Rainy season is almost here in Florida, and around the country the temperatures are about to go up. With the rise in temperatures come certain pesky pests that can be detrimental to both your health and to your enjoyment of any outdoor space. This is why I want to share information about how to both prevent and control mosquitos, and how to protect yourself and the environment.

Prevention

When you have mosquitos around you by the thousands, you can utilize different methods to control them which is really a safety thing more so than anything else since mosquitos are one of the few insects that will really harbor serious viruses such as Western Nile, malaria, dengue, and Zika

Your first course of action should be locating the source of the issue, eliminate their breeding ground!

Dump standing water, and where you have intentional standing water, add a mosquito dunk in there, Mosquito dunks release BTI, an organic bacterium, that kills mosquito larvae while it is safe for humans and pets. They are safe around animals, birds, and humans. The dunks can last 30 days or more.
You can use them in conjunction with organic gardening.
Each mosquito dunk can cover up to 100 square feet of water, and it does not matter how deep the water is.
You can use mosquito dunks in any standing water such as rain barrels, bird baths, tree holes, planter reservoirs, rain gutters, buckets, stagnant ponds, etc.

Mosquito dunks on Amazon

These dunks are specifically intended for standing water. You can also break the tension of the water by adding a fountain or a bubbler to lets say a pond as the aeration makes it inhibitive for mosquitos to breed.

B.T.I. Stands for Bacillus thuringiensis.

BTI is a bacterium that is found in soil, BTI is not toxic to people. It has not been shown to make people sick. Bti will not harm people, pets and other animals, aquatic life, or other insects, including honeybees. Bti is an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)- registered insecticide.

I recommend against using yard sprays or granular treatment because Bifenthrin, deltamethrin, and permethrin can be found in mosquito spray, and they can kill bees on contact. While these products can kill mosquitos, they also kill other beneficial insects and these insects are also eaten by birds and other animals which now is harmful to these creatures.We already have diseases amongst bees and killer bees that kill off entire hives, so we need to do our share to not exacerbate the issue. Remember, no bees, no food! Please use something that does not cause ecological harm.

Repellents

Myths Debunked

  • Listerine does not keep mosquitos at bay… or people since listerine does make your breath more attractive to be around….
  • Limes with cloves do not effectively repel mosquitos. It may keep them away from the lime, but not from you!
  • There is no scientific evidence that sound repels any pests. Sound repellents do not work.

Citronella candles and torches are mood setters as much as that they are repellents. These citronella products only work to repel about 50 percent of the mosquitos and the fumes can be potential irritants to people and pets.

One of the most effective repellents is one with lemon eucalyptus as the one below.

Repel Lemon Eucalyptus Natural Mosquito Repellent, 4-Ounce Pump Spray

There are more natural preventative options like mosquito dunks, fans, and natural plants such as:

  • Geranium
  • Rosemary
  • Eucalyptus
  • Pennyroyal
  • Garlic
  • Peppermint
  • Basil
  • Marigolds
  • Catnip
  • Lemon balm
  • Lemon grass
  • Beautyberry
  • Citronella

Now just planting these plants nearby may not suffice as effective mosquito control once you have an infestation and so if you plant them before infestation it will help keep them away. Once you have mosquitos though, you can crush the leaves and make a tea with any of them, you can use it as a safe and effective mosquito spray. You would smell pretty good too except for maybe the garlic.

I have beautyberry growing in my garden and will pick some leaves and mask myself from mosquitos with the leaves by rubbing them over my skin. 

One of the most effective methods to not get stung by mosquitos is to cover up. Using bug screens around patios, or even those covered gazebos are as effective as sitting under a fan at keeping the mosquitos away from you.

There are some other ideas you can utilize for mosquito control. Hang bat houses! Bats are awesome at controlling the mosquito population for you and they are completely natural! 

Birds eat mosquitos too so attracting birds by means of a feeder and hanging it near your deck or patio can help catch your pesky mosquitos as well.

To learn about the advice and guidance from the CDC, you can visit them at the link below:

CDC mosquito control fact sheet

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