We live in an area where we have been told that we have “salt water” mosquitoes. We have also been told that fogging the area with a bio-mist will not work to kill the salt water mosquito. Can you tell me if this is accurate and if so, what kind of treatment is recommended on a large scale to control the salt water mosquito?

There are many species of mosquitoes that can live in breed around or in salt water. Some species must have salt water; some are able to live in both fresh or salt water. That being established, most all warm climate regions which have salt water marshes or wetlands are subject to some species of mosquito as well as biting midges, biting flies, thrips, no seeums and a whole host of other biting pests that like to feed on people.

Controlling any of these pests is generally not a real viable option. There are simply too many places available for them to live and breed. When someone says “fogging will not work” what they probably mean is that in the long term, mosquitoes will return or continue to be active in any given area due to a host of reasons. So what they are saying is probably true. However, if you read through our MOSQUITO CONTROL ARTICLE, what you’ll learn is that even if you are surrounded by mosquito breeding sites, you can still create a buffer zone or safe area on your property where you can expect to be mosquito free for days and maybe even weeks. In other words, controlling them on your property is most definitely possible. And though they might return at some point, you can still get some length of control that can vary from 2-4 days up to 2-3 weeks depending on local breeding cycles, weather conditions and other factors.

So to answer your question, large scale salt water mosquito control can be obtained. Where the confusion lies is in how one “defines” mosquito control. To us, mosquito control means not having them on your property for a given period of time. For example, I reside on the Chattahoochee river. There is a great deal of wetlands close by along with thick vegetation, lots of moisture and lots of shade. Basically it’s a “mosquito coast” of sorts. I use a BACK PACK FOGGER and treat my plants, my lawn and my property every 2-3 weeks and I’m able to keep my ground pretty much mosquito free for 1-2 weeks following every treatment. Sometimes this window of having mosquito control is even longer; sometimes shorter. The point is I’m not really controlling them; I’m merely limiting the ones that are active on my property and in the end, that is OK for me and my family. I suggest you attempt the same.

To do this, you must first decide on just how much of any area you want to protect. Next, you must get the right MOSQUITO FOGGER to use for this given area. Third, choose a good MOSQUITO CONTROL CHEMICAL to apply and then lastly, employ a treatment program that will yield the kind of results you are willing to accept. But go into this deal understanding you will not be truly “controlling mosquitoes” but instead, you will be controlling just how many you allow on your property. This approach will make any type of pest management easy to comprehend.

For now, if you want to forward details about how big of an area you want to treat we can list equipment and products that can handle the job. Alternatively, you can give us a call on our toll free at 1.800.877.7290 to talk with a specialist. I’m sure we’ll be able to get a level of salt water mosquito control that will be acceptable once we know the area involved and to what degree the occupants are willing to treat.