Your days of enjoying spring days grilling or chillin’ in the backyard may be numbered.
Experts say the first batch of mosquito eggs are hatching early — up to six weeks ahead of schedule — due to a mild winter and sultry spring.
Local pest control companies, including Orkin and Northwest Exterminating, have already seen their call volume go up as much as 40 percent this April compared to last year. For Northwest, this year marked the first time it sprayed for mosquitoes in March since the company started its mosquito treatment service about nine years ago.
But while the growing buzz around Atlanta is that this may be one of the worst mosquito years ever, early hatches don’t always mean mosquitoes will swarm more than they usually do later in the year.
“What’s really going to make the difference for mosquitoes this summer — more than the heat — is the wetness,” said University of Georgia entomologist Elmer Gray.
A lot of rain means wet yards, puddles and pools of water — all of which are breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
Mosquitoes lay eggs in standing water, and their larvae live and grow there. And it doesn’t take much water — a little in a saucer underneath a potted plant is enough to breed many larvae.
It’s not just mosquitoes that are early this year. Ants, kudzu bugs, ticks — you name it — they are crawling en masse.
“There wasn’t a cold winter, and that increased their ability to breed and what you might say, ‘remain viable,’ ” said Jerry Hatch, a staff entomologist at Northwest.
UGA’s Gray said health officials are concerned about West Nile virus activity peaking earlier this year, ahead of its usual time in August and September. The number of cases of West Nile in Georgia is generally 10 to 20 a year.
West Nile virus can be transmitted to people through the bite of an infected mosquito. In most cases, a healthy immune system can fight off the virus.
But in rare cases, typically involving elderly people, those with compromised immune systems or very young children, the disease can progress and show symptoms such as a fever and rash. In extremely rare cases, the virus can lead to encephalitis (swelling of the brain) and death.
Georgia has 63 species of mosquitoes. For metro Atlanta, the most common mosquito is the Asian Tiger, known for its black-and-white body, speed and aggressiveness. It’s a daytime biter, and only came to Georgia in the mid-1990s.
At night, a variety of mosquitoes go in for the “kill,” and they are more likely to circulate and hesitate than the bold Asian Tiger. Some mosquitoes live only a week or two. And they aren’t good at flying, traveling no more than about 100 yards.
“Their strength is in numbers,” said Hatch.
Gray said getting your yard professionally treated can be effective. Companies typically use a pyrethrum-based product (using extract from chrysanthemums) or a synthetic version in their mosquito treatments, and the treatments typically knock back the mosquitoes for a month at a time.
Gray said people can also do it themselves by buying mosquito spray and treating bushes and the underside of leaves every 10 days or after rain. As with all pesticides, he said, “it’s extremely important to follow the label instruction.”
Residents can take plenty of other steps to help keep mosquitoes at bay, he said. It’s critical, he said, to rid your area of standing water as much as possible. And get your neighbors on board, too, he said.
“If your neighbor has a lot of water in their yard, their problem becomes your problem,” he said.
Gray also recommends using bug spray with DEET to keep mosquitoes away. DEET doesn’t kill mosquitoes but confuses them so they look elsewhere for food. Products with Picaridin, a synthetic chemical and alternative to DEET, are also effective, he said.
Gonzalo M. Vazquez-Prokopec, an Emory University assistant professor and West Nile virus researcher, recommends lower concentrations of DEET for children (no more than 10 percent DEET). And he suggests parents talk to their doctor before applying DEET-based repellents on children 2 years old or younger.
Julie Herron Carson gets her yard sprayed every month for five months to ward off mosquitoes. She said that when she and her husband first moved to their house about 12 years ago, they assumed the bugs were a “necessary evil” and suffered through it.
But once their son Nicholas came along, she couldn’t stand watching him get swarmed and bitten by mosquitoes playing in the backyard. Citronella candles and bug spray were no longer enough.
She estimates it costs about $100 a month during the five months of the treatment. It’s not the grass that’s sprayed but the perimeter areas of the yard — the shrubs and ivy where mosquitoes love to lurk until they fly out and attack for blood. She also gets the area around her son’s tree house treated.
“It’s worth the money,” the Atlanta mom said. “I feel like we can really be outside and enjoy our yard and patio.”
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Tips for warding off mosquitoes
- Keep it dry. Get rid of standing water in your yard. Change water in a birth bath weekly and in pet bowls every few days.
- Light up. Cintronella candles can help when there is limited air flow.
- Wear bug repellent with DEET. Bug repellents with Picaridin, a synthetic chemical and DEET alternative, are also considered effective. Or consider one of those fan-powered repellents that circulate the repellent around the person wearing the gadget and doesn’t require any repellent be put on skin.
- Hire a professional. Prices vary based on size of yard, but expect to pay about $80 to $150 per month of treatment. Or you can treat your yard yourself. (And make sure you follow the product directions.)
- Let the wind blow. Mosquitoes will avoid a rush of air, so sit next to a floor fan.
- Go light. Most bugs are attracted to darker clothing. Go with khaki and other light-colored clothing. Also wear loose-fitting clothing that covers arms and legs. It may not be as comfortable as baring more skin, but it will help protect you from bites.
Source: Entomologist Elmer Gray of the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service
