The warmer months of the year are a season when you can spend time outdoors to enjoy the weather and clean air. But along with warmer months comes mosquitoes and their irritations and related health problems. Here are some ideas you can use and implement this year to reduce the occurrence of mosquitoes in and around your yard and home.
Use Yard Care Prevention Strategies
Prevention is your number one step when dealing with mosquitoes because you need to take the steps necessary to keep them from being a problem in your yard. If you can make areas in your hard inhabitable to mosquitoes and their eggs, they won't lay eggs in and around your yard and the eggs won't hatch.
Mosquitoes lay their eggs in areas of standing water. If the water is flowing, a mosquito is less likely to lay its eggs within the water, which reduces the number of larvae that hatch. So, if you have any ponds or water features, keep a filter moving the water through the reservoir. You can also add specific chemicals to the water of a pond that creates a film over the surface of the water to prevent mosquitoes from laying their eggs.
It is also recommended to inspect areas of your yard for standing and pooling water, such as in low areas of your yard, within shrubbery and vegetation, or on your lawn due to over-watering. Look at plastic containers or chairs that might allow water to collect from rainfall or sprinkler overspray. Drill holes in the space where water collects and turn over any type of bucket or possible water collection item.
Take Personal Precautions
It is also important to protect yourself from mosquitoes because even when you do your best to prevent them from hatching in your yard, they can still hatch in surrounding areas and travel into your yard. When you are outside in the evening, always wear a mosquito protection spray, wear mosquito repellent clothing, or cover your skin with long sleeves and long pants.
You can also use natural remedies and sprays to keep mosquitoes away from you. This includes sprays containing citronella or lemongrass, eucalyptus, tea tree, or cedar. You can make your own spray by combining apple cider vinegar, witch hazel, and several drops of one of the above-mentioned essential oils. If you are using a chemical spray, be sure to reapply it as the instructions recommend because it can lose its effectiveness over time.
Follow these recommendations and call a company like Carroll Exterminating Company to apply a professional treatment to your yard and home.