Looking for a few simple ways to stop mosquitoes in their tracks?
As the days begin to warm up and the nights become shorter, you know it won’t be long before the dreaded buzzing sound appears in your ears. You see the first one flying near your head and then you see another.
Before long, you become swarmed by the ruthless, blood-sucking insects! It’s a sight and sound that will send anyone running for shelter. You guessed it; It’s the dreaded mosquito. And you need to find natural ways to reduce mosquitoes, and you need to stop them fast.
If you live near a lake or pond, you likely have to deal with these insects on a daily basis during the summertime because where there is standing water, there are bound to be mosquitoes. It gets so bad during the humid summer nights that you can’t even step outside of the house without getting attacked.
Just thinking about the red welts that come about from mosquito bites make a person start to itch and want to start scratching.
Mosquitoes Bites Aren’t The Only Problem!
Not only are mosquito bites a literal pain, but they can also be a health risk as well. Mosquitoes can carry diseases like West Nile Virus, Malaria, Zika Virus, and the list just goes on!
So preventing mosquitos is a must for anyone who lives in a warmer, humid climate.
While you might want to reach for a can of bug spray in order to prevent their bites, the chemicals in those sprays come with their own cause of concern. To help you live a simpler, cleaner lifestyle, here are a few natural alternatives to help eliminate mosquitoes.
Start By Attracting Their Own Natural Enemy: Birds, Bats, and Dragonflies
You might think that it would be so nice if mosquitoes never existed at all, but the fact is that they are actually a food source for quite a few types of birds and dragonflies!
Barn swallows, woodpeckers, bats, and cardinals are all examples of birds that love dining on mosquitoes and mosquito larvae! While they might not be able to eliminate an entire population of mosquitoes around your yard, they most definitely help!
Birdhouses Make For Great Additions To Your Property!
Installing birdhouses around your property can help encourage mosquito-eating birds to stick around your location. Different birds prefer different styles of houses, so make sure you do some research on which houses would work best for the specific type of bird you are wanting to attract.
You can even install houses for bats on your property! They are easy to make and are a great DIY project to do using leftover lumber. You will enjoy seeing bats fly around our yard at dusk dining on the tiny pests Just Make sure to place them in a location that gets at least 6-8 hours of direct morning sun (usually facing South East).
Bird feeders and bird baths are also a good idea to include on your property. You have to be careful about bird baths though (more on this later)!
Make sure to also include bird-loving plants to your property to help make it a place birds want to be around. You can check out this article on 4 Great Plants To Attract Birds, Bees, and Butterflies. Hanging baskets are also a great way to attract pollinators like bees and butterflies, which in turn are sources of food for dragonflies. Learn all about how to keep hanging basket flowers blooming strong and thus keep pollinators around HERE.
Don’t Forget To Use Helpful Plants As A Great Way To Reduce & Stop Mosquitoes
In addition to birds and bees, there are a lot of plants and herbs that help repel mosquitos. Marigolds, lavender, sage, lemongrass, catnip, and basil are all plants and herbs that are great to grow around your patio or garden area.
Whether you grow these plants and herbs in the ground or in pots that sit on your deck, they will all do their part to help repel mosquitoes.
As an added bonus, mosquitos aren’t the only pest they repel. They also help to keep away aphids, squash bugs, and whiteflies too.
The best part (aside from not having as many annoying mosquitos), is that you get to enjoy their beautiful blooms and scents as they grow, too!
Let There Be Smoke, With The Addition Of Herbs
Another great natural way to reduce mosquitoes can be used when you light your next fire pit, outdoor grill, or campfire.
While the smoke from these fires is already a natural repellent for mosquitoes, you can take it even further by adding herbs to the flames. Next time you are gathered around that fire pit, throw in some thyme, rosemary, or mint.
Any of the herbs discussed above and many more are perfect to be added to the fire. It doesn’t even matter if they are fresh or dried either. It’ll be like one big, chemical-free mosquito repellent candle.
Make Your Property Not Mosquito Friendly – How To Stop Mosquitoes
Another key for helping to eliminate mosquitoes is to get rid of their natural habitats.
As mentioned before, wherever there is standing water, you are likely to get mosquitoes. The reason for this is because the females need standing water to breed and multiply.
In fact, mosquitoes normally lay around 100 eggs at a time. Those teeny tiny eggs are very hardy and can survive drying out for up to 8 months, So it is imperative that you don’t provide them with a source of water to begin with.
No sources of standing water = No place for mosquitoes to populate!
However, it’s amazing how many places you might have around your yard that make perfect breeding grounds for mosquitos.
That old tire behind your garage: it likely has water inside. That sand pail your child was playing with the day before but left outside and then it rained: A perfect breeding spot! That clogged gutter up on your roof: Yep, it’s a perfect mosquito nursery.
And remember those birdbaths we were talking about earlier? Yes, even those are ideal for mosquitoes to lay their eggs in if the water is not regularly changed.
Make sure you dump out any standing water, no matter how small or insignificant you might think it is. Do a property check especially after it rains in case any new standing water places show up. Also, make sure to change your birdbath water daily.
A Few Final Simple, Natural Ways To Reduce & Stop Mosquitoes For You And Your Property
There are a few other things you can do to help make you and your property less attractive to mosquitoes. Mow any tall grass you may have on your property because it is a perfect hiding spot for mosquitoes.
Don’t leave outdoor lights like porch lights on because mosquitoes are attracted to the heat and light. If you can’t turn the lights off, try switching to a yellow bulb if possible.
Wear lighter colored clothing instead of blacks, dark blues, and browns. Mosquitoes are attracted to the heat that darker colors tend to absorb. And, if all else fails, just grab yourself a trusty mosquito net and enjoy that backyard BBQ!