How To Get Rid Of Mosquitoes

One of the most annoying sounds you can hear is the distinct buzz of a mosquito flying by your ears when you are trying to enjoy yourself or relax. Now this could simply be an annoyance, but it can also pose a direct health threat to humans and animals. Mosquitoes are small flying insects that feed on the blood of their hosts and are persistent in their search for food. There are several ways to get rid of and prevent these bugs, but it does take effort to minimize their populations and prevent them from biting you.

Dangers of Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes are notorious for being carriers of some serious mosquito borne diseases. When female mosquitoes bite people in attempts to feed, they can pass on several serious viruses and pathogens through their saliva which acts as an anesthetic. For some, this saliva can cause just a small allergic reaction that results in a small itchy welt. For others, the consequences could be much more dangerous. Mosquitoes are known to pass on diseases like malaria, west Nile virus, zika virus, dengue fever, and others. These mosquito bites result in several thousands of cases of illness in America with several of those cases resulting in death. In fact, mosquitoes are the deadliest animal or insect that affect human populations globally.

Are Mosquitoes Hard to Get Rid Of?

Mosquitoes are extremely hard to get rid of because, unlike most bugs, their food source is the blood they draw from humans and animals. Most bugs can be treated and prevented by removing their food source but since they require blood meals, mosquitoes are attracted to humans wherever they are. In addition, mosquitoes can be challenging to remove because:

• Mosquitoes are tiny and fly erratically which makes them difficult to see out in the open and even harder to swat.
• Mosquitoes can hide in tiny spaces which make them difficult to target. Chemical sprays may not reach every surface that mosquitoes hide which makes them difficult to exterminate.
• Mosquitoes reproduce at alarming rates which makes populations difficult to get under control. This is even more problematic because mosquitoes will lay a hundred eggs at a time and reach the adult stage of a mosquito’s life span within a week.
• In addition to reproduction rate, mosquitoes only need enough water to fill a bottle cap to lay their eggs. This makes almost any outdoor setting perfect for a mosquito population to take over. Even if you were to implement mosquito control strategies, these bugs can take residence in your neighbor’s yard making your attempts at control futile.

Mosquito Treatments

The above reasons are why a thorough mosquito treatment strategy is necessary to get mosquito populations under control. A combined treatment strategy of extermination, prevention, and repelling will help reduce populations while also ensuring that adult mosquitoes are kept under control. Extermination will require the use of pesticide sprays to kill adult mosquitoes and growth regulators to stop mosquito larvae from developing into mature mosquitoes. Prevention includes implementing methods or removing or treating standing water and using exclusion strategies are used to prevent mosquitoes from entering a home. Mosquito repellants can be used on people when they are outside to deter mosquitoes from biting. By ensuring that mosquitoes are unable to get their blood meal using repellents, they will not be able to lay eggs without the proteins the get from the blood they feed on. Each of these strategies need to be used together to ensure that mosquitoes are effectively treated and prevented.

How Long Does It Take to Get Rid of Mosquitoes?

The mosquito treatment process can be done relatively quickly but treating for mosquitoes requires repeated efforts to disrupt the growth cycle of maturing mosquitoes. Effective treatment usually requires habitat modification, the use of growth regulators, and chemical pesticides several times throughout the spring, summer, and fall seasons. Once the temperatures drop far enough to drive mosquitoes into their dormant period of inactivity, treatment options can be paused until temperatures rise again. The length of time required to treat for mosquitoes generally depends on how large of an area needs to be treated as well as the different treatment strategies being implemented. There are other variables that can increase the time it takes to effectively treat for mosquitoes like how wet a season is and the proximity in which you are to areas with heavy mosquito activity. The more rain and humidity and area gets, the more likely it is that there will be a much larger mosquito problem. Depending on the severity of the infestation and the treatment options used, the treatments that are implemented could show results in a couple of days to a couple of weeks. 

How to Get Rid of Mosquitoes Fast

To get rid of mosquitoes quickly, it is best to start treating any areas where mosquitoes can lay eggs. Since mosquitoes can lay eggs in water deposits the size of a bottle cap, there are many potential places that can be breeding grounds for mosquitoes. It is critical that growth regulators are used to treat any areas with standing water like ponds, bird baths, and fountains. Other sources of standing water like pet dishes should be kept empty unless they are being used to prevent mosquito activity. In addition to treating breeding grounds, other treatments like using pesticides should be used. The ensure that this strategy is effective, pesticides need to be used in a fogger that will turn the liquid into an aerosol spray that will effectively permeate and cover all surfaces inside of dense foliage where adult mosquitoes hide during the day. This is the only way to ensure that adult mosquitoes will not have a place to land without getting infected. 

How to Get Rid of Mosquitoes Inside the House?

Getting rid of mosquitoes inside of a home can be tricky because it is unlikely that there is a strong mosquito presence inside. Normally the presence of indoor mosquitoes means that a few adults from the outside have managed to find their way inside a home. If that happens, mosquitoes will remain inactive during the day and night and usually become active to feed during the sunrise and sunset hours of a day. While they are inactive, they will generally rest somewhere where they can remain undisturbed. Once the time comes, they will become active and search out their prey so they can feed. In these instances, mosquitoes can be terminated using fly swatters and other methods of flying insect extermination. The use of pesticides, however, is not recommended inside because the fumes from the pesticides may be unhealthy for humans to breathe in. Instead, fans are also a good way to prevent mosquitoes from landing because of the strong air currents that keep them at bay. The best way to terminate individual mosquitoes in the house would be to use a bug zapper that will attract mosquitoes. Once the inside mosquitoes have been removed, it is recommended that exclusion strategies are implemented to prevent further mosquito activity inside. Exclusion strategies can include mosquito netting and sealing access points like open doors and windows or torn window screens. 

