In The Line Of Bite How To Protect Yourself From Dangerous Mosquitoes In Virginia Beach

A house fire is disastrous. Flames can sweep through a home and destroy a lifetime of memories within a few minutes. Worse than losing memories is when a family member cannot exit the burning structure. Thankfully, we have individuals like the owner of Hawk Mosquito & Pest who serve the community as firefighters. When the call comes into the station, these brave men and women respond, dash to the burning inferno, and attempt to salvage the home. More importantly, they risk their lives and enter the structure to save family members and pets. 

Firefighters and other first responders daily put themselves in the line of fire. They do this because they care about people and are willing to put their lives on the line to protect and help others. Although these brave individuals rush to the scene of an accident or fire, they don't relish those moments as they witness the pain of others. They do what they do to get others out of painful circumstances as quickly as possible. 

Mosquitoes and a house on fire are not an equal comparison, but in a small way, when mosquitoes are present around your Chesapeake home, you feel like you are in the line of fire as these insects prick your skin to draw blood. When these annoying pests infest your property, you need mosquito control in Chesapeake from Hawk Mosquito & Pest. Because a full-time firefighter started and continues to operate our local company, we have a unique mindset about pest problems. Firefighters dedicate themselves to the well-being of others, and that sense of integrity permeates the culture of our family-owned company. We promise to provide our customers with affordable, eco-friendly pest control in Chesapeake that is budget-friendly yet effective. 

You probably found this article because mosquitoes are ruining the nights when you want to sit on the deck and enjoy a glass of iced tea. Please keep reading to learn how to regain control of the outdoor space around your house.

Understanding Mosquito Behavior: Insights Into Why They Bite

You may find it interesting that only female mosquitoes draw blood, and they only do so for egg production. A female mosquito draws blood by using its proboscis to penetrate the skin, and while the male also has the same mouthpart, it is not stout enough to penetrate human skin. 

A female mosquito consumes nectar and plant juices alongside its male counterpart, but that all changes when fertilization occurs. Once a female mosquito mates, it needs additional nutrition to produce eggs. Blood contains amino acids, protein, iron, and other components unavailable in carbohydrate-rich nectar. 

The antennae of fertilized female mosquitoes help find potential hosts. As they fly around our homes, they can detect carbon dioxide, sweat, body heat, and other signs of life. The fertilized female mosquito flies toward these signs of life and lands on a potential host. Once it arrives, it digs the tiny claws on its feet into its victim and uses its proboscis to pierce the skin. 

This mouthpart consists of six needle-like components (stylets). The mosquito uses two stylets to cut through the skin, while two hold apart the flaps and expose the capillaries beneath the surface. The fifth stylet draws blood from blood vessels, while the sixth simultaneously pumps the mosquito's saliva into your system. 

The mosquito's saliva serves a couple of purposes. First, it promotes blood flow by serving as a vehicle for an anticoagulant. Second, the mosquito's saliva lubricates the proboscis. Because our immune system registers mosquito saliva as an allergen, its saliva temporarily suppresses its response so the mosquito can secure enough blood for egg production. Once the mosquito has its fill of blood, it detaches and searches for a suitable location to deposit its eggs. 

Mosquitos deposit eggs in ponds, drainage ditches, retention ponds, and items with stagnant water. It may deposit its eggs in soil along the water line or in the water. The first three stages of a mosquito's development (egg, larval, and pupal) occur in the water before it emerges as an adult. Once their wings harden after emerging from their cocoons during the pupal stage, the mosquitoes fly away, eat nectar, mate, and the females begin their quest for blood meals. The process from egg to reproductive adults may be as short as 14 days or longer, depending on weather conditions. 

When mosquito breeding grounds exist around your Chesapeake home, you will be in the firing line as fertilized females hunt for hosts. The best way to fight mosquitoes in Virginia is to secure pest control in Chesapeake from Hawk Mosquito & Pest. Like a good firefighter, we will rush to the scene and battle the onslaught on your behalf.

