Keep Mosquitoes Away

The best way to rid your yard and home of mosquitoes is limiting the places where these insects breed and live. Preventing mosquitoes can reduce your risk of painful bites, as well as West Nile virus, malaria and dengue fever. Find out how to keep mosquitoes away.

Steps

Removing Standing Water

  1. Fill in holes and uneven areas around your home. These places can collect water, giving mosquitoes a place to breed.
    • Consider buying concrete patch for foundations and driveways, or paying a contractor to fill all the holes with a professional grade product.
  2. Remove canisters or containers that gather water in the rainy or snowy seasons. Cisterns, tarps, barbecues, garbage cans and plant pots that fill with water are excellent mosquito breeding grounds.
    • Store pots in a dry garage or shed. Cover them with airtight lids, if they must remain outside. If you cannot find a lid, tip them upside down and ensure water does not gather at the lip of the container.
  3. Identify problem areas in your yard that collect standing water. Siphon off water that has gathered every few days.
    • Tree stumps are a mosquito breeding area that people often ignore. Fill the tree stumps to avoid water accumulation.
  4. Empty your bird bath and replace the water every week. For especially bad mosquito problems, empty it every 2 to 3 days.
    • Also, replace the water in children's pools frequently. Chlorinate larger pools to make an unsafe environment for insects.
  5. Replace the water in outdoor pet water dishes every day. Replace the water indoors every few days as well.
  6. Remove the water that collects behind the refrigerator after defrosting your fridge.
  7. Remove the water from the washing machine outlet pipe after you are done with it.

Adjusting Gardening Schedules

  1. Mow your lawn weekly. Clip tall weeds in areas around the lawn. Mosquitoes like to hide in these areas.
    • Remove the clippings after you have mowed. They continue to host insects after they fall to the ground.
  2. Plant flowers and herbs that deter mosquitoes in your flower beds and gardens.

    • Grow containers of lemongrass to place in your yard. Lemongrass is 1 of the main ingredients in citronella candles, that are burned to repel mosquitoes.
    • Include marigolds in your flower garden selection. This flower is often used to create natural mosquito and insect repellent.
    • Keep scented geraniums, or pelargonium citrosum van leenii, on window sills. These flowers can help keep mosquitoes away from the house.
    • Plant garlic and rosemary in your garden. They can be used for cooking, while the outdoor plant will help to deter insects. If you need to bring your herbs inside in the winter, plant them in a container that can go on a windowsill in the winter.

Making Mosquito Repellent

  1. Save your coffee grounds. Place them in an open container for approximately 1 month. Sprinkle the aged grounds in standing water to kill larvae.
    • Spray leftover coffee on outdoor surfaces to act as a deterrent as well. Place it in a spray bottle after it has cooled. You can also simmer a dozen garlic cloves in 2 cups of water to make an outdoor spray.
  2. Create a natural mosquito repellent for the skin.
    • Combine 1 tsp. (2g) lemongrass with 1 tsp. (2g) eucalyptus and 4 oz. (118ml) of distilled witch hazel in a spray bottle.
    • Spray on skin every 15 minutes.
  3. Eat plenty of garlic. Some sources believe this works as an internal mosquito repellent.
  4. Turn on some fans in the area where you plan to sit. A strong breeze can deter mosquitoes from landing on you.
  5. Wear long sleeves and long pants. The thicker the layers the more likely they are to protect you from insect bites.
  6. Use a DEET-based bug spray if there are many disease-carrying mosquitoes in your area. This is still the best type of mosquito repellent on the market. Make sure to avoid your eyes, mouth and other sensitive areas when spraying.

Things You'll Need

  • Concrete filler
  • Canister lids
  • Dry storage sheds
  • Lawn mower
  • Weed eater
  • Coffee grounds
  • Spray bottles
  • Marigolds
  • Scented geraniums
  • Lemongrass
  • Garlic
  • Rosemary
  • Eucalyptus
  • Distilled witch hazel
  • DEET insect repellent
  • Fan
  • Long-sleeved shirts/long pants

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Sources and Citations

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