Summertime presents us with the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors with friends and family. From backyard barbecues, holidays, and birthday celebrations, to a simple Friday night hangout, some of the best memories are made on the back porch or around the fire pit!
When you’re having fun in the backyard, the last thing you want is an unwelcome party guest buzzing around. That’s right, we’re talking about the biggest summertime pest: mosquitoes.
Buzz Off!
Keeping these biting bothers away from your family and guests is an important part of summer entertainment. Read on to learn some of our favorite ways of keeping these pests at bay.
Reduce Water
Mosquitoes are known for their love of stagnant water. A kiddie pool (your big pool is filled with chlorine, so no worries there!), birdbath, or empty flower pot that is filled with water is the perfect place for a mosquito to settle as this is where they lay their eggs.
In order to keep mosquitoes away from your kiddie pool, you can empty the pool every day. Doing so will only keep fresh water in the kiddie pool and in constant motion. Still, water or water that has no circulation also attracts mosquitoes. Additional steps include having it covered and flipping it upside down.
Do your best to drain these water collectors to avoid creating the ideal spot for mosquitoes to set up camp.
Plants
Mosquitoes love a lot of things: stagnant water, sugar, biting you, etcetera. Thankfully, there are some things they can’t stand. Amongst things they don’t like are certain plants. If you want to get serious about combating mosquitoes, try planting one or more of these in the backyard:
- Holy basil
- Mint
- Rosemary
- Lavender
- Marigolds
Lighting
We’ve all seen bugs hovering around lights on a summer evening. They are drawn to the light in order to help them find food, thus leading them toward you and your family.
There are some ways to keep your porch lit without attracting these bugs, though.
Candles
Candles containing citronella and lemongrass oils are great for keeping mosquitoes away. They come in a variety of styles and sizes to fit wherever you need them most!
Bulbs
Switching to light bulbs with yellow light is another effective repellent. There are also light bulbs specifically designed with keeping bugs away in mind!
Fiery Tips
If you have a fire pit you want to light up for some after-dinner chats, choose to burn piñon wood. The smoke this wood produces is very fragrant, something we know mosquitoes do not like!
If you don’t have a fire pit, no worries! Incense will also release a fragrant, repelling smoke. Incense filled with citronella, eucalyptus, and cloves will work best.
Natural Solutions
Here are a few more natural (and at times odd) ways to avoid bites.
Dryer Sheets
Surprisingly, there’s something in your laundry room that could help you out this summer. Dryer sheets contain linalool and beta-citronellol, the former is toxic to some insects, and the latter is found in citronella which we know mosquitoes tend to avoid. Place one of these in your pocket to create a natural force field!
Coffee Grounds
After your morning coffee, don’t toss your grounds! Put them in a bowl to dry out in a mosquito-heavy area and singe them with a lighter. The coffee scent will repel the pests while smelling great to your friends!
Natural Sprays
Take an empty spray bottle and fill it with one of these solutions:
- Apple cider vinegar
- Bath oil
- Boiled garlic cloves (we hope you have a strong nose!)
- Lavender, peppermint, and thyme essential oils
Keep these sprays handy and give a good spritz to your outdoor entertaining area before guests arrive for some extra protection.
Call Pest Control
The most effective way to control mosquitoes is to call the professionals. Avoid the itchy bites and annoying buzzing with mosquito reduction services. When you call the Cross Pest Control of Tampa team, we’ll perform a total inspection, identify the specific problem you’re having, determine the solution, and implement it!
Get control of your mosquito problem by calling us today at (813) 733-8823!