On a warm summer evening when you are enjoying time on your deck or patio, there is nothing more irritating than being inundated by a swarm of mosquitoes. Along with being annoying, these insects carry a variety of diseases that can be harmful to you, your family, and even your pets. Fortunately, there are numerous home remedies you can use that have proven to be very effective at controlling mosquitoes. If you’re ready to send these pests on their way, try these remedies.
Turn on a Fan
Yes, something as simple as a fan can send mosquitoes on to their next destination. Though they are flying insects, mosquitoes do not enjoy stiff breezes anywhere around them. Along with making it harder for them to fly, the air from the fan disrupts the infrared senses that attract them to the heat coming from your skin.
Red Cedar Mulch
If you want to rid your home of mosquitoes and get your yard looking great at the same time, spread red cedar mulch around flower beds, walkways, and near your patio or deck. If you have some mulch leftover, boil some of it in water as you would tea bags. After a few minutes, fill up a sprayer with the concoction and keep it on hand to spray the occasional mosquito that breaks through your defenses.
Coffee Grounds in Water
One of the best methods for mosquito control around your home will be to rely on used coffee grounds placed in water. An environmentally-safe way to get rid of these insects, you can take your used coffee grounds and spread some of them in standing water, since this is where mosquitoes like to breed. Once the coffee grounds are in the water, mosquito eggs rise to the surface, where they can’t get sufficient amounts of oxygen. As a result, mosquitoes die before they ever hatch.
Lemons
Finally, lemons in various forms are great ways to discourage mosquitoes from hanging around your home. An inexpensive way to do this is by using lemon-scented dishwashing detergent. By filling up a sprayer with water and adding a few drops of the detergent, you can spray this around prior to an outdoor gathering and likely never see a mosquito.
Since mosquitoes can be stubborn insects, it may take you some time to get rid of them all. However, once you scatter some mulch around your yard, add some coffee grounds to water here and there, and rely on lemons and your fan, mosquitoes won’t want to get within a mile of your home.