Ways To Keep Mosquitoes Out Of Your Home
Florida is known for its sunny weather and beautiful beaches, but during the rainy summer months, Florida becomes a playground for hungry mosquitoes. It only takes a few minutes outdoors at dusk for blood-thirsty mosquitoes to swarm. If the constant buzzing around your ears or the itchy bites on your arms and legs isn’t enough, mosquitoes can transmit deadly diseases to both humans and furry friends. Our pest exterminators at Champion Termite and Pest Control, Inc. are here to teach you how to keep these unwanted pests out of your home.
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Use Your Screens
Screens are the perfect barrier between the comfort of home and a swarm of blood-thirsty mosquitoes outside. Ensure that any mesh screens on your property are intact and have no holes or gaps, as these make perfect entry points for mosquitoes to sneak inside. Screen patches or silicone caulk can be used to fix any issues in a screen to give you peace of mind that mosquitoes aren’t finding their way inside.
Get Rid Of Standing Water
Mosquitoes use standing water to reproduce and can do so in a bottle cap-sized pool of water. It only takes 10–14 days for mosquitoes to develop in standing water. Therefore, it is important to empty anything outside that can catch water after a rainfall, such as children’s water toys and wheelbarrows. Also, make sure to keep gutters and drain lines clear of debris, as clogged leaves and branches can cause rain to pool.
Keep Your Yard Under Control
Mosquitoes prefer hiding in cool, shady areas, so by removing any tall grass or limbs that cast a shadow, your property becomes less attractive to them. Letting in more sun also helps to dry up any standing water. If your lawn has uneven terrain or divots that can collect water, we recommend filling them with topsoil and planting grass because they can become a potential breeding ground for mosquitoes.
Use Fans Outdoors
Mosquitoes are naturally weak fliers, so the speed of an outdoor fan can help deter them from your front door. A fan also dispels carbon dioxide and other chemical cues and odors mosquitoes use to locate hosts for feeding. While this may seem like an easy and convenient solution, especially for outdoor gatherings, it isn’t practical to keep an outdoor fan running at all hours of the day.
Plant Mosquito-Repelling Plants Or Use Coffee Grounds
If you enjoy spending time outside on a deck or patio, plants like lavender or marigold have potent fragrances and essential oils that can naturally repel mosquitoes. These can keep mosquitoes at bay while giving some life to the property. Also, if you can’t get rid of certain standing bodies of water, coffee grounds can be sprinkled around them to prevent any mosquito larvae from growing. So even if you miss some spots around the home, the mosquito population will still decrease.
Set Mosquito Traps
To keep mosquitoes away from your front door and patio, you can set up mosquito traps on the outside of the home, but it is important to change these regularly. Adding liquid soap or oil to pools of standing water is a quick solution to kill mosquito larvae. All it takes is one teaspoon of oil per gallon of water, as a thin layer of oil will be enough to kill mosquito larvae instantly.
