Say No to Mosquitoes This Summer

However, you're not the only one who loves spending time outside during the summer…mosquitoes are also in love with this time of year. But there are plenty of ways that you can help to keep these pests away from your home and patio this summer, including the following:

• Once a week, take a few minutes to empty out and refill kiddie pools, birdbaths, or other things that fill up with water—also be sure to remove or empty out saucers or empty plant pots as well. These are great mosquito breeding grounds if left dormant for a long period of time.

• When you spend time outside, be sure to wear light-colored clothing. Dark clothing not only generates heat—it also attracts mosquitoes.

• Planning on doing some gardening this summer? Plan rosemary, marigolds, or catnip in the areas where you frequently spend time outdoors. These plants emit fragrances that are unpleasant to mosquitoes (but aren't unpleasant to human noses).

• Be sure to regularly clean out your gutters so that water doesn't have a chance to accumulate and stand for a long period of time. Any water that's allowed to stand for longer than seven days has the potential to become a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

• When you plan on spending extensive time outdoors, skip the strongly scented hair products, cologne, and perfume. Strong odors are often magnets for mosquitoes, so either skip the fragrances altogether or use much less than normal.

• Use a safety pin to attach a couple of fabric softener dryer sheets to your clothes when you're outside. These sheets have a tendency to repel mosquitoes, believe it or not.

• Know what hours mosquitoes come out the most. From dusk to dawn is when you'll see the most mosquitoes—and when you'll get bitten most frequently. Do your best to ensure that you're wearing protective clothing during this time.

• Mosquitoes love shady areas—so do your best to keep your trees and hedges trimmed back to minimize the shade in your yard. If you let your grass and foliage get too long or overgrown, you're going to notice a lot more mosquitoes hanging out.

• Buy some lemon eucalyptus oil from your local health food store and put four or five drops of the oil in a plastic spray bottle with a cup of water. Before heading outside, give yourself a couple of spritzes. The scent will help to keep mosquitoes away.

• Keep the mosquitoes outside by installing well-fitting screens on both your doors and windows.

• Set up some citronella candles where you plan on spending time outside and burn them. Mosquitoes despise citronella, so these candles will help to ward them off.

These are some of our favorite ways to keep mosquitoes far away from us when we're spending time outside in the summer. How do you plan on deterring mosquitoes this summer?

David Raju - About Author:
Chris Martin is a freelance writer who covers a variety of home improvement topics, like Gutters, gutter repair and installing gutter guards.

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