Is it possible to kill pesky mosquitoes AND protect helpful bees?

ATLANTA — It’s officially mosquito season in metro Atlanta!

Experts say that spraying can be safe if it's done the right way. The key is to treat your yard where bees and other good insects aren't.

Chelle Hartzer, an entomologist with Orkin, walked Channel 2 meteorologist Katie Walls around a house in DeKalb County, pointing out mosquito problem spots. She has a rule: Protect the pollinators.

“Any of these flowering plants, because this is a great nectar source for all of our native pollinators including honey bees, so we’re going to make sure we stay away from these spots,” Hartzer said.

Only using sprays in targeted areas ensures helpful insects, like bees and butterflies, aren’t affected.

“We use those treatments selectively. We use them targeted so we’re not applying to those areas to where those pollinators are ever going to be,” Hartzer said.

She’s focused on any standing water around the house, like a bird bath.

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“If you dump it out about once a week, any wrigglers, any of those larvae, you’ve dumped them out and you haven’t given them a home anymore,” Hartzer said.

Keep your gutters clear of damp debris. Dump out any standing water in planters. It only takes five to seven days for a mosquito to go from an egg to an adult.

Walls asked the DeKalb County Board of Health how they'll be protecting public areas.

“We work very closely with all the municipalities in DeKalb County to identify sites that have been problematic in the past as well as new sites that have popped up,” Eric Nickens, Jr.  said.

That means catching and testing mosquitoes for disease and treating stagnant water starting in June.

Cox Media Group