Because of the humidity and warm temperatures, mosquitos are a constant in Georgia. Being prolific breeders, what starts as just a few early summer pests, can quickly turn into a large problem in your yard. In order to enjoy the use of your backyard this spring and summer for cookouts, barbecues, and birthday parties, it’s crucial to understand the types of mosquitos in Georgia and how to make your yard inhospitable for them. Read more about the most common types of mosquitos in Georgia below or contact Healthy Home Pest Control today to get rid of mosquitos around your home. We use eco-friendly mosquito control methods in Acworth and other metro Atlanta cities and are Trust Dale Certified. Call 770-505-9040 to get rid of Georgia mosquitos today.
Types of Georgia Mosquitos
Here are the main types of mosquitos in the state of Georgia:
Aedes “Tiger” Mosquitos
Labeled “Tiger” mosquitos because of their distinctive white banding on their legs and tarsal segments, these mosquitos are dark brown or black with a violin-like pattern on their thorax. These mosquitos thrive especially in damp soil where flooding occurs, in puddles or containers of water, or wherever water is stagnant, because their eggs need water to hatch. In fact, their eggs dry out in dry weather but as soon as water is reintroduced, their eggs can hatch, making this mosquito population very difficult to control. These mosquitos also have more painful bites and feed during the day and night.
When attempting to control this population of mosquitos, it’s crucial to remove as much standing water throughout your yard as possible. That includes clogged gutters, slow drainage areas where water collects on your yard (flooding zones), and keeping all containers (bird baths, recycling bins, flower pots) clear of standing water during peak seasons.
Anopheles Mosquitos
Another water-dwelling mosquito, the Anopheles mosquito prefers clean, not stagnant water. They lay their eggs on the water’s surface and can be found in marshes, swamps, ponds, creeks, and slow-moving rivers. With so many creeks and rivers in Georgia, these mosquitos are found widely throughout the state. You can expect to find these in your yard if you have a creek nearby, a pond, or other water sources that are slow-moving. They are most active at dusk and dawn and have been known to spread diseases.
Culex Mosquitos
A more colorful species of mosquito, the Culex mosquito has a gray body with iridescent, silver, or green scales. They are aggressive feeders, eating from dusk until dawn. They lay their eggs on the surface of standing water in small “rafts” and don’t travel far from where they hatch. They are known carriers of West Nile Virus and often lay their eggs in manmade containers like buckets, gutters, flower pots, etc.
How to Get Rid of Mosquitos in My Georgia Backyard
The most likely place you’ll find mosquitos nearby your home is anywhere with standing water. Because mosquitos tend to travel up to two miles in search of food, they can also come from nearby water sources, overgrown brush, tree stumps, and even clogged gutters. Because they’re aggressive breeders, it can be a challenge to reduce the presence of these pests in your yard. There are a few important steps you can take to make your yard less welcoming for them, including pruning back overgrown shrubs, bushes, and trees, eliminate standing water and flood zones with appropriate drainage, repair clogged gutters and leaky pipes, maintain pools, keep grass short, and keep windows and doors shut or open with secure screens.
Along with these methods, it’s crucial in heavily infested mosquito areas to have a monthly mosquito treatment. At Healthy Home Termite & Pest Control, we help people all around the Atlanta area reclaim their green space, reduce their mosquito population, and create a defense against future mosquito populations taking up residency in their yard. If you have issues with mosquitos at your Atlanta home or are looking for preventative lawn treatment, give us a call at 770-505-9040 today!