Category Archives: Mosquito Control

While our most popular mosquito service is our barrier service, we have many tools in our tool belt to help our customers manage their mosquito population. Every yard is different, and sometimes there is very little barrier for us to treat, while other times drainage systems under the ground or outside the yard make it difficult to access all the larvae and breeding sites.

Many of our customers prefer the use of all-natural products in their yard while combating mosquitoes. A downside to these is that they don’t last quite as well as synthetic options in our heat and with strong rains. The In2Care trap is an eco-friendly option that puts the mosquitoes to work in ensuring they don’t live on your property.

The In2Care trap is excellent in the management of the Aedes mosquitoes, including the Aedes aegypti, pictured here, and Asian Tiger mosquito. The Asian Tiger has a tell-tale black and white striped coloration, and they are typically larger than other mosquitoes, very aggressive and you will see them during the day. Aedes mosquitoes are container breeders, meaning they look for anything from a hole in a tree stump to a bucket or pot, that is holding water and they lay their eggs inside – mostly man-made containers. The In2Care trap mimics this container – providing water and shade, which is exactly what the female mosquito is looking for.

Mosquito Joe installs the traps throughout the yard, taking care to place them in the shade in likely locations for mosquito activity. A sachet is installed inside the trap and water is added. This water attracts the female mosquitoes when they are ready to lay their eggs. To do so, she will land on the side of the floater installed within the trap and lay her eggs on to the water. Those eggs will hatch into larvae which will wriggle around in the water until they start developing into become pupae. It is at this point that they will die.

But this is not the main purpose of the trap. It does far more, and that’s what makes it so exciting. When the female lands on the floater she picks up the biological fungus in the sachet and carries it off with her. She spreads that fungus to the places she lands – other egg-laying sites in particular. When she lands in these areas she kills the larvae there (when they pupate). She also spreads it to male mosquitoes when she breeds with them. A few days after landing on the floater she dies from contamination, but not before spreading the fungus to other areas of the yard for other mosquitoes to pick up and spread. In this way, the mosquitoes do all the work.

The fungus is not toxic to birds or mammals, but only insects. Taken to the In2Care website, “The larvicide deployed in the trap specifically targets mosquito larvae and is not toxic to higher organisms in this low concentration. For example, in other products, this larvicide has even been approved by WHO for use in drinking water. Contaminated females will only spread tiny amounts of larvicide (a few micrograms) to other artificial small water bodies, which limits any risk for other aquatic organisms and fish.”

If you want to learn more, this video and this video provide a great overview, while this one provides more insight into how it works.

Mosquito Joe of NW Houston will install the traps in your yard, and then manage them by replacing the sachets at each visit. Combining the In2Care system with our barrier service provides customers with our supreme protection service – taking care of the Aedes (In2Care) and the Culex and others (barrier service) with both options working together. Give us a call or text to learn more and we will be glad to give you a free quote and answer your questions – 281-815-0228.

There are many reported ways to mosquitoes at bay. Some work and many don’t. Here at Mosquito Joe, we offer proven options to control your mosquitoes and make your outside fun again. Misting Systems, Barrier Treatments, Traps, Repellants, Adulticides, and Larvicides; all are ways to help fight mosquitos. The key to success is to use the right combination at your property.

Barrier Treatments using both Adulticides and Larvicides have shown to be highly effective for most properties. They reduce the population of mosquitos by up to 95%. That’s pretty close to perfect and for most property owners it is all they need. However, for some properties, the 5% that aren’t taken care of can make a significant impact on their outdoor comfort.

Luckily, there are some adjuncts that can be used for those properties.

Mosquito Joe Max Protection – Thermacell LIV+ in conjunction with barrier service

In 2021, Mosquito Joe partnered with Thermacell to provide the LIV+ System to customers.

The LIV+ System comprises of a hub that is wired to a series of repellers that can be controlled by pushbutton or through an app on a smartphone. These repellers can be configured to protect up to about 1000 square feet outdoors. This is perfect for a patio area or for around a pool and when used with Mosquito Barrier Treatments, provides Maximum Protection from mosquitoes, biting midges, and even some flies.

• Completely customizable for your outdoor space.
• Can be used around people and pets.
• Environmentally friendly.
• No odor.
• On-demand, use it only when you need it.
• Can be controlled by your smartphone.
• Durable, handsome equipment installed by a professional

In2Care & Barrier Treatments

Some properties have off-site breeding grounds that hinder how well Mosquito Barrier Treatments work. A 95% reduction in mosquitoes is awesome, however, 5% of millions is a lot of mosquitoes. This is particularly true for those customers who suffer from a high population of Asian Tiger Mosquitoes. For these properties, In2Care traps are a great add-on. In2Care traps are the perfect place for Aedes Mosquitos to lay their eggs. When the female mosquito lays her eggs in the trap she takes a little dose of a biological fungus with her. When she visits the next water source, she will leave some of that fungus behind. She will also pass it along to male mosquitoes when they mate. This fungus targets newly hatched Mosquito Larvae and kills them as they move through their life cycle, preventing them from becoming adults. It also kills the adult carrying it. Over a period of 3-4 weeks, these traps can reduce the number of livable water sources for larvae and in turn greatly reduce the number of adult-biting mosquitoes. These traps, when used in conjunction with a barrier service and a proper Mosquito Management Plan, can make the difference for a customer who has a preponderance of Aedes in their yard.

