Don’t be fooled by this Asian Tiger mosquitoes serene appearance.

It is sometimes hard to fathom that such a tiny creature can pose such a large risk to our health. However, when it comes to the mosquito big problems come in a small package. Mosquito season will soon be in full force here in the Mainline, West Chester and Delaware County areas of PA. Mosquitoes are not only bothersome, they are also pose a dangerous health concern due to the various mosquito-borne illnesses they can carry.

According to the  Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences  Department of Entomology, Worldwide, there are over 3,000 species of mosquitoes. The United States has approximately 200 documented species and Pennsylvania has about 60 species. Each year diseases transmitted by mosquitoes (such as malaria, yellow fever, dengue and filarial worms) kill or debilitate millions of people, mostly in developing countries located in tropical areas. In Pennsylvania, the risk of contracting a mosquito-borne disease has recently increased with the introduction of West Nile virus (1) (WNV).

Mosquito-borne illnesses to make you, your pet, or a loved one sick.

It only takes ONE bite from a mosquito carrying West Nile Virus, Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), LaCrosse Encephalitis, Canine heartworms and many more mosquito-borne illnesses to make you, your pet, or a loved one  sick. With that ONE infected mosquito in mind, we want to educate residents about how just one single mosquito can turn into so many more — in the blink of an eye…

Did you know that just ONE female mosquito can produce over 1 billion mosquitoes in your backyard in just four weeks? Yes, the combination of warm weather, spring showers and an unprotected setting equals a recipe for a mosquito invasion.  By simple multiplication, the natural order of the mosquito population turns an army of one into an army of over 1 billion mosquitoes– and here’s how…

  • Week One — In order for a female mosquito to develop viable eggs for reproduction she must obtain a blood meal from a human or other mammal. Once this has been acquired, she will then proceed to lay up to 300 eggs. Mosquitoes can lay up to three batches of eggs during their short lifetime. From here a female mosquito has already spawned a significant amount of blood-thirsty offspring in which about half or more, (male/female probability), will also become blood thirsty mosquitoes looking to start a family in your backyard too!

It only takes ONE.

  • Week Two — Your backyard now includes 150 new female mosquitoes, plus the original matriarch of the brood which brings the total to approximately 151 female mosquitoes. This is where the equation really gets interesting; the 150 daughters of the original female mosquito will also lay up to 300 eggs each. This brings the total number of mosquitoes up to 45,300, of which at least half can also be expected to be female.

 

  • Week Three — Out of the prior week’s 45,300 mosquitoes, of which approximately 22,650 female mosquitoes will once again lay up to 300 eggs each bringing the number during their egg laying period to 6,795,300! This brings the total to almost 7 million mosquitoes brought into your backyard from just ONE female mosquito in just 3 short weeks. Using the same simple formula of probability with half being born female will leave 3,397,000 females ready to do it all over again.

Mosquito eggs.

  • Week Four —  The final number is probably the most alarming to anyone who enjoys the outdoors… the four-week total in your backyard will weigh in at a whopping 1,319,250,000 mosquitoes, all as a result of just ONE female mosquito! In addition to the biting, annoyance and irritation mosquitoes deliver, there is a chance just one of these 1.3+ billion mosquitoes could infect you, or a loved one with a mosquito-borne illness. For most people this is not a chance they are willing to take.

 

Fortunately, Delaware Valley Turf Fertilizing has the answer to solving this mosquito equation. Our Mosquito Control Program can prevent and control mosquitoes in your backyard — from the very first female! The first step in effective mosquito control, is inspecting your property for potential mosquito breeding areas and addressing them. Our mosquito control works right away and an application will control existing populations and prevent re-entry of mosquitos and gnats for approximately 21 days. For complete control, it is recommended that we spray every three weeks.

By reducing the number of mosquitoes within your property, you can literally eliminate billions of mosquitoes. Not only will eliminating these mosquitoes offer you the freedom and peace of mind to enjoy the outdoors this season, it will also reduce the number of mosquitoes within your yard that may harbor illness or disease. Contact Delaware Valley Turf Fertilizing today to learn more about keeping your outdoors mosquito-free all season. Our mosquito control program delivers peace of mind and the freedom to enjoy the outdoor living season! Call us at  (610) 328-4170 or visit our website at delawarevalleyturf.com.