Repel Mosquitos!!!!
The backyard party poopers!

Oh boy...I have tried a thousand ways to repel mosquitos. They are a constant, and I do mean CONSTANT, issue at our house, and they'll ruin your backyard fun in no time!

Photo Courtesy of naturegirl 78

These tiny creatures have always been attracted to me, and my partner is highly allergic – we’re talking major swelling from the tiniest of bites. To make matters worse, we live in a densley wooded area. There is a park directly across the street, we have at least 12 trees on our property in addition to numerous shrubs and hedges, and the entire surrounding area is heavily populated with trees.

Needless to say, there are LOTS of mosquitos in my yard morning, noon and night. They are a never ending issue and something that I battle on a continual basis.

So what's the best way to repel mosquitos? To start, we need to know a little about our "blood-hungry" friend!

Mosquitos have a relatively short life span – I believe about 6 weeks. The females are the only ones that bite, and they do so to obtain the nutrients necessary to feed their young. The females lay eggs in standing water and can lay an outrageous number of eggs in their short life span. This may help explain why they are more prevelant during rainy periods.

Rain produces areas of standing water for the female to lay her eggs. All of the eggs hatch and go about producing their own larvae, and those eggs hatch to produce their own larvae. In a matter of a few weeks, the population can get quickly out of control.

Another interesting factoid is that mosquitos stay within a relatively small geographical area once they are born. So all of those mosquitos laying eggs in your yard, will most likely stay nearby!

Taking this information into consideration, what can be done to repel mosquitos in your yard?

Your focus should be two-fold:
1. Reduce the current mosquito population in your yard so that there are less and less females to lay eggs, and
2. repel mosquitos that are there, creating a less than desirable atmosphere for them.

Do not allow any pools of water to sit for more than three days in your yard. Standing water is a breeding ground for larvae, and this includes ANY standing water – rain barrels, puddles, gutters, pool covers, kiddie pools, buckets, ponds that don’t have moving water, etc. For items such as rain barrels, you can purchase mosquito rings that will prevent the larvae from hatching, or you can use a natural deterent such as lavender. You can also place a screen over your rain barrel that's small enough to prevent mosquitos from flying inside (like a window screen). Reducing the standing water in your yard means that there are less opportunities for the females to lay their eggs.

I have found that when the machine is running (which it should do 24 hrs a day) the mosquitos are drawn to it and are therefore reduced elsewhere. They actually seem to be more attracted to the machine than they are to people, which helps to repel mosquitos from the patio area. It’s best to keep the machine running from spring through fall to ensure a low mosquito population throughout the season.

A Skeeter Vac (opens new window) can be purchased for smaller yards - less than 1/2 acre, or from 1/2 to 1 full acre.

If you need more protection like I did, you may want to consider purchasing a larger Skeeter Vac (opens new window), which is designed to protect 1+ acres of land. I decided to "err on the side of caution" and buy more machine than I probably needed. I have slightly less than one acre, but I wanted the most protection possible. I still may need to add a machine to my front yard, as it does not seem to work over barriers such as houses.

When I need additional protection, or during periods of particularly high infestation, I also use a product called Mosquito B-Gone. This is a liquid repellant that is applied to the area you wish to protect through a hose-end sprayer. It can be purchased as a one use application, so there is no need to buy your own hose-end sprayer, or as a refill. The product is attached to the hose and sprayed over the entire area including grass, bushes, trees and plants. I also spray mine on the walls of my home and around the patio.

I like this product because it is applied with water, as opposed to foggers which can effect your lungs. I would, however, recommend using a mask when applying it as it is a repellant and may cause some irritation. It is designed to repel mosquitos for at least a few weeks except during periods of rain.

One additional tip: Bounce dryer sheets are supposed to be another great deterrant. Tie a sheet around your belt and off you go! I haven't tried it myself, but I've always heard that it works.

Here's to an insect free backyard!

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