Is My Swimming Pool a Breeding Ground for Mosquitoes?

If you live in Florida, or any part of the southern United States, you are no stranger to the mosquito. This annoying pest has been around forever and loves to feast on mammalian blood. In urban areas, their mammal of choice is humans. We are everywhere they are. So its convienent for them to snack on us.

Only the female mosquito bites us. This happens so that she can get the extra nutrients and energy needed to produce offspring. In fact, recently there were measures taken to sterilize female mosquitoes using DNA programming.

Mosquitoes need water to reproduce. They do this by laying eggs in the water. The larva grow up, sprout wings and fly away from their breeding area. One caveat for the water they need to reproduce is that the water must be still. Rippling or moving water prevents the eggs from hatching and developing.

In reality a mosquito may try to lay eggs in your pool when it is still but their batch will fail when the filter kicks on, the pool man cleans the pool or you go swimming. Essentially it is a doomed endeavor for the mosquito.

One thing that may attract mosquitoes to swimming pools in the smell of carbon dioxide which we exhale when we breath. If you have a lot of people around your swimming pool, the mere presence of people is enough to attract mosquitoes. It is suggested that you burn a citronella candle or spray yourself with all-natural repellent when not in the water. Many people in Florida have their pools screened-in for this very reason.

Make sure there are now pools of water collecting around your house. They tend to collect in old tires or containers. Bird baths can also be a breeding ground for mosquitoes. You can actually buy solar powered agitators or fountains for your birdbath. This keeps the water flowing and the mosquitoes.