Mosquitoes Ruining Your Summertime Fun?
Here’s 8 Ways To Get Rid Of ‘Em
Everyone wants to enjoy the outdoors in the summertime. But as soon as a tiny black, stripe-legged mosquito is spotted, fun’s over! Time to head back inside. We believe that shouldn’t be the case! Pesky mosquitoes shouldn’t be the reason you can’t spend time outside. So, to protect yourself, your yard and your outdoor activities, we have a few DIY ways to repel mosquitoes from your home. Below, you’ll find eight ways to repel mosquitoes from your home. Between burning pinon wood and planting mosquito repellent plants, you’re sure to find at least one way (if not more) to successfully repel mosquitoes from your home. With any luck, you’ll stop swatting and start enjoying your yard once again.
1. Plant Mosquito Repellent Plants
There are actually quite a few plants that are known to repel mosquitoes. While you may enjoy the fragrant scents of rosemary, basil, peppermint and lemon balm, mosquitoes sure won’t! Garlic and catnip also emit strong smells that mosquitoes tend to steer clear of. Interestingly enough, lemon balm is an herb in the mint family that contains up to 38 percent citronella content. As we’re sure you know, citronella is commonly used to repel mosquitoes (find out why below). So, the next time you’re choosing plants for your lawn or garden, consider choosing common mosquito-repelling plants to protect your home. Pro Tip: Peppermint is not only useful for repelling mosquitoes, but also treating their bites! In the event of a mosquito bite, use peppermint leaves to soothe itching.
2. Use Essential Oils
Essential oils are the perfect way to protect your home from mosquitoes without causing additional threats to you or the environment. Essential oils are best used in DIY spray bottle mixes, which can either be diffused into the air or sprayed onto your skin for extra protection. Because of their high concentration, essential oils emit even stronger scents than their plant counterparts, which are sure to drive mosquitoes away. Want to learn more ways to use essential oils around your home? You’re in luck! To learn how to fight mold with essential oils, read our blog 5 Essential Oils To Diffuse In Your Home For Mold Protection. Then, learn how to control pests naturally with essential oils by reading Organic Pest Control: Techniques To Use Indoors and Out. Take a moment now to explore these two topics, or circle back around before you go!
3. Burn Pinion Wood
Gathering friends around your fire pit or backyard bonfire can go south quickly when mosquitoes are involved. To help combat this, burn pinon wood instead of regular firewood. These logs give off a strong pine scent when burning, making your fire more enjoyable for you and not for mosquitoes. So, before your next s’mores fest, visit your local outdoor supply store and look for pinon wood. It’s even manufactured into smaller logs that are perfect for fire pits!
4. Get Creative With Citronella
Remember earlier when we talked about the citronella content in lemon balm? Well, lemon balm isn’t the only way to get creative with citronella! Burning citronella candles is another way to deter mosquitoes from your home—and it may not be for the reason you think. Citronella actually camouflages your scent, making it more difficult for mosquitoes to find you. This is why many people turn to citronella candles, torches or spirals (decorative citronella-emitting spirals you can hang from a tree) to repel mosquitoes. If you choose to use citronella to keep mosquitoes away, there are countless products you can choose from. Do your research and find creative ways to distribute citronella around your home!
5. Attract Birds To Your Yard
This solution is somewhat of a caveat, because attracting birds to your home may do more harm than good. Birds may nest in undesirable areas of your home, and birdseed or bird baths may attract other pests like squirrels to your yard. However, birds are known to eat mosquitoes, which could lend itself useful when trying to rid your lawn of these blood-sucking pests. If you decide more birds around your home wouldn’t be such a bad thing, consider adding a few birdhouses or bird feeders to invite them to stay. We will say, though, that more birds around your home won’t eliminate mosquitoes completely. So consider partnering this tactic with some of the others on this list!
6. Install Ceiling Fans
Mosquitoes can’t bite if they can’t land! If you spend time on your outdoor patio or deck, consider installing a ceiling fan or two to keep mosquitoes moving. The frequent flow of air will prevent them from safely landing, hopefully resulting in little to no bites. Or, if installing a fan is out of the question, try using box fans or other portable fan options to protect yourself from pesky mosquitoes. The fans will keep you cool this summer, and repel mosquitoes—it’s a win-win for everyone (except the mosquitoes).
7. Eliminate Standing Water
To prevent mosquito infestations, check your lawn and home frequently for standing water. This may be a pond, clogged gutters, or simply an area around your home that doesn’t drain well. Mosquitoes need water to breed, so by eliminating as much standing water as possible, you’ll be able to minimize your chances of a mosquito infestation. However, locating the areas of your home that could be a breeding ground for mosquitoes may be easier said than done. Which is why it’s so important to trust the mosquito control experts!
8. Invest In Professional Mosquito Control From Killingsworth
When you need pest control specialists, you can count on the team here at Killingsworth to get the job done. Over the past 26 years, we have developed a successful plan to locating, treating and eliminating mosquitoes around your home. Keep reading below to find out how we do it!
Killingsworth’s Step-By-Step Plan For Eliminating Mosquitoes
Step 1: Identify mosquito habitats. The first step is for locate any areas of your home where mosquitoes may breed. This could be in an area as large as a swimming pool, or as small as a puddle. Step 2: Eliminate existing mosquitoes. Once their habitat is identified, the next step is to eliminate it. By eliminating their habitat, the mosquito population around your home will decrease drastically. Without doing this, our mosquito control efforts wouldn’t be nearly as successful. Step 3: Safe, Effective Mosquito Control. Our goal is to eliminate mosquitoes while posing no threat to other plants or wildlife. The team at Killingsworth is trained to treat only the affected areas, while doing everything we can to protect nontarget organisms. Step 4: Ongoing Mosquito Protection. Once mosquitoes are treated, we won’t stop there! Here in the Carolinas, mosquitoes are a threat all year long, which is why it’s so important to protect your yard from mosquitoes in every season. If mosquitoes are posing an ongoing threat to your home and health, don’t wait to reach out! We’d be happy to come take a look at your home and see where mosquitoes may be hiding. That way, you can get back to enjoying summer activities mosquito bite-free! Don’t wait – schedule a service with us now!
