Summer may be over, but not all parts of the country are experiencing the cool temperatures that come with fall. In fact, most parts of the South and west coast are still experiencing warmer temperatures. One aspect that always comes with warm to hot temperatures is mosquitoes. What, exactly, does this have to do with tarps? Often, tarps are used to protect vehicles all year long, or to protect any other investments, for that matter. Although tarps are waterproof, water may build up in pools on the surface and this building up of water, particularly if the water is stagnant, allows mosquitoes to lay eggs and to create more mosquitoes. An article published on Emax Health has some general tips for dealing with mosquitoes and preventing them.
Parts of this article mention the use of tarps. Although tarps are kept outside in the winter to protect seasonal vehicles like boats and RVs, they’re also used in the summer, too, to protect investments from being wet. Regardless of whether you’re covering a vehicle up in warm or cold weather with a tarp, the same principals needs to be used. First, this includes holding the tarp in place with a bungee cord to prevent it from moving and, also, to give the tarp a tighter surface. As mentioned in the article, a slack surface allows for the formation of stagnant pools of water which, in turn, lead to mosquitoes breeding.
Another aspect pertaining to tarps is cleaning or emptying any water on the surface. While tarps are treated to be mildew resistant and waterproof, the tarp should be cleaned for mildew and excess water during the summer months, as well. For the latter, any water that accumulates on the surface should be dumped off. While some vehicles, such as a motorcycle, may be covered in a looser but secured tarp, any excess water after a storm should be shaken off so it doesn’t grow into a bigger pool and attract mosquitoes.
