AUSTIN, Texas — With days of rain soaking Central Texas, standing water can form at homes and become a breeding ground for mosquitoes if not removed or treated.
"Checking for that still, standing water, a lot of things can hold water that people don't think about – flowerpots with bases, lower standing decks, under your AC compressors, kids' toys and pools," Joshua Lien, owner of Mosquito Joe, said.
Lien said you need to get rid of that water.
"When mosquitoes find that standing water, they lay their eggs. Eggs take three to four days to hatch, then they turn into larva, then into pupa. Then within a week, you have adult mosquitoes in that property," he said.
There are professionals to help. On Monday, one of Lien’s technician performed a barrier spray at a home.
"We are going to apply a product to where mosquitoes rest – bushes, shrubs, anything that is shady and out of the wind. That is where adult mosquitoes hide when they are not biting us. We will also do a sweep for the standing water. If it is something we can dump out, we will dump it out. If it is a case we cannot dump it out, we will treat it with a granular that will make sure the mosquitoes' larva never become adult mosquitoes," Lien said.
He said treatment happens every three weeks.
When it comes to protecting yourself from mosquitoes, Lien said to wear repellent and long-sleeve shirts.