By: Jack Robling

Green space and water features are a wonderful asset for any multifamily community but summer mosquitoes can turn them into bite-filled nightmares. We researched tips from the CDC and several state departments of health to help summarize a few ways to control mosquitoes.

• Standing Water is your Enemy
  • If you want to reduce the number of mosquitos in your community, ruthlessly eliminating pools of standing water is absolutely essential. Mosquitos are able to breed in very limited amounts of water so it’s important to be creative in your hunt. Consider drainage pipes that may have standing water inside of them for more than 24 hours or low lying areas along your property. Pools of water in indoor parking garages are also stealthy offenders.
     
• Check the Perimeter of Your Property for Habitats
  • You might be diligent about mosquito control but your neighbors may not be. There may be a ditch or other source of standing water near your outdoor space that exposes your residents to a mosquito hazard. Blocked roadway drainage and construction are common culprits.
     
• Examine Window Screens
  • Short of eliminating habitat, window screens are a community’s best defense against mosquitos. Make sure that checking for missing screens and checking screens for holes is part of maintenance teams’ checklists.
     
• Communicate With Residents
  • Your best efforts to control mosquitoes will fail if your residents aren’t on board. Luckily, most residents will understand that mosquitoes are simply a fact of life in much of the United States and, within reason, want to help control them. Reminder emails about standing water in planters, watering cans and other locations are essential. In addition, asking residents to report broken screens and standing water in their units and around the community may yield helpful results. Communications with residents about mosquito control are also great opportunities to show how you’re working for them by explaining what measures you’ve taken already.
     
• Consider a Professional
  • If habitat removal isn’t working you may need to call in a mosquito control service. If you’re a national management company it’s likely that your regional team has existing suppliers. Make sure to reach out before establishing a new contract as you may benefit from group pricing.

A few simple, low cost efforts can dramatically reduce the number of mosquitoes in and around your community. Good luck hunting down mosquito hiding spots!

- See more at: http://blog.apartments.com/tips-for-managing-mosquitos-on-your-property#sthash.00bAZnhL.dpuf