Mosquitoes need very little standing water to breed, and you can find that everywhere by the lake from watercraft and dock gear to clogged gutters to natural sources. Dump and drain what you can.
Annoying but true, you can treat the yard and still get swarmed by mosquitoes. If mosquitoes are breeding on your property, they’ll give you trouble given enough time. And the worst breeding sites are seldom the obvious puddles.
Water is everywhere by the lake. That’s part of the joy of living there. But an overturned canoe or kayak can hold rainwater, and eventually, mosquito eggs. This is also so for the bottoms of boats or the covers sagging over them. Tarps left over woodpiles can collect water. Kids’ lake toys and pool floats left out in the grass can do the same thing.
Also common by the lake, much as they are inland, clogged gutters and corrugated downspouts are notorious for breeding mosquitoes. Old tires, wheelbarrows, and recycling bin tops will do it too.
There are natural ones near the water as well. Tree holes and rot pockets in old shoreline trees collect rainwater, leaf-dammed low spots in the woods hold it, and the shaded ground that never quite dries between rains stays damp enough to matter.
It takes little water for mosquitoes to breed. A bottle cap’s worth is enough for some species. So anything you can do to tip containers or drain standing water is likely to help more than you would think.
If you're tired of chasing down water you didn't know you had, Mosquito Squad of North Central Minnesota can help. Mosquito Squad treats the foliage where adults rest and helps you cut down the breeding sources around your place, with up to 90% reduction in mosquito activity on a 21-day cycle.
