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Mosquito Barrier For Garden And Zoo

Updated on July 12, 2011

As much as we would like to there is no way that we can eliminate mosquitoes altogether. They have been flitting around planet earth a good deal longer than we have been walking upon it. Mosquitoes can though not only be an annoying irritation resulting in a bite and an agonising itch but they also carry disease to both man and animal. They transmit human diseases such as yellow fever, malaria, encephalitis and dengue haemorrhagic fever. They will also transmit diseases of animals such as fowl pox in poultry, myxomatosis in rabbits, Rift-valley fever of sheep, encephalitis of horses and birds as well as heart worm diseases of dogs.

Most people assume that the mosquito is a pest of the humid tropics. This is no longer the case. Climate change IS taking place and this, along with rapid international travel means that insect pests and disease are now part of the jet set.

If your zoo has a problem with mosquitoes it becomes the responsibility of the zoo to do its very best to tackle it. Not only to make the visitors life more comfortable but as an employer. The employer must ensure that they are taking the Health and Safety of the employee into account.

As a personal choice the individual can decide to apply a mosquito repellent to the skin. DEET is probably the most effective of all and applied at dawn and dusk can offer nearly 24 hours protection. Long term use of DEET though may cause health problems in some. Most mosquitoes are active in the cooler darker hours but the day flying mosquito carries the Dengue Fever virus.

For the most part (but not only) however the mosquito remains a warm location problem and zoos in mosquito areas owe it to their guests and some of their animals to make it as small a problem as possible.

Mosquitos are a world zoo problem. There have been a number of Penguin deaths in UK zoos which have been as a result of the endemic Avian Malaria transmiited by Culex mosquitoes. In US zoos birds have died as a result of the West Nile virus,a nasty disease which is as likely to affect zoo visitors as it is the wildlife within. There was a study made of the mosquitoes found in the zoo in Enugu in Nigeria. There they found Aedes aegypti, A. albopictus, A. luteocephalus, A. vittatus and A. africanus most of which are 'dusk' biters, active when the zoo is most busy. Some of these are responsible for the transmission of Chikungunya Virus as well as Yellow Fever and other Arboviruses.

Photo by: http://www.flickr.com/photos/eyeweed/3553113835/
Photo by: http://www.flickr.com/photos/eyeweed/3553113835/

Mosquito control needs a three pronged attack. Attracted, Repelled and Killed. In today’s greener world we want to do this without harming the environment in any way.

Where possible avoid any product that uses harmful chemicals and ignore those which use light as an attractant. Mosquitoes are not interested in light though many other insects are.

Consider too planting parts of your garden or zoo with mosquito repelling plants.

Photo by: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nooone/541144768/
Photo by: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nooone/541144768/

Mosquito Dunks

Mosquitoes breed in standing water. Good drainage should eliminate this in most circumstances but may not always be possible. Where you can place fish then they will account for many larvae and used in conjunction with 'Mosquito Dunks' get rid of even more.

The mosquito dunks are harmless to fish and release a larvicide into the water. The mosquito larvae feed on this and die.

Fish, such as guppies or Siamese Fighting Fish can be found in practically every open water source in Cities in Thailand.

Mosquito Magnets and Mosquito Eliminators work by imitating the CO2 in human breath and using this as an attractant. They kill the mosquitos who were looking for you.

The products shown below each have different features (electric, programmeable or stand alone) but work in the same way and giving greater areas of protection. All of them are silent, odourless and capable of offering 24 hour protection seven days a week. Being able to protect a one acre area of a zoo or garden is a great achievement but to have the mosquito population reduce daily is a huge plus.

Several Mosquito Magnets placed around a zoo will offer guests comfort and especially so in outdoor dining areas. Zoos also want to reduce the risk of West Nile Virus. These products can definitely do that.

The Mosquito Magnet is the top selling product in the US.

Mosquito Magnet Reviews | Biting Remarks from Trap Owners

Added Protection

It is possible to give even further added protection to specific areas by using a safe and natural products like Mosquito Repelling Granules which are infused with lemongrass, mint and garlic oil. Mosquitos will avoid such areas.

Springstar MOS12 Mosquito Trap

The Springstar MOS12 Mosquito Trap uses a slightly different approach and lures in the mosquitoes by using pherenomes. It is particularly effective at trapping Culex mosquitoes which are the species to blame for the spread of the West Nile Virus. The area of coverage is much smaller than the Mosquito Magnet and could be used to offer protection to a smaller area i.e. a Penguin enclosure.

Whether your Mosquito problem is in the garden or the zoo it is possible with a little effort and reasonable initial expense to make a big problem a small one and life that good bit more pleasant for all.

Imagine being able to sit in your garden on a warm summer evening once again. To use the pool, to relax. To stroll in the zoo. It is possible.

Some of the diseases transmitted by mosquitoes

  • Eastern equine encephalitis
  • Japanese encephalitis
  • La Crosse encephalitis
  • St. Louis encephalitis
  • California encephalitis
  • Ilheus encephalitis
  • Murray Valley encephalitis
  • West Nile virus
  • Western equine encephalitis
  • Dengue Fever
  • Malaria
  • Rift Valley Fever
  • Yellow Fever
  • O'nyong'nyong fever
  • Sindbis fever
  • Chikungunya fever
  • Lymphatic filariasis
  • Heartworm disease

 

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