The Hidden Dangers in Standing Water

Posted by Mosquito Squad

September 26, 2010

Are you inviting mosquitoes to take up residence at your home? Believe it or not, if you have any standing water in your yard or around your home, you are inviting mosquitoes to take up residence. Mosquitoes need standing water to breed. That’s the only place they breed. And, they don’t need something as large as a bird bath. They can breed in soda caps, the pooling basin of an outdoor plant or even in an open outdoor candle. Even if you have your Nashville-area yard misted for mosquitoes and ticks, you still need to do everything you can to eliminate standing water, so you are not inviting them right back in.

Here is a list of the places in your yard where water might pool that you wouldn’t naturally think of:

  • uncapped fence posts from chain-linked fences
  • garden furniture
  • pet water bowls
  • playsets
  • rain gutters
  • recycling bins
  • open garbage cans
  • outdoor umbrellas
  • wheelbarrows

With the list above, the best thing to do when walking through the yard is the 5 T’s:

  1. Tip – tip any vessel that holds unintended standing water
  2. Toss – toss any items in your yard that could collect water that can be discarded
  3. Turn Over--turn over any potentially water-holding items or containers
  4. Tarps Eliminated – If at all possible, eliminate all outside tarps.
  5. Treat Your Yard – use a mosquito and tick control expert to mist your yard with safe and effective mosquito mist to protect your family and pets

This past week I came across a couple areas that also were perilous mosquito breeding grounds due to their standing water. The first one is in the picture you see above. This area was adjacent to the yard of one of my customers. She was doing everything right to keep mosquitoes at bay but this area was a veritable standing invitation to the mosquito motel.

Now in the picture you see above, this area actually sits on a rock ledge which makes the entire area very impervious to natural drainage.

So, standing water is something you can try to guard against by being aware of the areas of your yard to regularly empty. Be aware of other areas where water will pool that you cannot control. Have those areas treated for mosquitoes and arrange your sitting and furniture areas farthest from those outdoor water pools.