The National Pest Management Association, an industry group, defends backyard spraying, noting it is important for controlling diseases spread by mosquitoes and ticks.
“Trained pest control professionals understand the specific challenges of each property and have the expertise needed to develop a targeted plan that effectively reduces mosquito and tick populations while minimizing impacts on non-target insects and the environment,” the association wrote in a statement. For example, technicians may avoid treating areas around flowering plants because those areas attract pollinating insects.
In addition to spraying insecticides, there are also devices such as insect killers that can lure flying insects to death. But studies have shown that most of them Killing the wrong person.
There are also tabletop and clip-on products that diffuse or release insecticides. A study Although one of the devices was found to not appear to harm bees, the Xerxes Society advises against the use of such products due to concerns about the impact they may have on native bees and other insects.
Meet the “Barrel of Doom”
You probably already know the first step in mosquito control: remove standing water, since that's where mosquito larvae hatch and grow.
Aimée Code, director of the Xerces Society’s pesticide program, said clogged gutters, drain pipes and flower pots are major culprits that people often overlook.
She also urged everyone to mobilize the power of their neighbors. Effective mosquito prevention requires the joint efforts of the whole society.
Going a step further, conservation groups recommend a method sometimes called “Bucket of Doom“Put water and some hay or straw in the bucket to make it more enticing. Then, add Mosquito Control Slam DunkYou can buy them at hardware stores. They contain a bacteria that kills mosquitoes and some other aquatic fly larvae with little additional effect.
(In theory, instead of pouring water on the pavement to lure mosquitoes, one could simply pour water on the pavement to kill the larvae. But, as Dr. Tallamy points out, this approach requires vigilance: “If you miss two or three days, you’ve created 10,000 mosquitoes.”)
In many places where it is difficult to eliminate stagnant water, irrigation can also help.
