Why are there so many mosquitoes in my yard specifically?
Two things: water nearby and shade to rest in. A Decatur yard with heavy landscaping, a pond, or low drainage offers both, and tiger mosquitoes need only a bottle cap of water. Fix what you can reach, then ask a Decatur provider to inspect for the sites you cannot see.
What is the difference between larvicide and barrier spray?
Larvicide kills larvae in water; barrier spray kills adults on vegetation. A complete Decatur program uses both. Larvicide is the cheaper, longer-lasting half, and a Decatur provider who skips it is leaving the source untouched.
What should I do before the provider arrives?
Walk the Decatur property and dump anything holding water: saucers, buckets, toys, tarps, and wheelbarrows. Clear the gutters if you can. Bring pets inside, cover fish ponds, and let the Decatur crew know about vegetable beds, beehives, or plants you want skipped.
Will mosquito treatment kill bees and butterflies?
Barrier products are toxic to bees on contact. Good practice in Decatur is to spray shaded shrubs and undersides of leaves, not blooms, and to work in early morning or evening when bees are inactive. Larvicides like Bti do not affect bees, so that part of a Decatur program is not a concern.
What does a mosquito inspection involve?
Expect thirty to sixty minutes. The provider checks every place water can stand on a Decatur lot, dips standing water to look for larvae, and identifies species if possible. That decides whether the Decatur plan leans on larvicide, barrier spray, stations, or all three.
What do homeowners actually do to keep mosquitoes out of the yard?
Removing standing water leads the list. For Decatur, Alabama the relevant figure is this: Draining standing water is the first thing most professionals recommend, and it is also the step homeowners take most often: 48% in Mosquito Squad's provider-sponsored 2016 survey of U.S. homeowners (TNS Global, sample undisclosed) said they had done it. For a property in Decatur, the next step is an inspection that identifies the source, not a guess based on national averages.
How many homeowners do nothing about mosquitoes?
Fewer than you might expect. One figure Decatur homeowners tend to underestimate: Twelve percent of U.S. homeowners in Mosquito Squad's 2016 Fight the Bite survey said they had taken no yard precautions against mosquitoes at all, according to the TNS Global poll, which the company sponsored and whose sample size is undisclosed. Decatur homeowners comparing quotes should ask each provider which of these patterns they see locally and why.