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It’s been a long dry winter and spring. And although it doesn’t look pretty outside, there has been some much needed relief from pesky mosquitos.
But don’t let their dormancy make you complacent. In the rainy season, these buggers not only disrupt days at the beach, settle in around dusk to have their own sundowners, namely human blood, but they bring with them some nasty illnesses that we all hope to avoid: dengue fever, chikungunya and the dreaded Zika virus.
It’s the female mosquito that bites (males feed on flower nectar). She requires blood to produce eggs. Her mouthparts are constructed so that they pierce the skin, literally sucking the blood out. Does it sound like a horror film? Well, it is.
The eggs can remain in dry conditions for several months. After floods or heavy rains when the water level rises, the eggs hatch and in a few days produce swarms of aggressive and hungry mosquitoes. Another wave of mosquitoes occurs later, typically 10 to 14 days after the rains stop. So be ready at a moments notice when it starts to rain.
The best ways to protect you and your loved ones is planning and diligence:
First, we should all heed the advice given by the Department of Disaster Management:
- Mesh all cistern overflows
- Keep cistern manholes covered
- Keep water storage containers such as buckets, drums and bottles tightly covered
- Remove all other containers that can collect water from your premises and drain any holes, puddles or stagnant water that can potentially become breeding sites.
- Flush and keep clean all ornamental pools, fountains and roof gutters
- Remove any potential standing water reservoirs (plant pot bases/trays, clean and empty outdoor drains and fill holes with dirt or gravel)
There are a few companies in the BVI who make it their business to combat these vexing vixens. EC Soap Co makes an organic mosquito repellant aptly named Skeeter Later. It comes in water-based or oil-based solutions and is full of good healthy stuff like essential oils such as lemon eucalyptus and sunflower oils. It’s not only nourishing for your skin but repels mosquitos.
Blue Sky is the distributor of MistAway Systems. A MistAway mosquito control system automatically sprays a very fine mist of botanical insecticide through a series of mosquito misting nozzles installed on your property on a timer. Once installed, the system virtually disappears into your landscape. You won’t even know it’s there. Perfect for home, bars and restaurants and other commercial areas.
The rains are coming and that means a mosquito invasion so arm yourself with knowledge and fight back!
