Nobody likes the festering, itchy bites that accompany a mosquito infestation. But considering the gamut of diseases carried by the little bloodsuckers — such as Zika, West Nile virus, malaria and others — mosquito bites can also be deadly.

The scariest part is that mosquitos and their potentially deadly viruses could be breeding right in your back yard! Read on to discover if your backyard has these common breeding pits for mosquitos.

How do mosquitos breed?

For most of its life, a mosquito is considered an aquatic insect. Fully-developed mosquitos lay their eggs on the water. Once they hatch, the larva live in the water, feeding on organic particles within. Upon maturity, the mosquitos surface, dry, and take flight to find their first victim.

Simply put, mosquitos thrive and infest anywhere warm water lies stagnant. As a result, there are many places around your home that could host mosquito eggs and larvae, especially after rain. Have a look around your property and see if there is anything that could potential catch and store rainwater. Anything that can hold water should be covered, turned on its side or cleaned out regularly.

A few common backyard items are frequent offenders.

Bird Baths

When they are being used by birds, these are lovely additions to your yard. Also, splashing birds disrupt mosquito eggs and eat the larvae. But between seasons, when your bird bath is empty and stagnant, it becomes a perfect breeding pit for mosquitos. Change the water often and clean it out to prevent this.

Gutters

When dead leaves or poor gutter alignment prevents water from draining, the gutters along your roof become a nursery for mosquito eggs and larvae. The obvious solution is to keep your gutters cleaned and maintained to prevent stagnation.

Plant pots and buckets

Plant pots and buckets should be kept under cover or turned upside down to prevent filling with rainwater. Keep them clean and dry or you will soon find them full of larvae.

Potted plants may also host mosquito larvae if the soil stays wet for too long. Furthermore, the pot bases can fill with water and organic material that mosquito larvae love to feed on. Fill them with sand to keep this from happening.

Trash cans

Garbage cans should stay covered and be cleaned regularly.

Low spots in the yard

During periods of heavy rain, areas of your yard that don’t drain properly can become mosquito-ridden swamps. Unfortunately, these are quite a bit harder to attend to. You may have to contact a landscaper or — better yet — contact your local Houston mosquito control specialist. Pest control has reliable solutions for your mosquito infestation problems.