Rainy Season Mosquitoes: A Parkland Yard Checklist
The National Weather Service in Miami puts South Florida's wet season from May 15 to October 15. That stretch brings 60 to 70 percent of the year's rain. In Parkland, that means a daily afternoon storm, standing water everywhere, and a backyard you can't sit in by July.
The lake behind the house gets blamed. Often the bigger source is closer: small pockets of water right around the house.
Tiny water, lots of mosquitoes
Broward County's 311 guidance says Aedes aegypti, the mosquito that bites around houses in the daytime, can breed in water as small as a bottle cap. It names containers, plant pots, bromeliads and drains as places to check.
Bromeliads deserve special mention. Their center cups hold water for days, and plenty of Parkland yards have them. Flush them with a hose once or twice a week during the rainy season, or swap them out for plants that don't hold water.
The walk-around
Take ten minutes after a storm and walk the whole lot. Dump anything holding water. Turn buckets and toys upside down. Look up at the gutters and down at the drains.
- Bromeliad cups and plant saucers
- Clogged gutters and downspout extensions
- Pool covers, boat covers and tarps
- Kids' toys, buckets, wheelbarrows and the dog's water bowl
- Birdbaths (change the water every few days)
- Low spots in the lawn where water sits
- AC condensate drain lines that puddle
Seeing this at your place? Call (954) 555-0108
When the county comes in
Broward County's mosquito control program sets traps around the county and treats areas where disease-carrying mosquitoes turn up. Residents can call 311 to ask for an inspection of their property. If the source is a public ditch or canal bank, that's the call to make.
When to call a pest company
If you've cleared the water and still can't use the lanai, a yard treatment can help. A tech treats the shady places adult mosquitoes rest during the day, like the undersides of hedge leaves, and treats water that can't be dumped. See mosquito control for what that involves.
Questions people ask
Do mosquito plants or citronella work?
They might help a little right where you're sitting. They don't stop breeding in the yard.
Does my pool breed mosquitoes?
A running, chlorinated pool usually doesn't. A green pool or a cover holding water can.
Related
Services: Mosquito Control · Lawn & Shrub Pests · Spiders & Wasps
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