Mosquito larvae develop in stagnant, standing water. Any puddle, container, or other object that will hold water for at least the 7 days that it takes the larvae to mature can produce hungry adult mosquitoes. You’re not powerless against biting mosquitoes. There are plenty of protective measures that you can take in your own yard (see Worried About Mosquitoes?). Removing standing water is your priority.

10 Possible Mosquito Breeding Sites in Your Yard

1. Ponds – Stock the pond with fish (feeder goldfish from a pet store will do). Or, float Mosquito Dunks^© (from your hardware store) on the surface. These contain a bacteria that affects only mosquito larvae. Remove excess vegetation.
2. Swimming Pools – Maintain water quality at all times. Don’t let water collect on the pool cover. See Insects Are Attracted to Backyard Swimming Pools and Ponds.
3. Plastic wading pools – Drain the water when not in use, or cover the pool to keep mosquitoes from laying eggs in the water.
4. Containers – Miscellaneous buckets, plant saucers, wheelbarrows, tires — anything that can hold water must be emptied and stored in an inverted position or covered. Consider disposing of containers.
5. Tree holes – If the tree hole is holding water, drain it and fill with expanding foam. See How to Fill in Tree Holes for Mosquito Management.
6. Bird baths – Change the water at least once a week.
7. Standing water – Re-grade, fill, or drain any low areas that consistently hold water.
8. Street gutter or catch basin – Keep litter and garden debris out of the gutter. Don’t overwater your yard.
9. Cesspool or septic tank – Seal and cover it so mosquitoes cannot lay eggs in it.
10. Roof gutters – Clean gutters and downspouts regularly to remove debris causing water to back up. Make sure splashblocks are in place and that roof runoff is not pooling in your yard.

[Adapted from:  Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Mosquito publication and UC Davis Pest Notes.]

Photo Credit : By Bryanwake at en.wikipedia – Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons by User:Innotata using CommonsHelper., wikipedia