Mosquitoes harbor disease, and they are also incredibly annoying. When they bite you, the welts they leave behind will itch for days and make it difficult for you to sleep. Consider reading some Terminix reviews and applying these excellent tips to keep your home mosquito-free.
Keep them out
Mosquitoes are more active at dusk, although they do come out during the day, too. Ensuring you keep your doors and windows closed when they’re most active is critical to keeping your home mosquito-free.
Look for gaps around windows and doors. If you see any, make sure you block gaps around your door with weather seal stripping. It creates a tight seal to keep the mosquitoes out. For windows, if you like to open them during the day, make sure you have screens up to keep the little bloodsuckers at bay. Seal any gaps with caulking to keep them from finding their way inside.
Clear breeding grounds
Check the inside and outside of your home for breeding grounds. Mosquitoes love stagnant water, so if you have any around your home that they can access, get rid of it. That’s not to say you can’t have a water cistern in your backyard. If you do, though, make sure there is a screen in place to keep the mosquitoes out.
It’s not unusual to find standing water near AC units because they constantly drain as condensation forms while in use. If you see water there, make sure it has a way to drain efficiently. Otherwise, you’re looking at a mosquito haven.
Natural mosquito repellants
There are certain plants that mosquitoes hate. It’s a good idea to plant them all around your home. As a bonus, you’ll have beautiful flowers to enjoy and keep mosquitoes away naturally. You can also bring clippings into your home to keep them away.
Several of these plants also do well indoors, so you can keep them inside to help you control any mosquitoes that end up inside your home. Some plants that mosquitoes don’t like include mint, rosemary, lavender, marigolds, lemongrass, citronella, basil, garlic, and catnip.
Mosquitoes also don’t like citrus scents, so you can spray your doorways with orange or lemon essential oils. If you go that route, make sure you dilute them properly first. They also don’t like the smell of cloves, so you can put cloves around your home or stick them in lemon halves to repel mosquitoes, too.
Mixing eucalyptus oils along with lemon oils in a properly diluted carrier can also effectively keep mosquitoes away. Camphor is another effective repellant due to its strong scent when it is burned. You light the camphor, and you’ll realize that the mosquitoes are nowhere to be found after a short time.
Tea tree oil and garlic spray are also effective at keeping the mosquitoes from biting you. To make a garlic spray, boil a few crushed cloves in water and strain the water into a bottle. Mosquitoes don’t like the smell and choose to stay away. Tea tree oil can be applied with a spray or directly to your skin as long as you use a proper carrier, like coconut or jojoba oils.
Professional mosquito intervention
If you’ve tried all of the natural ways, but the mosquitoes don’t seem to be bothered, it’s time to tell your landlord to call the professionals. A mosquito treatment plan starts with an inspection followed by eliminating where they’re breeding.
Pest control professionals will continue with chemical products that are applied where mosquitoes may hide. Other solutions include water treatments to prevent eggs from hatching or developing further in any remaining stagnant water that can’t be cleaned or drained completely. You can prepare the chemical treatments yourself, but it can be dangerous if you don’t handle them correctly. Professional assistance is always better.
The professional may also suggest traps to keep mosquitoes away from you and the inside of your home. The best traps release carbon dioxide to attract mosquitoes. If the traps are placed appropriately between your house and where mosquitoes find shelter, you have a good chance at trapping and killing them. Indoor bug zappers can also be effective.
Getting mosquitoes under control
Mosquitoes are annoying pests that can cause significant health issues if not dealt with correctly. As you work to keep them out of your home, you have plenty of options. Before doing anything, though, you need to clear any breeding grounds you’ll find first. From there, you can choose a natural route and see how that works out for you. If natural repellents are not enough, a professional can help clear your home and your yard of mosquitoes.
Story by Ed Spicer