The mosquito pest population was particularly high in central Texas this year, and several insect pest reports name Texas as one of the worst states for biting mosquito pests. Texas is home to some of the most dangerous disease-carrying mosquito species, including Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. In residential areas, mosquito bites are generally sustained while residents are gardening or performing yard work, but it is not uncommon for people to sustain mosquito bites within their own home as well. In addition to mosquitoes, chiggers and fleas are common yard pests in central Texas. Chiggers are technically arachnids known as mites, and they are very common on turf lawns where residents often sustain bites. It is not uncommon for residents to unknowingly transport chiggers into their homes, but luckily, chiggers do not survive long within indoor conditions. However, this is not the case when it comes to another common lawn-dwelling arthropod pest, fleas. Fleas inflict bites on humans and pets in order to feed on blood, and both humans and pets often transport fleas indoors after the insect pests become attached to the body. Once indoors, fleas can establish stubborn infestations that are difficult to eradicate.
Basically everything people have heard about “natural” mosquito control is wrong. For example, bats prefer to feed on beetles, moths and grasshoppers, but not so much mosquitoes, and the Environmental Protection Agency states that ultrasonic mosquito repellent devices do not work to keep mosquitoes out of yards. Homemade repellents containing garlic are also ineffective against mosquitoes, and bug zappers may do more harm than good, as they also kill beneficial insects that prey on mosquitoes. The best way for homeowners to control residential mosquito pests is to remove stagnant water and containers that gather rainwater from lawns, as disease-carrying mosquito pests congregate around and breed within standing water sources. There also does not exist any reliable remedies for keeping chiggers out of lawns, but wearing pants and long sleeves can go a long way at preventing bites. Chiggers release digestive enzymes into skin in order to feed on tissue, and while some people may have a serious allergy to chigger bites, these mites can simply be brushed off of skin once they are found. Fleas routinely establish indoor infestations where they burrow into carpeting, upholstery and curtains. In order to avoid flea infestations, dogs should be treated for fleas and humans should perform yard work in pants. There does not exist in home remedies or over-the-counter products that can reliably eradicate flea infestations, so professional pest controllers must be contacted for flea treatments.
Have you ever experienced a flea infestation?
