Summer night activities make for some of the best times and memories with friends and family, but it’s frustrating when those nights include swarms of mosquitoes as well. Mosquitoes are always an irritating pest because they buzz around and bite you and overall just never leave you alone. But did you know there are ways to make sure that mosquitos aren’t much of a problem? By preparing for mosquitoes before mosquito season starts, you can minimize the mosquito population around your home.
When Is Mosquito Season?
The precise answer to, “When is mosquito season?” will vary depending on where you live. However, in general, mosquito season starts in the spring, peaks in the summer, and ends in the fall. Mosquitoes thrive in warm weather and they need access to water so a dry season will hamper their population growth. So where I live, in Tennessee, mosquitoes are most active from early April through September. However, where I used to live in Georgia, mosquito season was March through October.
When Does Mosquito Season End?
According to Mosquito Reviews, “Mosquitoes don’t go away for good until the first freeze, followed by temperatures consistently below 50 degrees.” Mosquito season ends in the Northern United States at the end of August (typically) but for the Southern most United States the typical end of mosquito season comes in November.
Why You Need to Be Ready for Mosquitoes
If you only look at mosquitoes as a nuisance, you might wonder if it’s really worth putting in the effort to prepare for them beforehand. After all, even if it’s annoying, you can deal with a few bites. But there’s actually a bigger reason, aside from the nuisance, as to why you should prepare for mosquitoes each year – mosquitoes are actually one of the most dangerous insects you can come across!
That statement might seem a bit extreme. After all, mosquitoes are tiny and they don’t even have venom that can really hurt you. However, despite their apparent harmlessness, mosquitoes are actually very dangerous because they spread a lot of diseases to humans.
The diseases that mosquitoes spread are not just passing things like the common cold. Instead, they are extremely unpleasant and even life-threatening diseases such as the West Nile virus, Zika virus, and malaria, among many others. These are not diseases that you want to take lightly or risk contracting, so it’s best to prepare for mosquitoes ahead of time to have much less risk of possibly getting one of these diseases.
Mosquito season can be a nuisance, but there are several strategies you can use to minimize their impact and protect yourself and your family. Here are some tips.
How To Get Rid of Mosquitoes
To help you prepare for mosquitoes this year, here’s a list of a few tips to help you get ready. Most of these tips for how to get rid of mosquitoes are very simple. Even though they require a bit of effort, these smaller efforts are worth the long-term results.
Get Rid of Standing Water
One of the best things you can do to prepare for mosquitoes is to make sure there’s no standing water around your home or yard. Mosquitos always lay their eggs near standing water, so if you have stagnant water near your home, there is a very high likelihood that mosquitoes will decide to lay their eggs there. This is your chance is disrupt the mosquito life cycle and ensure they don’t reproduce. To make sure that you don’t have standing water around your yard, there are a few things you should do.
First, check for any leaky pipes or spigots. Leaky plumbing can lead to standing water near the foundation of your home or on your lawn. The puddles of water can show up quickly if there are leaks, so watch your plumbing carefully.
Second, check for empty pots, unattended toys, or rubbish that may be collecting water in your yard without a second thought.
Third, check around any landscaped water fixtures, such as ponds, to make sure that the water isn’t still. There are ways to keep pond water moving enough that mosquitoes don’t want to use it. If you feel that your ponds are a risk, you may want to look into pumps to give them movement. If you have bird baths, empty and refill daily to prevent mosquito breeding.
Fourth, if you have a swimming pool, check around the edges of it as well. Most swimming pools have enough movement that you shouldn’t have to worry about them, but it’s still a good idea to make sure the pool is well covered and properly balanced so that mosquitos can’t get in and easily survive in the water.
Stock Up On Insect Repellent
Another important thing you should make sure to do to get ready for mosquitoes is to make sure you have plenty of insect repellent handy. There are a lot of options for insect repellent for your personal protection these days. Find the option that works best for you, whether it be the typical repellents that use DEET or a more natural option. You may like to try a Natural Insect repellent recipe, a natural store bought solution like BuzzPatch, or get some bug spray at the store.
Set Out Mosquito-Repelling Smells
Insect repellent may keep the mosquitoes off of you, but they won’t keep them out of your yard. So it’s good to look for ways to encourage the mosquitoes to stay away from your yard. A good way to do this is through smell. Setting out things like citronella torches or candles can be a good way of keeping mosquitoes at bay.
Of course, you can’t always have a candle lit, so you may also want to consider looking into some plants that repel mosquitoes. A lemon balm plant or catnip would be good options for repellent plants, but there are others that you could use as well. Keep in mind that for these plants to be really effective at keeping mosquitoes at bay, you would have to plant a lot of them so the smell is strong enough to keep the mosquitoes away. You can also help keep mosquitoes off by wearing clothing that covers your arms and legs well.
Wear Protective Clothing
Wear long sleeves, long pants, and socks to minimize exposed skin. Consider wearing light-colored clothing, as mosquitoes are attracted to dark colors. Mosquitoes are most active during dawn and dusk. Try to limit outdoor activities during these times.
Install Screens
Make sure windows and doors have screens to keep mosquitoes out of your home. Repair any damaged screens. If camping or sleeping outdoors, use mosquito nets to protect yourself from bites. Mosquitoes are weak fliers, so using fans (both inside and outside) can help keep them away.
Hire a Pest Control Service
If you find that the natural repellents aren’t enough for where you live, don’t let the mosquitoes keep you inside- get professional help so you can enjoy the outdoors! If you really want to make sure that mosquitoes stay away from your home and yard during the summer, then you should hire a mosquito pest control service to help you out.
Many pest control services have a yearly plan of treatments that they follow, and by doing so they can treat for mosquitoes before they really start coming out in the spring and minimize the population of mosquitoes to start with. They can also treat at the end of mosquito season as mosquitoes are starting to prepare for winter so that fewer mosquitoes will survive the winter. Their professional treatments for mosquitoes will do a much better job at keeping mosquitoes away than any DIY measure would. For all the suggestions on how to get rid of mosquitoes, a professional service is certainly the most effective and when your health and safety are on the line, it’s worth it! By taking these steps, you can reduce your exposure to mosquitoes and lower the risk of mosquito-borne illnesses.
Conclusion
Mosquito season typically varies based on geographical location and climate. In many temperate regions, mosquito activity is more prevalent during warmer months, especially in late spring, summer, and early fall. Mosquitoes thrive in environments with standing water, so areas with high humidity and water sources are more susceptible. By taking preventive measures, you can significantly reduce the likelihood of mosquito bites and minimize the impact of mosquito season on your well-being.
I hope you found these tips for how to get rid of mosquitoes helpful in preparing for and dealing with mosquito season in your area.
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Regina says
I read an article last week that mentioned placing bars of soap in standing water to kill off mosquitoes. I live in a small town that has a trouble area (ditch line) that always has standing water. Some citizens have complained, but to no avail. Even in the driest days of summer, there is still water. I’m thinking about trying this little hack.
Gloria V. says
To go off the comment made by Regina I also read that placing bars of soap was helpful as well. In New Jersey, we get a good amount of mosquitoes. Every year we try to find new ways to get rid of them. Will be incorporating these helpful tips. Thanks for sharing!