Every June I tell myself this year will be different. Then the mosquitoes show up anyway. Last summer it got so bad my kid had bites on both legs and couldn't sleep. That's when I finally looked into mosquito control services in lahore instead of just buying another can from the shop.

Here's what I didn't understand before. Those cans only kill the mosquitoes you can see. The ones sitting on your arm. It does nothing to the ones hiding in corners, under furniture, in the bathroom, behind curtains. And it definitely does nothing to the eggs and larvae sitting in water somewhere nearby.

That's the real problem. Mosquitoes breed in water. Stagnant water. Even a tiny amount. A bottle cap of water is enough. A plant pot tray. A broken drain. A tyre in the street. An uncovered water tank. If there's standing water within a hundred metres of your house, you'll have mosquitoes no matter how much you spray inside.

So when a pest control service comes and sprays only your bedroom walls, that's a temporary fix. Three days later they're back.

What a proper job looks like — the spray should cover surfaces where mosquitoes rest, not just where you see them flying. Dark corners, under beds, behind cupboards, ceilings, bathroom walls, and outside areas like the boundary wall and drains. Some services also do fogging, which is a mist that hangs in the air and catches the ones flying around. Useful for outdoor areas but doesn't replace the surface spray.

The other half of the job is on you. Empty the plant pot trays. Fix the leaking tap. Cover the water tank. Clear the drains. If you don't do this part, no service will hold for long in Lahore's summer.

Timing matters. Dengue season in Lahore is usually August to November. Getting treated in July, before the season peaks, makes a real difference. Once the whole neighbourhood is infested, it's much harder to control.

How often do you need it? For most houses, once before the season starts and once in the middle. Some people do it monthly during peak months. Depends how bad your area is. Ask what they recommend for your specific situation, not what they recommend for everyone.

What to ask before booking — which areas will they cover, inside and outside. Will they treat the drains and water sources or just the living areas. Do they come back if mosquitoes return within a certain period. How long does the spray need to settle before you use the room again. That last one matters if you have kids or pets.

One warning. Cheap spray services that charge very little usually dilute the chemical or use the wrong one. It might smell strong but do nothing. Or worse, it can be harmful indoors without proper ventilation. Ask what chemical they use and how long you need to stay out. A real service will answer without hesitating.

In my case, the spray took a couple of hours. We stayed out about four hours, then aired the rooms. The difference was noticeable within two days. But I also emptied every water container in the house and fixed a leaking pipe I'd been ignoring for months. That part was on me.

So the honest summary — spraying helps, but only if you deal with the water. Do both and you'll actually get relief. Skip the water part and you're just paying to kill a few mosquitoes while hundreds more are waiting.

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