Though not an issue year-round, when Mosquitoes are present, they’re a problem that needs solving ASAP. After all, there’s nothing quite as frustrating as a mosquito-infested yard. They are a nuisance to people. They make being outside miserable. Long term, infestations can reduce property values. And, worst of all, mosquitoes spread disease. Talk about being bad neighbors.
One yard with a mosquito problem is a major frustration. An HOA with a mosquito problem is a nightmare. Thankfully, if you’re an HOA manager unsure how to protect your community from mosquitoes, there’s no need to panic. With treatments for mosquito control in Kansas City, you can protect your HOA and reinforce your properties.
At Lifestyle Outdoor, we understand HOAs and commercial facilities’ frustrations with property maintenance contracts while tackling property care projects. After all, not all services are created equal. It can be challenging to find a service that does the work you need and works well for you, and that’s where we can help.
Mosquito Control in Kansas City with Lifestyle Outdoor
Lifestyle Outdoor may be new, but we are bringing proven expertise into HOA-focused landscaping and lawn care. We have been around long enough to know how to do HOAs and maintenance-provided communities the right way. We’re here all year to ensure your community is beautiful and well cared for.
Our expert team has decades of experience taking care of HOAs and private property landscaping, and we know not all lawn care services are created equal. We want the HOAs we work with to have the best landscaping possible, and making informed decisions about the best way to care for your property is the #1 way to make that happen. Our expertise extends to tackling property and HOA-wide pest control too.
So, continue reading if you’re interested in learning our tips and tricks for protecting your HOA with Mosquito Control in Kansas City!
What You Should Know About Mosquitoes
There are over 3,000 species of mosquitoes in almost every country around the world, with roughly 200 species in the U.S. alone. Unfortunately, these flying pests can carry malaria, West Nile virus, dengue, yellow fever, Zika virus, and more. This danger to humans occurs when mosquitoes ingest the disease, carry it in their bloodstream and then transfer it to the next person they bite.
It’s a common misconception that mosquitoes suck blood for food. Mosquitoes ingest blood to nourish their bodies so they can lay and hatch healthy eggs. Mosquitoes can lay 100 eggs at a time, so populations of this pest can get out of control quickly. When eliminating mosquitoes, it’s key to use multiple methods to kill mosquitoes at every stage of the life cycle.
It’s also important to note that repelling and killing mosquitoes aren’t the same thing. Repelling mosquitoes will keep them away from you by making you less attractive to them. They’re attracted to the carbon dioxide from our breath and elements of our sweat. Mosquitoes are also attracted to standing water, laying eggs in areas such as birdbaths, damp potting soil, standing water in kitchens, puddles, and more.
Killing mosquitoes may seem tempting, but it’s not always in our—or the environment’s—best interest. That’s because mosquitoes can become resistant to pesticides, making them harder to kill over time. Try natural methods first if your infestation is minor, or turn to the pros if you’re dealing with serious mosquito problems.
Mosquitoes in your Home
You’re more likely to have a mosquito issue in your yard than in your home, but having mosquitoes buzzing around during bedtime can be frustrating.
Mosquitoes buzzing around are easier to spot during the day than at night. If it’s getting late and you want to track them down, turn on a lamp, flashlight, or your smartphone and wait for them to be attracted to the light.
Here are the top ways to repel mosquitoes that have already entered your home.
- Bug zappers: Safe for the indoors, bug zappers can kill mosquitoes on contact and are a good solution if you only face a few stray bugs.
- Chemical repellents: Applying traditional chemical mosquito spray will keep these pests from biting you. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has found that mosquito sprays with DEET concentrations of 30% or less are entirely safely when applied to skin.
- Mosquito traps: You can get a mosquito trap in several ways—order one online, buy one from the grocery store or hardware store or even make your own with sugar water and yeast.
- Sealing your space: To prevent mosquitoes from entering your home, patch any holes, tears, or gaps in screens and doors. If you can see sunlight in the space around your door, that means it isn’t properly sealed. There’s an easy fix—purchase a simple door strip.
The Best Ways to Get Rid of Mosquitoes in Your Yard
Now that you know why you should be treating for mosquitoes in Kansas City, here are a few ways to keep these pests out of your yard. The most effective methods of mosquito control in Kansas City:
Apply Chemical Repellents
Applying a chemical insect repellent designed for the outdoors is a solid way to eliminate mosquitoes. Repellents can protect the perimeters of lawns, backyards, and gardens for up to eight weeks. You can also spray a traditional, safe repellent on your skin.
Eliminate Standing Water
Female mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water, where their larvae hatch. Empty all stagnant bodies of water you can, like any water pooled in buckets, gutters, ditches, and pet bowls. Make sure to refresh the water in any birdbaths and check to see if your potted plants have enough drainage.
Treat Pools and Ponds
For standing water you can’t eliminate, apply a larvicide dunk or liquid larvicide and run the filter regularly. To prevent mosquitoes from laying eggs in your pool, cover the pool at night and during the months when you aren’t using it.
