DIY Home Mosquito Repellents for Summer

a mosquito on the rim of a pot outside

As we approach the warm season in 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 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 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 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 39 years, and we have skills and experience that can’t be beat. 

Summertime in 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!

Common Pests of the Late Summer

A gray squirrel

Late summer feels like the season when we should finally be left alone by pests, but this is not actually the case. All kinds of critters are capable of taking advantage of the lingering warmth and growth from previous months to sustain themselves or even continue to thrive. If you want to make sure that the last of your summer isn’t overrun by pests, you have to make conscious and regular efforts to defend yourself against them. Learn about the most common late summer pests in Eastern TN and what you can do about them from our experts at Johnson Pest Control!

Pests We See in Late Summer

Although late spring and early summer are commonly regarded as the most pest-ridden seasons, there really is no time of the year in which you can completely avoid pests. This August and September, you can expect to deal with the following:

  • Ticks: Because ticks breed in the early summer, the late summer is when we can expect to see their populations in full swing. Watch out for ticks when walking around tall grass or dense vegetation.
  • Bees and wasps: As long as people are cooking or congregating outside, bees and wasps will be present. Leaving out sugary or protein-rich food will attract these insects or even incentivize them to build a home nearby.
  • Mosquitoes: If mosquitoes can establish a breeding population in a relatively undisturbed area, they can stick around until temperatures drop below 50°F. This means that they can continue to thrive in the late summer.
  • Wildlife: Animals that hibernate during the winter have particularly active summers. Raccoons, opossums, squirrels, and more all cause regular issues for local home and business owners.

 

Contact us today to help with your late summer pest problem!

 

Preventing Pests in Late Summer

It’s important to remember that any serious pest infestation should be addressed by a professional pest control technician, but if you want to pest-proof your property before any problems arise, we have some prevention advice for you:

  1. Seal entry points: Look around your property for gaps in roofing, fencing, siding, foundation, and more places that pests could get through. Sealing gaps with a silicone-based caulk or fixing window openings by adding screens will help prevent pest problems.
  2. Be careful with trash: Taking out the trash regularly will help prevent indoor pest problems and using sealable lids on your outdoor bins can keep bees, wasps, and wildlife away from your yard.
  3. Keep a neat yard: By trimming your trees and shrubs, getting rid of grass clippings and leaf piles, and decluttering in general, you can prevent all kinds of pests from finding temporary shelter.
  4. Eliminate standing water: Mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water pools, so monitoring your yard for buildup in gutters, planters, and elsewhere can help prevent breeding ground establishment. If you have a pool, spa, or birdbath, it’s wise to cover it up when not in use.

Expert Late Summer Pest Control

If your summer has been full of pest problems despite your prevention efforts, you might have a problem that has to be addressed by your local pest control company. We have seen it all here at Johnson Pest Control — our licensed, certified, and highly-trained technicians will have no problem assessing your property to identify vulnerabilities and develop a sweeping pest removal plan. To learn more about how we can help you and receive a free quote, contact us today!