Various types of mosquitoes are a concern - whether they top the list of invasive pests or are in regions where mosquito-borne diseases thrive.
A single mosquito can invade your facility, breed on your property and bite employees or guests. They can transmit disease or at the very least be a huge discomfort to workers taking a break outdoors, making mosquito control critical for commercial operations.
Commercial Mosquito Control
During the Zika virus outbreak ~2017, Ecolab met with the CDC at their facility in Fort Collins, Colorado, to discuss mosquito control and potential partnership opportunities in research and evaluation of resistance in U.S. populations. The CDC shared their current research projects with Ecolab regarding mosquito prevention and provided feedback on our 3-step protocol. This three-step, science-based protocol focuses on eliminating both resting and breeding sites for commercial properties.
- Inspection: Have your pest control partner thoroughly check the site to identify different kinds of mosquitoes and existing or potential mosquito activity.
- Prevention: Make sure your partner has knowledge of mosquito behavior and biology to find breeding sources and target them with environmentally friendly treatments to kill larvae or prevent them from developing into adults.
- Protection: Ask for specific recommendations based on the conditions and needs of the facility. Ensure the mosquito control program addresses harborage and high-risk sites. As part of implementation, be sure to train staff and post signage.
Understanding What Works for Mosquito Prevention and Elimination
Many treatments only focus on mosquito resting sites and ignore the water in which they breed.
Because mosquitoes breed on and in water, the most important step for mosquito control is eliminating standing water to make your property less attractive to these annoying and dangerous pests. This includes proper drainage on rooftops, cutting high-growing grass or weeds, and good storage practices by considering covering exterior items that can temporarily hold enough water to allow mosquito development. It's also crucial to remove or cover exterior items that can temporarily hold enough water to allow mosquito development.
Fly lights also are sometimes used to capture mosquitoes trying to enter the facility, but it is a great deal more effective to implement exterior mosquito control measures.
Although you cannot completely prevent mosquitoes from flying onto your property, you can reduce breeding and resting sites. Through a proactive, science-based approach and a pest management partnership, you can help protect your employees and guests.
More Pest Resources
