How to Prevent Your Home From Becoming a Breeding Hub for Mosquitoes

The searing summer heat and the monsoon rains bring us one menace – mosquitoes in India. During this season, we should be cautious of diseases like chikungunya, malaria, and dengue fever. This means it is the right time to focus on maintaining an environment that prevents the breeding of mosquitoes. An average female mosquito can lay up to 400 eggs in about a week. So here is what we can do to prevent them from turning into larvae and adult mosquitoes.

Tips to prevent mosquitoes from breeding in and around your home

1. Clear the clutter

We often accumulate unwanted junk, particularly containers that can collect and store rainwater. These include tin cans, watering cans, old buckets, tires, bottles, crates etc. We leave them lying around the garage or yard or even the balconies, hoping to find a use for them later. It is a good idea to discard these and prevent the stagnation of rainwater. These can quickly turn into homes for mosquito colonies and can cause an outbreak of vector-borne diseases within days.

2. Clean the coolers

Air coolers are very popular, particularly in the dry north Indian states. Most homes use them to cool the interiors. A typical air cooler requires water to be filled in and allows this water to remain stagnant for a few days. This is the perfect breeding ground for mosquito larvae. Maintaining a cleaning schedule to replace stagnant water is very important. You can also add a few drops of cinnamon oil or a few tablets of camphor to the air cooler tank to prevent mosquitoes.

3. Garden care

Many people enjoy maintaining an outdoor garden, but even those without open space may keep a few plants on their balcony or window sill. Flower pot plates and empty pots tend to collect water and must be emptied daily. Similarly, yards, gardens, and balconies with rain gutters tend to get clogged with leaves, branches, and twigs. Mosquitoes breed wherever they find stagnant water and a moist environment. Maintaining a clean, dry garden or balcony is essential for your health and safety.

4. Caring for aquariums and pet bowls

While we understand the value of cleaning out tanks, water beds, and litter, most of us forget that water bowls left out for pets or birds to drink from and even fish bowls or aquariums can be a source of stagnant water and quickly turn into breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Changing water regularly, using mosquito nets to cover these, and adding a water pump to the aquarium can be good ideas to prevent this.

5. Waste management

There has recently been a great deal of conversation around waste management and composting. The challenge with this is that compost buckets are left standing for days with decaying wet waste. Similarly, most of us have large garbage disposal bins outside our buildings or societies. This allows for the collection of rainwater and the breeding of mosquitoes. Keep any composting bin or trash cans covered. Spray these with non-toxic larvicide and consult a pest control specialist.

6. Using screens and repellents

Despite keeping our homes clean and dry, the external environment may contribute to mosquito infestations. It is important to use window screens and non-toxic mosquito repellents to keep these pests away and keep your family protected.

Conclusion

The local municipal authority can be your best friend in keeping the community and residential locality safe. Promptly report any pools of stagnant water, uncleared garbage bins, and outgrown plots in the neighbourhood.