Guest or Pest: Cattail Mosquito

Jul 12, 2023

It’s time for another Guest or Pest, where we shine a light on common bugs that are either harmful or beneficial for humans and our gardens. Today, we’re looking at the notorious cattail mosquito.

What Is the Cattail Mosquito?

The cattail mosquito (Coquillettidia Perturbans) is a species of mosquito found in regions of North America with freshwater swamps and wetlands that have emergent aquatic vegetation, like cattails.

In its youngest stages, larva and pupa, the cattail mosquito has a unique ability to acquire oxygen underwater by piercing the hollow roots of aquatic plants. This makes them remarkably difficult to control, as they can hide underwater for long periods of time without accessing areas on the surface that have been treated with larvicides.

Guest or Pest?

No surprises here. The cattail mosquito is undoubtedly a pest, posing a significant health risk to humans by spreading illnesses like West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis and by evading professional mosquito control measures.

Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, barrier mosquito control treatments with residual insecticides are not as effective with cattail mosquitoes as with other mosquito species. While the product itself would be effective if it came in contact with the cattail mosquito, these pests are not physically present at the time of application and do not habitually rest in areas that are treated with residual insecticides.

If you live near a freshwater swamp or wetland, you can take steps to remove aquatic vegetation, which will in turn make the area less habitable for the cattail mosquitoes, potentially reducing their population.

What About Other Mosquitoes?

The cattail mosquito is just one of hundreds of other varieties of mosquito that reside in North America. While we cannot guarantee a reduction in cattail mosquitoes, our effective mosquito control programs can help you reclaim your outdoor space from other mosquito species.

With Mosquito Hero, you get custom, targeted control and monthly service from a trained professional, effectively reducing the mosquito population in your yard. And we stand behind our Mosquito Service Guarantee: if you experience biting between monthly treatments, we’ll happily re-treat your property for free!

Find a Mosquito Hero near you and get a free quote today!

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Customer

"I was a little skeptical of using a mosquito service as I have never had a service like that before and was unsure of how effective it would be. Well, I'm glad I decided to go ahead and get the mosquito program. We can now sit on our back deck anytime of the day or night, not get bitten and enjoy our backyard. A surprised but happy customer."

Tony. G

Main Line,PA

I have put a lot of work into my backyard and Mosquito Hero allows me to get maximum enjoyment out of my yard in the summer months. Our family gets to sit outside in the evenings without being bothered by mosquitoes. We have a large yard with lots of trees so I was worried that their service would not be effective given the size, but we have had no problems. For anyone that spends a lot of time outdoors, their service is definitely worth it!

Allison G.

I have fogged myself, have had another company spray for mosquitoes in the past, and neither has been especially successful. I live in a very green area outside the city, with a large property complete with many tall trees and bushes. Having been a happy Weed Man customer for years, I decided to give their mosquito service (Mosquito Hero) a try, and am glad I did. For the past few weeks we have been able to sit and eat outside void of the usual infestation that would drive us indoors or force the use of multiple anti-mosquito devices like coils, lamps, and personal sprays to survive. My neighbours and daughter are about to follow my lead and sign up for a program as soon as possible. I can’t wait for the next application to maintain our enjoyment of our outdoor space.

Don Ross