Although wasps are a familiar summer time pest, one that has seen a re-emergence recently is the mosquito. These two fliers can make your spring and summer garden a nightmare instead of the haven it should be. As the weather becomes sultrier, insects will proliferate and become more active so what can you do to minimise their effect on your and your neighbours’ lazy warm relaxing evenings?With wasps, the prescription is fairly familiar to most of us: keep foodstuffs covered, rubbish containers clean and compost bins well covered. Look for the nest near the ground or under the roof eaves and have it safely destroyed. It goes without saying that cooperative action among neighbours is the only way to have an effect on the problem, though.
Mosquitoes are an increasing though still rather unfamiliar adversary for us in the northern hemisphere. It was not always so as most of the world had a malaria problem at one time. This problem is threatening to re-emerge. Not all mosquitoes can carry disease, some species are innocent of this, although they can still cause irritation with their bites. It is not only malaria that can be carried either: West Nile Virus and Yellow Fever are other mosquito carried diseases. A mosquito is born clean and has to bite someone infected with a disease before it becomes a threat, something to think about with all the travelling we all do. So the only thing to do is ensure none of us catch one of these diseases.
Mosquitoes hatch in still water so make sure all puddles are drained, containers are turned upside down, birdbaths cleaned regularly, swimming pools well maintained with chemicals and fishponds kept well-stocked with fish. If you live near sewage works, campaign to have the pools covered. If you live near a lake, however, the best you can do is invest in bed, door and window nets and avoid the hours of dawn and dusk. You can also dress in close knit long sleeved and trousered clothing, eschew patio heaters (mosquitoes are attracted to the carbon dioxide) and use insect repellants.
Most insects have natural predators so one lovely solution would be to encourage birds to your garden in any way you can. Many feed on wasps or mosquitoes. Have a bird feeding station set up and keep it well stocked. Another gorgeous predator of the mosquito is the dragonfly, and of course don’t forget the bat!