How to Keep Mosquitoes Out of Your Home

Mosquitoes are one of the most frustrating pests to deal with in the warmer months. Most people want to sit outside and enjoy the warm weather, but mosquitoes can often make it impossible! When they’re buzzing around your head and biting you and your family, they can ruin a nice summer evening. For this reason, people are always looking for solutions to keep mosquitoes out of and away from their homes. We have a list of tips that can help.

Keep Your Plants Trimmed

Mosquitoes often hide in long grass and lush vegetation because it’s shady, cool, and damp. For this reason, it’s important to regularly trim and maintain your garden to rid mosquitoes of their hiding spots. You should also keep your grass around 3” in height to avoid mosquitoes hiding in your grass. When you keep your plants trimmed and rid mosquitoes of their hiding spots, they’ll be less likely to spend time around your home.

Eliminate Standing Water

Standing water, or water that stays completely still and does not run or move, attracts mosquitoes. Not only do mosquitoes hang out in these areas, but standing water provides the prime environment for them to breed and lay eggs. Puddles in your yard, buckets full of water, watering cans, and bird baths can all be sources of standing water that attract mosquitoes. Additionally, water can gather in spots such as drains or tarps creating a similar effect. Do your best to remove objects that gather water from lying around your home and empty them when possible. If your landscaping creates puddles in certain areas, consider contacting a landscaper to address these issues.

Protect Your Pond

Because ponds hold standing water, you might worry that you have to get rid of any ponds in your landscaping to keep mosquitoes away. Fortunately, there’s another solution. Mosquitoes don’t like running water or water that moves around. So, you can install a fountain in your pond to keep your water moving. When you install a fountain, your pond will contain running water and be far less attractive to mosquitoes.

Change Pet Water

If your pets spend a lot of time outside in the summer, you might have an outdoor water bowl for them. However, this standing water can attract mosquitoes. In fact, even a water bowl inside your home can attract mosquitoes. To avoid making your pet sick and attracting mosquitoes, be sure to change your pet’s water bowl frequently. Your pet will enjoy the constant fresh water and your home will be far less likely to attract mosquitoes.

Install or Repair Screens

If your windows and doors don’t have screens, you should install them immediately. Otherwise, any time you open your window, mosquitoes can get in. If your screens are damaged or not properly fitted to the windows, mosquitoes can also get in through the openings. For this reason, it’s important to refit any ill-fitting screens and repair any damaged screens to keep mosquitoes out of your home.

Use Mosquito Repellents

It’s a good idea to use mosquito repellents to keep mosquitoes out of your home, especially when you’re outside and you want to keep them far away. Consider planting citronella plants to naturally repel the pests. You can also use torches, candles, and diffusers containing essential oils such as citronella and peppermint. These oils are natural mosquito repellents and can help encourage mosquitoes to travel away from your home.

Consider Professional Mosquito Control

If you’ve tried all of the above suggestions and you’re still experiencing problems with mosquitoes, it might be time to call in the professionals. When you hire a company to perform mosquito control, they’ll first remove and treat any breeding locations. They will then use a barrier treatment with a time-release formula, eliminating outdoor pests for weeks. Some companies can even provide natural mosquito control, which is just as effective and avoids misting harmful chemicals around your home. To completely keep mosquitoes out of your home, call in the professionals.