Controlling mosquitos

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One of the reasons that I left Minnesota, and came to live in the desert in Phoenix, is mosquitos. As a kid I only remember two seasons in Minneapolis, cold - and mosquitos. So when mosquitos started appearing here after our unusually heavy rains lately, I had met an old foe.

I just finishing spraying around my yard with Bug-B-Gone. I also inspected all of my property, and insured that there was no standing water. I kicked over stuff that had been lying around in my side yard. I poked and prodded everything. And yes, I scared out a few mosquitos.

The good news about spraying mosquitos is that they don't attack. In fact, mosquitos only bite as part of their reproductive process. They need blood for their eggs. They aren't bees, so don't be afraid of chasing after them. I mix up (very carefully) the spray insect poison in a hand-held gallon sprayer. And I spray everything, from the plants to the hard surfaces. The type of insecticide that I use has the ability to stick to things.

I live in a neighborhood with an HOA, so hopefully the mindset of my neighbors isn't to leave junk lying around. It doesn't take much to create a breeding ground for mosquitos, even a sagging cover on a boat can be enough.

What I learned in Minneapolis to avoid mosquitos is to stay in the sunlight. It's still pretty hot here to do that, so I'm just staying inside mostly. On a day like this I would normally lounge in the shade, but, unfortunately, that's where mosquitos like to be.

The real good news is that this is a desert, and once everything has dried up, the mosquito problem will go away. It's the reason I actually looked forward to cold weather in Minneapolis!

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