How to Get Rid of Mosquitoes

We all look forward to unwinding outdoors during the summer months – hiking, picnicking, or simply relaxing in the shade. Unfortunately, we have to contend with the onslaught of pesky mosquitoes as they search for their next meal. Discover how to get rid of mosquitoes to keep you and your family safe from a mosquito bite and a mosquito borne disease.

The mosquito is a worldwide pest, and there are many species, from the yellow fever mosquito to the Asian Tiger mosquito. Some thrive in marshes, forests, and tall grasses, while others congregate wherever humans and animals are. The male mosquito feeds on plant juices and does not bite people like the female mosquito. However, they are both a problem since the female cannot breed without the male.

It’s essential to take pest control measures to stop a mosquito problem from becoming an infestation. The fewer mosquitoes, the better since mosquito breeding increases the mosquito population. The female mosquito lays around 100 eggs every few days after mating once, and before you know it, the mosquito larvae turn into a mosquito infestation.

Ways to Eliminate and Prevent Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes are a nuisance, and the best way to get rid of mosquitoes is to prevent them from breeding around your home. However, there are times when this isn’t possible, and it’s necessary to take other measures for controlling mosquitoes. Fortunately, there are several easy ways to kill and repel mosquitoes without using DEET and other harmful chemicals.

Learn the importance of repelling mosquitoes and why an infestation is a problem. Discover natural ways to get rid of mosquitoes using sprays, traps, plants, and other insect repellent remedies. Additionally, find steps to take to keep the mosquito population in check.

Why is It Important to Control Mosquitoes?

Mosquitoes play a role in the ecosystem, serving as a food source for frogs, bats, birds, and fish, and some species are even pollinators. However, this doesn’t mean we look forward to them infesting our living areas. Explore why it’s essential to control the mosquito population and keep them away from people and pets.

The three primary mosquito categories include Aedes, Culex, and Anopheles mosquitoes, and they have two food sources. The males eat flower nectar, while the females seek nectar and blood necessary for reproduction. They leave behind an itchy mosquito welt, and the bite is worse if you have an allergic reaction.

However, irritating bites are only part of the problem since mosquitoes pose a health risk. These pests spread diseases like West Nile, Zika, Dengue, and Chikungunya. It’s vital to perform mosquito control around your home to keep you, your family, and your furry friends safe.

Natural Ways to Get Rid of Mosquitoes Using Plants

Nature is always one step ahead of us in life, and it has ways of protecting us from a variety of problems, including pests. For example, plants are not only beautiful to look at and smell, but some of them have insect-repelling qualities that keep mosquitoes away.

There are a variety of herbs and flowers that are simple to grow and work well for repelling mosquitoes. Lavender, rosemary, citronella, basil, and mint are herbs that these insects hate, and they avoid areas where they grow.

Plant them around your yard and run your hands over the leaves to release their scent as a natural mosquito repellent. If you prefer to grow flowers, marigolds and nasturtiums produce colorful blooms that keep many insects at bay, from the mosquito to aphids, beetles, and flies.

Best Way to Get Rid of Mosquitoes Using Garlic

Vampires are not the only bloodsuckers that hate the smell of garlic. What repels mosquitoes naturally? Mosquitoes cannot stand the garlicky scent and avoid areas where you apply it. Make a DIY mosquito spray with garlic to keep these pests out of the yard.

Place three garlic bulbs in a blender and fill it halfway with water. Puree the garlic for one minute and strain the liquid into a container. Store the garlic concentrate in your fridge until you’re ready to use it.

To make the garlic spray, pour a quarter cup of the concentrate into a container and add a gallon of water. Apply the mosquito spray outside around the area where you plan on spending time to repel mosquitoes for up to two hours.

How to Get Rid of Mosquitoes with Essential Oil

One of our favorite home remedies for getting rid of mosquitoes is essential oils, and there are several that deter these pests. Learn how to use various essential oils to make a natural mosquito repellent.

Pour the witch hazel and water into a small glass spray bottle and add the citronella, lemon eucalyptus, and tea tree oil. Close the container and shake it to combine the ingredients.

For this easy home remedy to keep mosquitoes away, apply the mosquito spray to your clothing and exposed areas of your skin while avoiding your eyes, and reapply as needed every two hours.

Spritz it around your deck or patio as a DIY mosquito yard spray when you will be outdoors for a while. Store your homemade spray in a dark place away from sunlight and heat. Burning coffee grounds to get rid of mosquitoes fast is another option.

Making a Mosquito Trap to Eliminate Mosquitoes

Another way to cut back on the mosquito population is to trap them. There are a variety of traps you can craft, from a boric acid mosquito trap to this simple homemade solution. Make your own mosquito trap in a few steps to capture these pests and keep your yard and home mosquito-free.

Cut a plastic bottle in half and remove the cap. Pour the warm water and sugar into the bottom section, allow it to cool, and then add the yeast. Flip the bottle top upside down, and place it into the bottom section to form a funnel.

Secure the two bottle pieces together with tape and set the trap in the area where you have a mosquito problem. To make the trap even more effective, wrap a piece of black cloth around the bottle’s base to attract the mosquitoes.

Use this simple trap as a way to get rid of indoor mosquitoes or put it on your balcony so you can enjoy the outdoors without flying insects. Several traps in strategic locations inside may be necessary if you are unlucky enough to have a mosquito infested house or apartment.

Keeping Mosquitoes Away from the Patio

While making homemade sprays and traps is easy, there are other natural ways to get rid of mosquitoes without much effort. Discover how to set up your outdoor area to make it less inviting to these annoying and harmful insects.

Different styles of candles and tiki torches are available at your local garden center to repel mosquitoes. They contain citronella, an oil well-known for deterring mosquitoes, and lighting them emits a fragrance that keeps these pests at bay.

Consider container gardening if you’d rather not use a citronella candle to deter mosquitoes. Place potted plants, such as lavender, mint, rosemary, and marigolds, around your seating area and on tables as a natural form of insect repellent.

Ways to Prevent Mosquitoes in the Yard

The best way to get rid of mosquitoes is to make your yard and home less inviting. Follow several prevention tips to turn a mosquito breeding ground into a bug-free zone without calling pest control services or using harsh chemicals.

The most important step in controlling mosquitoes is to clean up your yard. These insects need standing water to breed, and a pair of mosquitoes quickly turn into a hundred mosquitoes in a few days. Remove breeding grounds by cleaning your gutters, birdbaths, discarded flower pots, and other areas that collect stagnant water.

If you have a pond or other body of water that you enjoy, refresh the water weekly, remove algae, and use a mosquito dunk with an insect growth regulator to kill mosquito eggs and larvae.

Keep a tidy yard by raking up leaf piles and plant debris and storing woodpiles away from your home. Consider drawing bats and swallows to your yard by installing a bat or birdhouse. These natural mosquito predators eliminate mosquitoes in no time.

Another thing you can do is put up a bug zapper. While this is not the most effective way to eliminate mosquitoes, it catches stray mosquitoes and other flying insects to help keep the population under control.

There is nothing worse than a mosquito swarm after heavy rain. Not only are mosquitoes annoying with their buzzing sounds and bites, but they spread Zika, West Nile Virus, and other diseases. Fortunately, many forms of mosquito control kill mosquito eggs and larvae and prevent the adult mosquito from causing health problems.

We hope you enjoyed reading how to get rid of mosquitoes using safe and natural remedies, and we’d love it if you’d share our mosquito elimination and prevention guide with your friends and family on Pinterest and Facebook.