Sometimes you have a mosquito problem that’s not really your problem at all. Instead, it’s a neighbors! Anything that can hold stagnant water can serve as an incubator for mosquito eggs, and that includes all the things your neighbors leave in their yard.
If your neighbor has a dirty pool, an unused hot tub, an uncovered boat or if their yard is littered with water-collecting objects (such as buckets, storage tubs, tires or something similar), then they may have inadvertently created a hotbed for mosquitoes.
Absentee neighbors or abandoned properties may also create havens for mosquitoes, too. In all those cases, the problems can escalate as temperatures warm up and mosquitoes become more active.
OPTIONS TO ADDRESS A PROBLEM PROPERTY
To end the cycle of mosquito breeding on a neglected or abandoned property, you may think you need to take matters in to your own hands – but that’s not really advised. Instead, the best way to do that is to let someone else know about the problem!
This is because you can’t simply trespass onto the problem property and dump out the stagnant water you find. You also can’t pepper that green swimming pool with mosquito-killing tablets from afar. And hauling away their collection of spare tires is a no-no. These activities can get you in trouble if you don’t have the owner’s permission.
So, like we said, you need to provide information to the right person so they can legally act upon it.
- Contact Your Neighbor – Try contacting the actual property owner without being confrontational. Simply explain the situation to your neighbor and don’t lay blame. Instead, explain that the whole neighborhood is working to remove stagnant water to eliminate the problem and you wanted to let them know about the effort. Being a good neighbor, you could also say “If you need any help with that, let me know. I could do a quick check out back if you don’t have the time.”
- Contact Your Municipality/Home Owners Association – If you couldn’t or don’t want to contact your neighbor directly, the next step is contact your local government or (if you have one) your Home Owners Association. Of course, you may be told to contact another person or department, but be persistent until you reach a person who vows to take action.
- Contact Your Mosquito Control Agency – Some areas of the country have their own mosquito control agency. These are often county offices that are expressly charged with keeping the mosquito population from getting too out of control. They are likely to be the quickest to react to a situation like yours.
- Contact a Charity – This one is a long shot, but try contacting a local charity to see if they can help. This may involve helping the homeowner clean up the property directly. Alternatively, they may offer to pay for a cleanup service. Consider asking a local church, senior agency or even a scout troop for help.
THE ONE THING YOU CAN DO TO BATTLE YOUR NEIGHBORS’ MOSQUITOES
Unfortunately, there’s not a lot you can do directly when the mosquito problem you’re facing is likely being caused in a neighboring property. If that’s the case, there’s only one thing you can do that doesn’t involve trespassing or ratting them out to the authorities:
You can install a CO2 Mosquito Trap from Mosquito Magnet®. These propane devices can sit close to the property line where they exude a constant stream of attractants that draw the mosquitoes to the device and away from you. As the mosquitoes investigate the tantalizing smell produced by the Mosquito Magnet® trap, they fly closer and closer until they are sucked up by the machine’s vacuum and trapped. After a day or so in the Mosquito Magnet® catch-net, they die of dehydration. Problem solved!
WHAT ELSE CAN BE DONE
Aside from mosquito trapping near the problem property, a number of things can be done to remove mosquitoes and keep mosquitoes under control in the future.
- Drain – Emptying out the water around the property and turning the objects over to make sure they don’t refill.
- Removal – Taking debris, garbage and refuse from the property.
- Spraying – Certain agencies can spray the property to make standing water unsuitable for mosquitoes.
- Fish – For large pools of water, mosquito-eating fish can be added to naturally remove the pests.
- Release – A mosquito control agency may opt to increase its release of GMO mosquitoes in the area, which can eliminate the outbreak within a few generations.
- Covering – Large objects, including pools, hot tubs or boats, may have specialty covers that make the water inaccessible to mosquitoes. Be warned, however, that the mosquitoes can lay eggs on those very covers, too!
- Citations – In extreme cases, the property owner may face a citation based on local ordinances. These usually come with a “do this” mandate before a fine is levied, so hopefully such a warning will spur the property owner to action.
HELP FROM MOSQUITO MAGNET®
If you’re looking for tips on dealing with mosquitoes, then turn to Mosquito Magnet® and its library of easy-to-read articles, as well as its biting insect library and catalog of mosquito-borne diseases.
You can also join Mosquito Magnet® on Facebook for regular updates on mosquito control efforts in North America and tips to make your backyard safe again.
As you order a Mosquito Magnet® CO2 mosquito trap, take a moment to subscribe to the E-Newsletter, which will provide you with helpful articles on mosquito control and deliver with tips on using your mosquito trap to its full capacity.
