In some areas, mosquitoes are active all year round. And they grow in population as summer draws near. They move into your home and enter your yard without taking permission. They can ruin a lovely, beautiful night on your porch with endless buzzing and biting.
What’s more? Mosquitoes are known for transmitting diseases like malaria, the West Nile virus, and heartworm to humans and pets alike. And all they need to transmit these diseases is just one single bite.
It is crucial to look for sprays and repellents that can curb mosquitoes and protect you, your family, and your pets from bites and the diseases that these mosquitoes carry.
What You Need to Know About Sprays and Repellents
Yard sprays and repellents contain chemicals responsible for repelling, controlling, and killing mosquitoes. Repellents and sprays contain a concentrated amount of these chemicals.
Most of these repellents, or pesticides as the case may be, are not potentially dangerous to humans; as long as they are not sprayed directly on the skin. But they can be toxic and highly harmful to pets that live with us in the home.
Active Ingredients That Are Toxic To Pets
If you have pets, you must know that you can’t completely stop them from sniffing and nibbling at the ground. When you spray insecticides or repellents, the chemicals settle to the ground, and your dog or cat can unknowingly ingest them. These chemicals and plants are present in insecticides; you should avoid them if you have pets.
- Parathion
- Propoxur
- Derivatives of citrus oil
- Terbufos
- Methoxychlor
- Methomyl
- Malathion
- Fenoxycarb
- Disulfoton
- Chlorpyrifos
- Pyrethrin and Permethrin (for cats especially)
- DEET
- Citronella plants and oils
Many of these chemicals mentioned above have shown a high level of effectiveness in controlling and killing mosquitoes, but they are harmful to your pets if they accidentally ingest them.
How, then, can you minimize the risk to your pet’s health while keeping the mosquitoes at bay?
How to Safeguard Your Pet From Harmful Pesticides
- Select pesticides with low toxicity.
- Carefully follow the instructions on the label.
- Remove your pets and their toys from the pesticide and the site you recently sprayed until it is dry and well-ventilated.
- Look for pesticides that have ‘pet safe’ on the label.
Another subtle way to keep mosquitoes away from your yard and safeguard your pet is by having mosquito-repelling plants in your yard. Here are some examples of plants that repel mosquitoes and are safe for your pets’ health.
- Basil
- Lemon balm
- Catnip
- Rosemary
- Some varieties of garlic and marigolds
Although accidents can still happen, if you are concerned that you might not be able to carefully carry the process out without harming your pets, it would be best to call on pest experts to help you deal with it professionally. These pest control companies know the best practices to adopt to make sure your pet is safe and, at the same time, exterminate the horrible mosquitoes and keep your home and yard at peace.
