Promote the 3 Ds

Contractors should advise homeowners to focus on three things to combat mosquitoes on their property: Drain, Dress, and Defend.

• Drain: Mosquitoes require water to breed, but they only need incredibly small amounts to do so. Consequently, you should eliminate all standing water from backed-up gutters to within the creases of tarp. It takes five days for mosquito larvae to hatch, so any bird baths, fountains, catch basins for hanging plants, etc., need to be drained and scrubbed clean every five days.
• Dress: People should wear loose-fitting, long-sleeve, white clothing. The two species of mosquitoes that like to breed around houses are daytime biters and prefer dark colors. Additionally, mosquitoes can and will bite through tight-fitting clothing.
• Defend: Wear an EPA-registered repellent such as DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus. EPA-registered means an extensive list of studies has proven that the product works for at least two to four hours and isn’t harmful. “DEET is the benchmark for all repellents. I would suggest a 30% concentration to get the maximum amount of protection for four to six hours. Anything higher than that, it plateaus,” Conlon said. Conlon suggests opting for a 15-19% concentration of picaridin, because at that level you also defend against ticks, and about a 40% concentration of oil of lemon eucalyptus.

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