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How to Get Rid of Mosquitos: A Complete Guide for Homeowners

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how to get rid of mosquitos

Few things ruin a summer evening like mosquitos. Buzzing, biting pests, these flying bugs can drive you indoors and destroy even the most serene outdoor moment.

And when they make their way inside your home, the situation gets even worse.

Nobody wants to spend all night scratching mosquito bites or listening to the annoying buzz of a mosquito flying around their head.

Fortunately, we’re here to help you learn how to get rid of mosquitos and reclaim your space.

Are Mosquitos Dangerous?

Mosquitos can be dangerous. They carry a variety of diseases that can be very serious for humans, including West Nile virus, dengue, malaria, Zika virus, and yellow fever.

When an infected mosquito bites a human, it can transfer the virus or disease it’s carrying into the person’s bloodstream.

There are more than 3,000 different mosquito species in the world and about 200 in the US alone. All mosquitoes cause itchy, annoying bites, but many also make people sick.

Annually, mosquitoes transmit malaria to about 200 million people, resulting in 2-3 million deaths. Millions more are debilitated by other mosquito-borne illnesses, like encephalitis, yellow fever, and dengue.

Why Are There So Many Mosquitoes in my House & Backyard?

many mosquitos in a lake
Do you suddenly have swarms of mosquitoes in your backyard?

Here are a few things that may attract them:

1. Shelter

Mosquitoes need sheltered habitats to live and breed. Outside, they favor tall grass, hollow trees, and paces with lots of leaf cover to keep the area cool and moist.

While mosquitoes are common in hot climates, they don’t like being in direct sunlight. Instead, they prefer shady areas that offer shelter from the sweltering sun.

Indoors, mosquitos like to rest in humid, dark places. They’re common under kitchen and bathroom sinks, in laundry rooms and crawl spaces, and under furniture.

2. Food

Contrary to popular belief, mosquitos don’t feed solely on blood. While female mosquitoes consume blood, they do it mainly to support reproduction and egg-laying. Meanwhile, male mosquitoes and non-breeding females feed on the nectar from flowering plants, which they may find inside your home or out in your garden.

3. Water

A mosquito’s life revolves around moisture. Female mosquitoes lay their eggs in moist environments, like the inner wall of water vessels or the edge of a pond or puddle, and the eggs hatch submerged in water. As such, mosquitos are common anywhere there’s lots of standing water.

How to Get Rid of Mosquitoes Inside & Outside Your Home

With Natural Remedies

1. Set mosquito traps

Store-bought mosquito traps work by attracting mosquitos and then catching and killing them. Some use sticky surfaces, while others emit tiny amounts of carbon dioxide gas to mimic human or animal breath.

If you’d prefer to DIY your mosquito traps, mix a cup of hot water with a gram of yeast and ¼ cup of sugar in an empty, two-liter plastic bottle (cut the top off first).

Stir the mixture until the sugar dissolves, and then flip the top of the bottle upside-down and place it into the bottom half, creating a funnel.

Tape the two pieces together and put the homemade indoor mosquito trap anywhere you’ve noticed mosquito activity.

Pros: Effective, safe, non-toxic, fast-acting, kills mosquitoes

Cons: Sticky traps may be unsightly, traps must be checked, changed, and moved often 

2. Use an essential oil spray

Mix a few drops of a strong-smelling essential oil, like lemon, lavender, garlic, camphor, clove, or eucalyptus, with 8 ounces of water.

Place the mixture in a clean spray bottle. Spray it around your home as a natural mosquito repellent.

Pros: Affordable, easy to make, safe for use around kids and pets

Cons: Not as effective as traditional insecticides, must be re-applied regularly

3. Turn on your fans

Mosquitos struggle to fly in windy conditions. Because of this, turning on ceiling and floor fans is a great way to deter mosquitos.

Pros: Easy, effective at repelling mosquitoes while the fans are running

Cons: Won’t kill mosquitos or reduce their populations, only works in the fan’s immediate area 

4. Buy non-toxic mosquito sprays or repellents

Today, you can buy non-toxic mosquito sprays and repellents at most local hardware stores.

These products are formulated for indoor use and designed to make your home unattractive for mosquitos to spend time in.

Examples include the DEET-free Murphy’s Naturals Lemon Eucalyptus Bug Spray and citronella-based Badger Anti-Bug Shake & Spray.

Pros: Effective, affordable, safe for use around food, kids, and pets

Cons: Must be re-applied regularly, many formulations will not kill mosquitoes 

5. Remove standing water

standing water in flower pot

Remove standing water wherever it exists in your home.

