Summer is pretty great.
Barbeques, swimming, sunsets, and fireworks: what’s not to love?
Oh, that’s right, mosquitoes. These annoying creatures love the warm summer weather as much – if not more – than you do.
Not only are mosquitoes obnoxious, but they can also be downright dangerous.
Most conventional mosquito repellents are filled with toxic chemicals which can harm small children and pets.
Fortunately, you can create your own natural mosquito repellent for the yard and other DIY solutions.
The dangers of mosquitoes
Mosquitoes are more than just a nuisance: they can spread deadly disease-causing agents like viruses.
You probably already know that ticks can spread Lyme disease and flies spread germs and bacteria but did you know that mosquitoes can spread disease faster and more efficiently than flies?
When a mosquito bites your skin to grab some lunch, it releases a little bit of saliva back into your bloodstream. That’s why you get itchy or may experience an allergic reaction.
Flies, on the other hand, don’t inject saliva when they take a bite, so there’s less risk for spreading viruses and other disease-causing agents.
Common disease-causing agents spread by mosquitoes:
- Zika virus
- West Nile virus
- Malaria
- Dengue virus
- Yellow fever virus
- Other rare or region-specific viruses
How to get rid of mosquitoes in your yard
Spraying some mosquito repellent on your skin every time you go outside can help fend off the critters, but it does little to solve the problem.
First you need to figure out where the mosquitoes are coming from. Some sources might be out of your control if you live near a river or your neighbor has an overgrown yard for example.
After you’ve identified and removed the sources of mosquitoes, you can utilize a mosquito spray for your yard and other methods.
Here’s how to get rid of mosquitoes from your yard through natural solutions.
1. Remove stagnant water – all of it
Most people already know that large sources of stagnant water like bird baths are potential breeding grounds for mosquitoes. However, even small amounts of stagnant water can entice the pests to lay eggs.
Make sure to check and remove any water in these places around the yard:
- Loose tarps on cars, boats, firewood, or other objects
- Gutter spouts
- Dripping hoses or sprinklers
- Potted plants
- Dog bowls
- Hollow plastic playsets, basketball hoops, and sandboxes
2. Clear out debris and vegetation
After you’ve eliminated stagnant water sources you need to give your yard a manicure.
Mosquitoes love to hide in dark, leafy areas during the day. Keeping everything neat and trim will give the pests less places to hide so they’re more likely to avoid your yard all together.
- Remove old piles of sticks, leaves, branches, and firewood
- Trim vines or vegetation near your house.
- Keep your lawn trim
- Clogged gutters
3. Mosquito repellent for yard
After you’ve removed all the places mosquitoes can hide, you should treat your property with a mosquito repellent for the yard.
You can create your own natural mosquito yard spray with just a few simple ingredients.
- Mosquito spray for yard #1: Garlic powder and water. You’ll want to invest in a fertilizer attachment for your hose and spray your yard twice per week.
- Mosquito spray for yard #2: Pour alcohol-based mouthwash into a spray bottle and cover all the vegetation in your yard two times each week.
4. Mosquito yard spray for people and pets
You can also use natural solutions to create a mosquito yard spray for your family and pets before you head outside.
Combine alcohol or witch hazel in a glass (brown, if possible) bottle with spray topper. Add a variety of essential oils such as:
- Catnip
- Lemon
- Citronella
- Basil
- Thyme
- Lavender
- Marigold
You can also grow those plants around your yard for an extra mosquito-fighting boost.
5. Make a bat house
Bats are an excellent mosquito repellent for the yard. Well, they aren’t necessarily a repellent, but they do eat mosquitoes so there will be less of them in your yard.
Bats are generally pretty friendly and harmless – at least the ones that live in North America. Consider building a bat house for your back yard if you’re interested in a long-term solution for repelling mosquitoes.
Bat houses are fairly easy to build on your own, but it could take two or three years for the bats to find and trust the home.
How to get rid of mosquitoes in your yard? Stay proactive
Don’t wait for mosquitoes to start biting before you decide to take action. The critters emerge from hibernation after ten consecutive days of 50-degree weather.
If you want to repel the 176 species living across the continent, make sure to take a proactive approach before you start getting bit.
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