While swampy riverside habitat is plentiful, there are a few things homeowners also can do to cut down on mosquitoes in neighborhoods, experts say. Don't water lawns too much. Standing water in yards attracts the flying pests just like it does along the river. Even check bird baths, pool covers and hanging flower pots for pooling water, Henriksen suggested. Last year, Columbia Mosquito Control District manager Dick Hickman found 125 watering stations that contained between 15 and 150 larva in every 6 ounces.
Mosquitoes seek organic material - especially if it soaks up water.
Even with the best yard-keeping practices, there's bound to be plenty bloodthirsty marauders on the wing this summer. Which means that before long, control districts will switch from surveillance to tactical warfare. Using a variety of chemicals and other treatments, crews spray nesting areas to keep the pests from emerging. In the fast-growing town of Irrigon, Barron said, mosquito control is becoming more critical as homes encroach on farm lands, where crops can create virtual mosquito factories. But last summer, Barron found relief with a chemical called Altosid that evicted mosquitoes from a tiny, stagnant lake matted with cattails and surrounded by homes.