Mosquito Exterminators

Only female mosquitoes bite, and they do so to draw blood, which provides them with the nutrients that they need to lay eggs. Mosquitoes sustain themselves on a diet of mostly nectar, honeydew, and plant sap.

In North America, most of our native species of mosquitoes are incapable of transmitting dangerous diseases, but some species of mosquitoes are known to carry life-threatening diseases like malaria, Zika virus, and Dengue. Ask your local mosquito exterminators for help identifying the mosquitoes in your area.

Anopheles mosquitoes spread malaria to humans. Anopheles mosquitoes are native to Virginia, but fortunately for us, this disease is rare in the United States. We report about 2,000 cases of malaria a year, most of which belong to travellers visiting tropical or subtropical climates.

No. The mosquito’s digestive system doesn’t provide the right environment for the HIV virus to replicate. If a mosquito draws blood from a human infected with HIV or AIDS, the virus will die inside the mosquito’s body. Additionally, when a mosquito draws blood, it replaces the blood with saliva, which does not transmit HIV. There is no exchange of blood during a mosquito bite.

Several qualities play into mosquitoes’ preferences for a host, including your internal temperature, your natural scent, and the concentration of carbon dioxide in the air you exhale. Some scientists believe that people with Type O blood are more susceptible to bites, although more research needs to be done for us to have an accurate understanding of the relationship between blood type and mosquito bites.

In some ways, yes. Like many other insects, mosquitoes use the moon as a navigational device, so certain sources of dimmer light may throw off their orientation. However, mosquitoes aren’t attracted to ultraviolet (UV) light, so the “bug lights” that you see in the store won’t do any good in warding off mosquitoes.

Mosquitoes lay their eggs on top of still water. A female mosquito can lay up to around 300 eggs in one reproductive cycle – these eggs float together like a little raft on top of the water, and hatch within the next few days. Mosquitoes will lay their eggs on any source of standing water they can find, so ponds, pools, bird baths, clogged gutters, tarps, and many more places in your backyard can serve as suitable breeding grounds.

There are several different kinds of mosquito repellent. These include:

• DEET and other mosquito sprays
• Mosquito netting
• Barrier systems
• Mosquito misting
• Citronella candles and essential oils

All of these options work differently and are suitable for varying degrees of a mosquito problem. To find out which option works best for your property, ask your local mosquito control experts.