Mosquitoes are persistent little biters that certainly know how to ruin a pleasant summer evening. If their persistent buzzing near your ear and feasting on your exposed arms and legs aren’t enough, mosquitoes can transmit a number of infectious diseases, a fact that elevates the insects from a nuisance to an outright health risk. it’s the threat of these mosquito-transmitted illness that really makes these insects such a serious problem. Protect your family and your home by following our simple secrets below for mosquito-free fun under the sun. 1. Strengthen mosquito barriers for your home Maximize fresh air in your home but introduce bugproof barriers. Fine mesh screens in all open windows and doors are a must. This allows breezes to enter your house, but the screens’ openings are too small for mosquitoes to permeate.
For added protection soaking your screens thoroughly with a bug repellent spray such as Raid can also really help keep these pests away.
Make sure to inspect all of your windows' and doors' screens every spring for any tears or holes and patch them up with caulk or screen patches if needed. Weather stripping will also help to seal door gaps for extra precaution. Also seal other entry points that mosquitoes sneak in through including attic soffit vents, bathroom exhaust vents, and especially the garage.
Decorating your outdoor entrances and windows with specific lighting that doesn’t attract mosquitoes, such as LED lights, yellow bug lights or sodium lamps is also something to think about doing if mosquitos are really 'bugging' you.
2. Kill mosquitoes on the lawn
Treating your yard is a tried-and-true method for reducing mosquito infestations. Killing mosquitoes in your lawn and landscape beds. When treating your lawn, make sure to focus on the perimeter of your home and any damp, shaded areas of your property– these are where mosquitoes are likely to be resting and breeding when they’re not buzzing around. If your lawn has uneven terrain or divots, fill them with topsoil and plant grass seed. Left alone, any dips will collect water during each rainfall and provide a potential breeding ground.
3. Get rid of standing water Squash mosquitoes breeding in your yard before they become a problem. Many female mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water. Since it only takes about a week for a mosquito to go from egg to adult, getting rid of the standing water on your property will reduce the number of mosquitoes that plague your backyard barbeques.
Stagnant water mosquito breeding grounds can be found in more places around your home than you think. Fountains, ponds, and swimming pools may be the most obvious, but try to consider other unconventional sources such as, clogged gutters, birdbaths, pet dishes, and more.
Empty water that has collected in children’s toys, garden pots, buckets, trash can lids, wheelbarrows, or other items lying around that could collect water.
Inspect gutters for clogs and clean them regularly to prevent water collection.
If you have a birdbath, change the water regularly.
Walk your property and address any low spots in the lawn that collect water or areas that have poor drainage.
Replace tire swings and drill holes to the bottom of any containers that may need to be outdoors.
Turn over any empty flower pots, wheelbarrows, watering cans, and other garden accessories to avoid collecting water.
When you must have standing water, ensure the water is maintained regularly, properly treated and kept fresh and flowing. Use push brooms to spread out small puddles on hard surfaces and wet/dry vacuums to suck up later deposits. Maintaining a neatly trimmed lawn, clear of leaves, twigs, and branches also helps to eliminate any mosquito breeding grounds. In only four days, eggs laid in water mature into nymphs. So if it rains on a Monday, don’t wait until the weekend to get rid of standing water. By then it’ll be too late.
4. Keep Your Yard Under Control
Standing water isn’t the only thing that can provide a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Some types of mosquitoes lay their eggs in damp soil or debris, such as decaying logs and leaf piles, so be sure to get rid of them. Remember to remove leaves and other debris from gutters, too. If you continue to have a problem with mosquitoes and have a lot of shade in your yard, you may want to consider having your trees trimmed to increase light levels and make your landscape less habitable to these pests. Letting more sun in also helps dry up any wet spots. Since mosquitoes favor cooler spots in the shade, cut back high grass, brush, and tree limbs By minimizing any tall grass or limbs that cast shadows on your yard, you make the habitat surrounding your home less appealing to mosquitoes.
5. Use Oscillating or Ceiling Fans Outdoors
There’s a reason you see porch fans in mosquito-rich areas like the tropics. Tests have shown that a fan can reduce mosquito landings by 45 to 65 percent so it only makes sense to add an oscillating fan or ceiling fan to areas when you sit outside.
A fan makes it difficult for mosquitoes to fly against the steady breeze, it also helps the disperse carbon dioxide emitted by humans' breath that attracts mosquitoes.
6. Keep Your Skin Covered Wearing light-coloured, loose-fitting clothing made of tightly woven material and cover as much of your exposed skin as possible. The best clothing to cover your skin includes long sleeve shirts, pants, socks, and closed shoes such as sneakers or flats. Never wear repellent underneath your clothes. Also avoid going outside at prime feeding times—dawn and dusk. 7. Use Mosquito Repellent For adults and children, knowing how to find the right mosquito repellent and the best way to apply it is important so you stay bite free.
The Canadian Pediatric Society and Health Canada recommend applying your sunscreen separately first, allowing it to absorb into the skin for at least 20 minutes, then applying your bug repellent. Products with the sunscreen and repellent combined should be avoided, as well as citronella oil for use on toddlers and infants.
Be cautious and always read the entire label before applying mosquito repellent skin products. Most importantly, check for each product's recommended age restrictions and limits on how many times they can be applied during the day. Do not apply to children's hands to reduce any chance that it can get into their eyes or mouths.
DEET has a long track record of being safe but many people have concerns that it's not. If you are concerned about DEET, picaridin and oil of lemon eucalyptus are also effective alternative
There are many natural mosquito repellents that can be found with a simple online search Make sure to read the reviews before buying to make sure others have found it to be effective. These are preferred for children because they are mild compared to other bug sprays, but they also usually need to be re-applied more often to protect from mosquito bites.
