How to keep mosquitoes away this summer
The weather is warming and people are eager to spend time outdoors with friends, but as that barbecue or birthday party lingers into the evening, mosquitoes can become a problem.
Sure, there are plenty of repellants made to spray on your skin and clothing, but not everyone wants to smell like chemicals and some can be allergic to certain ingredients.
So, how do you keep mosquitoes at bay? Jerome Goddard, Mississippi State University extension professor of medical entomology, talked with the USA TODAY NETWORK about some things that work and some that don’t.
Misunderstanding bats, purple martins and mosquitoes
Many of us grew up being told purple martins and bats are masters of mosquito control, dining on thousands of the insects each day. While both play important roles in nature and erecting houses for them can entice them to your area, don’t expect them to return the favor by ridding you of mosquitoes.
Purple martins are certainly capable of eating mosquitoes, but the two don’t cross paths very often. In addition to feeding higher in the air than mosquitoes fly, they’re active at different times.
“People say they eat mosquitoes,” Goddard said. “Well, think about this.
“They go to roost when it gets dark. So, how are they eating them in their sleep?”
While purple martins have settled in for a good night’s sleep, bats come out to do bat stuff. While they do cross paths with mosquitoes, Goddard said the stomach contents of bats have revealed that beetles and moths are preferred food sources.
“There’s almost no mosquitoes in their diets,” Goddard said. “In nature, why would you chase down this little thing when you could eat a juicy moth? You’d have to catch a lot of mosquitoes to equal a fat moth.”
Does citronella keep mosquitoes away?
Citronella torches and candles certainly add to the experience of an evening outside, but do they really keep mosquitoes away? It depends on how you look at it.
Goddard said a study indicated that while they do reduce the number of bites if a person is near the candle or torch, they aren’t a silver bullet.
“The citronella candles provided 42% control if you’re near them,” Goddard said. “So, there’s some control there.”
If citronella candles help repel mosquitoes, citronella plants should, too. Right?
Don’t bet on it.
“There was a study I saw one time,” Goddard said. “They would repel them up to an inch. They may provide some repellency, but not a lot.”
Get rid of mosquito breeding grounds
Goddard said the first step toward alleviating a mosquito problem is eliminating standing water in the area.
“Look for where they’re breeding,” Goddard said. “Anything that holds water, dump it out.”
Those breeding areas include tires, buckets, birdbaths and clogged gutters.
In the case of holes or low-lying areas that hold water, Goddard recommends filling them with dirt. If that’s not an option, he said to apply a larvicide to kill mosquito larvae.
If there is a ditch at your home, Goddard suggested keeping it clear of obstructions to allow water to flow more freely.
Goddard said mosquitoes can fly relatively long distances, miles in some cases, so eliminating standing water won’t get rid of all mosquitoes in the area, but it will reduce their numbers.
“That’s not the 100% answer, but it helps,” Goddard said.
Fog and barrier treatments
Goddard said barrier sprays are available for consumer use or can be applied by a professional. He said these contain chemicals that are sprayed on homes and vegetation and applications can kill mosquitoes for weeks.
Although lasting for a matter of hours rather than weeks, fogging is also an option. Goddard said some foggers are handheld machines powered by electricity or gas and apply a fog treatment to outdoor areas such as decks or lawns.
Others are simply aerosol cans used to treat outdoor areas.
“Fogging is a temporary thing, but it can work,” Goddard said. “These are pretty effective for maybe an event or a day.”
Blow mosquitoes away
Want to sit on your porch or deck and watch the sunset without swatting mosquitoes? That can be a breeze.
Goddard said the primary things that attract mosquitoes to humans are carbon dioxide expelled in breathing and heat. So, something as simple as a fan blowing on a person can reduce bites by dispersing those attractants and making it difficult to detect the source.
The moving air also makes it difficult for mosquitoes to fly, but be sure to use a fan capable of blowing plenty of air across your entire body.
“If it’s just blowing across your torso, they might come in low and bite you,” Goddard said.
Light-colored or white clothing can also make a person less appealing to mosquitoes.
“White is less attractive,” Goddard said.
Contact Brian Broom at 601-961-7225 or bbroom@gannett.com. Follow Clarion Ledger Outdoors on Facebook and @Brianbroom on Twitter.