Mosquitoes and ticks can quickly ruin your favorite backyard activities. Like mosquitoes, ticks survive on the blood of mammals and are prevalent in humid climates. Both ticks and mosquitoes have the potential to transfer a variety of blood-borne diseases to their hosts, and therefore are not a pest you want thriving within the boundaries of your property line.
It’s important to plan for preventative mosquito and tick control around your home, along with treatment services if these pests break through the first line of defense.
The Problem of Stagnant Water
Stagnant water is a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Mosquitoes need only a few tablespoons of water to breed upwards of a million larvae. Even the smallest puddle is enough for colonies of larvae to flourish.
Clogged gutters have the potential to trap water in a few different ways. This creates the potential for stagnant water: the perfect breeding ground for ticks and mosquitoes.
1. Mosquitoes Breeding in Gutters
Gutters are a prime place for trash and debris such as leaves, pine needles, sticks, and seed pods to accumulate and clog your gutters. When gutters become clogged this prevents water from draining properly. With the next rain, a clogged gutter may create an inviting refuge for a family of mosquitoes.
If you have an older home, be sure to have your gutters checked for any areas that may have sagged or become warped over the years. Even if your gutters are clean, water will gather in these parts and become a breeding haven for mosquitoes.
2. Puddles Around Your Home
If there are sunken-in parts of your yard, particularly in areas around your gutters, consider adding extra mulch or dirt to level it out. This will prevent water from becoming stagnant in puddles around your home. To avoid this from happening, it’s important to be aware of whether or not your gutters are draining properly, or damaged in a way that creates a leak. Not only will this potentially cause rot and mold to grow in and on your house over time, but it will also deter mosquitoes from making a home in any puddles that become stagnant pools of water.
Do Gutter Guards Prevent Pests?
Unfortunately, gutter guards are not a sure-fire way of preventing debris from surrounding trees and shrubbery from accumulating in your gutters. Gutter guards do not guarantee maintenance-free gutters, and therefore do not eliminate the potential threat of mosquitoes and ticks.
If you have a shingle roof, for example, roof shingle sheddings often fall between the mesh holes, building blockages in your gutters over time. This is the perfect recipe for improper drainage, creating pools of stagnant water in your gutters as a result.
The Benefits of Clean Gutters
Clean gutters mean run-off water is properly caught, filtered, and drained. This prevents mosquito larvae from growing in any trapped pools of water, and pest infestations from encroaching on your yard. Think of this as a form of health insurance whereby you can enjoy a nice afternoon in your yard, taking in some Vitamin D, without worrying about the threat of contracting an untreatable disease transferred to you by a parasitic tick or pesky mosquito.
Aside from the health benefits of deterring mosquitoes and ticks from claiming territory in your yard, there are financial incentives of regular gutter cleaning maintenance vs. gutter guards as well. Gutter guards are an expensive investment. On average, it will take homeowners 17 years to pay off the cost of professionally installed gutter guards against the average cost of a regular gutter cleaning service. Ned Steven’s annual service plans are reasonable and effective.
Professional Mosquito & Tick Treatment
Ned Stevens Mosquito and Tick Treatment services offer both organic and chemical solutions. Keep in mind this is a barrier treatment, meaning the effects will breakdown over time with environmental erosion and changing weather patterns, so consistency is key here.
Remember, spray treatments are likely to be harmful to other bugs and insects helping keep your yard healthy and fertile too, so it’s important that spraying is considered as a last result.
For more information on the importance of preventing mosquito and tick infestations in your gutters, you can contact a Ned Stevens professional today to get a free quote and schedule service.
