The insect known as the mosquito is somewhat bothersome pest that inhabits tropical regions across the world and in some areas of America. The word mosquito is a Spanish term that means, “Little fly”. Nevertheless, this “little fly” is known to have lived on this plant as a species for over thirty million years. The females of the species actually need the blood of a human to succeed in the process of reproduction. They are also immune to the numerous diseases they carry which can affect humans. Around 700 million people worldwide everywhere are affected and infected by diseases carried by mosquitoes such as West Nile Virus, Dengue Fever, Yellow Fever, Malaria, and a myriad of others. Whether or not the mosquito has a disease, a bite from one of them will leave an instant swell that will itch for a time, while others may have an allergic reaction to them. It is unlikely that all mosquitoes will be destroyed on US soil, although there are government agencies that understand the seriousness of this threat and are always looking for and implementing better ways of controlling them.
After the egg is hatched, the mosquito larva that was inside crawls out into his new home, a pool of stagnant water. While living in this pool it will survive mainly off eating the algae that is present. In appearance they somewhat resemble a worm, and can be a nice treat for many predators out there.
Next they will advance to a Pupa, and this is the period where their body begins to form into what we would identify as an actual mosquito. They do not feed during this period, which normally lasts only a few days, and they will emerge from the water as an adult once this process is completed.
An adult mosquito is equipped with the best human finding equipment to aid them in their hunt. The chemical sensors they have inside of their heads can detect emissions of carbon monoxide and lactic acid for around 100 feet. In other words, they can pretty much locate a mammal by seeing where they are breathing. Other sensors they have will notice a person’s sweat, which will give the mosquitoes a strong calling card to come eat. They can even detect emissions of heat and since their vision is not the greatest this comes in handy for nighttime hunting.
To control the mosquito population in your area, you will want to remove any excess water that you see such as puddles, fountains, pools, birdbaths or any other container of water. This is because pools of water are the best breeding ground for these insects. If this is done correctly and the females do not spot suitable nesting area, they will fly around until they do so. With the many pesticides that can affect them as well other dangers, their lives can come to quick ends.
There are also a number of pesticides that effectively combat this species; contact a local pest control specialist for more details.
Gary Dorris is a Vacaville pest control professional. His company, Hydrex also provides Vallejo Pest Control.
For as much as I like most bugs, they undoubtedly have a way of ruining a garden in a very timely fashion. As a child, I would run from the garden to the woods, transplanting as many garden bugs as possible before my mother came out to send them to their final resting cloud in the sky. I always thought it was rather unfair to kill garden bugs. After all, they were just bugs who were hungry and had landed in the garden to eat. How are garden bugs supposed to tell the difference between the regular plants and the garden?
As an adult, however I now understand the vast amount of money that can go into a garden, and I understand that garden bugs have a critical mass population and wiping out a few hundred isn’t something that is going to send my soul to hell, so down with the garden bugs.
Fortunately there are some very effective methods of dealing with garden bugs that are inexpensive, non-toxic, and safe for everyone except the garden bug. Depending on the particular garden bug you find yourself plagued with you may very well be able to get rid of your pesky garden bugs without ever having to chemically treat your garden.
I know that slugs are not a garden “bug” per se, except that they are in your garden and they definitely bug you as they slowly destroy all you plants. Personally, I like slugs and do make the effort to remove them before killing them. However, once I am outnumbered, my only option is to send them off to a happy garden bug heaven.
Slugs are very attracted to beer. When killing garden bugs with beer, quality actually does matter. They seem to prefer the Corona or Killian’s type of beer, bug for a garden bug, they certainly like to swing it back. Tupperware containers that are no more than an inch high with about ¾ of an inch of beer on the bottom placed strategically around the garden will attract this sweet and loveable garden “bug” where he will merrily drink himself into a drunken stupor and fall fast into a permanent sleep. It is my belief that if we have to kill the garden bugs, we should do so with as much kindness and thoughtfulness as humanly possible.
Japanese Beetles, the garden bug that loves to murder the rose bushes, quietly rest in perpetual silence in a small jar of olive oil. These garden bugs are simple to scoop into a small jar where they will ultimately fall into a peaceful permanent sleep.
Of course, there are specific plants that will help minimize garden bugs in your garden. Planting Basil next to your ground cover for instance helps deter tiny gnats once the basil reaches maturity. The list is endless. Next time your garden bugs are snacking heavily, check out the vast array of alternative methods of deterring and destroying garden bugs without causing significant harm to plants, pets, children, or other helpful small creatures.
Lanny Hintz writes about Dutch gardens promo, Irises Discount Code and Flower gardens