Health Risks Of Mosquito Bites: Warning Signs To Watch For

Worldwide and national health organizations agree that mosquitoes are the deadliest animal in the world. These 1/4 to 3/8-inch flying insects are problematic because they exchange body fluids while feeding on animals and people. 

When a mosquito feeds on an infected human or animal, the host's blood enters its body. Once inside the mosquito, excess water is filtered and released while it retains vital nutritional components. Unfortunately, viruses and bacteria are not filtered and ultimately migrate to the mosquito's saliva glands. The mosquito injects its next host with the usual anticoagulant and immune-suppressing chemicals, but it also transfers disease-causing organisms from previous hosts. Thus, mosquitos are known as vectors because they transport diseases from one host to another. 

In the United States, the list of diseases caused by mosquitoes includes the following:

• West Nile virus
• Dengue
• Chikungunya
• Encephalitis
• Tularemia

Although the media reports on the Zika virus and yellow fever, these are not spread by mosquitoes in our country. Individuals in the United States with these diseases caught them while traveling overseas, but the symptoms did not manifest until they returned to our country. Malaria is the most common cause of death caused by mosquitoes worldwide. Although there have recently been a few malaria cases in the United States, we can treat this disease before fatality occurs. 

It is worth noting that most people bitten by infected mosquitoes in the United States do not develop symptoms. Usually, your body's immune system can fight the infection with no noticeable effects. However, if your immune system is unsuccessful, fever, body aches, vomiting, diarrhea, and other flu-like symptoms result. Even in the case of the West Nile virus, the leading cause of mosquito-borne illness in the United States, the disease is life-threatening in only about one in 150 cases where symptoms are present. 

Hawk Mosquito & Pest protects your family by providing pest control in Chesapeake that fights against mosquitos.

Mosquito Bite Prevention: How to Protect Yourself From Bites

No pest control company can eliminate mosquitos around a house. We can, however, destroy mosquito breeding grounds on your property and reduce the likelihood you will encounter these pesky, biting insects in your Chesapeake yard. Although nothing is as effective as the mosquito control service from Hawk Mosquito & Pest, you can do the following to enhance your protection:

• Provide proper drainage to ditches, gutters, and low-lying areas.
• Remove water-collecting items from the lawn. 
• Tightly cover water storage containers.
• Change bird bath water weekly.
• Clean away dense vegetation. 
• Mow the grass short to prevent tall weeds, etc. 
• Repair holes in window and door screens.
• Seal cracks in the foundation and roofline.
• Wear long sleeves, socks, and long pants when outdoors.
• Avoid activities in the yard at dusk.
• Use an EPA-approved mosquito repellant.
• Treat clothing with 0.5% permethrin before working outside.

Implementing these tips and utilizing the services of Hawk Mosquito & Pest are the best ways to repel mosquitoes around your home.

Say Goodbye To Mosquito Bites Around Your Yard: Call Us Today!

While implementing the tips above will reduce your chances of mosquito bites, unless you use local mosquito control from Hawk Mosquito & Pest, you will still have a high likelihood of being the victim of a mosquito attack on your property. 

Our process begins with an interview to learn about your situation. Next, we dispatch a trained and experienced technician to evaluate your property to determine mosquito attractants and breeding locations. Once we locate the launching pads for mosquito invasions on your property, we treat them using our spray products to destroy the larvae, pupae, and adult mosquitoes. 

Although we offer one-time treatments for special events and recurring product treatments, we can install the In2Care system for ultimate protection. The In2Care solution involves installing mosquito traps in strategic areas on the property. These snares attract egg-producing females that proceed to enter the opening, where they land on a mesh netting. 

Unbeknownst to them, the positive electrical charge on their bodies, which they create when they fly, attracts the negatively charged, insecticide-laced particles on the netting. When they leave the trap, they take the insecticide back to their breeding grounds, and it kills them and other mosquitoes. Furthermore, the insecticide in the trap's water destroys the hatching larvae when they emerge from their eggs. The In2Care system and yard spraying will significantly reduce mosquitoes on your Chesapeake property. Contact us today to learn more and get your free quote.