Mosquitoes can be a huge nuisance when you are trying to enjoy the outdoors. Not only do they leave itchy bites, but mosquitoes can also transmit dangerous diseases. We can help bring comfort back to your backyard! In this article we will discuss some tips for mosquito prevention for your house and yard.
Tip #1: Eliminate standing water to prevent mosquitoes
Female mosquitoes require stagnant or still water to lay their eggs. One female mosquito can lay 100-300 eggs at a time meaning that a small mosquito problem can very quickly grow into a mosquito infestation! Eliminating sources of standing water will prevent female mosquitoes from laying eggs on your property.
Eliminating standing water is easier said than done. You may be surprised at some of the areas we find standing water on a property. Let’s look at some common areas where homeowners have standing water which can lead to mosquitoes.
Clogged gutters can allow water to sit and be mosquito breeding sites
Gutters are designed to channel rainwater from the roof and funnel it down and away from the house. If the gutters become clogged, water can sit and become mosquito breeding grounds.
If the gutters are misaligned or installed improperly, the rainwater may not empty and could lead to puddles in the gutter. These puddles can definitely be areas for female mosquitoes to lay their eggs.
Ensure that your gutters are unclogged and that the water is flowing freely to prevent female mosquitoes from laying their eggs.
Mosquitoes can lay their eggs in pet water dishes outside
If you have pets such as cats or dogs that go outside, then I’m sure you have a water dish for them. If the water dish is left undisturbed, and full of water, mosquitoes can lay their eggs in it.
You need to keep your pet hydrated so you leave a water bowl outside. If the water bowl is left alone, then the water in the bowl can become a mosquito breeding area.
We recommend dumping the outside water bowl in the evening and re-filling it the following morning. This will ensure that the mosquitoes won’t have enough time to either lay their eggs or have the eggs develop into adult mosquitoes.
We simply flip the water bowl upside down at night to dump the water and re-fill in the morning.
Kid pools can be mosquito breeding sites
Young children love swimming and having a kiddie swimming pool in your backyard can be a great way to entertain them and let them cool off. The problem is that most homeowners simply fill the swimming pool and let the water sit for days or weeks at a time.
Small inflatable swimming pools are a very convenient and fun toy to put in your backyard. Unlike established pools though, kiddie pools are un-treated, meaning they are usually just filled with water from the garden hose and left to sit.
The water in the kiddie pool can quickly become contaminated with grass, dirt, oils, and whatever else is introduced into the pool.
The water in a kiddie pool should be emptied and re-filled at least once every 3 days to prevent mosquitoes from laying their eggs.
Plant saucers can lead to mosquito problems
Plant saucers are placed under potted plants to catch the excess water from the pot. This water is, when left to accumulate, is a mosquito breeding hotspot.
We can see that when the plant pot is removed, the saucer below is full of water. Your beautiful potted plants need to be watered, but avoiding the watering collecting in the saucer will help with mosquito reduction.
Plant saucers should be dumped of water daily to prevent mosquitoes from laying their eggs.
Toys in the backyard can collect water and breed mosquitoes
Mosquitoes don’t need much stagnant water to lay their eggs so it’s important to check the toys that are left outside. Many types of kid’s toys can collect or accumulate water in them.
Whether it is a toy truck or a toy bucket, mosquitoes will find the water inside and lay their eggs. It’s always best to pick up and collect the toys left in the yard so that rainwater doesn’t collect in them.
Kids like toys but more accurately, they love to leave their toys everywhere except where they belong. By keeping water off of the toys, you can help prevent mosquitoes.
Bird Baths can breed mosquitoes
Bird baths can be a great feature for your yard to observe birds. The water in the bird bath, however, can become a mosquito breeding area.
Bird baths should be emptied regularly and refilled to keep the water fresh and to prevent mosquitoes from laying their eggs.
Mosquito eggs take 1-3 days to hatch so emptying the bird bath every few days will help prevent mosquitoes.
Tires on the property can collect water and cause mosquito problems
Tires are another mosquito breeding location because water likes to collect and sit inside of the rubber of the tire. The tire also provides relative protection for the mosquito and their eggs and larva.
