Table of Contents
First Things First - Fix Your Window Screens and Doors
Like many insects, mosquitoes are tiny and can enter your home through the tiniest of places. As such the first solution to getting rid of mosquitoes is by fix gaps in your window screens and doors. It would be a nice idea to get window screens if you don't have them. This, however, doesn't mean that you have to get them for every window. Instead, get the screens for the windows that you open regularly.
If you already have screens in place, make sure that they're well-maintained and do not have any tear or damage. This is because mosquitoes can enter through the smallest of tears. As such, you should regularly inspect the screens for holes and fix them accordingly.
You shouldn't forget about the doors. Any gap around your door can allow in many mosquitoes let alone bugs and mice. Make sure that there are no gaps around your doors. You can seal these gaps using a door strip or weather stripping. Such strips are quite affordable and will keep the mosquitoes, as well as other bugs outside while maintaining a cool and hot air inside.
Get Rid of Stagnant Water
Believe it or not, something as tiny as a bottle cap can be a breeding spot for mosquitoes. These tiny insects breed in freshwater sources, so you shouldn't have anything that can keep stagnant water around your home. That being said, you should ensure that there's no stagnant water anywhere near your home. From toys, flower pots, plates to open cans, kiddie pools, and ponds make sure that there's nothing that can hold stagnant water within and around your home.
The best thing about mosquitoes is that they cannot fly very far. This means that you can significantly reduce or even eliminate the number of mosquitoes in your home if you remove the stagnant water, which is their breeding spot. On the contrary, you shouldn't worry about your swimming pool. This is because most swimming pools use chlorinated water and this is a sure-fire way to keep the bugs away from the pool.
Use Mosquito Larvicide
Let's be honest here; we know there are some areas within or around your home that it's impossible to control water collection. You're probably asking yourself; what do I do? Well, the solution is to use larvicides.
A larvicide is an insecticide that's specifically used to target an insect at its larval stage of life. This will stop immature aquatic mosquitoes from developing to maturity or breeding adults. This will, therefore, not only minimize or reduce the number of mosquitoes in your home but will also ensure that they do not mature into biting. You can use larvicides to treat any stagnant water within and around your home that you cannot otherwise eradicate.
When it comes to how often you'll be applying the larvicide, it will largely depend on the type of product you're using and the amount of rain in your area. For instance, there are larvicides that will stop the larva from developing a bug by affecting its ability to eat. It's, therefore, important that you carefully read and understand the product label before purchasing and using the product.
Use Chemical Repellents
Using chemical mosquito repellents is arguably the most effective way of ensuring that your home is free of mosquitoes and your loved ones stay bite-free. If you have children in the house, it's recommended that you use chemical mosquito repellents that contain a concentration of no more than 10%-30% DEET. Alternatively, you can use a concentration of about 30%-50% DEET for adults.
The chemical repellents can successfully keep mosquitoes away from your skin and are great if you're going to stay outdoors. If you'll be applying sunscreen, the mosquito repellent should be applied on top of the sunscreen and not the other way round. This is because the sunscreen can block the effects of the chemical mosquito repellents.
Treating Your Yard with a Mosquito Spray
Spraying mosquito insecticide in the yard and other areas of your home on a monthly basis will significantly reduce the number of mosquitoes in your home. Given that there are hundreds of mosquito insecticides out there, it's advisable to choose one that's labeled for use on the areas you want to treat.
If you've been keen enough, you might have noticed that mosquitoes are most active at night. This is because they hide out during the heat of the day. For your chemical spray to work effectively, you should know their hiding areas. If you're spraying outside, you can look on the undersides of leaves, trees, and bushes. You can also look in dense bushes, tall grasses, under decks, in shady areas, dark rooms, moist areas, and under overhanging structures. When spraying, make sure that you concentrate on every part of these areas. For instance, do not just spray the top of the leaves and forget the undersides as this can be ineffective.
You can also consider adding an insect growth regulator, especially if you're living in an area with a high mosquito population. These growth regulators can effectively sterilize mosquitoes and make their eggs infertile. This is, of course, a superb way of disrupting their reproduction cycle, thereby reducing their population.
Thwart them with an Electronic Swatter
You can use an electronic swatter to electrocute the mosquitoes. Just buy the electronic swatter from the nearby local store and it will help you get rid of the mosquitoes that are already inside your house. The only downside of this method is that you have to spot the mosquito and electrocute it. This means that you have to know their hiding areas.
Use Ultrasonic Bug/Pest Repellent
When they first came to the market, ultrasonic mosquito repellents were expensive, big, and unattractive. But with numerous technological advancements, ultrasonic repellents are becoming more affordable, much smaller, and more attractive.
Ultrasonic devices are said to emit radio frequencies that are very unpleasant for bugs such as mosquitoes. These sounds cannot be picked up by humans, so you won't be affected by the bugs won't withstand the sounds. You should try these ultrasonic devices to get rid of mosquitoes, especially if you don't want to use chemicals.
Use Camphor Oil
Camphor oil has a long-lasting effect as a natural mosquito repellent. You can light it in a room with all windows and doors closed for about 20 minutes. Although the scent may be foul to you, your room will be mosquito-free in no time.
In addition to helping you get rid of mosquitoes, camphor oil is a herbal solution for better breathing, muscle pain, and sedation.
Mosquito Traps
Mosquito traps are readily available online or at the local stores. You can use them to trap mosquitoes and eradicate them but you'll have to change the solutions periodically.
Mosquito Netting
You can choose to sleep under a mosquito net, especially if you have an infant. These nets do not allow mosquitoes near you and are a great alternative to chemical repellents, which may sometimes be deemed dangerous, especially to the infants. Mosquito netting can also be effective in protecting you from mosquito bites particularly if you like sleeping with the windows or doors open.
Garlic
Garlic has a strong pungent smell, as well as mosquito larvicidal features that will keep the bugs away. Simply crush a few garlic cloves, boil them in water for minutes, and spray it around the house.
Dry Ice
Have you ever wondered how mosquitoes detect where you are? Well, they follow the carbon dioxide that we exhale when breathing. This is where dry ice comes in handy. Dry ice emits carbon dioxide, so you can place it in a container at a distance away from you. Mosquitoes will be attracted to the container and you can close the lid. This method is effective but can be time-consuming.
Bottom Line
Mosquitoes may be tiny but they're among the most deadly insects to have in your home. A bite from a mosquito can cause deadly diseases such as malaria, dengue, and zika virus, let alone transmitting other diseases such as yellow fever and elephantiasis. As such it's only best to ensure that your home is always mosquito-free.
The most important thing is to prevent mosquitoes from entering your home in the first place. You can do this by removing their breeding grounds, which is often stagnant water. You can also clear bush thickets, long grasses, and remove anything that might provide these deadly bugs with shelter. You should also make sure that there are no entry points in your windows and doors. Spraying your yard on a monthly basis can also be a great way of eradicating mosquitoes.
More importantly, make sure that you always sleep under a mosquito net, especially if you live in mosquito-infested areas.
Recent Articles
