Mosquitoes Are Going to be a Real Bitch This Spring in Michigan

As the temps start to go up (sort of), expect to see a lot more of those little annoying bloodsuckers we call mosquitos. This spring will be especially bad due to all the rain we've had and continue to get.

According to Orkin Pest Control, Detroit (#7) and Grand Rapids (#29) made their annual list of America’s Top 50 Mosquito Cities. With two Michigan cities on the list, I wouldn't expect Flint and surrounding areas to be much different.

Last year was a really bad year for mosquitos and I'd expect this year to be even worse. I'm only gauging this off of what we've already been seeing and that's lots of those suckers and we haven't even had that many warm evenings. Last year I couldn't even sit out on my deck after dark without an arsenal of OFF mosquito repellent.

This year I'm not messing around and plan on having a professional come out and spray my yard as often as it takes to keep those bastards at bay.

Orkin has some tips here to help protect against mosquitoes:

Any object that has the potential to hold water should be removed or cleaned out frequently, as mosquitoes can breed in just an inch of standing water.
Clean those gutters out to avoid rainwater build up. Be sure to check for puddles that form on the roof from rainwater, leaking pipes or even condensation from air conditioners.
Change the water (at minimum) weekly in bird baths, fountains, potted plants and any containers that hold standing water, including wading pools.
Keep swimming pool water treated and circulating.
Trim shrubbery, as adult mosquitoes like to rest in dark, protected areas with high humidity, such as under the leaves of lush vegetation. This is something I started to do last year and it actually helped a lot.

I guess it doesn't help that I have a big pond and swamp behind my house.

Top 50 Mosquito Cities: