Mosquito Control Long Island
We all want to enjoy the great outdoors, but it’s no fun when you're being eaten alive by mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are one of the most important bloodsucking insects on the planet, but they are also one of the most dangerous public health pests due to vectoring of dangerous pathogens that cause diseases like the Zika Virus, West Nile Virus, and Encephalitis.
Mosquitoes are flying insects that feed on human and animal blood. Female mosquitoes need to feed on blood for egg development. There are about 50 different species of mosquitoes on Long Island, but the most common are the Northern House Mosquito (culex pipiens) and the Asian Tiger Mosquito (Aedes albopictus). Mosquitoes, including those that carry the West Nile and Zika Viruses, are active on Long Island from April through October. During this time, mosquitoes seek to lay their eggs in slow-moving or standing water.
The Northern House Mosquito - Long Island
The Northern house mosquito (Culex pipiens) is the most common mosquito species found in urban and suburban areas of Long Island.
What does the Northern House Mosquito (Culex pipiens) look like?
These medium-sized mosquitoes are light brown to golden brown with pale bands on their abdomens that can grow to about 1/4 inch long.
Northern House Mosquito Guide
Breeding Habits
Like most of the species, female northern house mosquitoes lay their eggs in rafts that float on top of stagnant water that collects in containers around the home, such as flower pots, children’s toys, tires, clogged gutters, ornamental ponds (without fish), neglected home pools, and puddles on pool covers. The northern house mosquito also breeds in natural marshes, cesspools, ditches and catch basins.
The breeding cycle (egg to adult) of Culex pipiens typically takes about two weeks, but the cycle can take less than a week under optimal conditions. Fertilized females survive the colder months by overwintering in covered areas such as basements, sheds, caves, and culverts.
Activity
Culex pipiens are most active on Long Island from April through October, and feed most heavily outdoors during the first several hours after sunset. They will also look to enter homes in search of blood meals.
Threats
Like other mosquitoes, Culex pipiens bites are not necessarily painful, but they can leave an itchy, red bump on the skin. Culex pipiens are common vectors of St. Louis encephalitis, western equine encephalitis, West Nile virus and dog heart-worms.
Prevention
The best way to prevent contact with Northern house mosquitoes is to eliminate areas of standing water around the home, such as in baby pools, toys, flowerpots and birdbaths. Homeowners should also properly screen all windows and doors and keep gutters clean. Those who spend a lot of time outdoors should consider wearing long pants and sleeves, and use an insect repellent containing an EPA-registered ingredient like DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon-eucalyptus.
The Asian Tiger Mosquito - Long Island
This daytime-biting mosquito can transmit harmful diseases like Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), Zika virus, West Nile virus, Chikungunya and dengue fever.
What does the Asian Tiger Mosquito (Aedes albopictus) look like?
Adult Asian tiger mosquitoes are about an 1/8 inch long and get their name from the single white stripe down the center of their head and back. They also have black and white stripes (or dots) on their legs.
Asian Tiger Mosquito Guide
Breeding Habits
Females lay their eggs inside items that only need to hold at least a 1/2 inch of stagnant water, such as tires, flowerpots, birdbaths and clogged drains. This means that water sitting in something as small as a bottle cap is enough for eggs to develop!
Activity
Like other mosquito species, only females bite because they require a blood meal to produce eggs. Asian tiger mosquitoes are unique in that they typically feed during the daylight hours, unlike many other mosquito species that feed only at dusk and dawn. Like the Northern House Mosquito, they are known to overwinter in the colder months. Male Asian tiger mosquitoes do not bite and primarily feed on plant nectar.
Prevention
The most effective way to prevent contact with Asian tiger mosquitoes is to eliminate areas of standing water around the home, such as in baby pools, toys, flowerpots and birdbaths. Homeowners should also properly screen all windows and doors and keep gutters clean. Those who spend a lot of time outdoors should consider wearing long pants and sleeves, and use an insect repellent containing an EPA-registered ingredient like DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon-eucalyptus.
Threats
Like other mosquitoes, Asian tiger mosquito bites are not necessarily painful, but they can leave an itchy, red bump on the skin. Asian tiger mosquitoes can transmit numerous diseases to humans including Zika, Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), West Nile virus, and dengue fever. This biting insect is also the primary vector for Chikungunya, a virus similar to dengue fever.
Paramount Mosquito Management
No one does it better when it comes to beating mosquitoes!
Mosquito management involves very comprehensive treatment strategies, including those established by public health authorities and mosquito abatement agencies. The experts at Paramount Pest Management provide adult mosquito population control around properties across Nassau and western Suffolk Counties, New York City, and Queens as part of an overall perimeter mosquito management program. We have dedicated a significant amount time and resources learning how to control mosquitoes and our overall Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategy of inspection, assessment, and treatment will allow you to enjoy your backyard again.
Mosquito Inspection
Our inspections focus on identifying breeding sites around your property that may help maintain mosquito life cycle development. Old tires, flowerpots, garbage cans, poorly drained gutters, toys, poor grade slope or soil depressions, tree holes & cavities, bird baths, non-functioning fountains, watering cans, sump-pump discharge, and air conditioner discharge are examples of potential breeding sites. Once identified, it is very important that we work together to remove and/or drain all breeding sites when practical. We also inspect all windows and doors for screens that are in need of repair.
Mosquito Assessment
Once we gather the information based on our inspection, we then determine the best management strategy and discuss it with you to be sure that we will meet your needs and address your concerns. This may require the involvement of local mosquito-abatement agencies to address large breeding sites in your area, such as ponds, if applicable.
Mosquito Treatment
Once our assessment is complete, an exterior treatment program is developed that will include the application of a residual adulticide that also repels mosquitoes. Pesticide applications are rendered using low volume backpack misters that deliver the right amount of product to do the job without overly wetting areas, thereby minimizing runoff and long re-entry times. Read more below about our Paramount Mosquito Protection Plan!
Paramount Mosquito Protection Plan
Let us show you what a backyard protected from mosquitoes is all about.
> Treatments with children, pets, and the environment in mind
We use backpack misters to carefully apply materials to shrubs around the exterior foundation of your home that kill mosquitoes on contact and repel them. Backpack misters significantly reduce the amount of product needed to get the job done as opposed to traditional truck mounted power sprayers that many other companies use. Unlike backpack misters, traditional power spraying often leaves your landscape soaking with pesticide and requires longer re-entry times.
> Strategic Treatment Schedule
Our Full Season Program includes eight treatments, and each treatment is spaced twenty-one days apart (weather permitting), to crash mosquito populations and maintain effectiveness during the season from late April/early May to the end of September/mid-October.
> Re-Treatment Warranty
Even though there is no way to eliminate every mosquito that travels to or breeds on your property, we stand by our service and performance. Contact us between regular services if you feel any treatment was not effective and we will re-inspect and re-treat at NO ADDITIONAL COST!
> Trained, Professional Technicians
Our mosquito specialists are highly skilled and trained so you can have peace of mind knowing you are getting a professional service rendered by professional people.
> Recommendations & Electronic Inspection Reports
Each service includes an inspection of the immediate exterior of your home for potential mosquito breeding sites, along with the identification of conditions conducive to their proliferation...all of which is emailed to you in a detailed report after each service.
> Convenient Payment Options
Take advantage of a special discount when you pay for the season in full or pay after each treatment is completed by enrolling in our Auto-Pay Plan, which automates payment via credit card after each treatment is completed, so there are no checks to write and no delays in service.
> The PARAMOUNT Difference
What sets us apart is our personal touch. Your Paramount technician will respect you, your family, your home, your possessions, and the environment too!