Residential Mosquito Service

Purpose

Define the residential mosquito treatment protocol. Mosquito service has become one of the fastest-growing pest categories due to West Nile, Zika, and mosquito-borne disease awareness. Customers who hate being unable to use their own yard sign up for monthly service April - October. The right approach combines habitat reduction + barrier spraying + customer education.

Scope

Applies to:

• Residential single-family yards
• Townhouse / condo private yards
• Light-commercial outdoor dining or event spaces

Excludes wetland adjacent properties requiring specialty applicator OR vector-control coordination (publicly-funded mosquito programs handle larger-area work), and properties with extreme infestation requiring different chemistry (specialty work).

Responsibilities

• Dispatcher confirms property size + outdoor features at booking; identifies recurring vs one-time
• Lead technician runs the treatment + customer briefing
• Customer is briefed on between-visit habitat management

Procedure

Standard monthly visit (30 - 45 minutes per typical residential)

1. Customer briefing. "I'll spray a barrier treatment around resting areas - under shrubs, eaves, fences - and treat any standing water sources I find. Effective for ~30 days; we'll be back next month."
2. Walk the property + identify mosquito habitats:

• Standing water: bird baths, plant saucers, clogged gutters, rain barrels, old tires, equipment
• Heavy shade with leaf litter (resting areas for adults)
• Dense shrubs near porch / patio (resting areas)
• Tall grass + weeds (resting + breeding)

1. Eliminate standing water sources:

• Empty + scrub bird baths + plant saucers
• Check gutters for clogs (sometimes need to refer to gutter service)
• Note any water-holding areas for the customer's habitat-modification list

1. Apply larvicide to water sources that cannot be drained (rain barrels, ponds - use larvicide briquettes per label).
2. Apply barrier spray with a backpack sprayer OR mist blower:

• Under leaves of shrubs + trees (where mosquitoes rest)
• Foundation perimeter
• Fence lines + dense vegetation edges
• Eaves + soffit areas
• Areas the customer uses regularly (patio, porch, fire pit, kids play area)

1. AVOID spraying open flowers + pollinator areas. Apply early morning or evening when bees aren't active.
2. Apply granular barrier product to heavily-shaded landscape beds for residual effect.
3. Document with photos of any conducive conditions found.

Acceptance Criteria

• Standing water sources documented + treated OR eliminated
• Barrier spray applied to resting areas around entire property
• Customer is briefed on habitat modifications they can do
• Field report includes EPA reg # + chemical applied
• No pets in treated area during application + for 30 minutes after

Special considerations

• Pollinator coexistence: barrier sprays affect any insect they contact. Apply early morning / evening when bees are inactive. Avoid spraying flowering plants directly.
• Pet safety: most barrier chemicals are pet-safe once dry (30 - 60 minutes typical). Brief the customer.
• Aquatic life: mosquito chemicals can harm fish in ponds. Use larvicide products specifically rated for ornamental ponds; never broadcast into pond water.

References

• EPA mosquito-control product registration database
• CDC Mosquito-Borne Disease Prevention guidelines
• NPMA Best Management Practices for Mosquito Control
• Manuall internal: Quarterly Residential Pest Service, Identify Pest Entry Points