Is it worth spraying your yard for mosquitoes?

Mosquitoes are a huge problem in the Mobile AZ area - especially during certain times of the year. If a mosquito problem gets bad enough that you can't enjoy your own home or yard, mosquito spraying may be something you need to look into. Check out our article on spraying your yard for mosquitoes HERE.

1. Eliminate standing water in your yard and/or around your home. Keep a look out for anything that could collect water, such as: clogged rain gutters, unused cans, buckets, pots, overturned children’s toys, tires and anything else that can hold water. Cover trash cans/containers; change water in outdoor pet dishes and/or bird baths daily.

2. Potted plants. Potted plants can also be places where excess water can accumulate and are the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes. You can remedy this problem by keeping them indoors during mosquito season (the muggy summer months).

3. Place herbs and scented oils around your backyard. Some herbs and/or essential oils can naturally repel mosquitoes. The scents of citronella, lemongrass and chrysanthemum, are nontoxic and keep mosquitoes uncomfortable. Scented oils and candles may also help repel mosquitoes.

4. Coffee grounds. Sprinkle coffee grounds in areas where water accumulates in your yard. Mosquito eggs will to rise to the water's surface where they will not get the oxygen needed to thrive. If the eggs don't survive, they won't produce new mosquitoes, which will in turn have a huge impact on your mosquito problem.

5. Insect-repellent plants. Some plants may repel some flying insects. Lemon balm, mint, chrysanthemums, marigolds, basil, garlic, eucalyptus, lavender, rosemary and others are well worth the effort when battling flying insects.

6. Drain water from planter boxes. Installing some sort of drainage solution in your planter boxes will help prevent standing water in them, which will in turn limit breeding grounds. Preventing standing water is the single biggest step to preventing a mosquito problem.

7. Insect-repelling lights. Sodium lamps, yellow bug lights or LED lights may be used in your backyard or anywhere you see mosquitoes to deter them. Most home improvement stores carry various all-in-one outdoor lighting and mosquito repellent light fixtures that are easy to use and very effective.

8. Hire a professional mosquito control company to treat your yard for mosquitoes. Sometimes professional help is warranted and can be well worth the investment. If you hire a mosquito control company with a proven track record of both effectiveness and great customer service, your mosquito problem can be held under control long term. This saves you time and sometimes money, too, while providing the mosquito-free home and/or business you're looking for.

Try using of citronella torches or candles to keep flying insects away from your yard. Areas such as a porch or deck can become virtually unusable during mosquito season. A combination of citronella and fans can disperse mosquitoes away from the areas you want to utilize. Electric mosquito zappers can also be very effective at attracting and killing mosquitoes.

Mosquitoes have a very strong sense of smell and they use it to find available food sources. However, there are many scents that they hate, like lavender, peppermint oil, geranium oil, cinnamon bark oil, lemon eucalyptus oil, citronella oil, catnip, rosemary, and pine oil. Using these scents in problem areas can make a big difference in the number of mosquitoes you're dealing with.