How to Get Rid of Mosquitoes - With Science

Reclaiming Your Backyard: Winning the War Against Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes can transform your outdoor haven into a buzzing battleground, but victory is within reach. We interviewed Emeritus Professor Phil Koehler of the University of Florida as well as several pest control companies to give homeowners the best chance of eliminating the flying insects for good. What’s laid out is a strategic campaign that targets their lifecycle, breeding grounds, and environmental factors.

Key strategies for mosquito control:

• Target breeding sites relentlessly by eliminating standing water: Mosquitoes can lay up to 200 eggs at a time, with eggs remaining viable for years. 
• Create an inhospitable environment: Maintain your landscape to reduce mosquito-friendly zones. Trim vegetation, use fans to disrupt flight patterns and consider mosquito-repelling plants.
• Leverage your community: Mosquitoes don't respect property lines, so coordinate with neighbors, your HOA, and local authorities for widespread control.
• Employ advanced control methods: Consider professional treatments or modern mosquito traps with larvicides for comprehensive, long-lasting protection.

By implementing these expert-backed strategies, you can significantly reduce mosquito populations and reclaim your outdoor spaces. Remember, effective mosquito control is an ongoing process, but with persistence, you can turn your yard back into the insect-free oasis it was meant to be.

Mosquitoes breed incredibly fast

Mosquitoes have surprisingly short lives. As Professor Koehler notes, "it's a very short life cycle; basically less than two weeks" 

If adult mosquitoes die so quickly, why are there so many?  

Because each female mosquito lays 50-200 eggs at a time according to the CDC. Which is why it doesn’t matter if you kill the adults. They are replaced so quickly that within days new mosquitoes show up. Even very effective mosquito pesticides like permethrin often miss breeding sites.

This is also why repellent doesn't fix the root cause of mosquitoes. When you repel mosquitoes with things like an electronic mosquito repellent machine, or mosquito sprays you merely keep them away temporarily, leaving you and your family open to mosquito bites

Mosquito Life Cycle

Eliminate Mosquito Breeding Sites - Harder than it sounds

Make your yard less attractive to mosquitoes. 

The more you prevent mosquitoes (and specifically, female mosquitoes) from breeding the more you'll enjoy your yard. 

The common advice to get rid of standing water often fails, because mosquito eggs can remain dormant for years. For major urban mosquitoes like the Asian Tiger mosquito, “they lay their eggs above the waterline. They're basically attached to the side of the container.” Even when homeowners empty the containers, they’ve still got stowaways. “Even though the water is empty…the next rain that you get: the eggs are going to hatch.”

Remove Standing Water

Mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water. Professor Koehler advises that "we know there are other containers that can breed mosquitoes as well. So for instance if they have clogged gutters to hold water that is going to be a major breeding source for mosquitoes and someone's yard." 

Regularly check and empty items that collect water, such as:

• Bird baths - A bird bath can get seriously gross if you don’t clean it regularly.
• Flower pots - make sure the base plates allow the pots to completely drain
• Unused tires - maybe consider getting rid of them?
• Children's toys - put these in covered storage containers
• Clogged gutters - hire a professional or clean them out bi-annually, or consider getting gutter guards.

Don’t just empty out standing water,  find ways to prevent standing water from collecting in the first place. For example, if you have potted plants, move them under a covered porch. This way you avoid the issue of mosquito eggs altogether.

Low areas in your lawn can be remediated with regrading or a French drain. Ask your local lawn care company for estimates to see which is more cost-effective

Maintain Your Pool

An unmaintained pool can become a mosquito breeding ground. Professor Koehler warns that if there's "an empty house and a pool that isn't being maintained, that whole pool can be breeding mosquitoes." Ensure your pool is properly treated and circulated to prevent mosquito larvae from developing.

Address Low-Lying Areas

Pay attention to areas in your yard that may collect water after rain. Professor Koehler points out that "even low areas like ditches can hold water” This is where solutions like a french drain, or regrading your lawn can help rainwater run-off better. 

Professional Mosquito Control Services

These DIY methods help, but for mosquito-heavy metros like Dallas and Houston, professional treatment plans can make a big difference. Many residential pest control companies offer mosquito control services, including:

• Yard treatments - these are best paired with traps to help deal with mosquito larvae as well.
• Mosquito misting systems - we don’t recommend these for most people, but are an option
• Larvicide - applications in water features can help treatments last longer.

Professional services can be particularly helpful for treating large areas or hard-to-reach spots that homeowners might miss. These services can do a lot to reduce the mosquito population in a neighborhood. Especially if multiple homes sign up.

Notes: Professional pest control companies are licensed to ensure that beneficial insects like bees aren’t misted with permethrins. This keeps helpful bugs like bees safe and the environment stronger.

Add Natural Mosquito Repelling Plants

If you want to explore a natural solution, plant mosquito-repelling plants in your yard:

• Citronella grass
• Lavender
• Marigolds
• Rosemary
• Basil

These plants are best used in areas where you cannot spray permethrins, for example around pollinating flowers. So pair them together for more comprehensive coverage. They should be used in conjunction with other control methods for best results. Their effectiveness is often limited to their immediate vicinity, so strategic placement is key.

Creating a Mosquito-Resistant Landscape

Eliminate as many areas that promote still air or high levels of humidity. Consider these tips:

• Trim vegetation semi-annually to reduce mosquito resting areas
• Install or repair screens on windows and doors
• Use outdoor fans to disrupt mosquito flight
• Incorporate water features with moving water, which mosquitoes avoid for breeding

By creating air movement and reducing damp, shady areas, you can make your yard less appealing to these pests.

Community Mosquito Control

Effective mosquito control often requires community-wide efforts. Large bodies of water like detention ponds, community pools, and drainage ditches can impact hundreds of homes in a neighborhood.

Consider these community-focused strategies:

• Talk to your HOA about community risk areas like detention ponds
• Ask neighbors if they’re experiencing issues, and then discuss mosquito control options
• Watch municipal programs designed to monitor mosquito activity. They'll typically use resting boxes to trap mosquitoes and test for dangerous diseases like West Nile Virus, Dengue Fever, and other mosquito-borne illnesses.
• Organize community clean-up days to eliminate breeding sites

Community-wide efforts can significantly reduce mosquito populations across entire neighborhoods, making individual control efforts more effective.

You can also find training created for communities from organizations like the American Mosquito Control Association.

Mosquito Traps

New technologies are continually developed to effectively combat mosquitoes. Consider adding a mosquito trap to your yard. The best traps encourage female mosquitoes to lay eggs in waters laced with larvicide which can help control efforts to last longer and provide more comprehensive coverage. 

This larvicide is approved and regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency and is safe for residential use to kill mosquito larvae.

Review our recommendations - read our reviews of the best mosquito traps.

Conclusion

Getting rid of mosquitoes in your yard requires a combination of understanding mosquito behavior, eliminating breeding sites, and employing effective control methods. Integrated pest management is better than simple repellent. By implementing the strategies outlined in this article, you can significantly reduce mosquito populations and enjoy your outdoor spaces more fully.

Remember, mosquito control is an ongoing process. Stay vigilant, adapt your strategies as needed, and don't hesitate to seek professional help for persistent problems. With consistent effort and the right approach, you can create a mosquito-free oasis in your own backyard.

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