Besides the itchy discomfort of a bite, mosquitoes need to be controlled because they also carry a host of diseases such as:
- encephalitis and meningitis
- west nile virus - transmitted by the Culex pipiens mosquito
- heartworm
- malaria - transmitted by the Woodland Malaria Mosquito
- dengue fever
- zika - transmitted by the Asian Tiger Mosquito
There are over 50 species of mosquitoes in Illinois alone. While in 2017, there were only 7 confirmed Zika cases in Illinois, and all of those are assumed to have been infested during travel, mosquitoes still transmit a lot of other diseases.
In fact, mosquitoes have been labeled as the most dangerous creature on Earth because they kill around 500,000 people yearly, mainly by infecting them with malaria. To put things in perspective, only 5 people were killed by sharks in 2017.
Mosquito Control In Chicago
Malaria is viewed by Americans as something that happens somewhere else, although is has been proven more common in the US than previously believed.
In 2022, there have been mosquitoes that tested positive for the West Nile virus as close as Roselle IL. In 2017, there were 90 cases of West Nile virus in Illinois, of which 8 were fatal.
To prevent these diseases and others that are carried by mosquitoes, the City of Chicago sprays in areas that have been identified as being risky by the Chicago Department of public health mosquito traps.
However, prevention is the best medicine and additional mosquito control is needed to avoid mosquito bites.
How To Keep Mosquitoes Away
There are a variety of methods that you can use to keep mosquitoes away or to get rid of them, if you have some in your back-yard:
- use mosquito repellent. While it does help, it is not 100% effective. Moreover, some types of repellent are not safe for children.
- remove standing water. If you can, drain water from containers such as buckets, toys, pool covers, etc. If you have a garden or lawn, watering them might attract more mosquitoes.
- wear long-sleeved clothing. This is not always feasible in the Chicago summer weather and mosquitoes can still bite through thin clothing.
- wear light colored clothing. Apparently, mosquitoes are attracted to dark clothing.
- pregnant women need even more mosquito control. If you are pregnant, you are more likely to attract mosquitoes, due to the increased carbon dioxide in your breath when you exhale and because of your slight increase in body temperature. Mosquitoes use both exhaled carbon dioxide and body temperature to locate the best area where to land and bite.
- avoid mosquito infested areas. Large bodies of water, marshes, drainage ditches, irrigated pastures and fields attract mosquitoes.
Outdoor Mosquito Control
There is a difference between repelling mosquitoes, controlling or eradicating them.
While publicly available mosquito repellents reduce the risk of getting bitten, if you want to control a mosquito infestation, you need to hire a mosquito control company.
A mosquito exterminator company does that by doing the following:
- Identifying nearby mosquito habitats and mapping areas that might attract mosquitoes.
- Applying synthetic or natural treatments through spraying and fogging.
We recommend using natural treatments as the best way to control mosquitoes in your yard for the following reasons:
- they are a highly concentrated blend of plant-based oils
- they can be safely used around schools, playgrounds and even in your back-yard
- they can be applied by a blower or fogging device to cover large areas
- it is safe for children and pets
Natural mosquito treatments should not be applied directly to edible crops and spraying should not be done when bees are actively foraging.
Why You Should Choose Our Fogging Services
We strive to be one of the best mosquito control companies. But that does not say much in itself. Instead, here are a couple of reasons why you should hire us for mosquito spraying:
- we pay attention to small details that make a big difference. Just search for Progressive Tree Service on Google and see what other people have to say about us.
- we are trained arborists and can more accurately assess the impact of the mosquito treatment on your trees and back yard.
- we offer a free mosquito treatment quote.
Organic Tick Control
We can also treat for ticks in the same session as for mosquitoes, by adapting the treatment a little bit. It will still be safe for children, pets and wildlife. You can usually start using the treated area 15-20 minutes after the application.
Ticks carry a lot of diseases as well, of which the worst is Lyme disease.
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