Why Are There So Many Mosquitoes In My West Palm Beach Yard?

Mosquitoes In West Palm Beach

If you live in West Palm Beach, we don't have to tell you what a mosquito is or how much of a nightmare these little biters can be. But you may be surprised by why we have so many mosquitoes in West Palm Beach. Sure, it has a lot to do with the climate. Mosquitoes love warm weather, but there is a whole lot more to it. Here are a few factors that can make your West Palm Beach yard the perfect home for mosquitoes, and why it is important that you understand these factors and control mosquito populations around your home.

About That Climate

We all know that mosquitoes love warm weather, but do you know how the climate in South Florida directly affects mosquito reproduction? Many species of mosquitoes can be active in temperatures as low as the 60s. In South Florida, mosquitoes can breed all year long. But you should know that mosquitoes don't like to be out in the sun for long. While they like the heat, the sun can dry them out. For this reason, mosquitoes find shaded hiding places in your yard. The more hiding places you offer them, the more mosquitoes you're likely to have.

Mosquitoes & Moisture

When a mosquito is moist, its body works like a well-oiled machine. South Florida offers mosquitoes lots of moisture to keep them healthy, active, and reproductive. The more moisture you have around your West Palm Beach home, the more mosquitoes you're likely to have.

Here are a few tips for reducing moisture:

Create space: When you have space between the plants in your landscaping, the air is able to pass through your vegetation and dry the topsoil. Be sure to plant your vegetation with space between and keep your shrubs, bushes, and ornamentals trimmed.
Water early: When you water your plants in the early morning, you give the sun time to dry the topsoil faster, and keep the humidity down.
Remove vegetation: Plants can capture and hold moisture. You can reduce moisture by getting rid of unnecessary plants, plucking up the weeds, and keeping everything trimmed.
Cleaning gutters: A clogged or broken gutter system can make your perimeter moist. Prevent oversaturation by making sure your gutter system is working the way it should.

Mosquitoes & Sugar

Mosquitoes are plentiful around West Palm Beach homes because vegetation is plentiful. Do you know that mosquitoes eat nectar and plant sap? Yup. Even female mosquitoes (the mosquitoes that draw blood from you) will subsist on nectar and plant sap. The more plants you have in your yard, the more mosquitoes you're likely to have. This is another important reason to remove unnecessary vegetation from around your West Palm Beach home.

It is also important to understand how attractive your landscaping is to mosquitoes. These biting pests are far more interested in hiding in your vegetation than getting into the shade of your shed or garage. One of the reasons seasonal mosquito treatments are so effective is that treatments are applied to landscaping where mosquitoes are sure to be hiding.

Mosquitoes & Standing Water

This is the big one. Marsh and wetlands give mosquitoes the perfect environment to lay eggs and reproduce. They start as eggs, hatch into wigglers, develop into tumblers, and eventually become winged adults that take to the air and bite us. All of this development takes place in stagnant water. If you remove potential breeding sites from your yard, you can significantly reduce the number of mosquitoes in your yard. One female can lay a hundred eggs at a time.

Here are a few examples of mosquito-breeding sites:

Puddles
Water captured by a toy in the yard
Stagnant birdbaths
Rainwater captured in a clogged gutter
Pools of water on a tarp

Removing objects that capture water and emptying stagnant water before mosquitoes can develop will work to reduce mosquitoes around your home. Keep in mind that it takes over a week for a mosquito to grow from egg to adult.

Mosquito Reduction In West Palm Beach

If you live in West Palm Beach and you want assistance managing mosquito populations around your home, we can help. At Native Pest Management, we offer seasonal mosquito control that will give you the best results possible. Contact us today to speak with us about our services. We'll help you find the right West Palm Beach pest control options for your specific needs and budget.