Houston Home Maintenance Tips

Handling Houston's Mosquito Outbreak

All Summer, we Houstonians waited for the rain clouds to arrive and give us a reprieve from the sweltering temperatures and the threat of wildfires. Well, the rain finally came and along with it brought cooler temps ... and mosquitoes. Honestly, we could've done without that last part.

The rainy conditions caused the hatching of tons of floodwater mosquito eggs in the Houston area, so it's time for us to remember how to deal with all those pesky mosquitoes. According to authorities, it's one of the worst Houston mosquito infestations in years. While these particular mosquitoes are floodwater mosquitoes, meaning they don't transmit any scary diseases like Malaria or West Nile Virus, they're just as annoying as their infectious cousins. And there are a lot of them. "Normally, we have maybe 100 to 200 in a trap, but today, there's more like 5,000-10,000, maybe even 15,000, per trap," said Weldon Sheard with Fort Bend County Mosquito Control in a recent interview.

Here are a few things you can do to keep your family and pets protected from mosquitoes this Fall:

• Despite the lovely weather, resist the urge to leave your doors and windows open. Mosquitoes will undoubtedly consider open doors and windows an invitation into your home.
• Take it a step further, and use caulking to fill up any gaps surrounding your home's doors and windows.
• If you have pets, make sure to give them their heartworm medications. Heartworms are transmitted by mosquitoes, and with the influx of the pests around now, heartworm meds are more important than ever.
• When outside for long periods of time, use bug spray on yourself and your family. Check for pet-approved mosquito sprays, too.
• Wear long sleeves, and keep your neck, feet, and other exposed areas as protected as possible.
• Empty any buckets, rain barrels, bird baths, or other containers collecting water outdoors, as these can be a haven for mosquitoes to breed.

If mosquitoes have taken over your home or yard, give us a call. We provide Houston mosquito control services to customers throughout the greater Houston area and can help you get your mosquito infestation under control before the pests eat you out of house and home. Get started with a free quote today.