I know the spring rainy season seems like an early time to start thinking about using pest control techniques to keep the mosquito population down.
It's still cool outside, and you're not going out there much anyway.
And let's face it; you just don't see too many mosquitoes when you do go out there right now.
But those mosquitoes are on their way.
And all that water helps them grow their numbers to population levels that will drive you crazy soon enough as those pests buzz around your head, and stick you to suck the blood from your veins.
If you take action against their invasion now you'll help keep those numbers down.
Maybe you'll still go a bit crazy putting up with these flying bugs, but hopefully your control actions will keep you from going totally insane.
It's not so much the water build up (the flooding) that causes the problems with the mosquitoes.
The floodwaters move too fast for the mosquitoes to do anything in them, and those waters quickly drain away.
The problem comes after those waters finish draining.
They leave puddles behind, and they leave damp areas even after the water in those puddles seep into the ground.
Mosquitoes are waiting patiently for those puddles and damp spots.
That's where they lay their eggs to hatch out their babies, and grow their families into huge swarms of biting armies.
You know, those blood-sucking swarms of pests that ruin your picnics and cookouts all summer long? Use preventive pest control to minimize those summer attacks now.
Do it before mosquitoes get the chance to start laying their eggs.
The first step to take toward preventive control of mosquitoes is eliminating everything around your yard where water collects, and stands.
Or at least get rid of as many of those water collection points as possible.
Do you have any buckets that stand upright? Or flower pots that don't have drainage vents to allow the water to escape? Turn them upside down so water won't fill them, or store them under a cover of some kind so rain can't fill them up.
Any old tires lying around? They make excellent breeding places for mosquitoes because the water collects, and stands, in them.
Then it stagnates, and stagnated water is a favorite place for mosquitoes to lay their eggs.
What about low-lying ground? When the rainy season hits you won't have time to fill those in.
And maybe you can't do anything about low ground anyway.
I have a drainage ditch on my property that fills up during the rains.
The water flows away quick, but that ditch stays damp most of the spring, and mosquitoes use it as an annual breeding ground.
When you have a situation like that use a good residual spray, and cover the area so the hatching larvae dies as they emerge from the eggs.
Just make sure you find a spray that won't harm your pets.
In my experience you'll need more effort during your summer outdoor activities.
Some of these bugs somehow get past your early attention.
Start your pest control routine during the early rains.
Continue those techniques through the spring.
And you'll keep those mosquito attacks to a minimum for your back yard barbeques.