How To Reduce Mosquito's In Your Yard

Are pesky mosquito's flying for you and ready to bight every time you walk out your back door? This is a common occurrence here for me in Australia in mosquito season. Especially since I live nearby to wetlands, and I am in one of the highest mosquito population area's in my city.

Here, I'll explore the ways you can repel mosquito's from your yard and garden, and how to reduce their attraction to you. Having lived in the midst of a strong mosquito population for many years now, I'll share with you what has and hasn't worked for me in my attempt to avoid the problems which come with mosquito season, and how I've reduced them in my yard and garden area's.

1. As mosquito's lay their eggs in water. One of the best things you can do first of all is to remove their access to water. Seek out possible water sources in your yard. This could be a plate of water sitting under a pot plant, or empty pots which have rainwater in them, or other water containing objects laying around outside which could give the mosquito's a chance to lay their eggs in. I have one small fountain ornament outside. I keep it filled with a little dishwashing liquid, which does prevents mosquito's from finding it desirable.
2. You can now purchase online (such as from eBay) small solar lights which you can put in the ground, and they are also mosquito/fly zappers. Place them in any problem area's and you may notice a decrease in the mosquito population in your yard while you sleep.
3. Mosquito's are usually only around for a season, not the entire year, so consider a light jacket and pants when gardening to avoid being bitten when you notice they are in season.
4. Venture outside with a spray of insect repellant on your clothes. You do not need to put it on your skin. A light spray to the back of your shirt and pants should be all you need.
5. You can also try, like I have, planting mosquito-repellant plants in your garden. It's easy to do a little research online to find the species available in your area. I've had success with citronella grass, lavender, garlic, lemon grass and lemon scented geranium (it has a very strong and sweet scent and I have had success with planting it in problem area's of my yard such as under a native tree, it survives the heat very well too).
6. Of course, then you have your usual electric bug catchers, or citronella candles which are easily purchased at a hardware store and may help reduce the mosquito's around outside dining tables and chairs, but I've found they do not repel a very wide area at all. I prefer to spray the area with my usual bug spray before venturing out there to sit.
7. In mosquito season, use outdoor surface spray on or near your door and outdoor furniture. I found an odorless one more friendly for humans as the smell can waft inside when you spray around the door.
8. I find using an insect repellant sunscreen also helps me and my young daughter when we are spending long periods out in our garden. I sometimes put a tiny amount on her ponytail before school in peak mosquito season, so she doesn't get bitten through the day (it also seems to have prevented her from getting nits).
9. I have unfortunately not had any success using home-made repellants such as peppermint oil, clove, basil or eucalyptus. I love the smell of those inside, but it's difficult to spread around with any success outside anyway. The plants themselves work better.
10. Check they haven't followed you inside! I find they can be hanging around the jacket I keep in my laundry to put on when I go outside, when I bring it back inside to hang it up. Once inside they have been known to venture to the bedrooms and bight during our sleep. So I ensure we all shut the door as we come back inside (we have fly screens on our doors too) and check that none of them have followed us inside, which they seem to have a nasty habit of doing.

• At many pharmacies you can purchase mosquito repellant plastic bangles for young children, which can help them avoid mosquito's during outside play.
• Many pharmacies also sell packets of coin sized mosquito repellant stickers. They just stick on to your child's top or jacket and are also handy for outside play and convenient to keep in your handbag.

• You can try to relieve a mosquito sting by patting it lightly with the inside of a peeled banana skin.