Rain, heat, and a backyard full of mosquitoes
Here's a South Florida summer in three steps. It rains in the afternoon, the sun comes back out, and by dinnertime the mosquitoes own the backyard. After a rainstorm, mosquitoes and fungus show up fast and they show up everywhere. We see it every single summer.
Tequesta and Jupiter don't make it easy. We're surrounded by water, from the Loxahatchee River and the Intracoastal to canals and golf course ponds. Then there's the water you don't notice. A bucket by the shed, a clogged gutter, the saucer under a potted plant that's been holding rain since Tuesday's storm. Mosquitoes only need a little standing water and about a week to turn it into a fresh batch.
What a backyard mosquito treatment covers
Mosquitoes don't hang out in the middle of a sunny lawn. During the heat of the day they rest in the shade, in thick shrubs, under the lanai or tiki roof, in the plants along the fence, and in damp corners close to the house. Then they come out in the evening, right when you want to sit outside.
So that's where we go. We use backyard fogging and barrier treatments aimed at the places mosquitoes rest, around the patio, the pool area, and the landscaping where they hide. The goal is simple. You walk outside at sunset and the yard is yours again.
The mosquitoes biting you are probably local
The mosquitoes that hang around homes and bite in the daytime usually stay within a block or so of where they hatched. That's bad news and good news. The bad news is the batch biting you at the grill probably grew up in your yard or your neighbor's. The good news is that what happens in your own backyard really does make a difference.
They're more than itchy, too. The Florida Department of Health has issued mosquito-borne illness advisories for Palm Beach County in past years, which is one more reason to keep the population down around the house.
Mosquito control in your town
Some people search for mosquito control. Others search for mosquito spraying or a mosquito exterminator. It all lands on the same phone line, and it all comes down to the same thing. The water near your house decides how bad the mosquitoes get, and every town we cover has its own kind of water.
- Tequesta. The Loxahatchee River cuts through the village and Jonathan Dickinson State Park sits on its north edge. Yards that back up to either one get hit first after a storm.
- Jupiter. From riverfront homes near the inlet to the ponds and horse properties out in Jupiter Farms, there is standing water in almost every part of town.
- Jupiter Inlet Colony. A small town with the Intracoastal on one side and the ocean on the other, plus open scrub and shoreline by the lighthouse.
- Jupiter Island. Big shady lots and mangrove edges along the Intracoastal hold moisture long after the rain stops.
- Hobe Sound. Canal-front backyards in the Gomez Grant area and homes near the state park on the south side.
- Juno Beach. Courtyards, condo grounds and yards near the Intracoastal, where shade and damp corners are easy to find.
- North Palm Beach. Canal homes on Little Lake Worth, marinas and docks. Still water close to the back door.
- Palm Beach Gardens. Golf course lakes, preserves and retention ponds that fill up every summer afternoon.
Not sure if your street is close enough? Call (561) 468-6479 and ask. Our home base is 244 Country Club Drive in Tequesta, so for most of these towns we are not far away.
Your side of the deal: drain and cover
Treatment works best when your yard isn't raising a new batch every week. A few minutes after each storm makes a real difference.
- Dump anything holding rainwater. Buckets, kids' toys, flower pot saucers, tarps, and the kiddie pool.
- Keep the gutters clear. A clogged gutter can hold water for days.
- Empty and refill birdbaths and pet water bowls at least once or twice a week.
- Check the pool cover and any bromeliads. The cup in the middle of a bromeliad holds water, and mosquitoes love it.
- Fix torn screens on doors, windows, and the lanai so the ones that are left stay outside.
Palm Beach County runs its own mosquito control program that works on the big picture across the county. Your backyard, the part where you actually sit, is where we come in.
Built around how your family uses the yard
The mosquito story is usually the same. Kids who want to play outside, a dog who lives on the lawn, and a grill that never gets used after June. Tell us how you use the yard, where the kids play and where the dog naps, and we'll plan the treatment around it.
Mosquito control also pairs well with the rest of what we do. A lot of our customers have us handle their pest control or lawn care too, so the whole property is on one plan with one company. One of them has us care for the lawn and spray the back yard for mosquitoes, and says it's why the family can sit outside in the summer.
