Q. Will the treatment kill 100 percent of the mosquitoes on my property?

A. Nothing will eliminate 100% of the mosquitoes. A mosquito from a neighboring property can make its way to your yard and bite you before landing on the treated foliage. However, you’ll find that the presence of mosquitoes has been drastically reduced. If you’re not completely satisfied, we’ll return for a re-treatment at no additional cost. We’re not satisfied until you’re satisfied!

Q. How long does it take to apply the treatment and how long will it last?

A. A typical treatment will average about 20 minutes. Larger yards may take longer to treat. Each spray treatment lasts approximately 21 days, at which time a Stokes Mosquito and Pest Services team member will be scheduled to treat your yard again.

Q. Do you spray the grass?

A. Not typically. Mosquitoes do not usually seek shelter in the grass. Our goal in doing a pre-spray walk of the property is to seek out the areas where mosquitoes will be resting. The most common areas to find mosquitoes during the day include: the underside of the leaves of dense/shrubby plants, under decks and in damp shady areas of the property. We do recommend that you keep your grass short during the mosquito season. In some cases such as special events like weddings and large outdoor parties, we will spray the grass where your guests will be.

Q. Does your treatment get rid of any other pests?

A. Our barrier treatment can help with fleas, ticks and some flies but we are targeting mosquitoes.

Q. What chemicals are being used in my yard and are they safe? What about for plants, pond, pets, and kids?

A. Our main barrier spray chemical is a synthetic form of pyrethrum called a pyrethroid. We spray this chemical on shrubs, low lying trees, your foundation, mulch beds, etc. All chemicals we use are EPA approved. Widely used in shampoos, outdoor clothing and protection for pets, Permethrin, our most widely used, is a synthetic insecticide with a long history of safety. A risk/benefit balancing analysis conducted by the EPA saw the benefits of permethrin dramatically outweighing the risks. In a comparative test with DEET, when put directly on the skin, typically less than 1% of active Permethrin ingredient is absorbed into the body; DEET can be absorbed at over 20 times that rate.

If you have a pond or vegetable garden, please let us know so that we can customize your treatment plan.

You, your children and your pets should not be outside during the application of the spray treatment, but you may return to your outdoor fun after allowing 30 minutes for the treatment to dry.

Q. Is there an all-natural treatment option?

A. Yes we have plant-based treatment solutions with no synthetic chemicals; however, our all-natural spray needs to be applied every 14 days to be effective. Prices may differ for this solution, so please contact us for a quote.

Q. Does the all-natural spray kill mosquitoes and ticks?

A. No. The all-spray product is designed to repel mosquitoes and ticks, rather than kill them.

Q. Does anyone need to be home when the yard is treated? How will I know if the treatment was done if I’m not home?

A. No. As long as your gate is unlocked and your pets are inside, our technician can treat. Our trained professionals will obtain any information pertinent to your location (i.e. locked gate) when you sign up. Your technician will leave a door hanger upon completion of your treatment so you will know your yard has been serviced. Information on this door hanger will include your date and time of service as well as any comments and helpful hints the technician may have to help you keep your yard as uninviting as possible for mosquitoes, ticks and other pests.

Q. What if it rains after my yard has been treated?

A. As long as your yard has had adequate time to dry after the application of your treatment (approximately 30 minutes), rain should not impact the effectiveness of your service. However, our guarantee ensures that if the quality of your barrier spray service is affected by rain, we will return to your yard to ensure you are mosquito free until your next scheduled service.

Q. How much does a typical mosquito treatment cost?

A. Each property is unique and we customize each barrier spray application to successfully treat your mosquito problem. We price our applications based on the size and density of foliage of your property and the amount of chemical that we will need to use. You can contact us any time for a free quote and we usually don’t even need to visit your property. Our trained agents will be able to take your property address, look it up using our computer program, and assess your property size to give you an accurate quote.

Q. Do you provide commercial mosquito control services?

A. Yes, our barrier sprays are a great solution for many commercial businesses such as restaurants with patios, parks, campgrounds, public pools and playgrounds, sports fields, daycares, outdoor wedding venues, schools and more.

Q. Are the chemicals harmful to bees?

A. We have a South Carolina certified bee keeper on staff and are fully aware of the dangers certain chemicals are to our bee and pollinator population. Mosquitoes primarily spend their days in the greenery/foliage of shrubs, under decks, and other shady places. Therefore we make every effort not to spray flowering plants in the yard. If you would like other ideas on how to protect bees in your yard, check out this article at the Mother Nature Network.