More Buzz About Pests

The combination of a continued warming trend (it's called "spring"), moderate rainfall (in some areas) and the gradually lengthening day is leading to more mosquito activity.  Although many people (except those in Durham) spent the weekend glued to the TV watching the basketball tournament, it was also a good time to engage in some "Tip and Toss".  As I mentioned a few weeks ago, our most common mosquito (the Asian tiger mosquito) takes advantage of water-filled objects and now is a good time to correct problems before you start hearing that familiar buzz of mosquitoes in your ear when you're sitting outdoors in the evening.

-  Empty or (preferably) get rid of those objects that collect water - old cans, tires, and trash cans missing their lids. 
- Put fresh water in bird baths and pet water bowls
- Remove debris from your gutters and make sure water runs freely through through them. And make sure rainwater doesn't just splash and pool at the at downspout.
- If you're going to collect rainwater to save for watering your gardens, make sure you have a screen over the top to keep out debris and mosquitoes that are hunting for a good playing to lay eggs.
- Clean out drainage ditches in front of your property so that they don't impound water and let it stagnate.

You can find these details and more information on our website: http://insects.ncsu.edu/Urban/mosquito.htm

Michael Waldvogel, PhD
Extension Assoc. Professor & Specialist, Structural & Industrial Pests
North Carolina State University
Dept. of Entomology, Box 7613, 100 Derieux Place
Raleigh, NC USA 27695-7613