Garden Variety: Mosquitoes have no friends - Mid-Atlantic gardening: Tips and pictures on flowers, vegetables, public gardens, composting and farmers’ markets

Nobody likes mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are so unpopular that they have an official week devoted to their extermination.

The week of June 20-26 has been declared National Mosquito Control Awareness Week by the American Mosquito Control Association.

According to mosquito expert Joe Conlon, a technical advisor for the American Mosquito Control Association, it is impossible to live in a completely mosquito-free environment. Wherever there’s moisture there will be some mosquitoes. But you can reduce your chances of getting bitten by helping to reduce their breeding habitat.

Immediately after biting a person or an animal to extract a tiny amount of blood, a female mosquito lays her eggs in standing water—usually only yards from where the bite occurred. Upon hatching, the mosquito larvae begin their life cycle in the water. Eliminating pools of standing water near your home is the best way to prevent future generations of mosquitoes.

Empty the water from birdbaths and swimming pools once a week. Get rid of old tires, unused buckets and trash cans that can hold rainwater. Clean clogged roof gutters to prevent water from collecting.

It doesn’t take much water for a new generation of mosquitoes to breed, so dump out the water in flower pot saucers at least once a week. And don’t overwater your flower beds or other areas in your yard to the point that standing water begins to collect.

To kill mosquito larvae before they can become adults, use a natural biological control called B.t.i. (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis) contained in products such as Mosquito Dunks and Mosquito Bits.

Place a Mosquito Dunk wherever there is standing water -- in birdbaths, ponds, fountains, and even in dry areas that occasionally flood. The B.t.i. in the Mosquito Dunk will kill mosquito larvae for up to 30 days without harming other living things. A six-pack of Mosquito Dunks sells for about $10 at garden centers, hardware stores and online at www.naturehills.com.