Ensure indoor plants aren’t sitting in wet trays, and empty pet bowls frequently to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds.

Pros: Easy, effective

Cons: Will not kill adult mosquitoes

6. Use mosquito netting

Sick of these pests buzzing around your bed at night? Keep them out with mosquito netting. Simply hang it around your bed to create a mosquito-proof barrier.

Pros: Affordable, practical, easy

Cons: Will not protect you from mosquitos in other areas of the home, can be unsightly 

7. Install screens

One of the best ways to keep mosquitos out of your home is simply to install screens in your windows and doors or repair existing screens that have holes or tears in them.

Have a sliding glass door with no screen in it?

Try a a magnetic screen door, which is completely hands-free and snaps shut securely behind you. It’s perfect for households with kids and pets and fits a wide selection of door frames.

Pros: Affordable, easy to install, effective

Cons: Will still allow mosquitos into your home if the screen is left open

8. Use Yellow LED Lighting

Mosquitoes are attracted to the light emitted by traditional bulbs. However, warm, yellow light from LED bulbs is much less appealing to them.

One easy way to keep mosquitos away from your seating area is to swap your traditional bulbs for yellow LEDs.

Pros: Affordable, non-toxic, can help keep away other flying pests

Cons: Labor-intensive, will not kill adult mosquitos

9. Plant Natural Deterrents

Build mosquito repellents into your landscaping! Use mosquito-repelling plants in your gardens and borders to keep mosquitoes away all year long.

Plants like tulsi, lavender, citronella, lemongrass, catnip, marigolds, lemon balm, basil, garlic, peppermint, rosemary, pennyroyal, geraniums, and sage will all do the trick.

Pros: Attractive, effective, will help deter other pests

Cons: Will not kill mosquitoes or resolve existing infestations 

10. Invite Predators to Your Yard

While predators won’t eliminate all the mosquitoes outside, they can help control populations.

Many bird species eat mosquitoes, including songbirds and swallows, so building bird feeders can be a great way to keep mosquitoes at bay.

Installing bat houses can also help since bats can eat about 1,000 mosquitoes an hour!

Pros: Effective, non-toxic, may help reduce other pest populations

Cons: It takes time for predators to control pest populations effectively

11. Use Cedar Mulch in Your Landscaping

Gardener spreading cedar mulch in yard

If you’re trying to eliminate mosquitoes outside, incorporate cedar mulch in your landscaping.

In addition to emitting a smell mosquitoes hate, cedar mulch is also highly absorbent. It absorbs and contains moisture to keep your landscaping dry and prevent mosquitoes from infesting your property.

Pros: Natural, non-toxic, long-lasting, effective at repelling mosquitos and other pests

Cons: Requires annual maintenance – you must refresh mulch each year for maximum effectiveness

12. Manicure Your Lawn

Mosquitos like to live and breed in damp, dark, and cool areas.

To keep them off your property, manicure your lawn, garden, trees, and shrubs, and keep your grass from getting too long.

Anything you can do to reduce moisture and eliminate hiding spaces will help eliminate mosquitos on your property.

Pros: Effective, helps reduce current and future mosquito infestations 

Cons: None 

13. Fix Water Leaks

If you have a leaky or dripping outdoor faucet, fix it promptly.

This will eliminate moist areas that may provide breeding spaces for mosquitoes. You’ll also want to clean your rain gutters and seal all water deposits (like rain barrels).

Pros: Reduces mosquito breeding grounds and habitat, kills mosquito larvae and eggs

Cons: None

14. Burn mosquito-repellent candles

Citronella candles are a popular outdoor mosquito repellent. Add a few to your patio table or invest in Tiki torches that burn citronella oil to keep mosquitos away from your outdoor seating areas.

If you don’t love the smell of citronella, consider lavender as an alternative. While people find the smell comforting, calming, and less intense than citronella, mosquitos hate it.

Pros: Natural, non-toxic, safe for kids, pets, and non-target species

Cons: Not suitable for larger spaces, won’t kill mosquitos, their eggs, or their larvae.

With Chemical Methods

15. Insect fogger

Foggers are ideal for use in small, contained spaces, like closets or areas beneath cabinets.

Foggers release insecticides that kill mosquitoes immediately. They can be a great way to eliminate mosquitoes in your home if you follow all label directions carefully.

Pros: Affordable, effective, fast-acting

Cons: Foggers contain chemicals that may not be safe for use around kids, pets, or food

16. Insect spray

Just like there are many non-chemical mosquito sprays you can use indoors, there are many chemical-based products. These sprays kill mosquitoes on contact and help get rid of the bugs.

