When you’re spending time outside with family and friends, the last thing you want to deal with is mosquitoes. Aside from being extremely annoying and potentially wreaking havoc on get-togethers, there are also growing health concerns including, but not limited to, Zika and West Nile viruses.
While many Cincinnati homeowners understand the importance of protecting their family from mosquitoes, some people may be concerned about the safety of traditional mosquito treatments. In turn, they sometimes look for organic mosquito control options.
But is organic mosquito control really safer and more effective than other current methods? Or conversely, can you use these accepted methods while still keeping your family safe? It’s our goal to explore both approaches to help you make the best possible decision.
What is Organic Mosquito Control?
Organic mosquito control involves using products with natural ingredients to control and repel mosquito populations around your home. Many organic mosquito sprays use essential oils as their main ingredients.
Organic mosquito control is becoming more widely available, largely due to the growing conscious thought about organic and eco-friendly options. Cincinnati homeowners are looking for pest control options that are safer for their family and better for the environment.
However attractive the organic option is, there are some drawbacks you may want to consider.
Drawbacks of Organic Mosquito Control in Cincinnati
The biggest drawback of organic mosquito control is that it’s not as effective as other commonly accepted methods. While organic products treat mosquitoes on contact to some degree, they don’t have the long-lasting effects that previously-established methods do, and are often not as quick-acting on pests. Results are poor, at best, leaving homeowners with a continuously growing mosquito population on their property.
Organic mosquito control treatments are usually applied every two weeks, while other state-of-the-art materials are applied every four to six weeks. Organic mosquito treatments will end up costing you more money as they sometimes come at a premium price for each application, and need to be applied more frequently.
An Effective and Safe 2-Part Mosquito Control Strategy
You shouldn’t have to sacrifice results to make safer decisions for your family. Since organic mosquito control treatments on your property offer poor results, we recommend combining a two-part strategy to get good results while making safe choices for your family.
Combining good prevention methods with an effective, yet still safe, mosquito treatment program will get you the best results while alleviating these concerns.
Part 1: Mosquito Prevention
There are some preventive measures you can do on your own to help reduce your chances of being bitten by mosquitoes. Some examples of preventive mosquito control measures are 100% natural and include:
- Wearing long clothing whenever possible outdoors.
- Applying natural insect repellants before going outside to exposed skin (these need to be applied three to four times as much as traditional repellents such as DEET)
- Putting citronella candles or mosquito coils nearby outdoor living areas
- Using mosquito lamps and lanterns
- Keeping fans running while you’re outside
- Removing standing water from your property to reduce mosquito breeding sites. Some of these areas include: low areas of rain gutters, birdbaths, flower pot trays, and poorly drained and graded landscape beds prone to puddling.
Part 2: Responsible Use of Curative Mosquito Treatments
Although prevention will help to reduce your chances of being bitten, mosquito populations still need to be addressed on an ongoing basis from spring through fall.
Unlike organic mosquito control treatments which produce poor results and often cost more money, state-of-the-art mosquito control materials are almost always a better option and have been proven to substantially decrease your chances of being bitten. Applications target landing zones such as trees, low lying branches, decks and other common areas on your property.
These curative mosquito treatments control mosquitoes on contact, and keep working for approximately 6 weeks!
When applied by an experienced and reputable lawn care company, these treatments are both safe and effective. Simply stay off treatment areas until the materials dry, which usually takes one to two hours.
Finding a Good Mosquito Control Company in Cincinnati
When talking to companies in Cincinnati that offer Mosquito Control, be sure to consider companies that:
- Have substantial experience with mosquito control
- Can explain to you how exactly they can reduce or eliminate any risks from treatments
- Understand your concerns and answer your questions
- Are positively reviewed online and accredited by the proper institutions
- Offer great customer service along the way
- Have licensed and trained professionals.
- Have a good reputation within your area for providing safe and effective service.
- Are knowledgeable in the area of handling and applying mosquito control products in the Cincinnati area.
The Oasis Philosophy on Mosquito Control
We understand the concerns Cincinnati homeowners have about keeping their family safe while effectively treating mosquito populations around their home. As a local, family-owned company, we treat your property as if it were our own. The safety of your family is important to us, and we’ll never put you or your family at risk when applying treatments.
Our mosquito control programs are designed with both safety and effectiveness in mind and tackle the challenge from a holistic approach. After we apply mosquito control products, our highly-trained technicians will leave recommendations about things you can do to protect yourselves from mosquitoes in addition to the program. We know that you also play a part in a successful mosquito control strategy.
At Oasis Turf & Tree, our mosquito control program consists of four treatments that take place from late spring to early fall when mosquitoes are most active. By applying our treatments approximately every six weeks, we help reduce the existing mosquito population on your property by approximately 90 percent while not needlessly applying extra products!
Mosquitoes are an annoyance that can ruin your outdoor experience, but you have the ability to make choices that will help control mosquito populations around your home. We hope that this article helps you to decide which methods are best for you. By combining your own preventive measures with our mosquito control program, we know you’ll be able to enjoy your property all year long.
Learn more about how Oasis Turf & Tree can help you get rid of mosquitoes on your property in either Cincinnati, Dayton, or Northern Kentucky by requesting a free estimate.
Image Sources: mosquito