stay inside in the early morning and at dusk, which are high activity times for mosquitoes.”

As for repellents, both LaBelle and Sheperdigian recommend using a product with DEET; however, “you may find that repellents work differently on different people,” said Sheperdigian, a board-certified urban entomologist who studies the relationship between insects and people. “It may be that some people get bit, but don’t react, or mosquitoes aren’t attracted to that person.  Studies show that they’re more attracted to dirty skin than clean, fair skin than tan; CO2 is huge; and they come to the light,” said Sheperdigian, adding that “bug zappers” actually attract more mosquitoes than they kill.

There are a number of products on the market to keep mosquitoes at bay, including “mosquito dunks,” a briquette that releases the natural chemical BTI that kills mosquito and black fly larvae and is used in ponds, retention basins and other areas that hold water.

The best all-natural product on the market, said Abbott, is Dr.T’s Knat, Scat and Mosquito repellent.

“This is a reasonably priced mosquito control — it doesn’t kill, it just repels. It’s a granular material that’s impregnated with garlic, lemongrass oil and mint oil. You just need to sprinkle it around, and they leave. … There are no side effects. It’s organic, so it doesn’t harm kids or pets — it’s fine for people with asthma or allergies. You can put it down whenever you want; you don’t have to warn your neighbors — it’s not like a chemical service that when they spray, in my opinion, it leaves a toxic film,” said Abbott, who swears by the use of organic products.

Another natural approach, said Sheperdigian, is to use fans.

“Mosquitoes have a hard time navigating wind, so if you’re having a party and the mosquitoes are really bad, set up a fan to blow across the people,” he said.

“The bottom line is, don’t use things harmful to pets, children or you. … Organic is a valid concept that everyone should consider,” said Abbott, who also suggested boric acid as a solution to keeping such pests as carpenter ants and cockroaches at bay.

As for West Nile virus, LaBelle said environmental health officials continuously monitor mosquitoes in the area for the virus, and they haven’t found mosquitoes that test positive for West Nile in the last couple of years.

“We have two trapping sites where we’ve been monitoring for West Nile, and in the last two years, we haven’t had any mosquito pools that have tested positive,” said LaBelle, who urged residents to report any dead crows, blue jays or ravens to Macomb County Environmental Health Services at (586) 469-5236 to help health officials monitor for West Nile.

The Oakland County Health Division also monitors mosquitoes and encourages residents to report dead crows, blue jays or ravens by calling (877) 377-3641.  Residents can also report dead birds to the Michigan Department of Community Health at (888) 668-0869.

Rose Pest Solutions can be reached at (800) 966-ROSE (7673).  Residents in Rochester and the surrounding area can reach Abbott’s Absolute Pest Control at (248) 656-6705.

You can reach Staff Writer Christa Buchanan at cbuchanan@candgnews.com or at (586) 498-1061.