DIY Home Mosquito Repellents for Summer

As we approach the warm season in East Tennessee, it’s easy to fantasize about backyard barbeques and long nights on the porch. But the last guests you want invited to the party are mosquitos. These bloodsucking pests will ruin any shindig and leave your yard virtually uninhabitable. 

What can you do to treat a mosquito infestation? You likely know by now that companies like Johnson Pest Control can treat mosquitoes in yards and properties across East Tennessee, but is it possible to handle an invasion on your own? Are there any DIY mosquito repellents that actually work?

Do DIY Mosquito Repellents Work?

There are a variety of home mosquito control “solutions” touted across the internet. With so many conflicting voices out there, it can be difficult to discern what is and isn’t actually useful. Let’s go into more detail about a few supposed life-hacks and determine if they work, and to what extent.

Citronella 

Citronella is a divisive tool in the world of pest control. In plant form or concentrated into an oil, it can be effective at repelling mosquitos and other pests. Even as a candle it can work, but only in a very small radius. The main problem is it’s only a temporary deterrent. Citronella won’t keep mosquitoes from reproducing on your property, and when the smell is gone, they’ll be back.

Clearing Standing Water

Mosquitoes need standing water to reproduce, so if you can get rid of any pools or puddles of water in your yard you can get rid of mosquitoes. But it’s not so simple. It can be hard to address every source of standing water in a single property, as these bloodsucking pests can breed in bodies of water as small as a thimble. But by eliminating as many as you can, along with bird baths or other pools of water, you’re greatly reducing the options for any passing pests.

Light Traps 

You can buy a bug zapper and see it kill all kinds of small insects – including mosquitoes. But if there is an infestation on your property, killing a few mosquitos in a very specific radius isn’t going to be very helpful. In fact, the light of the zapper might actually work against your favor by drawing them closer to where people congregate.

Box Fans

Mosquitoes are a nuisance, but they’re a small nuisance that can easily be deterred by a strong current or breeze. So if you want to create a sting-free zone, you can set up a box fan and leave it running. This small addition can reduce mosquito bites by upwards of 65 percent, but like citronella it won’t stop them from breeding elsewhere in your yard. 

Your East Tennessee Mosquito Exterminators

If you’ve tried any or all of the solutions above without any relief from mosquitoes, that’s okay. These pests can be relentless and difficult to treat on your own. Luckily, if you’re a property owner in East Tennessee, you have a friend in the expert mosquito extermination team at Johnson Pest Control. We’ve been combating mosquito infestations large and small for over 40 years, and we have skills and experience that can’t be beat. 

Summertime in East Tennessee can be beautiful. With our help, you can enjoy it outside whenever you want – without the risk of bug bites. And that’s something worth celebrating. Contact us today to learn more!