Nothing ruins a pool party faster than a few persistent mosquitos. All it takes is a few bites, and those pests will send everyone running inside and scratching their new bites all the way. This is our full guide to how to repel mosquitoes yourself.
Mosquitoes of all types are awful pests, but some types of mosquitoes can even be dangerous. Culex mosquitoes, for example, can carry West Nile Virus, a disease that, while mostly asymptomatic, can cause fevers and even send some, usually people above the age of 60 or with compromised immune systems, to the hospital. In those cases, it can even kill them. According to data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 146 cases of West Nile reported in Texas last year.
While mosquitoes may be the biggest nuisance on the block, they’re not the only ones. Bees and wasps love to hang out in gardens full of flowers and backyards with fruit trees. Wasps especially like to hang around pools. A wasp nest hanging from a gutter will end a quiet night on the patio fast.
When you come home after work or on a Saturday night, all you want to do is kick back and relax on your patio or by the pool, but how can you with all those mosquitoes hanging around? Luckily, there are a few forms of green pest control in Houston that can help you keep the mosquitoes at bay and continue to enjoy your evenings outside.
For those do-it-yourself lovers out there, here are a few outdoor insect repellent options how you can repel mosquitoes yourself that you can do right now — and when to know it’s time to call in a green pest control in Houston.
Outdoor pest solutions
You have several options if you’d like to tackle the mosquito problem yourself. Keep in mind that these outdoor pest solutions are not full proof, but if the mosquitoes aren’t too bad, then these solutions should be enough to repel mosquitoes from your backyard and pool.
One of the easiest ways to protect yourself against mosquitoes is to use mosquito netting on your patio to create small areas where you can go to escape the mosquitoes and still enjoy your backyard. The netting is tight enough to repel mosquitoes from getting through to you, but it’s airy enough to let the breezy go through it, keeping you nice and cool in the summer heat.
Many craft and homegoods stores like Joann Fabrics and Home Depot will sell netting that you can hang as you please. You can buy the fabric by the yard and enclose your outdoor patio or deck, making it hard for the bugs to get to you. This allows for flexibility as you can use as much or as little as needed to cover your space. Some fabrics come in a white color that can also be used to block your interior from view, allowing for some extra privacy.
If your patio or deck is open and there isn’t anything to hang mosquito netting from, then you can also buy large tents with mosquito netting on the side from stores like Lowe’s and Home Depot. These can be set up over your deck or patio, out in the grass or near the pool. The netting provides shade and protection from mosquitoes, and you can usually fit tables and chairs in them comfortably.
If you just want to cover a table or lounge chair, you can also buy mosquito netting that is made for beds. These nettings, usually measuring 8 feet by 12 feet or larger, are made to hang above beds to keep mosquitoes away. For small backyards, this could be an easy solution.
You might think that burning a citronella candle will help around the patio, but although they are a form of green pest control in Houston, they’re not a failsafe way to get rid of mosquitoes. In fact, recent studies have found that these candles to very little to keep mosquitoes away. While they may set the mood around the pool, they don’t do much to protect you and your family. If pests are truly a problem, then it’s better to go with netting.
Some outdoor companies will sell mini shields that can be plugged and say they can repel mosquitoes. They use cartridges that need to be changed, and they say they will keep a certain radius (depends on the product) bug-free for a few hours. Be warey of these products. They often promise a lot and fail on the delivery.
You can also repel mosquitoes using other forms of green pest control in Houston. The best thing to do is to get rid of places where mosquitoes like to lay their eggs — standing water. Whether it’s a puddle on your driveway, a birdbath without running water or clogged gutters, standing water attracts mosquitoes, so if you take away their homes, then they won’t reproduce on your property.
If you have any standing water, get rid of it quickly. Keep your gutters clean and clear so water doesn’t back up. Get rid of puddles on your driveway and replace the water in your birdbath every few days. Keep the birdbath nice and clean.
Of course, there are some limitations here. Try as you might, you cannot put a mosquito net over your entire backyard and candles will mostly just set the mood in the backyard. If you need more help, there are other forms of green pest control in Houston.
Personal repellants
Some outdoor pest solutions will work if your mosquito problem is somewhat minor, but what if the problem is more significant? What if you find yourself being chased out of your own backyard to avoid being eaten alive?
Nets and candles can only work so much, so if you’re problem is more dire, then you need to use insect repellent and long sleeves, pants and socks to cover the rest of your exposed skin.
If you’re hanging outside, especially as it gets dark, you will want to spray any exposed skin with insect repellent. You don’t have to spray your face directly, but you should spray some in your hands and run it on your face. All kids and especially older adults more at risk for West Nile Virus should be wearing bug spray any time they go outside for an extended period of time. If anyone jumps in the pool, they will need to be resprayed with insect repellent.
If you don’t want to spray yourself with bug repellent, wearing long sleeves and pants can also help, although you should still use bug repellent on your face and any other exposed skin. Mosquitoes won’t be able to get through the material, and you’ll have fewer bites as a result. Some manufacturers even make clothes imbued with bug repellent, but they can be a bit pricer. Either clothing option is a form of green pest control in Houston.
There are also sonic mosquito repellers, which use a high-frequency sound to keep mosquitoes away, but the science doesn’t support those products either.
Before you spend your money investing in oils and extracts and bracelets, do you research first and make sure the product does what it says it will do. Visit multiple websites and read through the reviews — not just the first few, as those can be bought reviews, but those farther down. Compare good and bad reviews, and always read through articles from reputable news sources.
Your family’s health matters above all, and while green pest control in Houston may be important to you, you will want to make sure your bug repellents actually work. Otherwise, you may put your family at risk for disease and spend the whole summer scratching those nasty bites in the most hard-to-reach places.
Mosquito fog services in Houston
For all the good these DIY solutions can do, sometimes they’re just not enough to keep the mosquitos away during the summer. The pool is too much of a draw for them, and when you’re in and out of the pool so often, that mosquito repellant comes right off.
At Natran Green Pest Control in Houston, we know the frustration you must be feeling. You don’t want to give up your summer oasis, but the mosquitoes just won’t quit. When that happens, it’s time to call in a green pest control to repel mosquitoes in Houston.
We offer several mosquito services to homeowners to fit their lifestyles. First, there’s the mosquito fog service. When you schedule this, our experts will come out and spray your property with a fog. The fog will last 30 minutes and will work to knock out existing mosquitoes and suppress the population for up to two weeks. Our experts use a sustainable, low-impact formula that does not harm the earth, people or pets. It’s green pest control in Houston.
If a mosquito fog isn’t quite your style, we also offer clients mosquito traps. Our pest control experts will set up these traps on your property. Over time, they will attract and catch mosquitos, stopping them from reproducing and spreading diseases. Each trap is made of durable materials that are built to last through the years and keep your property mosquito free. Even during the winter, these traps will be working to stem mosquito reproduction, which means you’ll see fewer mosquitoes when it’s time to open the pool. These traps are a form of green pest control in Houston, and with no harsh chemicals, your family and pets will stay free of unnecessary chemicals all summer long.
But what about other pests like bees and wasps? Our green pest control packages — EcoZone, EcoPlus and Natranized — can help you protect your property against these pests. We know that wasps especially can build their nests quickly and before you can really notice what’s happening. With our services, we will remove any nests we find, and we can warn you about any places where wasps might like to build their nests on your property. Our prevention solutions, a form of green pest control in Houston, will ensure wasps think twice before building a nest on your property.
Don’t let the bugs win this summer. Try these DIY outdoor insect repellants, and if you need a little bit of extra help keeping pests away, Natran Green Pest Control in Houston is here to help.
