Besides ruining a peaceful sleep, a mosquitoes’ annoying whine circling your personal space can incredibly be annoying and frustrating. There are 3500 types of mosquitoes but with different behavioral habits. However, they share one thing in common; their need for water to breed. Areas in your home with standing water drains, flowerpot trays, open containers, and uncovered trash cans attract mosquitoes. Female mosquitoes can lay about 50-500 eggs making a potential hazard to your farm or house.
Common mosquitoes breeding sites
Mosquitos are among the most common pests of spring, summer, and fall. The most obvious places where mosquitoes breed are places with stagnant water. Other sites include;
Roof gutters
Roof gutters retain water and clogged leaves causing stagnant water to gather. You can prevent them from being a breeding site by cleaning gutters regularly to avoid mosquito breeding and pest infestation.
Kiddie pools
When left unused for a while, kiddie pools are common breeding sites. While emptying the collection is the best option to curb breeding, refilling it daily is tiresome. Ensure to keep your pool clean and chlorinated when in use. If you do not use the pool regularly, keep it covered to keep mosquitoes away.
Old tires and tire swings
Used tire and swing collect rainwater or remain dumpy, attracting mosquitoes. Mosquitoes also love clutter. Having old tires stored in your yard attracts mosquitoes. If you have old tires lying around the yard, empty them after rain to keep away mosquitoes.
Tree stumps and woodpiles
Having trees in your yard gives an attractive touch, but the hollow parts of trees can be a breeding place for mosquitoes. This is because they retain water. You can fill the open areas with sand or mud to keep away mosquito breeding. Spaces between and underneath woodpiles are potential breeding areas, too—clean underneath these piles to avoid breeding.
Ways to prevent mosquitoes from breeding
Besides emptying, draining, and covering stagnant waters, you can also try the following to control mosquitoes from breeding.
Mow your lawns regularly.
Even though mosquitoes do not lay eggs in tall grass, they hide and rest in overgrown lawns. Mow your lawns regularly and keep your grass as short as possible. Tim tall bushes and weeds as they are potential homes for adult mosquitoes
Plant mosquito-repelling flowers
In areas prone to collect water, you can plant flowers and herbs that repel mosquitoes. There are individual plants whose smell repel mosquitoes. They include catnip, lemon balm, mint rosemary, and lavender. Natural ingredients like lemon eucalyptus oil, citronella, and geraniol are resourceful for making DIY mosquito repellant.
Pets to keep away mosquitoes
For lovers of water gardens, mosquito breeding can be hard to control daily. However, pets like mosquito-eating fish (minnows, mosquito fish) can help keep mosquito breeding under control. Koi and goldfish eat mosquito larva.
Use of larvicides
Larvicides come in pellet form, and they kill mosquito larvae. They are not harmful to other insects like dragonflies, which feed on mosquitoes. There are different types of larvicides, but mineral-based larvicides kill mosquito larvae when sprayed on top of the water.
Keeping mosquito predators
Mosquito predators feast on mosquitoes and mosquito larvae, keeping them under control. They include bats, dragonflies, and insect-eating birds. Install a bird or a bat house in your yards to attract the predators.
Mosquitoes love areas with stagnant water as it allows them to breed draining stagnant water curbs mosquito breeding. When mosquito breeding gets too challenging to control, you can contact a professional mosquito control provider for advice.