What does a mosquito inspection involve?
It is mostly looking down and looking under. Good inspectors in Stillwater check corrugated drain pipes, gutter elbows, AC drip lines, sump pits, and the neighbor's side of the fence. They should hand you a short written summary before any treatment on your Stillwater property begins.
What is the difference between larvicide and barrier spray?
Larvicide kills larvae in water; barrier spray kills adults on vegetation. A complete Stillwater program uses both. Larvicide is the cheaper, longer-lasting half, and a Stillwater provider who skips it is leaving the source untouched.
What should I do before the provider arrives?
Walk the Stillwater 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 Stillwater crew know about vegetable beds, beehives, or plants you want skipped.
How long does a mosquito treatment last?
Expect about three weeks of fewer bites, sometimes four when dry. The residue breaks down in sunlight and washes off in rain, which is why Stillwater providers repeat treatments through the season. If bites return sooner, a missed breeding site near your Stillwater home is the usual reason.
What are In2Care stations and do they work?
In2Care-style stations use the mosquito against itself. A female lands, gets dusted with a growth regulator, and spreads it to every puddle she visits around your Stillwater yard. They act slowly, so pair them with source reduction, and expect a Stillwater provider to refill them roughly every four weeks.
How many homeowners do nothing about mosquitoes?
Fewer than you might expect. The same question comes up in Stillwater: in the 2016 Fight the Bite survey conducted by TNS Global for Mosquito Squad, roughly one U.S. homeowner in eight (12%) reported doing nothing in the yard about mosquitoes; the provider-sponsored poll did not report how many people it surveyed. If you are in Stillwater, use this as a starting point for questions rather than a prediction for your home.
Did Zika news change how people protect themselves from mosquitoes?
It shifted intentions more than spending. A number that shapes expectations in Stillwater as much as anywhere: health headlines move people toward the simplest step first: 34% of U.S. homeowners in Mosquito Squad's provider-sponsored 2016 survey (TNS Global, sample undisclosed) planned to use repellent after Zika news, far more than planned to hire a professional. Providers serving Stillwater should be able to explain how their recommendation fits what they actually found on your property.