Mosquitoes

What mosquitoes look like

Mosquitoes are slender, long legged flies in the family Culicidae, usually 3 mm to 9 mm long. They have a narrow body, two wings with tiny scales along the veins, and a long forward pointing proboscis. Colours are muted: grey, brown, or black with pale banding on the legs and abdomen depending on the species. Males have feathery antennae and feed only on nectar. Females have finer antennae and take blood to develop their eggs, which is the only reason they bite. Larvae, often called wrigglers, live in standing water and hang from the surface to breathe. The pupae, known as tumblers, curl into a comma shape and move in short bursts when disturbed.

Signs you have mosquitoes

• Bites at dusk and dawn. Itchy raised welts on ankles, arms and the back of the neck after time in the yard are the usual first clue.
• A high thin whine. The sound of a female circling your head indoors, often at night near a bedroom window.
• Insects rising from shade. Walking past cedars, tall grass or a shaded fence line sends a small cloud into the air.
• Wrigglers in standing water. Thin larvae twitching at the surface of a bucket, birdbath, pond edge or clogged eavestrough.
• Activity around damp low spots. Persistent biting near a rain barrel, tarp, boat cover or a corner of the yard that stays wet.
• Pressure at entrances. Mosquitoes resting on screens, garage door frames and patio umbrellas in the evening.

Where mosquitoes are biting, water is holding somewhere within a short flight.

Why mosquitoes show up around Ottawa and Toronto properties

Both regions give mosquitoes what they need: a warm humid summer, plenty of vegetation and a great deal of standing water. Species differ in habit. Some breed in floodwater and appear in waves after heavy rain, while others prefer stagnant, nutrient rich water in containers and catch basins and build up slowly through the season. Ravines, stormwater ponds, wetlands, riverbanks along the Ottawa and Rideau rivers and ditches on the edge of the GTA all produce large numbers. On a single property, the sources are smaller and easier to miss: saucers under planters, toys, tires, wheelbarrows, blocked eavestroughs, pool covers and the tray under an air conditioner. Adults then rest through the day in shaded shrubs, ivy and long grass before feeding in the evening.

Are mosquitoes dangerous?

For most people the bite itself is a minor irritation that fades in a few days, though some react strongly and scratching can lead to a skin infection. The more serious concern in Ontario is West Nile virus, which is carried by certain mosquitoes and is present in the province. Most people who are infected have no symptoms or mild ones, but a small number become seriously ill, and older adults are at higher risk. Public health units monitor mosquito activity in both the Ottawa area and the GTA each summer. Mosquitoes do not damage buildings and do not infest indoor spaces in the way many pests do. Anyone with a severe bite reaction or symptoms after being bitten should speak to a doctor.

How to keep mosquitoes away

• Tip out anything holding water each week, including saucers, buckets, toys, tarps, tires, wheelbarrows and pet dishes.
• Clear eavestroughs and downspout extensions so water drains instead of pooling in sagging sections.
• Screen or fit a tight lid on rain barrels, and keep pool and hot tub covers pulled taut or drained.
• Cut back tall grass, ivy and dense low shrubs so adults have fewer cool shaded places to rest during the day.
• Repair window and door screens, and run a fan on patios and decks, since mosquitoes are weak fliers in moving air.
• Choose long sleeves and an approved repellent for evenings outdoors, especially near water and wooded edges.

Cutting down the water on your own property is the single best step you can take.

How GO! Pest Control handles mosquitoes

• Inspection. We walk the property to map breeding water and daytime resting areas, including the spots owners rarely check such as drains, low corners and stored equipment.
• Treatment. We apply licensed barrier treatments to foliage, fence lines and other resting surfaces, and use larvicide where standing water cannot be drained.
• Proofing. We flag the drainage and screening fixes that reduce breeding, from eaves and grading to covers on barrels and pools.
• Follow-up. We plan repeat visits through the season, because new adults keep arriving as long as the weather holds.
• Advice. We explain how to prepare for events, when activity is heaviest and what to keep doing between visits.

We are licensed, insured and bonded, and we work in homes, apartments, condos and businesses across the Toronto GTA, Ottawa and Hamilton.

Common questions about mosquitoes