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Have you ever been outside trying to enjoy nature, work in your garden, or entertain guests and suddenly you find yourself being attacked by small, flying vampires?

I mean, technically, these insects suck your blood. And some also carry diseases.

I am referring to mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are common, flying insects that live in most parts of the world. There are over 3,500 types of mosquitoes, but not all of them bite. Only female mosquitoes bite people and animals to get a blood meal used to produce eggs. According to the CDC, those mosquitoes that are infected with viruses and parasites infect people and animals when they bite them. When mosquitoes spread diseases, it can possibly be dangerous depending on where you are geographically located. Otherwise, when they bite, they can simply be identified as a nuisance. This article will discuss some ways to get them under control.

While they can seem pointless and purely irritating to us humans, mosquitoes do play a substantial role in the ecosystem. Mosquitoes form an important source of biomass in the food chain—serving as food for fish as larvae and for birds, bats and frogs as adult flies—and some species are important pollinators.

Mosquito Habitat

Mosquitos live near people, forests, woods, marshes, or tall grasses. Something all mosquitoes have in common is they all need water because their larvae and pupae prefer stagnant water. Mosquitoes love yard debris like twigs, leaves, sticks, and tall grass because it a form of protection from the elements. They also love messy yards with garbage for the same reason. Any standing water is a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes. How to find what can potentially be a breeding area for them? After it rains, go outside and look around. See if you can find anything that collects water. When you find the standing water, you have found the perfect breeding ground. And birdbaths are definitely a breeding area for them.

Remove Their Habitat

There are several methods for controlling mosquitoes. First, remove all items in your yard that holds water. If you have a collection of rainwater for your plants, cover it or place mosquito bits in your water if you can’t cover it.

Second, cut all tall grasses. Keep the lawn low because they like tall grass as a form of protection Remove debris from yard like, piles of leaves, twigs and sticks. Clean debis from your gutters.

Third, once a week, empty and scrub containers with standing water, including empty flower pots, bird baths, and trash containers. This should remove mosquito eggs from the inner walls of the container. Drain water from pools when not in use. And remove water from tarps used to cover items in the yard.

Fourth, remove all things just sitting in a pile undisturbed. That pile creates hiding areas for them. If you need the items, put them in a storage unit or storage room.

Methods to Controlling Mosquitoes

Use plants as deterrents.

Some plants emit a powerful fragrance that smells great to humans, but animals and insects can not tolerate them. Example, basil smells aromatic and it’s great to cook with but mosquitoes, flies, and other insects hate them. Try planting some all around your yard. Or get them as potted plants and place them strategically around your yard, near your doors, and patios.

Citronella grass is another plant. It can grow pretty big. Like 6 feet tall to be exact. Reseach planting and care information before planting it.

Lavender is another plant. It is beautiful and has an amazing smell that deters many insects but attracts pollinators.

Marigolds are gorgeous in design and color. They also emit a fragrance that many insects detest.

Rosemary is easy to grow and it is very effective in repelling mosquitoes.

If you live near water, plant cattails. They don’t deter mosquitoes. But they attract dragonflies. Add other plants that attract adult dragonflies such as Black-Eyed Susan, Swamp Milkweed, and Joe-Pye weed among others. The dragonflies eat mosquitoes at all stages of life. An individual dragonfly can eat hundreds of mosquitoes a day. 

Introduce natural predators

Well, we know that dragonflies love them. But what else? Bats also eat mosquitoes. If you do have a pond, try a native fish like Fathead minnows. Basically, any fish will see them as a tasty snack or meal. But some fish are more likely to eat them than others. Damselflies eat them and tadpoles eat them mostly because they spend that stage of their lives in the water.

There are several birds that eat mosquitoes. Like the American Robin, Blackpoll Warbler, Barn Swallow, Ruby-Throated Hummingbird, Nighthawk, Waterfowl, Eastern Bluebird, and Northern Cardinal. Find out specifically what plants and seeds attract them and place them in your yard. If you are going to do a bird bath, change the water every few days or once weekly. Make sure that you also remove anything that is shiny or reflective. It scares the birds away and you are trying to attract them. And provide birdhouses.

Try chemicals

Airplanes and helicopters can be used to treat very large areas with larvicides or adulticides to kill mosquito larvae or adult mosquitoes. This process is called aerial spraying. 

City trucks fitted with special spray equipment can be used to treat areas with larvicides or adulticides to kill mosquito larvae or adult mosquitoes. This process is called truck spraying. 

Misting machines loaded with chemicals mist your yard every few intervals to control the mosquito population.

Retailers have chemicals that can be attached to your hose and sprayed in intervals in your yard’s trees and etc.

Lastly, you can have pest professionals come to your home to treat your yard and etc.

Here is a simple and affordable way to control them.

You must remember that we can only control our surroundings. Like our homes, businesses, towns, and cities. The woods, forests, and marshlands are out of our control. However, the circle of life will balance the rest.