NATURAL MOSQUITO REPELLENTS TO PROTECT YOUR YARD
Natural Mosquito Control in Massachusetts
Mosquitos can spread harmful and deadly diseases, like the Zika virus, West Nile virus, Chikungunya virus, dengue, and malaria, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Plus, no one likes dealing with itchy, swelling bite marks from these troubling pests!
Unfortunately, mosquitos linger in our backyards because they are attracted to the smell of carbon dioxide on our breath, and certain skin odors, which they sense while you’re outside grilling or watching the kids play.
Pesticides like DEET can be quite effective at repelling mosquitos and other insects, but at what cost? Even the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) warns that you should wash it off your skin after use and to avoid breathing the poisonous solution during application.
You may be wondering — are there safer ways to shoo mosquitos away from your yard? Of course! Let’s talk about natural mosquito repellents! Here are five natural ways to keep mosquitos away without spraying copious amounts of potentially harmful chemicals:
1. Citronella Oil
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has citronella oil listed as a registered insect repellent/feeding depressant. But does it deter mosquitos, specifically? Sure, but be forewarned— the protection is often short-lived.
Citronella-based repellents protect against mosquitos for about two hours, according to many studies, including this one on the efficacy of natural insect repellents.
This non-toxic oil is often sprayed throughout your yard, or applied by cloth wipes, or even as oil rubbed directly onto the skin, and is completely safe for your family.
DEBUNKED! Citronella Candles
Citronella candles can produce a calming smell or provide intimate light to illuminate your patio set, but don’t mistake them for a true natural mosquito repellent. In 2017, one notable study featured in Science Magazine tested 11 alleged mosquito deterrents and found that citronella candles did little to deter mosquitos from their human “bait.”
Other research shows they can reduce biting by up to 50%, but the results are often inconclusive. Your best bet is to use citronella oil directly, rather than evaporating it into the air through burning.
DEBUNKED! The Citronella Plant
Although many people believe the Citronella plant (commonly called the “Mosquito Plant”) repels mosquitos, the plant itself does little to deter the pests. However, if you were to crush a leaf and rub it on your skin, the oil can then act as a short-term, natural mosquito repellent.
2. Organic Mosquito Control applications the yard by Green Sphere of course!
Our Organic Mosquito Control applications are an extremely effective way to reduce mosquito populations around your home.
We have developed a proprietary blend of essential oils that we apply through a backpack fogger monthly throughout the season to create a barrier against these biting pests. We start by fogging the lawn, woods perimeter, under decks, the foundation shrub beds and up into the tree canopy. Basically anywhere that they rest and hang out till they find a food source. This creates a barrier that they avoid keeping them out of your yard. We then maintain this barrier roughly every 4 weeks.
Some added benefits of this program? The formulation is also extremely effective against ticks so you get a 2 for one! Since it’s organic you never have to wait to use your yard after an application and there’s a pleasant smell from the cedar oils and mints we apply.
3. Outdoor Fans
Does your outdoor patio have a ceiling fan? Turn it on! Mosquitos only weigh between 2.5-10 milligrams. Winds can make it hard for these little pests to fly. Plus, the breeze can throw off their infrared senses and shoo them away. This is a simple and effective solution.
4. In2Care Mosquito Traps by who else but Green Sphere? – No One!
Just like you’d trap a mouse or other rodent, you can also trap mosquitos with special devices, like our safe and effective mosquito traps from In2Care.
These handy little pots are placed around your property strategically and filled with water to provide a place for female mosquitos to lay their eggs. Monthy we service the pots to change out the gauze landing pad and yeast/ larvicide additive. The mosquitos lay their eggs here then fly off to continue breeding. The eggs that hatch in the trap are not able to develop and die there. The adult females then take the larvicide with them on their bodies and the next place they lay their eggs like standing water in an old tire is then also inoculated with the larvicide as well to further control these buggers! This way you are spreading the control around not just your property but your area in general.
These traps are a fantastic way to actually reduce the mosquito population in your area. Is there a better way to reduce your chances of being bitten than them than by reducing their population? Nope! A cool little feature of these traps is is if are so inclined you can check out the water in them and see all the dead larvae- it’s very satisfying!
5. Neem
Neem has received great controversy on its effectiveness for warding off mosquitoes, mostly because it only affects certain species, while others remain unphased.
For instance, it’s had great success in studies in India, when used in burning lamps to deter malaria-spreading species. Yet, some research on treating US mosquito species has fallen short in efficacy.
One big caveat is that many of the studies which saw protection against mosquito bites applied the neem topically, but it was always mixed with coconut oil for safe application. Neem oil in its pure state is not something you should apply directly onto your skin. Neem is not approved by the EPA for topical use alone, as it can result in mild dermal toxicity, like skin irritation, or dermatitis when used undiluted.
The solution? Try this natural mosquito repellent yourself— without worrying about perfecting the topical mix ratio of coconut oil to neem— by choosing an organic neem spray. You’ll quickly see if it wards off nearby insects, or, if not effective against your region’s species of mosquitoes, you can switch to one of our other products listed in this article!
What If You’ve Tried it All? (except our services of course)
Are mosquitos still a problem around your yard? Those living near ponds especially need help deterring these annoying insects, as they love water!
While DIY natural mosquito repellents can help keep the pests from biting you and your family, there’s more you can do to keep them away.
Our “Advanced 7-Step” Organic Tick & Mosquito Control Program is here to save the day. Once a month, we can apply an organic formula to control the winged beasts. You can also find success with our new In2Care mosquito trap system!
Give us a call at (855)-391-1343 or contact us to learn more!