Keep a Manicured Lawn
Mosquitoes like to rest and settle in cool, damp, and dark areas. Manicure your lawn, trim trees and shrubs, and ensure your grass isn’t too tall. This will make your yard less hospitable to mosquitoes.
Plant Natural Deterrents
Repelling mosquitoes doesn’t have to be just practical—it can be pretty, too. Planting natural deterrents can also spruce up your property while keeping these prevalent pests away. Consider planting the following flora to keep mosquitoes away:
- Lavender
- Lemongrass
- Basil
- Garlic
- Peppermint
- Rosemary
- Sage
Put Down Cedar Mulch
Cedar oil is a common mosquito repellent ingredient, and you can easily find cedar mulch for your lawn or garden. Cedar mulch soaks up excess moisture, keeping it in the soil and deterring mosquitoes from settling in your vegetation.
Attract Natural Predators
Predators can’t completely eradicate your issue if you’re overrun with mosquitoes, but if you’re just getting a few unwanted critters here and there, attracting them is worth a shot.
Many birds are natural mosquito predators, including purple martins, waterfowl, swallows, and migratory songbirds. Setting up bird feeders is a solid step in attracting these birds. Installing a bat house can also help! Bats eat up mosquitoes, but you may not want to attract bats near your home.
If you have a pond, you can benefit from predators like goldfish, koi, and red-eared slider turtles.
Professional Mosquito Control in Kansas City
While you may find some measure of success with DIY methods, there is ultimately nothing more effective than professional mosquito treatments. So, if you’re dealing with tons of mosquitoes, you need to call in a professional pest control company in Johnson County. A pest control professional like Lifestyle Outdoor has the expertise to kill mosquitoes at all life cycle stages and is more knowledgeable about safety practices when applying chemicals.
The Lifestyle Outdoor Method
When it comes to treating mosquitos in an HOA or maintenance-provided community, you can’t beat the expertise of Lifestyle Outdoor. Our experience working with HOA communities has taught us what to look for and how to combat mosquitos thoroughly.
Our monthly mosquito treatment will free your neighborhood from all nasty, disease-spreading mosquitos without harming the insects your plants need to thrive, such as pollinators. In addition to mosquito control programs and remedies, we do quarterly pest control applications that are done completely on the exterior of your home. We will work with you to come up with a custom plan to manage mosquitos in your neighborhood.
Any property with lots of vegetation is like to have a mosquito issue. Just a yard is no issue, but if your HOA properties have lots of shrubs, overgrown grass, and trees, you may have more of an issue during warmer months. This is where they’re going to be coming from. So, remember:
- Mosquitoes need dense, vegetated areas to harbor
- Standing water is where mosquitoes breed, but not where they hang out
Irrigation Maintenance
Irrigation maintenance is a perfect way to tackle the spawning issue as it can help tackle standing water issues on your property. That’s why Lifestyle Outdoor focuses on it as the first method for HOA protection. The best part? Singular irrigation maintenance means you can tackle irrigation issues without having to call multiple contractors to tackle a mosquito infestation.
Monthly Treatments
Our mosquito control methodology includes monthly mosquito treatments using a systemic insecticide that will linger on your property for up to 30 days. We treat the vegetation, not just homes, to make sure the mosquitoes don’t have a place to live and congregate.
We’re putting an invisible barrier around your property. Even if your neighbor doesn’t treat their lawn, your property—and the entire HOA—is protected. It’s very effective at targeting entire areas from mosquitoes which can bring the insecticide back with them if they ingest it. You may even help reduce the mosquito population in your neighbor’s yards!
Monthly mosquito control in Kansas City with Lifestyle Outdoor begins in May and runs through October. We make a point of spraying in October, past when most mosquitoes will be buzzing about, because that’s when the Mosquito population will begin laying their eggs.
Monthly treatments are the optimal yard care experience, but you only need 1 treatment for up to 3-5 weeks of protection. Rain and heat will impact this timeline. Fogging Spray is so minimal that runoff isn’t an issue.
Lifestyle Outdoor Provides Concierge-Quality HOA Mosquito Control in Kansas City
Lifestyle Outdoor offers complete landscaping maintenance services for your property’s needs year-round. We have decades of experience serving HOAs and private properties and a track record of complete client satisfaction. If you need support with your early spring lawn care in Kansas City, turn to the best HOA landscaping and lawn care company around.
Lifestyle Outdoor provides all Johnson County HOAs with unbeatable service through our HOA-focused landscaping and lawn care solutions. Our years of experience, commitment to building relationships, and dependable quality are why we’re the number one partner in all things HOA property maintenance.
If you’re interested in learning more about annual care for your lawn in Kansas City, check out resources like Johnson County’s Lawn Care Seasonal Guide and our Early Spring Checklist.
Reach out to learn more about the early spring lawn care services we provide or get a quote with our online quote tool. Discover the difference that THE white-glove service with a green thumb can make for your property today!