How to get off mosquitoes in backyard

Mosquitoes can be a major nuisance in backyards, especially during the summer months when they are most active. Getting rid of mosquitoes in your backyard can be a difficult task, but with a little effort and the right know-how, you can get on top of the problem and enjoy your outdoor space without the pests.

But is it possible to get rid of mosquitoes, not just protect yourself, but get rid of them? We are not talking about a confined space, but about an open garden. Well, let’s look into it.

The fight against mosquitoes with folk remedies

The first thing to which the owners of garden plots resort. They use everything – vinegar, lemon, cinnamon, vanilla extract, eucalyptus oil, juniper twigs, mint, rosemary, basil, garden lilac and indoor geranium. The list is not complete, but it is believed that all these things protect against mosquitoes, scare them away. And it’s true, but only half true.

How it works

Female mosquitoes find victims by the heat and smell they emit. And what do acetic acid and basil have in common? That’s right: a pungent, distinct aroma. It will hardly repel insects, but it will disguise the smell of human sweat. That’s how most folk remedies work.

You can check it out. Spray some perfume around you – the effect will be no worse than from vinegar.

Advantages

• Cheap, affordable, always on hand.
• Safe, if you are not allergic.
• The result is there, but with some reservations.

Disadvantages

• Geranium and vanilla will not help get rid of mosquitoes in the country house. They are rather means of personal protection: they “hide” you, for a while make you “invisible” to bloodsuckers. The duration of action is limited to 20-30 minutes, but the mosquitoes themselves will not go anywhere. Therefore, if you decide to defend yourself with lemons and mint – stock them properly.

Repellents

Natural or chemical substances that repel insects. Somehow the natural components did not work out, but synthetics are widespread. These are familiar creams, aerosols, gels and sprays, abundantly represented on store shelves.

How do they work?

The main component of most repellents is diethyltoluamide (DETA). It was developed in 1946 by the U.S. military and was used to protect personnel from insects. Initially it was believed that the substance discourages the sense of smell of bloodsuckers, thereby depriving them of the ability to find their prey. But later it was proven by scientists at the University of California, Davis, that mosquitoes can smell diethyltoluamide and try to avoid it (both males and females).

Advantages

• Inexpensive and available in any store.
• The duration of action is 2-3 hours.
• Does not mask, but truly repels.
• Protection not only from mosquitoes, but also from other insects (in particular – ticks).

Disadvantages

• Destruction of mosquitoes on the site – this is not about repellents. In front of us again PPE. It is certainly better than grandmother’s recipes, but the miracle will not happen: smeared, physically, passed 2 hours, and bloodsuckers love you again.

And you must also keep in mind that diethyl toluamide is dangerous for humans. You should not allow the product to get on the mucous membranes and use it more often than the instructions state – the poison penetrates through the skin. For this reason, it is not recommended for pregnant women and children, unless the product is specifically designed for them.

Repellents

They are also fumigators. This method of mosquito control has shown high efficiency indoors, but devices for open spaces are also on sale.

How they work

The principle of action is similar to repellents, but the repellents use other active substances – insecticides. Most often it is allethrin: in the form of a bottle with liquid, or plates impregnated with it. Fumigators are equipped with a heating element powered by the mains, battery, batteries or a portable gas canister.

The surface interacting with the insecticide heats up and the poison evaporates. Vapor concentration is harmless for humans and animals, but not for insects. Allethrin disrupts nervous system, causing spatial disorientation, hyperactivity, prostration, paralysis. Indoors it ends up killing the bloodsuckers, outdoors they try to get away.

Advantages

• Suitable not only for individual but also for group protection. Can be hung on the belt or placed in the gazebo during the rest – there will be no mosquitoes within a radius of 5 meters.
• The duration of action is limited by the service life of the consumables and the power source. The repeller will work quietly all night long.
• The devices are universal – you can take them with you on fishing trips, camping trips or even at home to turn them on.

Disadvantages

• As soon as the device stops working – the mosquitoes will return. Hungry and angry. And if you have left the range – they are already waiting for you. In general, repellent will help to spend a couple of evenings at the cottage, but they do not destroy mosquitoes on the site, alas, under force.

On sale there are ultrasonic repellent mosquitoes. In this article, we did not consider them for two reasons: firstly, there have been many studies, which have not confirmed the performance (not to mention the effectiveness) of such devices, and secondly, if we assume that ultrasound has a negative effect on insects, and for pets can be unpleasant consequences. No matter how you look at it, the idea looks doubtful.

Ultraviolet lamps

Those blue periodically crackling ones that you’ve probably seen in the movies. They are also called anti-smell lanterns, although in fact it is more like “electric chairs” with backlighting.

How they work

An ultraviolet lamp emits light that lures nighttime insects. The body of the lamp is surrounded by a live metal mesh, safe for humans and pets, but deadly to small insects. Well, then everything is simple: the mosquito flies and is naturally “fried”.

True, there is one problem: mosquitoes are not attracted to light. At least not by itself. As a bait, it will act only in combination with some signs of a living organism, such as imitation of the smell of sweat – attractants. Such lamps are also on sale, but they are few and expensive, so they almost never fall into the hands of dacha owners (unlike conventional UV lamps).

Advantages

• Inexpensive.
• Beautiful.
• Easy to use.

Disadvantages

• In 99% of cases, mosquitoes do not perceive them.

You can’t get rid of mosquitoes at the cottage with a UV lamp. The thing is beautiful, but useless. Alas.