Tires should be stored inside or in covered areas where rainwater won’t collect inside of them. If tires are stored outside, check them frequently for water and dump out any water you find.
Whether you have an old tire sitting in your yard, or a fun tire swing hanging from a tree, mosquitoes will find the water inside and lay their eggs.
Ponds are great breeding locations for mosquitoes
Ponds are essentially giant versions of the areas listed above. Whether your pond is for fishing, skating, or simply fun to look at, the water in the pond is a giant mosquito breeding area.
Ponds are excellent mosquito breeding areas because of their large volume of stagnant water.
Preventing mosquitoes in your pond is critical to reducing the number of mosquitoes you have nearby.
Here are 2 great options for your pond to prevent mosquitoes
- Treat the pond with a mosquito larvicide to stop the mosquitoes from developing into adults
- Install an aerator in the pond to keep the water moving and not have the pond be stagnant
Tip #2: Keep grass and bushes trimmed to prevent mosquitoes
Tip #1 dealt with preventing adult mosquitoes from laying their eggs and having their eggs turn into adult mosquitoes. Tip #2 is dealing with where the adults mosquitoes live and hangout. Keeping the grass in your lawn cut regularly and having your bushing and shrubbery trimmed, will help reduce mosquito populations.
Adult mosquitoes like to hangout under the leaves and branches of trees, shrubs, and bushes. By trimming the trees, shrubs, and bushes, we introduce more airflow to the inside of the bush, and mosquitoes don’t like that.
When we do a mosquito treatment, we will treat the underside of trees, bushes, and shrubs because that is where the mosquitoes are.
Keeping your trees, bushes, and grass trimmed and mowed will eliminate mosquito hangout spots.
Tip #3: Install or use a fan to help prevent mosquitoes
Another tip to prevent mosquitoes is to install or place a fan where you are hanging out outside. Mosquitoes are not great fliers, so having a fan will help keep the mosquitoes away.
Whether you have an outdoor fan installed or you simply place a fan on the picnic table, having air movement will help keep flying mosquitoes away.
Adult mosquitoes are not very strong at flying so any air movement will prevent them from getting too close.
Tip #4: Install or repair window screens to prevent mosquitoes
We all want that nice summer air to circulate throughout the house, so we open the windows and install the window screens. Often, window screens are damaged or missing allowing mosquitoes and other pests to enter the home.
If your window screens are damaged or missing, it can allow mosquitoes and other pests to enter the house.
There are few things worse than a mosquito biting you in the middle of the night while you sleep in your cozy bed!
Keeping window screens installed and in good repair will help prevent mosquitoes from entering the house and biting you while you sleep.
Tip #5: Hire a mosquito company to treat your property for mosquitoes
Professional mosquito and pest control companies offer mosquito treatments and mosquito prevention services. We inspect properties, make recommendations on how to reduce mosquitoes, and then treat the area to eliminate mosquitoes and their eggs and larva.
When we perform a mosquito treatment, we evaluate the property before we begin the treatment. We start by flipping over pet water bowls and inspecting the area for sources of standing water.
Next, we treat the underside of trees, bushes, and shrubs because this is where the mosquitoes are hanging out.
Finally, we treat the service of the lawn to eliminate any mosquitoes that are in the lawn or future mosquitoes that land on the lawn.
If the homeowner has a pond, or large body of standing water, we will treat these areas with a larvicide. The larvicide is a mosquito control product that interrupts the life cycle of the mosquito. Since mosquitoes go through several life cycles between egg to larva to adult, by interrupting this cycle we can prevent having adult mosquitoes later. The larvicide is completely fine to place into ponds with aquatic life.
Need a mosquito company near you?
If you have followed these tips for mosquito prevention and still have a mosquito problem, it’s time to call a professional mosquito company. Prudential Pest Solutions is a full-service mosquito and pest control company that can return the comfort back into your yard and outdoor activities. We have the experience, knowledge, and equipment to reduce any mosquito infestation you have.
Prudential Pest Solutions provides mosquito treatments and control services to all of Southeastern Pennsylvania. Some of the many areas we service include:
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