There are many ways you can attract mosquitoes. Some might surprise you. Let's take a look at how you personally attract mosquitoes and how mosquitoes may be attracted to your yard.
Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
The first thing mosquitoes detect is CO2 emissions, that's a gas that humans breathe out. They can detect CO2 from a distance. If you have a party in your backyard, mosquitoes may come into your yard to investigate. Once in your yard, they'll be drawn to whoever is producing the most carbon dioxide. It could be Uncle Jerry sleeping in the hammock (while everyone else eats hot dogs off the grill) who attracts the mosquitoes. He'll put off more carbon dioxide because he's sleeping. It might be Aunt Kelly. She's seven months pregnant with her third child. She's creating more carbon dioxide because it's a lot of work carrying a baby around. It could be Tommy who gets targeted. At six years old, he has what seems to be an unlimited amount of energy and he hasn't stopped since he got to the party. Do you see how it works?
Moisture and Heat
When a mosquito comes to investigate carbon dioxide emissions, it will be drawn to heat and moisture. Whoever has more of these two is likely to be targeted first. This can make Aunt Kelly and Tommy more of a target because they are likely to have a higher body temperature and sweat on their skin.
Alcohol
If there is alcohol at the party, whoever is partaking of it increases their attractiveness to mosquitoes. All it takes is one beer to increase your attractiveness.
Chemicals
Experts estimate that there are as many as 400 chemicals on the skin of a human that are attractive to mosquitoes. If you have more of these chemicals, you'll have more trouble with mosquitoes. There isn't anything you can do about this, except maybe to apply something to your skin to mask the scent or to repel mosquitoes.
Silhouette
Mosquitoes have poor eyesight. When they look for someone to land on, they fly low to the ground and look for people who stand out against the bright sky. Wearing dark colors can make it easier for mosquitoes to find you and land on you. If you wear light-colored clothing, you can make yourself less of a target.
What Attracts Mosquitoes To Your Yard?
Long before your outdoor party begins, and before you call your family to invite them over, there can be attractants that bring mosquitoes into your yard. Here are a few to consider:
- Mosquitoes are attracted to vegetation and flowering plants. They eat nectar and plant sap.
- Mosquitoes drink water and lay eggs in stagnant water. If you have stagnant water resources in your yard, you'll have more issues with mosquitoes.
- If you have a bug zapper in your yard, it could lure mosquitoes onto your property. Scientific studies have determined that bug zappers are not effective at killing female mosquitoes, but they do a great job of luring female and male mosquitoes to a yard. This is bad, since female mosquitoes are the ones that will bite you.
How To Deal With Mosquitoes
If you live in Conroe, Texas, there is an easy solution for mosquito problems in your backyard, and you don't have to do anything to remove attractants. Contact Chase Pest Control and invest in mosquito fogging or the installation of a misting system. When you have mosquito control, you don't have to worry about attracting mosquitoes into your yard. These services provide a systemic solution. If you'd like to know more about how they work, reach out to us today. We're here to help.