In addition to being a nuisance, mosquitoes are known to transmit diseases such as West Nile virus and Heart worm in cats and dogs. Â The FDA has traditionally advised keeping your pet indoors around dawn and dusk, because that is when many mosquito species feed. Â However that advice is no longer enough to protect your pet. Â The Asian Tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) is an aggressive daytime biter and carries both West Nile virus and heart worm parasites. Â So each time your pet is outside in mosquito territory, it is a sitting target for a hungry female mosquito seeking a blood meal. The same thing that protects you against mosquito diseases also protects your pets. Prevention!
- Eliminate mosquito breeding sites
- Attract, trap and kill mosquitoes
- Use mosquito repellents, and
- Decrease exposure
Repellents for Pets
There are a number of mosquito repellents available for pets, however as no repellent is 100% effective, heart worm preventatives should still be used. When choosing a mosquito repellent for your cat or dog, bear in mind that certain chemicals may be harmful or even fatal to your pets. Human repellents containing DEET have been known to poison cats and should never be used on them.
- Protect your Dog:
Look for repellents specifically formulated and recommended for pets that contain either Permethrins or Pyrethrins, such as “Flys Off Sprayâ€. - Protect your Cat:
Look for products containing pyrethrin. Pyrethrins are a natural, organic insecticide that can be safely used on cats. Products such as “bioSpot Flea & Tick Spray†and “bioSpot SPOT ON®†are considered both safe and effective for cats.  (NB: Permethrins are toxic to cats and should never be used)
Mosquito Traps
Consider setting up a mosquito trap in your yard to help control mosquitoes and reduce the chances of your pet being bitten. Mosquitoes find their prey by detecting CO2, Octenol and other chemical odors, as well as light and heat, and most mosquito traps use some combination of artificial smells and lighting displays to lure, trap then kill mosquitoes.
Mega-Catch™ mosquito traps don’t use insecticides or other harmful chemicals and are a safe and effective way to help rid your yard of nuisance mosquitoes
When set up properly, in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, and used in conjunction with other sensible control measures, just one or two of these ingenious devices can all but wipe out a local population, reducing the risk of mosquito-borne diseases for you and your pet.