Mosquito insecticides
Insecticides
Insecticides are growing increasingly unpopular due to well-founded concerns over the safety. Many municipalities are now banning their use as a result of new research that suggests many popular insecticides may cause cancer, birth defects, and developmental problems in children. They also kill beneficial insects and may contaminated solis and water supplies for long periods of time. Application of insecticides on your property will also do little to ensure a mosquito bite free yard, as mosquitoes will still migrate to your property from neighboring land in search of their next meal. We do not recommend the use of any insecticides due to the potential health risks to your familty, pets, and wildlife (birds, beneficial insects, fish, etc.).
Many public mosquito control programs have opted to use biological larvicides instead of traditional insecticides. Not only are they effective, but they exclusively target the mosquito larva before they hatch into biting mosquitoes without harming other creatures or leaving a toxic residue. The downside of larvicides is that they again do not prevent migrating mosquitos from reaching your yard after hatching on adjacent properties. Larvicides that can be purchased in tablet or pellet form to be applied to any pools of stagnant or standing water on your property to prevent mosquito breeding.
Permethrin
Description: Permethrin is a powerful, odourless insecticide that is available in either an aerosol or concentrated format. It is a synthetic insecticide based on natural pyrethrum. Permethrin does not repel mosquitoes, but works as a contact insecticide causing nervous system toxicity, leading to death or knockdown of the mosquito. Permethrin is applied to clothing, tents equipment etc., but not to skin.
Advantages: Resitant to degradation by heat or sun. Maintains it's potency for up to two weeks.
Disadvatages: Low level toxicity, effectiveness?
Other chemical Insecticides
Descriprion: There are a wide variety of chemical insecticides that can be used for mosquito control. Unfortunately, as is often the case with chemical formulations, we only learn of their toxic effects on humans and pets long after they have been used. Most frequently, insecticides are sprayed on mosquito resting areas such as shrubs and tall grass.
Advatages: Effectively kills mosquitos, but a high cost (see disadvantages)
Disadvantages: Most have high to extreme health hazard, requires applicator training for "safe" use, kills beneficial insects, may cause short and/or long-term ground or well water contamination. The effectivness of insecticides can be hampered by weather conditions (rain, for example) and they are of little or no benefit when the mosquito resting areas are outside of your property (Mosquito traps still intercept these mosquitoes before they reach you).
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