It is VERY important to know that if your natural repellent contains citrus essential oils, camphor, pine oil or geranium oil, all are highly toxic to dogs and cats so make sure your pets don't lick any parts of your body where you have applied it or have any opportunity to get some in their mouth.
Some people use an essential oil spray consisting of a combination of coconut oil and neem oil mixed together well with water sprayed on skin to repel mosquitoes for up to half a day.
You can follow any essential oil spray with a garlic rub for the worst mosquito infestations. It won’t smell as sweet but in extreme cases it can be a great way to stay bite free.
8. Add mosquito-repelling plants to your outdoor areas
Using special plants as secret weapons against pests like mosquitoes is a effective and beautiful way to add extra protection against insect bites on your deck or patio.
The potent fragrances and essential oils in some plants, such as lavender, and marigolds, naturally repel mosquitoes. If you enjoy spending time outdoors on your deck or patio, add a few of these plants in pots around the perimeter to naturally help keep mosquitoes away —and add a little beauty to the setting. Alternatively, they can also be bundled and burned in fire pits, which produces smoke that keeps mosquitoes away. Burning actual sage and rosemary smells delightful to you, but mosquitoes hate the scent and will steer clear.
17 Mosquito-repelling plants we recommend are:
Tulsi
Bee balm
Ageratum
Lavender
Marigolds
Lemon balm
Lemongrass
Citronella
Catnip
Catmint
Basil
Garlic
Peppermint
Rosemary
Pennyroyal
Geraniums
Sage
Citrosa geraniums were rumoured to work as a mosquito repellent, however, several studies have proven against their effectiveness.
Basil is a multi-use mosquito repellent. You can place a plant on your windowsill inside to deter mosquitoes from coming in and also add to your cooking. 9. Using essential oils & lighting candles or lanterns
Just as the scent from certain plants can keep mosquitoes away from your patio and porch, lighting candles or lanterns that contain one or more essential oils proven to repel mosquitoes can also be very effective. These oils include:
Citronella
Clove
Cedarwood
Lavender
Eucalyptus
Peppermint
Rosemary
Lemongrass
Geraniol
Mosquito-repelling candles work best in small areas without a lot of air movement because the scent stays concentrated.
Citronella oil is a well known natural approach to keep mosquitoes at bay. In the evening, add citronella candles and torches as their smoke is proven to work effectively as a repellent, not to mention they add a nice ambience.
It is important to take extra care to read full product details to ensure they are not only citronella “scented." because "scented" is not very effective. As a skin product, citronella oil is not recommended for use on children, but is safe for limited use by adults.
10. Set mosquito traps
You can use mosquito traps to help keep mosquitoes away from your porch or patio. It’s very important that you change these traps regularly. If you’re having an outdoor party, traps can be an effective way to protect your guests from mosquitoes for the night, especially when traps are used along with other mosquito controls and repellent products. Ontario Pest Prevention sells mosquito traps in our retail area.
11. Brew coffee
Did you know your morning cup of java can help keep mosquitoes away? There are two ways coffee can help:
Burn some coffee grounds in a coffee tray or egg carton. The smoke will repel these pests. Do this very carefully though in an area where it won’t set anything on fire, cause damage or set off a fire alarm.
Sprinkle in areas with standing water that you aren't able to get rid of. Coffee grounds prevent mosquito larvae from growing. Scientists are studying coffee to find out how or why its has these mosquito-repelling powers but its effectiveness can't be denied by those that have tried it. For maximum effectiveness, you need to sprinkle the coffee grounds in all areas around your home with standing water, but even if you miss a few spots, you’re likely to notice a decrease in your mosquito population.
12. Camphor
Camphor is a versatile repellent that has proven the test of time. You can either leave tablets in your room and let them evaporate, or, more effectively, burn some camphor in the room. Close all doors and windows and leave it burning for about 20 minutes. You’ll have to be outside of the room while it is burning, but you should supervise from outside through a window if possible.
13. Put down cedar mulch
Cedar oil is a common mosquito repellent ingredient and so it only makes sense to add cedar mulch to your garden beds as an easy way to control mosquitoes. It also soaks up any excess moisture, keeping any water from pooling in the soil and deterring mosquitoes from settling in your vegetation. 14. Attract natural predators
Predators alone can’t completely eradicate your issue if you’re overrun with mosquitoes but if you’re just getting a few unwanted critters here and there, attracting them is worth a shot.
Many beautiful birds are natural mosquito predators, including purple martins, waterfowl, swallows, and migratory songbirds. Setting up bird feeders is a solid step in attracting these birds. Installing a bat house can also help. Bats eat up mosquitoes, but you may not want to attract bats near your home.
If you have a pond, you can benefit from predators like goldfish, koi, and red-eared slider turtles. They eat mosquitoes and also mosquito larvae before they become adults and can become biting nuisances.
Mosquitoes also fall prey to other insects—some you’d be happy to see in your garden and others, not so much. Spiders eat mosquitoes when they fly into their webs and dragonflies gobble mosquitoes up.
15. Professional Mosquito Control
While you may find some measure of success with do it yourself and natural methods, if you’re dealing with a lot of mosquitoes it is best you call in a professional pest control company such as Ontario pest Prevention. Professional pest control companies have the expertise to kill mosquitoes at all stages of the life cycle and are more knowledgeable about safety and effectively applying chemicals.
Implementing as many of the safeguards explained above can minimize your change of mosquito exposure, cutting your risk of mosquito-transmitted illness so that you can enjoy the outdoors with total peace of mind.
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