Mosquito Control Service
Mosquito Control Guaranteed!!
“You WILL Get The Best, Most Thorough, Professional Service You Have Ever Seen… We GUARANTEE It… Or It’s FREE!”
A Practical Guide To Mosquito Season, Breeding Spots and Bites
5 REASONS TO CHOOSE MAJOR PEST CONTROL
- We’re committed to CUSTOMER SATISFACTION, with over thousands of Google 5 Star ratings for pest control.
- We offer a complete 58 POINT Pest Control Survey & Analysis of your home or building.
- ASSOCIATE CERTIFIED ENTOMOLOGIST and a public health specialist on staff.
- A team of EXPERIENCED PEST TECHNICIANS to carry out all pest control services.
- Our GUARANTEE is UNMATCHED by any competitors! (If you’re not happy, you don’t pay!)
CALL BY 2 P.M. FOR SAME-DAY OR NEXT-DAY AVAILABILITY!
How Do You Know It Is a Mosquito (Identification)
Colour
Grey to dark brown, often with pale stripes on the body and legs.
Size
Body 3 to 6 mm long. Legs and wings make it look bigger.
Description
Slim body, long thin legs, narrow wings and a long, needle-like mouthpart.
Notes
Often mistaken for midges and crane flies. Midges don't have the long mouthpart and don't bite.
Quick Links
The Short Version About Mosquitoes
- Only female mosquitoes bite. They need blood to lay eggs.
- Mosquitoes breed in standing water, even a bottle cap’s worth.
- In Alberta, mosquito season runs from about May to August, and peaks after warm, wet weather.
- The biggest thing you can do is remove standing water around your home.
- Not every bite is a mosquito bite. Bed bugs and fleas are often mistaken for them.
Mosquito Season in Alberta
Mosquito numbers depend on the weather. A hot, wet spring means more standing water and more mosquitoes. Here’s the usual pattern:
Month | What’s happening |
April | Snowmelt creates pools. Early eggs hatch as the weather warms |
May | Numbers climb. Backyards, ditches and ravines start to fill |
June | Peak season begins, especially after rain |
July | Usually the worst month. Warm nights, long days and lots of water |
August | Still active, and often bad after a rainy week |
September | Numbers fall as nights cool |
October to March | Adults are mostly dormant. A few can stay inside warm buildings |
Where Mosquitoes Breed
A mosquito needs very little water. A bottle cap is enough. In warm weather, eggs become adults in about 7 to 14 days, so water that sits for a week can produce a new batch. These are the places to check:
- Bird baths
- Buckets, watering cans and wheelbarrows
- Eavestroughs and downspouts that don’t drain
- Clogged gutters
- Tarps and pool covers that collect water
- Old tires and toys
- Plant saucers and flower pots
- Rain barrels without a tight lid
- Low spots in the lawn that stay wet
- Ponds without moving water or fish
- Ditches, ravines and wet areas next to your property
Why Your Yard Might Be Worse Than Your Neighbour's
- You’re near water. Ravines, ponds, creeks and ditches are common mosquito breeding areas.
- You have lots of trees, shrubs or tall grass. Adults rest in shade during the day.
- You’re on an acreage. More land means more places for water to sit, and many floodwater mosquitoes can travel much farther than a few streets.
- It’s been a wet year. More rain means more breeding spots.
- Water is sitting on your property. Poor drainage, a clogged gutter or a forgotten bucket can be enough.
- Still evenings. There’s no breeze to blow them away.
Mosquito Bites or Bed Bug Bites?
This one catches people off guard. Over the years, many customers have written to us worried that bites they thought were mosquito bites turned out to be something else, often bed bugs or fleas.
Mosquito bites | Bed bug bites | |
Pattern | Random, usually single bites | Lines or clusters, often three in a row |
Where | Exposed skin, like arms, legs and face | Skin exposed during sleep, such as arms, neck, shoulders and back |
When | Mostly outdoors, around dusk and dawn | Show up in the morning |
Itch | Raised, puffy and itchy soon after | Red, itchy, sometimes takes a day or two to show |
Other signs | Mosquitoes around you | Small blood spots or dark specks on sheets, a musty smell, live bugs in mattress seams |
Signs it may be bed bugs: bites that keep appearing after you’ve been indoors for days, bites only on people who sleep in one room, or dark specks on your mattress. In that case, contact us about bed bugs, we can help.
A 10-Minute Weekly Yard Checklist
Do this once a week from May to September:
- Tip out standing water in buckets, toys, tarps and plant saucers
- Change the water in bird baths
- Clear gutters and check downspouts
- Cover or tightly screen rain barrels
- Flip or store anything that can hold water
- Fill low spots in the lawn where water pools
- Trim tall grass and thick shrubs near the house
- Check window and door screens for tears
- Look at any pond or water feature. Moving water or fish help
- Check around the edges of your property for water that might be coming from a neighbour
Protecting Yourself and Your Event
If you have a BBQ, party or wedding coming up, a few things make a real difference:
- Use repellent. Health Canada approves repellents with DEET, icaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus.
- Wear long sleeves and light-coloured pants at dusk.
- Use fans. Mosquitoes are weak fliers, and a fan on a patio can keep them away from a table.
- Time it. Mosquitoes are most active around dusk and dawn. Eating earlier helps.
- Do the weekly checklist in the week before your event.
- Light and screens. Screened patios and gazebos work well.
When To Get Outside Help
If you’ve removed standing water and still have a serious problem, here are your options:
- Your municipality or county. Some run mosquito programs for ditches, ponds and wetlands. Ask your local office.
- A mosquito-specific provider. Look for a company that does yard treatment or larvicide programs. We aren’t one.
- Ask questions first, especially if you have kids, pets, horses, a vegetable garden or an event coming up. Ask what is used, how long it lasts and what precautions to take.
- Larvicide products are sold at garden centres. They target mosquito larvae in water and are used on ponds and rain barrels. Follow the label.
Related Pest Services
FAQs About Major Pest Control Services
Alberta has lots of wetlands, ditches, ravines and ponds, and our summer days are long. After a wet spring or heavy rain, standing water makes more breeding spots. That’s why some summers are much worse than others.
They can. West Nile virus has been found in Alberta in some years, but the risk is low for most people. Using repellent and removing standing water are the best protection. If you feel sick after being bitten, see a doctor.
Most adult mosquitoes live a few weeks, and females can live longer. A female lays eggs after a blood meal, so a few mosquitoes can quickly become many if water is available to breed in.
Standing water is the biggest draw. Shade, tall grass, thick shrubs and still air also help them rest and hide. Mosquitoes also find people by the carbon dioxide we breathe out, as well as body heat and sweat.
No, we don’t offer mosquito spraying or fogging. We can help with other pests like ants, spiders, wasps and bed bugs. For mosquitoes, try the weekly checklist above or contact a mosquito-specific provider or your municipality.
Need To Talk To a Real Human?
Our Phone Numbers:
