Mosquitos

Live Mosquito-Free with Pointe!!

Pointe Pest Control St. Louis is committed to keeping your home pest-free in every season. Our team of experienced and state-certified technicians are dedicated to providing safe and effective pest control services for the Western Illinois and Eastern Missouri areas. If a pest problem is not completely resolved after a visit, our technicians will return until it is eliminated.

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The Stress of Mosquito Bites

Biting insects are frustrating year-round, but they can be easily handled with regular pest control services. Mosquitos are potentially the worst common bloodsucking insect because of how easily they can reproduce and spread. Their sharp proboscis, or mouth parts, puncture the mammal skin before drinking blood until they are stuffed. The itchy bumps they leave behind can be even worse for people allergic to the mosquito’s saliva. In addition to the itchy bite, mosquitos also have the scary ability to transmit diseases after biting an infected mammal once, such as malaria and Zika virus. We want to keep your home mosquito-free for the safety of you and your family. We are confident in the ability of our non-toxic treatments to keep the mosquitos away, thanks to the expert skills of our technicians.

Pointe St. Louis provides both preventative and responsive services for mosquito control. We are here to help you stay mosquito-free year round.

A Mosquito’s Home

The only real requirement for a mosquito habitat is that it needs some level of moisture. Unfortunately, our yards are often full of moisture in order to keep the landscaping alive. This means that mosquitos can use anything from the tiny puddle under the gutter, to the damp soil in the garden, to the half-full watering can by the shed. There will always be some level of moisture in the yard, but there are certainly some ways to cut down on the amount of stagnant water that mosquitos can use.

Empty out items after it rains (trays, toys, buckets, tarps)
Switch out bird bath water and clean with soap and water before refilling
Change outdoor pet water dishes frequently
Don’t overwater plants or the garden
Repair any leaks from hoses, drip systems, gutters, etc.
Keep all trash sealed in the large trash cans
Clean out gutters of debris and leaves
Inspect the area around the air conditioner for any leaks, or water in the drip pan

These tasks may seem overwhelming if you do not already do them, but trust us: it is worth it to not have to deal with a mosquito infestation. Keep everything as moisture-free as possible, and you should not have to worry about a huge mosquito invasion this year.

The Dangerous Mosquito

Mosquitos are not dangerous because of their size or enormous jaws. Rather, it is because they can transmit various fatal diseases to humans. The diseases they spread have caused multiple deaths every year, accumulating a higher number of casualties than other, more intimidating creatures. Mosquitos spread diseases so easily and quickly that it is no wonder why pest control has become an essential over the years.

Contrary to popular belief, mosquitos do not inject each mammal they bite with the blood of the previous host. Mosquitos transmit diseases by biting an infected mammal, allowing the disease to reproduce in their guts, and then transferring it to the next host via their saliva in the bite. The diseases are blood-borne, meaning they cannot survive or reproduce without blood, so these pathogens need the blood diet of mosquitos to be passed along to other mammals.

Mosquito control is about more than preventing annoying pests; it is also about keeping you and your family safe from these diseases!

The Potential Diseases

The diseases that mosquitos transmit have thankfully been met with advancements in medicine, but they can still be potentially fatal to humans. Many of these diseases can have lasting consequences if left untreated, which is why it is important to see medical attention for signs of mosquito-transmitted diseases. There are three diseases most commonly associated with mosquito bites:

Malaria – This is possibly the most famous disease associated with mosquitos. A one-celled parasite causes it, and can be contracted by mosquitoes and passed on to the next host through the mosquito’s saliva. This parasite demolishes the red blood cells in humans. Anywhere from 200 to 300 million people are infected with malaria annually, gaining lasting damage to their organs and blood vessels. Common malaria symptoms include chills, headaches, fatigue, aches, fever, and nausea.
Zika Virus – This virus has come into recent news because the effects of the disease unfortunately does not stop after the immediate mosquito bite. Zika virus is not typically fatal, but the symptoms are not enjoyable at all. They are reminiscent of flu symptoms, as the most common ones include muscle and joint pain, fever, headaches, and a rash. But beyond those risks, pregnant women who get Zika virus from a mosquito can potentially pass the virus on to their fetus. Zika virus can potentially cause a number of birth defects in the fetus, including microcephaly.
West Nile Virus – Most people infected with West Nile virus do not experience any symptoms and will be fine. But 25% of people infected with this virus do show symptoms, and about .01% of those people will acquire a dangerous disease. The common symptoms some people experience include fever, aches, vomiting, and fatigue. Anyone with pre-existing medical conditions or compromised immune symptoms are at higher risk of developing a neurological disease like meningitis or encephalitis.

Itchy Bites

In addition to the awful diseases that mosquitoes have been spreading for centuries, the Welts that they leave behind are aggravatingly itchy. It is worth wondering how mosquito bites can be so much itchier than other insect bites…

The mosquito’s thin proboscis is able to pierce our skin without our noticing, which is why we are only able to catch them in the act if we physically see them land on us. But their saliva is the specific cause behind the itchy bites. Mosquito saliva both numbs and anticoagulants our bodies, meaning we do not feel their proboscis enter before and we will not bleed afterwards. But the saliva is also what creates the itch, as our bodies are naturally allergic to it. Some people are more allergic than others, causing the bites to swell up and become red more quickly than other people’s.

Female mosquitos are the only ones that bite us because they seek out the protein for their eggs. And since females live much longer than males, that means they need a lot of blood to keep up with their egg production! There are a few main ways that they find their blood sources. One is by detecting the carbon dioxide we exhale, as this compound attracts them. Another is through their infrared vision that allows them to separate mammals from ectothermic animals. A third way is by using their heat sensors to detect us sooner when we are sweating and have a higher body temperature.

Keep the Mosquitos at Bay

There are easy ways to keep mosquitoes from making a meal out of you outdoors:

Apply or diffuse essential oils that are known to repel mosquitos. Some common ones include citronella, lavender, lemon eucalyptus, and peppermint.
Use citronella candles when spending time outdoors at a party or barbecue. They may not keep every single mosquito away, but the smell will drive most of them away.
Apply mosquito repellent before spending extensive time outside. Make sure the container says it has DEETs, as these ingredients are the actual key to repelling mosquitos.
Use a fan at outdoor parties. Mosquitos will not be able to withstand the wind power and cannot fly anywhere near.

In addition to these everyday methods, the best way to prevent mosquitos is with the effective treatments from our knowledgeable technicians at Pointe St. Louis. Since our products are non-toxic, you don’t have to worry about harmful chemicals floating around your backyard. Our technicians know the common breeding and hiding places of mosquitos, so we are able to focus the treatments to these targeted areas. Scheduled services keep the mosquitos at bay so that you can actually enjoy your outdoor space.

Contact Pointe St. Louis to schedule services for your pest concerns. Our team is committed to providing the most thorough and productive pest control through our repeated inspections, customized treatments, and helpful answers to any questions. Call us to schedule your services ASAP!

Amazing service!

Pointe Pest Control has been keeping my home pest free for the last 2 years. All the techs that come are courteous and thorough and everything they do works! Even got the mosquito treatment this year and it worked like we had a dome over our house; the mosquitos couldn’t get through. Amazing service!

Shannon Walthall

Glenview

Call Today (800) 698-4530

Mosquitos

Live Mosquito-Free with Pointe!!

FREE PEST CONTROL QUOTE

The Stress of Mosquito Bites

A Mosquito’s Home

The Dangerous Mosquito

The Potential Diseases

Itchy Bites

Keep the Mosquitos at Bay

Amazing service!

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