Natural Ways to Control Mosquitoes Without Using Pesticides

People are asking how to control mosquitoes without pesticides. This is the answer.

This article is based upon a book named Mosquito Brigades

by Ronald Ross, Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons, Doctor of Public Health, Fellow of the Royal Society

Walter Myers Lecturer in Tropical Medicine, Major, Indian Medical Service, retired.

Ronald Ross spent most of his life as a medical person studying mosquito biology, Yellow Fever and Malaria in India and Africa.  After retiring, he wrote this book in 1901, published in 1902 is available today.  These suggestions are based upon his knowledge of mosquito behavior as it relates to mosquito borne diseases. 

If CMCD would carry out these suggestions.  It would greatly reduce the mosquito population in Collier County while protecting the health of the human population.  He rejects what he calls extermination practices as temporary and impractical.

Spraying insecticide or larvicide kills some adult mosquitoes or larva, but it also kills just about every other kind of insect including water born insects spiders and dragonflies.  The pesticides are also detrimental to mosquito eating birds and bats. 

After spraying, more mosquitoes will emerge in a few days from mosquito breeding habitats like pools, containers and bromeliad plants holding water. 

Mosquitoes seldom travel more than 100 yards from where they originate.  

The Collier Mosquito Control District (CMCD) must immediately stop all arial, truck and backpack spraying of insecticides, larvicides or any other pesticides of any kind anywhere in Collier County.

The CMCD should form as many two man “Mosquito Teams” as needed to combat mosquitoes on the ground.  The teams would visit locations where mosquitoes are reported and proceed as follows:

The following procedure would usually correct a reported a home mosquito problem within 24 hours.

Crews of trained technicians would carry on as follows:

1.  Visit the location where mosquitoes have been reported and verify that the report is legitimate.

2.   Speak to the owner about the problem and get permission to check the property for mosquito breeding habitat.

3.   Set mosquito traps to identify what species of mosquitos are in the area. 

4.    Remove containers and drain or fill stagnant pools that can provide breeding habitat for mosquitoes.

5.    Remove ornamental bromeliad plants that tend to hold water that mosquitoes can use for breeding.

6.    Release mosquito eating fish where appropriate.

7.    Release dragonflies to control adult mosquitoes already in the air.

8.    Offer to setup bird houses and bat boxes for future mosquito control.

9.    Check neighboring property for mosquito breeding sites.

10.  Work with the DNR to manage the increased population of wildlife.

Twenty teams could easily handle mosquito control in Collier County.  The overall CMCD budget would easily be reduced by 50% with no longer a need to maintain expensive aircraft and hanger facilities.

Thank you, for reading