Pointers For Keeping Mosquitoes Out Of Your Backyard

Anyone with a lovely backyard, patio or deck will surely enjoy sitting outside on a bright summer's day or evening. But if there is one thing that can spoil it for you, it is mosquitoes.

Occasionally, it just takes one of two persistent mosquitoes to make your blood boil. Mosquitoes are a nuisance for certain, but they can also become a health hazard, spreading dengue fever and malaria and several other really nasty diseases. So how do you go about keeping mosquitoes out of your garden?

Perhaps you should not realistically hope to keep mosquitoes out of your backyard entirely, but there are some things you can do to deter them and hold their numbers down. Preventing them breeding in your backyard is the first step to take. Mosquitoes do not have a long flying range, most of the mosquitoes that bother you in your backyard will have been born in your backyard.

Mosquitoes lay their eggs in stagnant water, so make certain that there is none in your backyard. They will lay eggs in water butts, dogs' bowls, water that has collected in old tyres, bottles and tins and your rubbish bins, so make sure that no water can gather anywhere. Blocked gutters are another breeding location. If you have a water feature, breed fish in it to eat the larvae.

Mosquitoes detest the smell of lemon, so you could grow citronella plants, lemon thyme, lemon grass and even a lemon tree, if the climate is correct. Otherwise you could burn citronella scented candles or oil in the vicinity They not just keep the mosquitoes away, but the smell is very fresh and envigourating.

If they are still bothering you, you may have to resort to mosquito repellent. You could imbue your clothing with permethrin, like the army does for jungle warfare or just rub a DEET-based product on your skin. There are also lots of natural mosquito repellents too, such as lemon oil, citronella and eucalyptus oil.

Garlic is said to ward off mosquitoes, so you could try growing garlic close by. It is also believed to deter ticks and has proven to discourage greenfly (aphids) from roses. What could be better, particularly if you are partial to garlic too?

You could put up one or two of those lamps that lure insects to them and them kill them with a high voltage current. These electric insect killers are particularly good for killing mosquitoes and household flies, which can also be a nuisance whilst you are sitting outside.

They are reasonably priced and will last for years. They give off a pleasing glow and some claim to be able to clear spaces of a quarter, a half and even a full acre of land of all flying insects by the use of the ultraviolet light and pheromones.

By using some or all of the above methods of keeping mosquitoes out of your garden, you ought to be able to make the most of your drink, a chat or a snooze in complete peace and freedom from flies and mosquitoes.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article writes on several subjects, but is currently concerned with Insect Exterminator problems. If you would like to know more, go over to our website at Bugs Infestation.