The Pros And Cons Of Having Your Yard Sprayed For Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes have to be some of the most annoying creatures on the planet. Not only do they leave itchy bites on your skin, but they can spread all sorts of dangerous infections through those itchy bites! If you have mosquitoes in your yard, one solution is to call a pest control company and have them come spray for mosquitoes. But this approach has its pros and cons, and you'd be smart to consider both sides before proceeding.

Pro: You don't have to modify your landscaping.

The alternative to spraying for mosquitoes is often to modify your landscape to make it less suitable to these pests. For instance, you could have low spots filled in so they don't collect water, and you could remove large bushes that may give the bugs hiding places. This works, but it's also a lot of work. Spraying, by contrast, does not require any hard work or changes to your landscape. Your pest control technician will come in, spray, and be done within an hour. It's easy, and it's quick.

Con: Mosquitoes may eventually grow resistant to pesticides.

When you use insecticide sprays to control mosquitoes, the bugs eventually develop some resistance to the product. You may not notice anything the first year, but eventually, you will start to notice a few more mosquitoes again, as those who were able to survive the sprays bred and passed on their hardy genes. When this occurs, you may have to turn to other mosquito control methods.

Pro: You'll control mosquitoes from neighboring properties, too.

You can seek to control mosquitoes simply by eliminating water and other attractants, but that only works when the water and other attractants are on your land. Spraying works even if your neighbors' yards are mosquito breeding grounds; the insecticides will kill any mosquitoes on your property, regardless of where they came from.

Con: Spraying may expose you to insecticides.

The insecticides used to control mosquitoes are approved by the EPA, but that still doesn't mean you should be around them all the time. You will not want to eat any plants on your land, and you won't want to lick your hands after weeding. If you have pets or kids, spraying may not be the safest choice since it's hard to keep pets and kids from coming into contact with the insecticides.

Talk to a pest control company to learn more about the pros and cons of spraying for mosquitoes, and also about other pest control tactics that might come in handy.