Not a Friendly Flyer: How Mosquitoes Can Negatively Impact Your Business

Mosquitoes are more than an unwelcome nuisance on sidewalks, patios, playgrounds and other outdoor spaces. They can threaten the health and well-being of your employees and customers through their uncomfortable bites and the potential diseases they spread. Let’s break down some quick facts about these blood-sucking pests:

• The Silent Bite: Mosquitoes use a tubular mouthpart called a proboscis to pierce skin and feed on their host.
• Taking Their Fill: Female mosquitoes (the ones that bite) can drink up to 3 times their body weight. The protein from this meal helps them develop their eggs, laying up to 300 eggs at a time.
• Scanners Activated, Target Acquired: Mosquitoes have receptors built into their antennae that can detect carbon dioxide that humans and animals exhale up to 9 meters away. They also have heat sensors around their mouths used to detect body heat.
• Leave an Inch, They Take a Mile: Mosquitoes only need as little as a bottle cap of water to successfully breed, and their eggs will hatch in water over the course of 10 days.

Health Risks Posed by Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes are known carriers of various diseases, each with severe symptoms:

• Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE): Causes fever, aches, and sometimes brain infection.
• Malaria: Leads to fever, vomiting, and diarrhea.
• West Nile Virus: Results in fever, aches, rash, and sometimes paralysis.
• Dengue Fever: Symptoms include fever, vomiting, rash, and severe headaches.
• Zika Virus: Causes fever, itching rash, joint, and muscle pain.

Impact on Business Operations

Mosquitoes can create an itchy, unwelcome presence in outdoor areas such as sidewalks, dining spaces, playgrounds, and event venues, posing a threat to public health and deterring customers.

Interesting Facts About Mosquitoes

• Biting Mechanism: Mosquitoes bite without teeth using a tubular mouthpart called a proboscis.
• Breeding: Females lay up to 300 eggs at a time in water, and larvae spend their first 10 days in water.
• Activity: Mosquitoes can drink three times their weight and are active both day and night, peaking around dusk.

Prevention Tips

To minimize mosquito presence on your property:

• Remove Standing Water: Eliminate unnecessary items and debris that can hold water.
• Install Screens: Use screens on windows and doors to keep mosquitoes out.
• Maintain Landscaping: Keep the area well-maintained and free of debris where mosquitoes can breed.
• Use Fans: Mosquitoes are weak flyers, so strong airflow can keep them away from outdoor seating areas.
• Consider Repellent Plants: Plant mosquito-repelling plants like citronella, lemongrass, lavender, and marigolds.

Orkin Canada’s Mosquito Control Solutions

Orkin Canada offers comprehensive mosquito control solutions to protect your business. Their services include:

• Comprehensive Inspection: Detailed inspection to identify mosquito habitats.
• Habitat Modification: Adjustments to reduce mosquito-friendly environments.

The Problem with Vector Pests

On top of the itchy bites mosquitoes often leave, they can also be vectors of many diseases that are dangerous and even deadly to humans.

The Best Way to Stop Mosquitoes? Population Control

Reducing the mosquito population around your business can help prevent vector-borne diseases being spread via their bites. Download this helpful fact sheet to learn more about mosquitoes and how to prevent them on your property.