For some customers a Misting System is the best option:

For some properties, particularly those that have a little barrier between surrounding properties (think golf course lots, for example) a barrier service may not be advised. While the service will kill the mosquitoes in your yard, it cannot prevent new ones from flying in if there is nothing but air between you and an untreated area. In these cases, we recommend a Misting System as an option. Installing a 55-gal drum on the side of the house, a nozzle system is installed that will spray out several times a day (the frequency is of your choosing) and allow you to manually spray as needed. The residue remains on the leaves, much like a Barrier Service, and works to kill mosquitoes as they fly by the mist of land on the leaves.

If you need Mosquito Control, give Mosquito Joe of NW Houston a call. We can come and look at your property and create a plan specific to your yard and needs. If you are currently on a Mosquito Control Plan and not getting the results you had hoped for Mosquito Joe can customize Treatments, Repellants, and Traps to make your Outside Fun Again. Our quotes are always free, and we are always happy to answer questions and help you decide what works for you. Just call us a call at 281-815-0228 or email us at nwhoustonbrazos@mosquitojoe.com.

Over the years we have discovered that the mosquito hawk gets a lot of blame it doesn’t deserve. We have been called back to customers’ homes because they have “giant mosquitoes we failed to kill” only to discover they have mosquito hawks hatching. We thought it was time to clear the air.

There are over 14,000 species of mosquito hawks and likely more have not yet been discovered. They live all over the globe, but we will try and limit our information here to those that we live with here in the Houston area.

The correct name for a mosquito hawk is a Crane Fly, although we have heard them referred to as “Daddy Long Legs”, “Skeeter Eater” and “Giant Mosquito”. Crane flies do not bite – they have no mouth parts with which to do so. They only live about 10 days, spending that time focused primarily on mating. If they do “eat” it is limited to drinking nectar or dew. They also don’t eat mosquitoes despite what you may have heard.

The life cycle of a Crane Fly is typically a year. Eggs are laid in later summer, usually in wet soil or algae, or for some species, in water. The larvae then hatch from these eggs and are grub-like in their appearance. A Crane fly will spend months in its larval form (some species up to 5 years!). They busy themselves breaking down decaying material in your yard and can be very beneficial to your soil as a result.

The European and Marsh Crane flies are considered an invasive species in the USA. They will feed off, and often destroy, crops. Others will feed off rotting wood and can cause damage to homes as they do so. But the majority will spend their time in the soil aerating it for you and participating in the food chain. In mid to late spring the larvae pupate into tough, brown carcasses often referred to as “leather jackets”. They are found just below the soil’s surface.

Crane fly pupae can cause damage to turf grass and can often cause brown spots, particularly seen on golf courses. Keeping your lawn manicured and dry will help prevent an abundance of these insects, thereby reducing your potential for this.

The pupae will emerge as fully-grown Crane flies in late summer or fall. You may see large numbers of them at times as the males swarm in search of females with which to breed. During this short time, they won’t eat, perhaps using their sucking mouth parts to drink if given the opportunity, or to feed on nectar. Most females lay their eggs within 24 hours of hatching, laying them once again in wet soil, algae, or water.

Crane flies are completely harmless to humans, neither biting nor carrying disease. They can provide important sustenance to the birds and beetles in your yard. Some species are attracted to light, and you will often see them kicking around your windows at night, or around your outside lights.

In short, these insects provide valuable benefits both as a food source for birds and other insects and to your soil. They have nothing to do with mosquitoes. On the other hand, if mosquitoes are your issue, we have a lot of blog posts that can give you more information about them. Of course, we can also get rid of them for you. Just give us a call and we can get you a free quote, no strings – 281-815-0228.

Did you know that October is notoriously voted the favorite month of the year? With fall weather cooling us down (ever so slightly here in Texas), people tend to spend more time outdoors enjoying the month with pumpkins, coffee, and Halloween festivities. It also means moving our celebrations and family gatherings from inside to outside, decorating our patios, and having our meals under string lights. However, with increased outdoor lighting comes an increase in mosquitoes – but why?

Mosquitoes are attracted to many aspects of fall weather – less direct sunlight, cooler days, and even cooler nights. While many other pests are attracted to light, mosquitoes rely on it to help them find a blood source once they have spotted your CO2 plumes from a distance. As a result, mosquito issues may increase around porch lights and bright areas around homes. Their bites usually occur in the evening and at night when many mosquito species are active. The increase in landscape and fairy lights in your yard can not only draw more bugs into your yard, but help mosquitoes find you. This goes for patio and porch lights too! While many people like to keep these lights on through the night, they act as neon signs for mosquitoes, midges, gnats, june bugs, and other unwelcome insects. You can save yourself a lot of trouble and bugs by turning these lights off when you aren’t outside.