Keep in mind that mosquito spraying isn’t always the most effective removal method. Since mosquitos usually hide underneath leaves, spraying them tends to kill beneficial insects, as well.

Pros: Effective, fast-acting, designed to kill mosquitoes on contact

Cons: May contain dangerous chemicals

17. Outdoor Chemical Repellents

Applying outdoor chemical repellents is a great way to eliminate mosquitoes in your lawn and garden.

Repellents can create a mosquito-deterring perimeter around your property for up to eight weeks.

For best results, treat your shrubbery and lawn with approved products – just be careful not to spray on a windy day when pesticide spray could drift over your property lines.

Pros: Repellents are effective, fast-acting, and long-lasting

Cons: The quality of repellents varies by price and manufacturer, some repellents may not last as long as others, and some repellents contain toxic ingredients that aren’t safe for use around kids or pets

18. Liquid Larvicide

If you’ve got standing water on your property that you can’t drain, like an ornamental water feature, pond, or pool, apply a liquid larvicide to kill mosquito larvae within the water and prevent future breeding.

Today, there are many green- and eco-friendly standing water treatment options available, so you don’t have to worry about harming the environment if you choose these options.

Pros: Effective, fast-acting, long-lasting

Cons: May be expensive, may require regular re-application

19. Battery-Powered Repellents

Battery-powered repellent devices emit no-mess, spray-free repellents from a compact, weather-proof container.

These repellents are scent-free, refillable, and can offer a protective range of up to 15 feet, which makes them great for use near seating areas.

Pros: Effective, fast-acting

Cons: Requires manual refills, may be unsightly 

20. DEET 

DEET is a strong insect repellent that protects against bites from mosquitos, flies, ticks, and many other pests.

Applying it to your skin is a great way to protect yourself from any pests that may have gotten inside.

Pros: Easy to apply, effective

Cons: Not chemical-free 

How do Pest Control Professionals Get Rid of Mosquitos?

Worker spraying pesticide onto green bush
Are you tired of dealing with mosquitos on your own? Hiring a pest control professional is a great way to eliminate the buzzing pests quickly and easily.

Here’s the process an exterminator will typically follow to get rid of pests:

Step 1: Inspection

The first step in any effective mosquito control treatment is inspection. During this phase, the pest control team will visit your property and assess your mosquito problem.

They’ll determine the severity of the infection and identify where mosquitoes live and breed and any areas on your property that may offer them shelter.

Step 2: Treatment

Next comes the actual mosquito treatment. Depending on the company you work with, this can take a few different forms.

Green mosquito treatments, for example, kill mosquitoes using products and treatments derived from natural materials, like bacteria and flowers, and they’re only applied to high-need areas.

This targeted approach to professional spraying for mosquitos allows the pest control team to reduce adult mosquito populations while also killing mosquito larvae and eggs.

Step 3: Follow-up

Eliminating mosquitos often requires several mosquito control treatments. The pest control professional you hire will likely provide follow-up treatments to eradicate all adult mosquitoes and their eggs and larvae.

Need Professional Mosquito Control?

Sick of dealing with buzzing, biting mosquitoes? You don’t have to live with them forever. Whether your DIY efforts have failed, or you just want more support, contacting a mosquito exterminator to help can be a great idea.

Fortunately, we have a broad network of reputable partners in your area that can help you eliminate mosquitos and reclaim our outdoor space.

zachary smith no bg

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Mosquito Control FAQs

Mosquitos are most active during the late spring, summer, and early fall, and they tend to swarm in the evening when it’s cool and humid outside.

There’s no one-size-fits-all rule for how much mosquito treatments cost. The final bill will depend on a few factors, including the type of mosquito treatment your property requires, the size of the treated area, and the number of follow-up treatments needed.

Prevent mosquito bites by practicing indoor and outdoor repellent tactics (installing screens, burning mosquito-repellent candles, using traps, etc.) and protecting yourself by wearing long pants and shirts and applying DEET-based repellents to the skin. 

Timothy C. Winegard, author of ‘The Mosquito: A Human History of Our Deadliest Predator,” notes that around 85% of how much we attract or repel mosquitoes comes down to our genes. Things like your blood type, how much carbon dioxide you exhale when you breathe, the lactic acid on your skin, and your body’s own unique smells are all in the mix. dealt!

 

zachary smith crop

Author Bio: Zachary Smith

Zachary Smith is the founder of PestDude.com. Zachary is a licensed pest control professional with 20+ years of hands on experience eradicating pests from homes and businesses. Zachary earned his Bachelor of Science from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 2002. He specializes in rodent and insect infestation management of structures and landscapes. His passion is to share his extensive knowledge with the world.

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