Tips To Remove Mosquitoes From Your Lawn!

Longer days, sunshine and warm weather are some of the best parts of summer. You finally have the chance to head outside and enjoy playtime with your kids, entertain family and friends with a barbecue, or simply relax and enjoy your backyard. That is, until mosquitoes become a nuisance.

It’s an unfortunate fact that warmer weather also brings mosquitoes. These pests can ruin a good time and leave you with painful, itchy bites. Mosquitoes can even be a threat to your health since they are known to carry diseases. However, this doesn’t mean you have to give up the outdoors to avoid them as there are many ways to protect yourself and your lawn.. Taking proactive steps for prevention and treatment will help you reclaim your backyard and let you peacefully enjoy being outside again.

Why Are Mosquitoes Attracted to My Lawn?

Mosquitoes prefer to be in the shade. They like cool and damp areas, which is why they are found near water, trees, and tall grasses. They also love anywhere that has standing water. Your lawn offers plenty of these locations, which is why mosquitoes are often drawn in. Some ways to prevent an invasion of these insects include planting mosquito repellant plants, dethatching, and more.

What Kinds of Plants Repel Mosquitoes?

There are several plants that you can include in your landscaping that both look great and naturally keep the mosquitoes away. Citronella is one of the most popular, in part because it is a well-known solution. Citronella is a type of grass that has a strong aroma that mosquitoes and other bugs tend to avoid. Catnip can also repel mosquitos, and can be ten times more effective than DEET.

If you prefer to use plants that flower to add a little color to your yard, choose from geraniums, marigolds, or pennyroyal. Some types of herbs also act as a natural mosquito repellent. If you have been considering planting an herb garden, you can add mosquito repellant to your list of reasons to go ahead and plant one. Herbs are beautiful, easy to grow, and smell incredible and can add amazing flavors to your culinary efforts. Common and effective are garlic, peppermint, lavender, basil, lemon balm, and rosemary.

What Is Dethatching and How Does it Prevent Mosquitoes?

Dethatching is necessary to keep your lawn healthy. Over time, your backyard can develop a layer of dead grasses and other matter that sits between the soil and the living blades of grass. This is called thatch. When it is present, it can prevent water, air, and nutrients from reaching the soil. Thick thatch is also a breeding ground and great habitat for mosquitoes since it is humid, dense, damp, and protects them from the sun. Dethatching improves soil drainage and removes the appeal for mosquitoes to stay present.

The process of dethatching is simply deep raking to remove the built-up matter with a manual rake, a powered rake, or a vertical mower. Signs that your lawn requires dethatching include spongy ground, thinning grass, and the presence of more mosquitoes.

Remove All Standing Water

Mosquitoes love pooled water and spend about 75% of their entire life cycle in water. They breed in even small amounts of standing water, so you can help prevent them from showing up in your backyard by eliminating any potential mosquito breeding spots. Mosquitos can breed in areas as small as a water-filled bottle cap or as large as a kiddie pool. Mosquito eggs can hatch in just 48 hours, so frequently dumping out standing water and replacing it with fresh prevents mosquitoes from breeding and taking over your lawn.

Inspect your lawn and outdoor spaces on a regular basis. Make sure that no toys or drinks have been left sitting out. Empty out your dog’s water bowl at the end of the day and fill it with fresh and clean water the next morning. You should also refill birdbaths daily as well.

Remember to check hidden spots like plant trays, gutters, and trash can lids. Do a walk-through of your lawn to empty anything you have sitting around that could collect water, such as old tires and tarps. Thankfully, you don’t need to worry about mosquitoes if you have a swimming pool since the chlorine in the water acts as a deterrent.

Pay special attention to the state of your lawn and outdoor areas after it rains. If water collects on your deck furniture or a low spot on your patio, brush it away. Pooling water in your yard may signal the need to fix a drainage issue or repurpose that area of your lawn as a rain garden for water-loving plants.

Remove Yard Debris

Clean up dead leaves, weeds, branches, and other yard debris. Mosquitoes love to hide and piles of organic matter are one of their preferred spots. Tidy your lawn by keeping the grass trimmed, put toys away and keep furniture cleaned and dry. This makes it more difficult for mosquitoes to find a tempting habitat to call home. Removing debris also helps to make mosquito treatments more effective since they reach further into all areas and don’t just stick to the top layer of debris.

Use Citronella Candles When Outside

Citronella has long been used as a mosquito deterrent. You can easily take advantage of this by using citronella candles. Place them on tables whenever you’re outside, especially in the evening, when you have picnics or are just enjoying a conversation. The lighted candles have a pleasant smell and come in a variety of attractive designs or simple containers to fit any decorating theme. Candles are also a low-cost solution that delivers good results.

Use a Professional to Spray Your Lawn

Sprays are an effective way to kill mosquitoes, from the eggs to larvae and even adults. It can be difficult to know what type to use and how to apply the spray to achieve the best results. When you are dealing with a persistent problem or a large number of mosquitoes, the best route to control them is typically by getting a professional to spray your lawn. Avoiding the guesswork and making sure that it’s done right the first time can save you significant amounts of time and money.

There are several EPA-approved mosquito repellents that can be safely applied to your landscaping by a trained professional. A licensed and certified pest applicator can inspect your property and make the appropriate recommendations that are specific to your needs. They will spray your yard and schedule visits to make sure the application was effective while following a plan to protect other insects, like butterflies and bees.

When you combine a professional mosquito control program with these other useful steps, you should effectively eliminate the majority of unwanted mosquitoes from your backyard. Perform regular yard maintenance to remove standing water and keep your space cleaned up and tidy, and you will be able to enjoy your time outside in peace.

Do You Need Professional Mosquito Treatment?

Tired of mosquitoes taking over your outdoor activities? Now is the time to take back control of your lawn! At Ryan Lawn & Tree we offer professional mosquito service that is safe, effective, and guaranteed to work!

We would love to help you. Get a Free Estimate today for help with your mosquito treatment needs by a RYAN pest control expert!