Best Resources for Mosquito-Related Information

Mosquitoes are one of the most annoying and potentially dangerous insects that we face on a day-to-day basis. Whether you live in the arctic of Alaska, or the heat of Africa, at some point in your life you will be plagued by the annoyance of mosquitoes. Finding resources for mosquito control can be a daunting task, and at times prove unfruitful. This article will help to point you in the right direction, whether you are looking for simple repellent methods for personal use, or to control mosquitoes for large areas.

Understanding Mosquito Control

Before you can effectively repel mosquitoes, you need to understand what attracts and what repels them. Mosquito control has been a subject of study for many years ever since it was discovered that mosquitoes can (and often do) carry life threatening diseases, including but not limited to West Nile and St. Louis encephalitis. An authority on mosquitoes and their control is the EPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency), a great resource that can be found at: epa.gov/mosquitocontrol. This page covers a broad range of info on effective mosquito control and other interesting facts about the life cycle and habits of mosquitoes. Their site is updated on a regular basis and should be consulted often.

Another great place to visit is the Wikipedia page located at: wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosquito control. The wiki page covers several topics related to the control and repellant methods currently being used by millions. Many of the methods covered are to control mosquitoes on a large scale, and is a great resource for people who are trying to manage properties and campsites.

Mosquito Control Resources

American Mosquito Control Association – The authoritative resource for all things mosquito is the American Mosquito Control Association. They have been serving the world with ground-breaking research and resources since organizing in 1903 as the “National Mosquito Extermination Society”. Formed during the Yellow fever outbreak in New Orleans and Pensacola, they have been actively engaged in mosquito control for a very long time. Their website can be found at: www.mosquito.org. The AMCA is a very active organization and maintains a large presence at many conferences and conventions throughout the world. A list of upcoming events can be found from their home page.

The Weather Channel – If you live in the US there are several resource available that will let you know the activity level of mosquitoes in your area. The Weather Channel provides a free web service located at: www.weather.com/activities/homeandgarden/home/mosquito/. Many local weather stations will cover mosquito conditions in their daily weather reports or have information listed on their websites. Knowing the current level of mosquito activity is a very valuable tool when trying to limit exposure.

Department of Health and Environmental Control – Each state has a local Department of Health and Environmental Control, and your local office can be found online via your state’s resource page. Since each region can contain different species of mosquitoes, control can vary widely. Your local Department of Health will be able to provide you with region-specific information about mosquito control and currently circulating health threats transmitted via mosquitoes.

Centers for Disease Control – The CDC (Centers for Disease Control) is always monitoring current trends and diseases being carried by mosquitoes. A good resource is “Developing Sustainable State and Local Mosquito Control Programs” found at: www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/resources/wnv_ReportOverview.htm#youcando.

Parks Department or Department of Fish and Game – If looking for a local resource to combat mosquitoes, your state’s Parks Department and the Department of Fish and Game are both valuable resources. They are responsible for the safety of their communities and have a vast background on keeping unwanted mosquitoes at bay. Another local source for information, techniques, and merchandise are camping and outdoors stores. During the warmer months they often carry a large range of locally effective mosquito control apparatus ranging from sprays to repellant lanterns.

Other Notable Mosquito Control Resources