Mosquito-borne diseases are among the leading causes of illness and death today. Despite notable advancements in medicine in recent years, mosquito-borne diseases continue to pose serious health risks to citizens of the United States. As a result of this continued threat, some local governments of areas with dense mosquito populations have devised mosquito-spraying campaigns that are carried out by trucks or planes mounted with sprayers.

These campaigns have existed for decades, and have proven to be a reliable way of eliminating the spread of mosquitoes and mosquito-borne diseases.

While government efforts to eliminate mosquitoes are effective on a large scale, they obviously cannot provide mosquito control on a case-by-case basis. Pest control companies, on the other hand, can provide individualized mosquito control, so using them in concert with government spraying campaigns can ensure your yard remains virtually mosquito-free.

How Do Mosquito Control Programs Work?

In areas where mosquitoes are more prevalent, local government departments track mosquito populations via mosquito surveillance traps to learn where viruses—such as Zika or West Nile—are spreading in a community.

Once the local government has established which areas need mosquito control the most, they deploy trucks or planes equipped with sprayers to these areas and spray insecticide into the air to kill mosquitoes.

Aerial vs. Truck Spraying

Local governments use two main methods of mosquito control: truck spraying and aerial spraying. Aerial spraying is more effective and faster than truck-mounted sprayers in treating large areas of land; it is also preferred if the land that’s being treated is difficult to negotiate with a truck, such as swamps.

What kinds of Insecticides do Local Governments Use?

There are two main kinds of insecticides used in mosquito control: larvicide and adulticide. Larvicide kills mosquito larvae, while adulticide sprays immediately kill adult mosquitoes. Local government departments and mosquito control districts use liquid adulticides, and occasionally larvicides, for mosquito control.

These are often applied as an ultra-low volume (ULV) spray, meaning that the sprayers turn the liquid into very small droplets that float in the air. Small quantities of adulticide are sufficient to kill mosquitoes in an area.

Advantages of Local Government Mosquito Control

Government mosquito control is a worthwhile public service, one that has been used safely and effectively for over 50 years. All insecticides used by the government are EPA approved and used in such small amounts that they pose no threat to larger organisms. It’s also a public service, paid for by tax dollars, so you’ll never get hit with a bill.

One disadvantage of government mosquito control is that it is by definition a large-scale operation and is thus ill-equipped to address the needs of individual homeowners.

For example, some local governments will only conduct a spray if data from mosquito surveillance traps shows a virus is present in the mosquitoes. This means that even if you’re experiencing a large number of mosquitoes, it’s not guaranteed that your area will be sprayed soon. Furthermore, government entities don’t have direct access to vulnerable areas such as backyards, so standing water in these areas can remain untreated.

Should I Hire a Mosquito Control Company if my Local Government Offers Mosquito Control Programs?

While they both target mosquitoes, government mosquito control programs and treatments offered by pest control companies differ somewhat in their goals. Government programs are more focused on reducing the number of mosquitoes in a large area, and improving public health generally, whereas pest control companies like MissQuito focus on satisfying the individual needs of the customer for a direct fee.

MissQuito services help alongside the government’s services. Local goverment mosquito control are usually a broadcast application. It provides a wide coverage for treatment, but it has limits. For example, it cannot get underneath foliage where mosquitoes live. We provide a more targeted service that treats each and every resting place a mosquito finds on your property to keep it mosquito free.“

Chelsea Walters, Service Manager

Both government mosquito control and pest control companies can be used in tandem to provide superior mosquito control. Government programs provide protection from mosquitoes on a community level, and pest control companies can be used to “fill in the gaps,” so to speak—to create a more individualized approach, one predicated more on the needs of a specific customer.