How to Effectively Combat Mosquitoes This Season

When temperatures start to climb above 50 degrees Fahrenheit in the Hartford, CT, area, we all start to emerge from our winter cocoons and look forward to enjoying warm outdoor gatherings and activities. Swimming, barbecues, patio parties, hiking, and yard sports begin to take over our recreation time, and unfortunately, mosquitoes start to take over our outdoor spaces. Mosquito Squad provides outdoor pest control services to the greater Hartford area, effectively reducing up to 85-90% of mosquito populations around your home. 

Advice from the Pros

Beyond our superior mosquito control treatment sprays, the Squad recommends a few key habits you can adopt to help you combat mosquitoes in your yard. When you engage in effective mosquito control, you help protect your family from dangerous diseases spread by these pests such as West Nile virus, Encephalitis, Zika virus, and more. 

• Remove all standing water from your outdoor space. This includes water collected in your child’s plastic playground toys, plant saucers, and your pets’ water bowls, which are likely sitting on your patio. 
• Remove piles of grass clippings, leaves, and woodpiles from your outdoor recreation area. Mosquitoes love to land and hide in these areas.
• Turn over larger yard items that have the potential to hold rainwater, like birdbaths, children’s pools, sandboxes, and tarps that are not pulled taut over firewood or equipment.
• Clean out gutters, properly attach downspouts, and keep your yard maintained and the grass cut short.
• Talk with your neighbors about things you can do together to mitigate spillover from mosquito swarms between nearby yards.
• Call Mosquito Squad to learn more about barrier treatment for your home and yard!

DIY Mosquito Control and Traps

Traps are a tried-and-true way to combat mosquitoes using common, low-cost household items you likely already have stashed away.

Yeast & Sugar Traps

To build this common and effective trap, you will use an empty 2-liter plastic bottle, white sugar (granulated), yeast, water, and a black cloth or handkerchief.

Cut the top off of your plastic bottle just below the neck. Inside your cut-off bottle, mix 4 tablespoons of sugar, 1 cup of warm water, and ⅓ tablespoon of yeast. Flip over the part of the bottle you cut off so that it forms a funnel. Invert this piece and insert it into the open top of your plastic bottle. Seal the edges with tape or glue to prevent caught bugs from escaping. Wrap the bottle in your black cloth–mosquitoes are attracted to dark colors, and replenish the yeast and sugar mixture as needed.

Box Fan Trap

For this wind trap, all you need is a box fan and a mesh screen. Let’s get started.

1. Attach your mesh screen to the back of your box fan.
2. Turn the fan on so that it will draw in nearby mosquitoes.
3. Check and clean the mesh screen every few days to keep from blocking the backside of your fan.

Because mosquitoes are such weak fliers, wind created by a porch ceiling fan is a helpful tool to combat mosquitoes while you try to enjoy a relaxing evening outdoors.

Personal Treatment

Along with mosquito traps, citronella candles, fans, and various essential oils can be great options for personal repellent when it comes to combating mosquitoes. Citronella candles work best when placed around areas in which you and your family tend to congregate, such as porches or patios. Oils such as lemon eucalyptus, lavender, cinnamon, thyme, and tea tree can be applied directly to your skin to repel mosquitoes while avoiding toxic chemicals and DEET. We recommend mildly diluting essential oils with fractionated coconut oil, jojoba oil, or argan oil in order to avoid irritation.

Professional Mosquito Control Treatment

Last but not least, Mosquito Squad professionals developed a protective barrier treatment blend nearly 20 years ago that can be administered around the perimeter of your yard to reduce mosquito populations on contact and repel new swarms from making a home near yours. Our traditional barrier treatment has proven successful for more than 300,000 families across 36 states. Contact us today to enroll in scheduled treatments every three weeks and combat mosquitoes in your yard all warm season long.