4 Ways to Keep The Mosquitoes Away This Spring

Warmer weather, longer days, and no school are all things to look forward to as summer approaches. But the one thing everyone can agree tends to put a damper on the spring and summer season is mosquitoes. Their annoying presence can ruin beautiful days in your backyard and introduce potentially dangerous diseases to your family.

Luckily, it’s still early in the year. By taking preventative action now, you can protect your yard and have a beautiful, pest-free summer.

Where Have Mosquitoes Been All Winter?

It is a bit strange that these bugs, which won’t seem to go away for several months of the year, completely disappear in most parts of the country during the winter. So, what have mosquitoes been up to for the past few months? When the temperature starts to drop below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, mosquitoes take this as a sign to prepare for winter.

For most mosquito species at this time, females lay eggs in a very shallow pool of water (as little as half an inch) before dying themselves. The eggs survive the winter in a state of diapause, which suspends their development during the cold months, and then hatch in the spring when the temperatures rise.

Some species hibernate throughout the winter and lay their eggs when they emerge in the spring. And others submerge themselves in muddy swamp waters as larvae and then finish their development in the spring to become adults.

How to Prepare for Mosquitoes this Spring

As soon as temperatures rise consistently above 50 degrees, you will notice a large uptick in mosquitoes almost immediately. If you don’t have preventative measures in place, your yard can become overrun very quickly.

When they become active again, mosquitoes generally lay about 100 eggs at a time. It takes about a week for the eggs to hatch, which means hundreds of mosquitoes are being added to your yard every week - yikes!

Here are some actionable steps you should take now to prepare and continue to take throughout the summer to maintain a mosquito-free yard.

Eliminate Standing Water

Mosquitoes don’t need much water to lay eggs (about enough to fill a water bottle cap). By eliminating areas of standing water around your yard, you’re making it that much harder for these pests to thrive. Places with standing water usually include bird baths, toys, tires, tarps, and debris. Turn these items over, drill holes in them, or remove them entirely to reduce risk. For larger areas of standing water like ponds and troughs, try to circulate the water to deter mosquitoes from hanging around.

Clear Away Debris & Cut the Lawn

Throughout the winter, your yard, roof, and gutters have probably collected a lot of dead leaves, tree branches, and brush. These are all ideal hiding and breeding places for mosquitoes, so be sure to clear it away before the warmer weather arrives. Mosquitoes are also known to hide in grass and thick vegetation, so keeping it short and tidy will give them fewer places to linger.

Use Mosquito-Deterrent Plants

There are a variety of herbs and plants that contain natural insect repellants such as citronella, geraniol, and nepetalactone. Try planting some of these to help fight off the pests and help your yard look and smell its best all summer long:

Basil
Lavender
Peppermint
Marigold
Rose-scented geraniums
Lemon balm
Catnip

Professional Pest Management

All of these efforts are great first steps to mitigating mosquitoes around your property, but these pests are persistent, and you may still find yourself battling to get rid of them. Consistent treatments applied by pest management professionals like Pestmaster can help you win the fight once and for all.

At Pestmaster, we offer several different treatment options to reduce the mosquito populations in your yard. The treatment methods used on your property will be based on the size of the area and the level of mosquito infestation you're dealing with.