How to get rid of Mosquitoes & Midges?

1. Eliminate any standing water to prevent Mosquitoes & Midges from breeding in areas like your backyard.
2. Tie tarps tight to avoid the pooling of water.
3. Wear mosquito repellent on uncovered skin surfaces when outdoors in ares populated with mosquitos/midgees.
4. Light citronella candles when spending time outside e.g. socialising.
5. Place lavender oil on cloth near windows/doors to repel them from entering.

If you think you might have and Mosquitoes or Midges infestation in your home you will need to contact Knockout Pest Control by Rentokil for a pest inspection.

You can call our service team on 1300 858 140. or you can send us an email by using the Contact Form by clicking here >

Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes are a family of small, midge-like flies: the Culicidae. Although a few species are harmless or even useful to humanity, the females of most species are ectoparasites whose tube-like mouthparts pierce the hosts’ skin to suck the blood. Thousands of species feed on the blood of various kinds of hosts, mainly vertebrates, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and even some kinds of fish. Some mosquitoes also attack invertebrates, mainly arthropods. Though the loss of blood seldom is of much importance to the victim, the saliva of the mosquito often causes an irritating rash that constitutes a serious nuisance.

Much more serious though, are the roles of many species of mosquitoes as vectors of diseases. In passing from host to host, some of them transmit extremely harmful infections such as malaria, yellow fever, and filariasis.[2] Throughout human history, mosquitoes collectively have delivered more death and morbidity than any other factor, including war.

Midges

Midges are a group that include many kinds of small flies. They are found (seasonally or otherwise) on practically every land area outside permanently arid deserts and the frigid zones. The most common midges inhabit urban areas are known to cause skin irritation and are attracted to plasma screens and other light source. The term “midge” does not define any particular taxonomic group, but includes species in several families of Nematoceran Diptera. Some midges, such as many Phlebotominae (sand fly) and Simuliidae (black fly), are vectors of various diseases.

Many others play useful roles as prey items for insectivores, such as various frogs and swallows. Others are important as detritivores, participating in various nutrient cycles. The habits of midges vary greatly from species to species, though within any particular family midges commonly have similar ecological roles.

Mosquito & Midge Facts:

1. Mosquitoes cause more deaths than any other animal in the world.
2. They are carriers of diseases, including malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever which can be transmitted to humans and animals when the mosquito feeds on blood.
3. Mosquitoes prefer O-type blood, people with high body heat, pregnant women and heavy breathers. Many of these reasons are because mosquitoes can sense carbon dioxide (CO2) from up to 100 feet away. Which is a reason why they circulate around our heads where we exhale CO2.

There are many signs of Mosquitoes & Midges,
Visit our Signs of Flying Insects page for more information here >

There are more than 3,000 species of mosquitoes, but there are 3 main Mosquitoes that are primarily responsibible for the spread of human diseases.

• Anopheles mosquitoes are the only species known to carry malaria. They also transmit filariasis (also called elephantiasis) and encephalitis.
• Culex mosquitoes carry encephalitis, filariasis, and the West Nile virus.
• Aedes mosquitoes, of which the voracious Asian tiger is a member, carry yellow fever, dengue, and encephalitis.