If you see a scourge or swarm of mosquitoes heading in your direction, you had better hope your insect repellent works!

Mosquitoes are small, biting, carnivorous insects that can drive you crazy during the summer months in Canada. The are more than 3,000 species of mosquitoes, some of which are capable of spreading human diseases like malaria, filariasis, West Nile virus, yellow fever, dengue  and encephalitis. These little devils can be found on every continent, except for Antarctica and a few islands in colder climates. Iceland is more of less mosquito-less, at least for now. Climate change may actually make mosquitoes more prevalent!

Mosquitoes need water to breed and they can live between 2 weeks to 6 months, depending on the weather. The best thing every homeowner can do to prevent mosquitoes is to remove (or treat) any standing water on your property.