How to Get Rid of Mosquitoes Outside

Getting rid of mosquito activity outside is a much larger project. In addition to the methods that have already been discussed like removing standing water and applying pesticides, other mitigation strategies can be implemented like:

• Clean up dead leaves which can hide adult mosquito populations.
• Eliminate trash where water can collect.
• Remove dead branches, trees, and stumps where mosquitoes lay dormant when temperatures are too high.
• Trim back foliage that is overgrown expose the inside of bushes and shrubs to sunlight.
• Keep grass cut short to expose lower layers to sunlight.
• Reduce the amount of water being used to water a yard.
• Properly irrigate your landscaping to avoid puddles and standing water.
• Remove debris from gutters and drains to ensure proper water drainage.
• Check potted plants to ensure that water is not building up inside the reservoir.
• Implement nematodes and naturally occurring bacteria into areas with water that feed on mosquito larvae.
• Use mosquito specific bug zappers that release carbon dioxide to attract mosquitoes.
• Plant natural deterrents like marigolds, lemongrass, catnip, basil, mint, and geraniums.
• Lay down cedar mulch which repels mosquitoes and soaks up excess water keeping soil surfaces dry.
• Attract natural predators like birds and bats with bird feeders and bat boxes which will help keep mosquito populations down.
• Introduce fish, frogs, and turtles into ponds or large bodies of standing water.
• Create mosquito traps that are designed to capture mosquitoes in a liquid that causes them to get stuck and drown

How to Get Rid of Mosquitoes Naturally

While there are several effective treatment strategies designed to kill mosquitoes, they mostly rely on the use of chemicals to help exterminate or control mosquito development. There are natural methods that have been used to help prevent and control mosquitoes as well. The following have shown some degree of effectiveness against mosquitoes:

• Essential oils: Lavender, lemon, eucalyptus, peppermint, clove, and tee tree oils have all been shown to have strong odors that mosquitoes avoid.
• Coconut oil and neem oil: These naturally occurring oils can be mixed with water and sprayed on your skin to deter mosquitoes.
• Citronella candles: Citronella shares the same lemon scent that lemon and lemongrass have which are shown to deter mosquitoes.
• Garlic cloves: This strong-smelling odor has been applied to help deter mosquitoes, but the smell can be unpleasant to some.
• Coffee grounds: Burning coffee grounds releases a thick pungent smoke that mosquitoes avoid.
• Sage and rosemary: Both of these herbs can be burned to release a distinct smell that deters mosquitoes.
• Basil: This plant when grown near access points into a home can help prevent mosquitoes from entering. 

How to Keep Mosquitoes Away?

In addition to treating for mosquitoes to keep them off your property, there are other ways to prevent them from biting you. The CDC recommends using mosquito repellents to prevent the spread of mosquito borne infections. The best way to prevent mosquitoes from biting is to use mosquito repellents that contain at least 20% DEET concentration. This can be applied to your skin safely like a sunscreen and effectively deters mosquitoes. This should be applied every few hours as it loses effectiveness over time. That being said, the DEET repellents can be applied before going out before sunrise and sunset to avoid the periods when mosquitoes are most active. Another way to keep mosquitoes away would be to wear items of clothing that are treated with permethrin. There are some clothing companies that come with mosquito treatments already applied which last for several months before losing effectiveness or the pesticide can be applied to your clothing directly. 

How to Apply Mosquito Repellent

Due to the different repellants available EcoGuard always recommends following the instruction found on the product label. The following information is a general suggestions and should never supersede the manufacture directions. Since DEET does contain chemicals, some caution should be taken when applying the repellent. Be sure to apply it to clothing and exposed skin to get complete coverage. After spraying, be sure to wipe the repellent in to ensure maximum coverage and get the areas you may not have sprayed directly. Avoid spraying the repellent directly onto face or into your eyes, nose, and mouth. To apply the repellent to your face, spray into your hands and apply to your neck, cheeks, ears, and lightly to your forehead while giving enough space to avoid getting the repellent into your eyes. Remember that sweat will cause the repellent to drip so heavy application to your forehead can cause the repellent to get into your eyes if you are not careful. Also avoid spraying or applying directly into open cuts or wounds. DEET in higher concentrations of 10% should not be applied to children and be sure to reapply after heavy perspiration, rain, or when effects have noticeably worn off. 

How to Get Rid of Mosquitoes Permanently

Mosquitoes are persistent which makes them extremely hard to get rid of permanently. It takes ongoing efforts to minimize their populations and several different treatment methods to eliminate mosquitoes in a given area. Usually, a follow up treatment is needed 2 weeks after an initial treatment because that how long it takes for a batch of eggs to mature into adults. By implementing a balanced integrated pest management approach that combines the effectiveness of several treatment strategies, you should be able to get rid of mosquitoes through most of mosquito season. That being said, getting rid of mosquitoes is a constant battle that requires on going maintenance and regular treatments to minimize mosquito populations. 

Call EcoGuard Pest Management to Schedule a Mosquito Inspection

If you are dealing with a heavy mosquito problem or have noticed an increase in mosquito activity, be sure to schedule an inspection with a licensed EcoGuard pest control technician today. Our trained professionals will evaluate your property and identify problematic areas that are likely contributing to the spread of mosquitoes. Our team will devise aa plan that uses and integrated pest management approach to combat mosquito populations. Your mosquito problem will become our mosquito problem and we won’t stop until mosquito populations are effectively reduced and brought under control. 

How to Get Rid of Mosquitoes FAQs