MOSQUITOES
Imagine this.
You're having a nice and relaxing stroll with your family in the park. We've all been there and it's a great experience. That is until a swarm of mosquitoes show up and you end up with a
bunch of mosquito bites on your arms, legs, face.
Mosquitoes are small midge- like flies that constitute the family Culicidae. During an attack, the saliva of the mosquito often causes an
irritating rash that can be annoying and a nuisance. Their bites can sometimes cause harmful infections including malaria, dengue fever, zika virus & other arboviruses which can be life-thretening!
Mosquitoes are attracted to heat and carbon dioxide as well as lactic acid and can detect these from up to 100 feet away.
The three most common types of mosquitoes in Singapore are:
-
Aedes Mosquitoes ( Aegypti or Albopictus )
- carrier of Dengue and Zika virus
-
Anopheles Mosquitoes
- carrier of Malaria
-
Culex Mosquitoes ( Quinquefusciatus )
- carrier of Encephalitis
There are 4 stages in their life cycle:
-
Egg - hatches when exposed to water.
-
Larva - lives in water; most species surface to breathe air.
-
Pupa - stage just before emerging as adult.
-
Adult - flies short time after emerging
The first three stages occur in water, but the adult is an active
flying insect. Only the female mosquito bites and feeds on
the blood of humans or other animals.
Eggs are laid in stagnant water or on moist places such as
damp soil, as water is essential for breeding to occur.
Mosquitoes generally lay 100 to 300 eggs at a time and
these eggs usually take about 2 to 3 days to hatch,
depending on temperature.
Larvae feed on microorganisms and other organic matter in
the water. They breathe through an air tube which is extended
through the water surface and develop into pupa stage within
a week.
The Pupa is comma- shaped and no longer feeds. The Pupa
will develop until the body of the newly formed adult flying
mosquito emerges from the pupal skin and leaves the water.
Larva Stage
Pupa Stage
After adult mosquitoes emerge: male mosquitoes feed on nectar from flowers and female mosquitoes feed on the blood of humans and animals to get the protein content they need to produce eggs. After feeding, female mosquitoes will look for water sources to lay more eggs and the new cycle starts again.
Some ways which you can help to eliminate the sources include:
-
Remove stagnant water! Do not leave containers with still water that would encourage breeding (e.g. un-drained potted plants, old tyres, unused pails and bottles, etc.)
-
Clear out any clutter from rain gutters at the roof
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Clear out any clogged drains in the garden
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Repair any leaks and clear out puddles
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Fly screens on windows and doors can help deter mosquitoes from entering premises and breed indoors
HOW CAN PRAGAS HUNTERS HELP YOU?
Since mosquitoes require water to multiply, source reduction would be to eliminate water sources favourable for mosquito breeding. While source reduction is the more effective long-term approach to mosquito treatment, the mosquito treatment plan may require using chemical products to work hand in hand with source reduction.
Larvaciding is targeted at mosquito larvae while Adulticiding is mosquito control in their adult stage. Pragas Hunters will conduct a Search and Destroy inspection on potential breeding areas using a myriad of larvacides ranging from dunks to granules to oil etc. applied to stagnant water to eliminate mosquito at their larval stage.
For adult mosquitoes, the most common and conventional method of adulticiding is mosquito fogging where clouds of smoke is seen and any adult mosquito that gets in the path of the smoke will be killed. However mosquito fogging effect is short-lived and does not have any residual action after the fog clears. Another method which Pragas Hunters utilises is water-based misting treatment. This treatment leaves a residual on plants and building structures, effectively creating a barrier preventing mosquitoes from entering your premise. Mosquitoes resting on areas where residue is present will be quickly eliminated once they come into contact. This has a longer lasting effect as compared to traditional fogging.
Our Hunters are fully trained, licensed professionals with knowledge of the habits and life cycle of mosquitoes. Effective trainings enable us to treat and get rid of mosquitoes as effective as possible. Contact us and find out more on how we can assist you!