Can anyone tolerate house pests? I think we can all agree that pests like mosquitoes are despised for a reason. Not only do they destroy our furniture or eat our precious food, but they also spread diseases. Unsanitary living conditions can become an absolute health threat thanks to disease transmissions through mosquitoes. So cleaning will definitely be your best friend during those tough times.
One of these notorious pests is the mosquito. This blood-sucking insect has no other purpose other than to spread diseases. Unfortunately, they are one of the animals that can spread the most diseases to humans. Fortunately, there are different ways to deal with them. In this article, we will talk all about the reasons why mosquitoes are attracted to your yard.
But first, we need to dissect some of the health risks if not correctly repelling them.
The Potential Risks Of Having These Pests Around Your House
Mosquitoes can be very dangerous if left unchecked. In fact, they are the deadliest known animals on earth right now. This is because they can spread a lot of potentially fatal diseases. Specifically, the female Aedes Aegypti mosquito is the most significant source of these diseases. Listed below are some of these diseases:
- Zika Virus – this virus became a cause of congenital mass abnormalities for babies in many countries. Pregnant women that are infected may experience miscarriage and birth complications.
- Dengue – is a well-known and highly contagious virus. Every year, there are this disease infects around 400 million people, and approximately 10% of patients die.
- West Nile Virus – it is the most common mosquito-borne disease in the United States. However, this is one of the least dangerous diseases, with the symptoms barely affecting the patient.
- Chikungunya – this is a virus with no vaccine and treatment for the infected patient. Most people recover quickly, but temporary to permanent joint damage can occur as an aftereffect.
- Malaria – an infection caused by a parasite. It is considered a severe and fatal disease which is also known as the killer of Alexander The Great. The only good side of this condition is that it can’t be transmitted from one person to another. It can only be acquired through the mosquito bites.
Things In Your Yard That Can Attract Mosquitoes
Some substances can actually attract these pests into your home. Especially insects, because of how easily they can go through your house. They are the perfect pests because they are hard to catch, fit through small spaces, and mosquitoes multiply fast. Things can go out of hand without the proper preparations.
🦟 Long Grass In Your Lawn
Mosquitoes can thrive very well in long grass, which they find to be a good territory. They will also find this a suitable nesting spot. However, this is very much inconvenient considering the fact that you step on the grass in your yard. They can bite the lower parts of your body, and you won’t even notice it instantly. So it might be a very good idea to mow your lawn if the grass is growing long.
🦟 Compost pits or piles
Compost pits can be a pleasant nesting spot for many pests. This includes mosquitoes that will gladly use it when too many materials build up. Clean the compost regularly or bury it thoroughly to prevent this from happening.
🦟 Stagnant Water Containers
Keeping stagnant water containers in your yard is like begging for a mosquito infestation. These insects thrive in dirty waters and spend the majority of their lives in there as larvae. Tires, buckets, garden pots, and other containers can all become good sources of stagnant water. Clean these objects regularly and if not, dispose of them completely.
Rainwater can eventually fill up those containers instantly, especially in certain seasons. So be sure to remove them when there is a cyclone or other weather disturbances. You should also do the same for the indoors and replace the water in flower pots and other containers.
🦟 Clogs In Your Gutter
During rainy seasons, your gutter may become clogged from all the debris. The water may stay there and become stagnant, which is something you want to avoid. Have a schedule in cleaning the drain and gutters regularly and make sure the pipes are correctly disposing of the water.
🦟 Check Your Flowers
Besides blood, some mosquitoes also prefer to feed off of the flower’s nectar. Certain flowers, specifically semi-aquatic flowers, can attract these pests into your yard. You should use organic pesticides or other scents that can repel mosquitoes.
🦟 Lighting
Mosquitoes, like many insects, are attracted to specific colors of light. Having bright white lighting in your yard can catch the attention of nearby mosquitoes. They may just stick around the light, but they will be likely to nest around that area instead. For you to be able to avert this, it is advisable that you use yellow lighting. This color of lighting is much less favorable for mosquitoes than the standard color of lighting.
🦟 The Smell Of Food
Are you having a barbecue party outside? Then don’t wonder why mosquitoes are suddenly gathering for the party. They have a naturally powerful sense of smell that allows them to select their host. As a result, mosquitoes will become provoked by the food in your backyard.
Studies have also shown that after drinking alcoholic beverages, people are more likely to attract mosquitoes. This is because the chemical composition of your body while intoxicated becomes more favorable for them. So if you are drinking beer, it may be best to take it inside rather than getting mosquito bites.
How To Avert Mosquitoes From Living In Your Yard
Here are ways you can prevent these pests from thriving in your backyard.
🏡 Planting Certain Flowers
Scented flowers such as lavender, eucalyptus, rosemary, and lemon thyme can all repel garden pests. This includes mosquitoes, which absolutely despise the scent of lemons. So, contrary to how certain flowers attract mosquitoes, these scented flowers can effectively repel them. However, it is not enough that you have these flowers in your arsenal. You should also consider the other methods that are listed.
🏡 Mosquito Light Trap
Remember how lights can attract mosquitoes? Well, you can use that against them with this method. There are light traps available for sale that can effectively eradicate mosquitoes—these work by attracting them with bright blue lighting and killing them through electric shocks. Just place a few of them in your yard, and you can repel them easily.
These can also be used indoors. However, it is worth knowing that you may need to increase the number of these traps. It depends on how visible they can be to mosquitoes and if other objects do not block them.
🏡 Repellants
Besides using the typical mosquito repellants, you can use organic or DIY ones. This includes using lemon, which is known to be an effective repellant due to its scent. You can spray these around areas where they made reside. These areas would include the gutter, garden pots, birdbaths, and other water containers.
Though you can use commercial mosquito repellants, they can be harmful to some degree. Some of these repellants can cause respiratory irritations or can harm your garden plants. You should see whether or not that repellant will be both safe and practical at the same time.
🏡 General Cleaning
An effective way of getting rid of these pests is simply cleaning your yard. This would include the previously mentioned overgrown grass, water containers, and gutters. Replace the water in containers preferably once a day to prevent it from becoming stagnant. Making sure your yard is not a suitable environment for mosquitoes can be maintained through this.
🏡 Modifying Your Pots
You can modify your pots to have a drain below them or on the sides. This is to prevent the buildup of water when you are watering them. The excess water that is contained can become stagnant eventually. To prevent this, you can put a drain that can remove the excess water.
Besides this, you should also check your pots for any sign of larvae. They are not hard to spot, as you will see them swimming around the water. Once this happens, please dispose of the water immediately before they develop into adult mosquitoes.
🏡 Calling A Pest Control Professional
Pest control professionals can also take care of mosquitoes through chemicals. The equipment they use is generally approved to use by health institutes and can minimize the risks of these chemicals. In addition, they can be easily called to create an unfavorable environment for mosquitoes through their equipment. This method, however, is the most pricey because, of course, you have them to pay for their services.
Bottom Line
Proper prevention from pest invasions is very important in a household. This will save a lot of energy, effort, and time rather than having to deal with outbreaks when they happen. It also prevents potentially fatal diseases that can affect you and your family. Removing these substances from your yard can significantly improve your quality of living. Because having mosquitoes has no actual benefit, and you definitely want to keep your blood for yourself only.
Mosquitoes and other pets also love to nest on your yard if there is stagnancy. So to have an idea of what to do with your yard, you can click here.
