Mosquitoes are known for their annoying bug bites and their ability to breed anywhere in the hot months throughout the year. However, there are ways to prevent mosquitoes from disturbing your daily lives. At home mosquito control is all about prevention and limiting the mosquitoes ability to breed. Whether you decide to do it naturally or chemically is up to you. Hopefully, these few tactics will allow you to enjoy the outdoors without any mosquito concerns. Before optimal home mosquito control can be achieved, you have to understand that controlling the mosquito population begins with the eradication of possible breeding areas for the female mosquitoes.
Even before you step outside though, check and make sure that all the windows and doors seal completely when they are closed. It is suggested that every window and door in your house has a screen in front of it to prevent any intrusions from the pesky mosquitoes. Now, once you get outdoors, the first thing you have to do is check for places that could be a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Females can lay their eggs in even an inch of water, so basically, anything that can hold water is a possible breeding area. Common breeding grounds for mosquitoes are found all over. For instance, tree holes can collect rainwater allowing for easy nesting. Unfortunately, the only way to get rid of this is to consult a local tree service. Yard equipment such as a bucket or flower pot can hold water, so be sure to drain pots often and turn over all equipment to allow for the rain to run off. Tarps that lie around the yard or cover your boat can collect water in pockets, but if you tighten and check them often, water build-up can be prevented. Toys and rain gutters are also susceptible to stagnant water so turn over your sons Tonka truck and clean the rain gutters of leaves in order to prevent possible holding grounds of water. Puddles are unavoidable, but drainage or a change in the landscaping can lessen your chances of a growing mosquito population.
Now that you took the first step in home mosquito control, you can learn how to add natural additions to your yard to lessen the chances of mosquito invasions. First of all, dont jump into the extermination of animals such as frogs and bats because they are natural predators of mosquitoes. Planting citrosa (the mosquito plant) has proved to be somewhat effective in mosquito control, yet if you are outdoors, you can rub the leaves that contain citronella oil on your skin to act as a natural bug spray. Also, if you happen to have a small pond, the gambusia is a small fish that feeds on mosquito larvae, so despite the standing pond water, mosquito control is successful. Plus, dragonflies feed on mosquitoes and their larvae. The pond can add a decorative edge to your landscape, as well as provide a home to two natural mosquito killers. Another natural way to rid your home of mosquitoes is citronella candles. They come in the form of Tiki torches, bucket candles, and regular oil. Also, Planet Natural provides natural pest repellants such as Orange Guard which controls insect populations, and Safer BioNeem kills insects before they can become pesky reproducing adults.
For those of you that dont find natural solutions effective enough to solve your mosquito problems, there are many ways to trap and extinguish those troublesome mosquitoes. First off, mosquito dunks are useful for their ability to kill mosquito larvae. The mosquito dunks are placed in small amounts of stagnant water and kill larvae before they become adults. The mosquito magnet or trap is another chemical solution to the bug issue. These traps are operated by propane gas and require Octenol or Lurex depending on the species and location of the mosquito. The trap combines carbon dioxide and Octenol to replicate human breath (a major mosquito attractant) to lure the pests in and then exterminate them. The Skeetervac is a well known mosquito trap. Mosquito netting and zappers also aid in the trapping of darned mosquitoes. Mosquito foggers allow for temporary relief from mosquito interference by killing the adult population quickly. Mosquito spray is a residual spray that targets areas where mosquitoes lay during the day. Use this spray in places such as under bushes or in dark, moist areas, but be careful to read the directions carefully so that there are no toxic effects on local plant life.
Finally your yard is prepped for proper home mosquito control, but for personal mosquito control, here are a few tips. When getting dressed for outdoor activities, keep in mind that mosquitoes are attracted to dark colors and floral prints so plan accordingly. Also, strong scents such as sweet perfume, suntan lotion, and hairspray attract mosquitoes. Lose the fragrances, and enjoy the smells of nature. Did you know that mosquitoes can detect human breath from up to 75 feet away? They really can find you, so don’t breath when you go outside. Joking aside, consider doing strenuous activity inside to avoid being an easy mosquito target. Another way to steer clear of mosquitoes is to schedule outdoor activities in the middle of the day rather than in the morning or at dusk when mosquitoes are most populous. Lastly, bug repellents such as the classic DEET is always a good source of personal mosquito control.
With these mosquito control tips, you can be assured that the great outdoors will be enjoyed with a little less company from irritating mosquitoes. Have a great outdoor experience!