Ways You Can Prevent Mosquitoes in Your Yard

By Jennifer McGuire Cox

Mosquito season is, unfortunately, here. While it’s easy to feel pretty defeated when a swarm finds us as we enjoy our yards this summer, there is actually a lot that we can do to try and prevent, or at least mitigate, them. Mosquitoes usually don’t fly more than 150 feet from their breeding grounds — near water or in stagnant pools of water — so there’s a lot that we can look out for in our own yards that can help. Here are a few steps you can take:

Asian Tiger Mosquitoes can bite all day long.

Remove trash from your yard. Less trash will mean less places for water to collect and, therefore, less places for mosquitoes to lay their eggs.
Store recycling bins out of the rain, or at least flip them over to allow water to drain through the holes in the bottom. Dump out any water that accumulates at least once a week.
Clean out your roof gutters and down-spout screens, as clogged leaves and branches can allow water to pool. If you haven’t already, put a screen (such as window screen) over your exposed down-spouts to prevent mosquitoes from laying eggs inside. Also try and avoid corrugated down-spouts in lieu of smooth PVC, as water loves to collect in the grooves of corrugated piping.
If you have a rain barrel, add a few mosquito dunks inside. While they will not prevent mosquitoes from laying eggs, the nontoxic bacteria in the dunk will prevent larvae from being able to survive into adulthood. Likewise, if you have tree holes or other places in your yard with poor drainage with standing water not easily drained, using mosquito dunks might be a good option!
If you have a bird bath, pond, or other standing water source for wildlife, add a fountain or aerator to your set up. Mosquitoes will not lay eggs in moving water.
Empty out water from any children’s toys and other plastic containers in your yard. If possible, cover these items with tightly fitting tarps and drain weekly. Better yet, if you’re not using them, bring them inside! This is also true for wheelbarrows and other yard tools!
Shake out any tarps and covers in your yard weekly. Make sure they’re tight and don’t allow for spots for water to pool.
Check for outdoor leaks and dripping faucets as well as any puddles caused by appliances.
Make sure to empty and scrub saucers under potted plants, as well any water in bird baths, at least once a week.
Consider using plants with smells that mosquitoes do not like. These include mint, basil, marigolds, catnip, lavender, lemongrass, cinnamon, cedar, eucalyptus, scented geranium, pennyroyal, rosemary, thyme, cloves, and witch hazel. There is also a native shrub, Beautyberry, whose crumpled leaves are very effective at repelling mosquitoes.
Consider a sacrificial pool of water in an out-of-the-way spot in your yard. Fill a bucket part-way with water and fill it with wheat straw, hay, or even grass. Let it ferment for several days in the water. The fermenting grasses will attract female mosquitoes to lay their eggs inside. If you add a mosquito dunk, the eggs will hatch but the larvae will never mature into adulthood. Just make sure to add a new dunk every 30 days or so. At least in this way you can control where the mosquitoes are laying their eggs.

Fun Mosquito Facts

As little as a cap full of water is enough for mosquitoes to breed in.

Asian Tiger Mosquitoes, those black and white-striped mosquitoes that haunt our dreams (pictured), are actually from Southeast Asia and are one of the few mosquitoes in our area that will hunt, and bite, during the day.

Asian Tiger Mosquitoes can actually attach their eggs to the sides of containers. Even if there is no water at the time, the eggs will stay dormant until the next rain. The eggs can actually survive for years!

It’s also important to be aware of when you’re outside. Mosquitoes are often most active at dawn and dusk, although, unfortunately, Asian Tiger Mosquitoes seem active at all times of the day. Clothing can also play a key role in preventing mosquito bites. Wear appropriate clothing that minimizes exposed skin. This includes long-sleeved shirts, pants, boots or high socks/shoes, and hats. Make sure you wear closed shoes and try and wear light colors, as mosquitoes are attracted to darker clothes. ■

How to Make Your Own Mosquito Trap

Want a cheap way to try and keep the mosquitoes at bay? Make your very own mosquito trap!

Supplies

Large soda/water bottle or large plastic cup that holds more than 16 oz.
A black sock
String or wire
A knife or drill
A couple of small stones
Stagnant water (or dog food/bread)
Piece of window screen

Steps

If using a bottle, cut the top/neck off your bottle and discard it. If using a cup, it’s ready to go. This is your container.
Cut a 1/4" round drain hole about 20% below the top of the container; this will allow water to overflow if it rains. Closer to the top, punch two small holes opposite each other for your wire or string hanger.
Trace the top of the container on a piece of window screen. Cut out a circle.
Put some small rocks in your black sock, then put it in the bottom of the container, stretching the top of the sock up and over the outside of the container. If the sock doesn’t stretch tightly over the length of the container, use a rubber band to hold it in place.
Insert your screen, making sure it’s above the drain hole but below the rim of the bottle. The mosquitoes will lay their eggs on the wet rim above the screen. Once hatched, the mosquito larvae will crawl through the screen to the water below. Once they become adults, they will be unable to escape.
Use a wire or string and feed it through the sock and through two small holes at the top of the container that you made earlier.
Pour in your water! Stagnant water from a pond or container that has been out for a while works best. If you don’t have any, you can also put a little dry dog food or bread crumbs in tap water below the screen. The smells will attract mosquitoes.

Make sure to check the water levels daily and add more as necessary to keep the trap from drying out!

For more details and photos, visit mygreenmontgomery.org.