Well, it’s not exactly summertime, although it certainly feels like it! We have the windows open, and all the cats are fighting over who shall sit where. Windows in the bedroom are prime at night. With four cats and three windows, well, you do the math. There’s always one cat who is unhappy!
This warmer weather combined with all the rain makes me think of mosquitoes. I haven’t seen any of the Asian tigers just yet; those are the ones with the lovely black and white striped legs that don’t mind that it’s not dark outside. They will find you and bite you in the daylight. So unfair! As a kid, I would always spend 
time at my grandma’s in the summer. Her house was old, and the window screens had small holes in them. No matter how they were patched, the holes would come back. So at night, I would inevitably hear that ever so annoying whining in my ear as a mosquito flew around, looking for a place to land and have a feast. The worst part was when the buzzing stopped; that meant the creature had landed somewhere on me. I’d get up and try and find the insect. Never could see the dang thing, and I’d end up with bites every morning.
So with all the rain we’ve been having, I thought it would be good to go over a few tips on how to keep mosquitoes from breeding in your yard. All mosquitoes need water at some point in their life cycle. Some will search out water to lay eggs in while others will lay eggs in areas that will eventually get filled with water, then the eggs will hatch. To cut down on breeding areas:
- Empty, drain, remove, cover or turn upside down things that can hold water.
- Empty any small plastic wading pools weekly. Store it indoors when not in use.
- Repair leaky pipes and outside faucets.
- Don’t let runoff water from your air conditioner collect in shady areas.
- Clean debris from rain gutters and unclog obstructed downspouts.
- Scrub and change the water in bird baths weekly.
- Empty and refill outdoor pets’ water pans daily.
Remember: mosquitoes only need a small amount of water in which to breed or to hatch their eggs. Remove the water, and you remove the potential biters. Although there are natural predators out there that will eat mosquitoes (bats, birds, dragonflies and the like), they are not the best way to reduce the population. The best way is to not allow the mosquitoes to breed in the first place.
And a reminder that our kiosk ribbon cutting is on:
Saturday, May 12, 2012
11am
Parking lot across from Indianola Informal K-8
251 East Weber Road
(Between Calumet and Druid)
Tree walk to follow!
Until next time!
Lower Olentangy Urban Arboretum 