Keep Mosquitoes Away by Controlling Water Around Your Home

We all know mosquitoes are annoying and ruin your time outside. One of the easiest things you can do to fight the bite is eliminate standing water around your home. Standing water is essential at every stage of the mosquito’s life cycle, so removing that source can be devastating to mosquitoes buzzing around your yard. This can relieve your stress of being bitten and let you enjoy your yard again.

1. Consider replacing stagnant water vessels like birdbaths with fountains that continuously recirculate water. Mosquitoes can’t breed in circulating water, so this option allows you to still provide a clean water source for neighborhood birds.
2. If you have recycling bins or other similar containers that you store outside, make sure they have drainage holes. If they don’t, use an electric drill to make some. This is a good idea even if you usually keep these bins in a covered area.
3. Maintain all pools and hot tubs with proper chlorine solutions and cleaning intervals. Due to its size, a neglected swimming pool can be one of the worst sources of mosquitoes.
4. Dispose of leaves, grass clippings, and other dead foliage from your lawn. If these are left to biodegrade in piles, the moisture trapped within could provide just enough water for mosquitoes to lay their eggs.
5. If you are entertaining outside, mist the day before. Mosquito Squad can help with our Special Event Sprays that control mosquitoes and even ticks.
6. If you have small children, don’t forget to dump out any kiddie pools, water tables, or other water toys after you’re done using them.
7. Walk your property and look carefully for anything that will collect rainwater—buckets, old tires, empty flower pots, etc. When you find one of these sources, consider discarding it or moving it to a covered area. If you leave it where it is, be sure to remember its location.
8. Dump out those containers after every rainfall. If the item isn't something you can easily turn over, carry a squeegee to push the water out.
9. Be careful with your recycling stash, especially if it contains lots of aluminum cans. Even if they’re holding only a small amount of water, piles of cans constitute attractive breeding spots for mosquitoes and other unwanted bugs.
10. Check and clean your gutters and downspouts regularly. Because they’re out of sight, gutter clogs can provide some of the most troublesome sources of mosquitoes.

In the course of drying out your property to avoid mosquito swarms, you might discover mysterious puddling. This could be a sign of a leak in your plumbing system, and you should have that inspected as soon as possible. Give your local Benjamin Franklin Plumbing a call! These expert plumbers are pros at keeping water where it should be and can help you trace the source and fix the leak.

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