DIY Mosquito Control Methods

DIY Mosquito Control Methods

Mosquitoes can breed in just an inch of standing water, meaning that they can stay in many areas around your home. When there are many mosquitoes in your compound, you need to get rid of them. Here are several ways to do that at home:

Remove empty containers

Start by cleaning out the empty containers in your yard and storing away buckets that are not in use. If your dog must have water in the backyard, make sure that you change it at least once a day. Do you have other containers that must stay outside? Make sure that you punch holes in them to drain water.

Cut your grass and trim your bushes

During the day, these annoying little creatures like to rest in tall blades of grass or in shrubs found in a warm, shady area. When you trim your grass, you will be depriving mosquitoes of a resting place. Moreover, you should rake up any leaves that fall down.

An overturned leaf has the ability to hold enough water for mosquito eggs, giving them a place to wait it out.

Check your rain gutters

As branches, leaves, and other debris often plug gutters, water usually accumulates in them instead of draining out. To avoid this, you should clean your gutters regularly in the summer. If you leave water standing in the gutters for more than a week, mosquitoes will end up laying eggs in them.

Look after your pool

You should keep your pool water clean and chlorinated. When not in use, make sure that you drain and cover your pool – the same should be done for collapsible and wading pools. Any decorative items such as ponds or birdbaths should be refilled with fresh water at least once a week.

You can also choose to stock your pond with fish that eat mosquito larvae.

Fill in low-lying areas

Any depressions in your yard can hold water when it rains or after you water your lawn. Without the right drainage, water will stay in these depressions and give mosquitoes a chance to breed. You should consider installing a drainage system or just add sod and dirt to the depressions.

There is no guarantee that cleaning up the breeding sites will keep mosquitoes at bay. They can always choose a different breeding ground and fly into your yard. Because mosquitoes only feed several hundred yards from their breeding ground, the above measures will certainly help.

Natural mosquito control

If the DIY mosquito control methods do not work for you, you can use biological means to get rid of them: predatory fish, bacteria, and plant repellents. Here are some of the animals that you can keep:

Mosquito fish

Fish such as The Gambusia are surface feeders that will eat larvae and mosquito eggs by the hundreds. If you have 48 surface feet of water, a dozen Gambusia will do the job of getting rid of mosquitoes. This breed of fish is hardy and can survive in stagnant water.

Dragonflies

Although dragonflies may look scary to humans, they are only dangerous to mosquitoes. Their larvae usually feed on mosquito larvae while the adults feed on adult mosquitoes. If you want to attract dragonflies to your compound, create a safe and comfortable environment for them.

You can create a small pond that is deep at one end and shallow at the other, with vegetation growing out of it and flat rocks encircling it – this will work for attracting dragonflies. However, if you do not want to get your hands dirty, contact a mosquito control New Jersey based company to get rid of the mosquitoes for you.