Mosquito Control Awareness Week: Say Goodbye to Mosquitoes at Home

This week is Mosquito Control Awareness Week! Now that it’s mosquito season, it is the perfect time to look in and around your home for ways to control mosquitoes that can carry viruses like Zika and West Nile.

There are many options when it comes to mosquito control for your home. No single activity will effectively control mosquitoes, so you should combine both indoor and outdoor mosquito control activities to keep in and around your home free of mosquitoes.

Control mosquitoes inside your home

No one likes having a mosquito flying inside their house. Luckily, there are easy steps you and your family can take to keep mosquitoes out and to get rid of the ones that do get in.

First, keep mosquitoes from getting in by making sure you have screens installed on your windows and doors, and fix any holes in them. Although a summer breeze is nice, keeping windows and doors shut and using air conditioning when possible will help keep mosquitoes out.

Mosquitoes lay their eggs near water. Those that get into your home will look for vases or flower pot saucers with water to lay their eggs on. To eliminate these areas and prevent eggs from hatching, once a week, empty and scrub, turn over, or throw out any items that hold water.

Finally, if you have a hard time keeping mosquitoes out, you can apply an indoor insect fogger or spray according to label instructions to kill mosquitoes that get inside. Mosquitoes like dark and humid places, so make sure to spray under sinks and furniture and in the laundry room.

Control mosquitoes outside your home

Summer is the time for backyard barbeques and fun, but that can quickly be interrupted if your yard is full of mosquitoes. There are many things you can do to reduce mosquitoes in your yard and make time outdoors more enjoyable.

Areas with standing water around your yard are perfect places for mosquitoes to lay their eggs. Once a week, you should empty and scrub, turn over, cover, or throw out any items that hold water like tires, buckets, planters, toys, pools, birdbaths, or trash containers. Water storage containers should be tightly covered and for those without lids, wire mesh with small holes than an adult mosquito can’t fit through.

For areas of standing water that will not be used for drinking and cannot be covered or emptied, like backyard ponds, use larvicides to kill young mosquitoes.

You can use an outdoor insect fogger or spray in your backyard to reduce the number of mosquitoes. Always follow the instructions on the label.  Make sure to spray under patio furniture or under the carport or garage where mosquitoes like to rest.

If your home has a septic tank, repair cracks or gaps and cover open vent or plumbing pipes with wire mesh that has holes smaller than an adult mosquito.

Help with mosquito control

If you do not want to apply indoor or outdoor mosquito control products yourself, you can hire a pest control professional. Tips on finding a pest control profession are available.

Prevent mosquito bites

In addition to controlling mosquitoes in and around your home, you should also protect yourself and your family from mosquito bites. Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents with one of the following active ingredients: DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus or para-menthane-diol. Apply insect repellents according to label instructions. When used as directed, EPA-registered insect repellents are proven safe and effective, even for pregnant and breastfeeding women. Wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants will also help prevent bites.

More information on how to control mosquitoes in and around your home.