So, what can you do instead to help prevent sharing your yard with mosquitoes and other bugs? As far as lighting, security/motion detection lights are the way to go. Having lights that do not remain on for extended periods of time reduces the chance of attracting insects to string lights and regular patio/porch lights. Of course, you can’t have dinner or family gatherings under the on-again-off-again glow of a security light. Instead, simply limit the amount of time you have these string, patio, and landscaping lights on before spending time outdoors.

As we increase the time we spend outdoors we often find an increase in the use of mosquito traps. These typically include glowing electric lamps, citronella candles, and torches. Many of these do not help and some will make matters worse. Much like outdoor or patio lights, these sources of light draw pests toward them. From a distance, mosquitoes rely on their sense of smell, specifically hunting down CO2 plumes that we or other animals emit. Once closer, they can use visual cues to assess a blood source. While they are still seeking a source of CO2, light aids their poor visibility and makes for an easier search. From very close proximity, typically within 1-3 feet, mosquitoes then rely on thermal sensory input to locate heat and moisture sources. This prevents them from wasting time on objects such as rocks, vegetation, and mosquito repellent products. This means that mosquito traps do a great job of leading pests to you rather than truly repelling them; you can learn more about the true effectiveness of mosquito repellent products here! Instead, get more bang for your buck by investing in mosquito control services and simply limiting light and water sources in your yard.

A new option Mosquito Joe offers is the Thermacell LIV system, which you turn on when you are outside remotely with your phone. This device emits a pesticide in the form of an odor which keeps mosquitoes and biting midges out of your patio area. You can combine this with a barrier service (which removes 95% of the mosquitoes in your yard) for complete protection in the evenings. Give us a call/text for a free quote so you can enjoy your lights and the weather without the worry at 281-815-0228.

September marks the official start of Fall, which means that the Texas weather will be shifting from hot and humid to…. well, warm and humid! Despite the heat, September is a favored growing season and makes a great time for avid gardeners to get outside and do what they love. However, if mosquitoes use your garden as their happy home, being outside can be rather miserable. To help you out here are some gardening ‘dos and don’ts’ that can help prevent or eliminate your mosquito issues.

One of the most common causes of mosquito issues in your garden is mulch (or pine bark, pine needles, and other similar materials used on garden beds). These ground covers and the wet, shaded soil beneath can contain millions of mosquito eggs due to the moisture they hold. When you lay a new bag of mulch out, you also lay out the thousands of mosquito eggs contained with it, and you will experience a huge surge in your mosquito issues! However, leaving mulch bags out in the yard can have an even worse effect- the sealed, dark damp environment is an ideal home for mosquitoes. If you are going to keep mulch in bags for some time, move them out of the weather to help reduce the issues. Customers with Mosquito Joe will notify us when they add new mulch in the yard so we can be sure to treat these areas well to eliminate these mosquitoes. For those who do not have routine mosquito services, make sure you lay your mulch (or soil) out as soon as you can and don’t overwater.

On the subject of mulch, the lining used for mulch beds can make a big difference in your mosquito population. Be sure to lay the landscape cloth completely flat so it does not hold pockets of water beneath it. We also recommend using a landscaping cloth material over a tarp, as these won’t allow any water to pass through and will just collect it after weather, creating a never-ending issue in your yard. We’ve seen some real head-scratchers over the years so be sure you know what is being laid under your beds if you opt to have that work done for you.

The manner in which you plant or pot your plants can contribute to issues in your yard as well. When planting in mulch beds, avoid digging holes too deeply into the soil as this will result in standing water each time you water. Conversely, don’t plant too high as that might cause a moat around your plant. For plants in pots, keep an eye on your plant pot saucers, and be sure to regularly dump out any water that collects in them. Whether in a bed or in a pot it is really important to avoid overwatering your plants!

Speaking of plants, please don’t be fooled by the gimmicky advertising on some that declare they are a “mosquito repellant.” You will be disappointed if you plant some of these in the hopes of warding off issues. To learn more about “mosquito repellant” plants and the truth behind them, check out our past blog post – ‘Do Mosquito Repellant Plants Really Work?’

When working in the garden, keep an eye out for other objects that may hold water you don’t often think about- fountains, bird baths, wheelbarrows, tarps, gutters, drains, or gardening equipment can be the secret to your mosquito problems. Remember that 1 teaspoon of water will result in 300 mosquitoes every couple of days. The innocent water at the bottom of a watering can become a huge issue for you when you are outside. Keep an eye on your drainage system to make sure it is draining well and not holding water. It only takes a few leaves or some displaced mulch to cause a problem.

If you want to enjoy your gardening work without being bitten, consider giving Mosquito Joe a call at 281-815-0228. We treat flower beds with an all-natural product, garlic extract, and will never treat your veggie garden unless the situation warrants it (and we speak with you first). We tailor our services this way to minimize our impact on pollinators and beneficial