5 ways to keep mosquitoes at bay

Nothing ruins a gorgeous night in the backyard like mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are not only annoying, but they can also carry diseases such as West Nile virus.

There are many effective pest solutions for keeping mosquitoes at bay. Most important is to eliminate or cover any standing water in your yard, such as birdbaths or swimming pools, as these are ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

If the pests persist, here’s a look at five of the best outdoor pest control methods you can use to prevent these unwanted guests from crashing your party.

1. Bug spray

The easiest way to stop mosquitoes in their tracks is to use a mosquito repellent spray. There are many different kinds on the market, including all-natural varieties that don’t contain any harmful chemicals. Have an extra container on hand for guests who forgot to put some on before they came over.

2. Bug zappers

They can be loud and they can be obnoxious, but man, they are an effective pest management tool. An electric bug zapper will not only help get rid of mosquitoes, but it will also take care of gnats, flies and other flying pests. Be mindful of your neighbors, though, and turn it off when you’re not outdoors.

3. Scented candles

Citronella and calendula candles are quickly becoming one of the top outdoor pest control methods today. They look nice, they smell nice, and they are (relatively) effective. Be careful with these candles if you have a wood deck or fence. A house fire may be an effective mosquito repellent, but it tends to lower your property value.

4. Repellent plants

Certain flowers and herbs, including geraniums, lemon thyme, lemon basil and camphor trees, are great all-natural defenses against mosquitoes. Don’t expect them to get rid of the pests entirely, though. They are a deterrent, not a complete solution.

5. Fire pits

Like most insects, mosquitoes don’t care much for smoke. Having a fire pit burning in your backyard will discourage mosquitoes from hanging around. While it’s not a perfect outdoor pest control solution, it does help.

Bonus! Mosquito traps

Mosquito traps are considered an effective way of controlling active mosquito populations. Advancing technology has helped to increase the effectiveness of mosquito traps, which work by luring and trapping female mosquitoes.

The basic rundown of mosquito traps is as follows:

• Mosquito traps work by luring in female mosquitoes, which are the ones that will bite.
• Traps will mimic the scents or other signals mosquitoes use to locate blood to feed on.
• Common signals used within traps to achieve this are carbon dioxide (which mimics human breath), heat, fragrances, and light.
• The trapping methods also differ: some mosquito traps utilize a fan that sucks the mosquitoes in, while others use an electrocution setup or a sticky surface to capture the insects.

Carbon dioxide mosquito traps

As stated above, mosquitoes are attracted to human breath, which they use to locate hosts. Specifically, mosquitoes are attracted to carbon dioxide. So, one of the most popular types of mosquito traps will mimic the scent of carbon dioxide gas. The goal of this is to lure mosquitoes in with the scent and trap them there. Once the mosquitoes enter the trap, they will not be able to leave. This is due to being sucked in by a fan, stuck on a sticky surface, or electrocuted. The goal of C02 traps is to lure in and eliminate female mosquitoes to stop the population from reproducing.

Licensed Mosquito Control

Western Exterminator can provide mosquito control for homes and businesses. For more information, call 888-444-6138 or contact us online.