Mosquito Management Tips from the City of Roseville

Do you know how to prevent mosquitoes in your backyard?

The city of Roseville has some helpful tips:

Clean out the birdbath, change the water in your fountains, fill in areas where standing water can collect, do your part to help control mosquitoes. The City of Roseville reminds you that not only can mosquitoes cause a lot of itching; they can harm you, your pets, birds and wildlife. Mosquitoes can spread diseases including the West Nile Virus. The City urges you to do your part to remove mosquito breeding grounds. A mosquito can lay more than 200 eggs at a time, and eggs can survive for up to five years. Mosquitoes can breed in a few teaspoons of water, and they need water to complete their life cycle. 

The Metropolitan Mosquito Control District (MMCD) recommends that you dump the water out of your birdbath at least once a week. Mosquitoes develop in about 7 to 10 days. Add a natural soil bacterium “Bti” to your ornamental ponds or fountains. This will naturally prevent mosquito larvae from developing into adults. Bti is available at most home and garden centers. MMCD also recommends that you stay indoors at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active or wear long sleeves and long pants to prevent bites; spray clothing with repellant and apply insect repellant with DEET sparingly to exposed skin.