Banish mosquitoes from your home using these effective remedies
At this time every year, we unfortunately have to deal with an invasion of mosquitoes. Very annoying and sometimes a health risk to ourselves and our pets, these blood-suckers can carry numerous diseases (with malaria perhaps being the most insidious). For this reason, it is worth while getting to know how best to repel and eliminate mosquitoes - read on to find out more:
Watchword: act immediately
James Gathany, CDC/Wikimedia Commons (CC 2.5)
The first thing you can do to limit the number of mosquitoes in your immediate environment is to inhibit their ability to breed. So, how is this done? Well, you can use larvicides.
Mosquitoes lay eggs wherever there is stagnant/still water: flower pot saucers in the house and garden, birdbaths, rainwater collection tanks and even the pet water bowls. Given that you cannot realistically avoid having some still water around, there are two options open to you (depending on the situation):
- For bowls that animals drink from (dogs, cats, birds): changing the water every day is very important. All you need to do is toss the water away (in a well-draining spot) and refill with fresh water. This action will prevent mosquito larvae from establishing themselves;
- For other containers and water storage tanks, however, you'll need to use a larvicide that is not harmful for pets and plants. Use a larvicide that has the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis in it. This is the only type of larvicide that kills the larvae of mosquitoes and flies, and is not harmful to other beneficial insects or plants. Administer this larvicide according to the manufacturers' instructions.
Mosquito nets/screens and traps
If your windows don't have mosquito net curtains over them, then it's time to do this. This netting can be cut to length, and mounted using special adhesive tape (the netting and tape is usually supplied as a kit, and it is very easy to install). If you don't like the idea of using "sticky" tape, there are kits that come with magnets that are used secure the netting to (metal) window frames.
If you are so inclined, you can consider putting up some dens for bats to roost in: bats eat up to 1220 insects the size of mosquitoes every hour, so they can devastate a mosquito population.
You can also make some DIY traps with brewer's yeast. You just need to dissolve a cube of fresh yeast in warm water (hot water will kill the yeast), and add 3 or 4 tablespoons of sugar. This mixture is then poured into a bottom of a plastic bottle that has been cut in half. The half with the neck is then inserted, upside down, into the lower half/bottom half (ensuring the neck opening is not immersed in the liquid. The yeast and sugar will attract mosquitoes which will then not be able to get out of you bottle trap!
Ready to arm yourself against this season's mosquitoes?
