Culex pipiens—the bane of the Sunday afternoon barbecue! For its size, the common mosquito has created more havoc than just about any other flying creature. Besides the fact that this tiny insect has been the vehicle behind some of the world’s worst pestilences such as malaria, yellow fever, and West Nile virus, for the ordinary person the mosquito is just plain annoying. Mosquito misting systems can help protect your yard and family.

Mosquitoes thrive where there are warm to hot temperatures and lots of standing water. Whereas they have a wide demographic, they tend to proliferate in areas such as the Deep South where heat, humidity, forests, rain, and swamplands provide the perfect conditions for mosquito life.

Millions of dollars and lifetimes of research have been spent in these areas to find the perfect way to eliminate or at least control this pesky vermin. Spray repellents, bug zappers, mosquito traps, ultrasonic devises, and misting systems, as well as the use of bats and purple martins, have all made headlines with their bid to rid. The backyard mosquito misting system has made a pretty good case for its effectiveness.

What is a backyard mosquito misting system?

As the name implies, the backyard misting system sprays a product into the air in enclosed or semi-enclosed outside areas where people gather. These can include yards, patios, barns, barbecue areas, swimming pools, and outdoor kitchens. It uses a system of nylon and copper tubing to transport insecticide from a central control unit and spray it in atomized form through stainless steel nozzles installed at regular intervals around a designated perimeter. Mosquito misting systems work like a sprinkler system or the water misters at some amusement parks to help cool tourists. The mosquito misting system is controlled by a timer which is set up to run several times a day, usually after dawn, before dusk, and sometimes in the evening hours. Each cycle lasts only a few seconds. A remote control allows users to add or cancel cycles if you are having a backyard party and need a boost or want to skip a cycle. The fine mist settles down on grass, plants and walks in the spray zone. Insects that land on the residue die; others just leave the area. Mosquito misting systems are effective for controlling other insects as well, including flies, gnats, ticks, wasps, no-see-ums, fleas, and spiders.

Is it safe?

The insecticide we use is highly biodegradable. It reacts quickly to sunlight. The misting is done when it will have its greatest effectiveness, in the early mornings and late evenings, when mosquitoes are most active but butterflies and bees aren’t. Within a short time after the misting, usually less than an hour, the residue disappears from the surfaces on which it landed. Misting systems release a steady, but small amounts of product to maintain a no-fly zone for unwelcome pests. Social events, hammock-swinging, and kids’ playtimes can take place in a clean, bug-free environment.

My Pest Pros is a licensed MistAway dealer. We chose to work with MistAway because of the high quality and experience of these systems. Options include rain sensors to prevent spraying during rainy weather. Systems can also be monitored and controlled via an iPhone.

Every misting system is different. We work with homeowners to custom design a system based on their yard. Contact My Pest Pros in the greater D.C. area today to install a mosquito misting system.