Mosquito Spray: 11 Most Frequently Asked Questions

11 Most Frequently Asked Mosquito Spray Questions

Everyone is familiar with mosquitos, those irritating blood suckers that leave angry welts all over your body. Besides their annoyance, they are responsible for more human deaths than any other living creature. Every year mosquitos cause more than a million deaths worldwide. They are a threat to public health not only worldwide, but here in Virginia, Maryland, the DMV area and around the entire country. In the US, mosquitos cause West Nile Virus, Heart Worm in dogs and Eastern Equine Encephalitis, not to mention cases of Malaria and Dengue Fever. Recently, a new deadly disease that has started to take hold in the Caribbean called Chikungunya. It’s only a matter of time before it moves to the US.

Mosquitoes need water to lay their eggs. But it doesn’t have to be fresh water, they can lay their eggs in salt marshes and brackish pools. One mosquito can be responsible for one billion offspring (assuming they all survive) in one month! Removal of standing water on your property is crucial.

If only the golf course where Patrick Durkin was playing had employed an effective Mosquito Control program… It would have saved him and his family from his near death experience with West Nile Virus.

Shockingly, in 2010 almost 10% of all deaths in the United States from West Nile Virus occurred in VA, MD and DC according to the CDC.

How does a mosquito spray work?

Our techs use a backpack sprayer. The sprayer shoots out a high powered, very fine mist that kills mosquitoes on contact and will put up an invisible barrier that will last up to three weeks. We offer two different barrier sprays. The first is Flower Power which is made up of a synthetic derivative of the chrysanthemum flower. The second is called Simply Organic and is 100% organic.

How often do you need to spray?

For Flower Power we come out every three weeks. For Simply Organic every two weeks. The season lasts from April through the end of October.

What happens if we have mosquitoes after you spray?

After your first spray we will generally kill 80 to 90% of the mosquitoes in your yard. Nature however is unpredictable. If we get a heavy rain and you have some standing water in your yard, a mosquito bloom is possible in as little as 7 days. It happens. No worries. If you are on a seasonal plan just give us a call and we will come out and get it taken care of free of charge. Check out our warranty.

How long do we have to stay out of the yard after spraying?

Our sprays generally dry in about 30 minutes. Please stay out of the yard (pets too) until the product has a chance to set and dry. If it looks wet give it a bit longer to dry. After it is dry, please feel free to enjoy your mosquito free yard.

Do I have to be home when you spray?

No. You’ll of course be notified via email the day before that we are coming out. We just need to be able to access your entire yard with gates unlocked. Later that day we will notify you that we’ve sprayed.

How do you prevent mosquitoes from flying in from the neighbor’s yard?

While we can’t prevent them from flying in, we have come up with an ingenious way of eradicating them. Mosquitoes use the blood they suck from you to produce and lay eggs. They don’t eat the blood, they actually feed on glucose found in plants. So, when a mosquito flies into your yard if you’re not around for them to suck your blood, they hang out on the underside of dense vegetation feeding on the plants. Our sprays coat all the vegetation so that when the mosquito that flew in from your neighbor’s yard needs a rest and get a quick bite to eat, they feed on the treated plants and it kills them. Simple as that.

What if I have lots of vegetation?

Our backpack sprayers will shoot a very fine mist that will penetrate the vegetation. Our techs will
generally walk the perimeter of the heavy vegetation and spray into it. If they can walk around an area of thick bushes they will. They won’t trudge through thick brush.

How safe are your products?

All of our mosquito spray products are extremely safe. In most cases, common household products found under your sink and used in your home are much more toxic than the products we use. Please see the toxicity chart comparing our Flower Power and Simply Organic programs with other common items. All of our techs, after a training period, must be licensed by the local jurisdiction to spray and are fully up to speed on safety regulations.

What if we have dogs?

First off, all of our products are safe for people and pets. If you have dogs or other pets that play in the backyard all we ask is that you bring them inside before we spray. If you work, not a problem, please keep the dogs inside that day and our techs will unlock the gate and spray the yard. Please let the product dry before letting your pets out again. Generally 30 minutes or so should do it. At the time of order please let us know that you have outdoor pets and provide gate instructions.

How much does it cost?

Our prices are based on the size of your yard. The easiest way to think about it is that our sprays generally cost a little bit more than your lawn service per cut. Please email or call us for a quote.

What can our customers do to help keep mosquitoes at bay?

Mosquitoes need water to lay their eggs. Removal of standing water on your property is crucial. Our guys will tip over any standing water they see but please do the same when you’re out and about in the yard. Also, if gutters are clogged they can be a major mosquito breeding area.