After spending all that time working on your yard and landscape, you want to be able to sit back and enjoy it, and sometimes it is not possible due to the mosquitoes.
It is hard to believe that something so small can force people to stay indoors. Mosquitoes can be a real nuisance to many outdoor enthusiasts. Although mosquitoes cannot be eliminated, they can be controlled by eliminating their habitat.
Mosquitoes breed in stagnant water so to help get rid of them you need to get rid of the standing water. Pick up and dump any vessels that collect water such as cans, pails, wading pools, plant trays, etc. Clean out the gutters and downspouts to prevent water from collecting. Fill in any low spots in the lawn or landscape where water pools. Empty and refill dog bowls, bird baths, fountains, etc., every few days, as it only takes eight to 10 days for mosquito eggs to turn into adult mosquitoes.
During the day adult mosquitoes tend to hide in shaded areas such as trees, shrubs and plants. Keeping the lawn mowed, weeds down, and trees and shrubs maintained will help keep mosquitoes away.
It is not always possible to eliminate the habitat because of ponds, lagoons and ditches, but there are products available that will help prevent mosquitoes from coming into your yard. A product that has proven itself over the past few years is called Mosquito Barrier. It is available at the garden centre and people have been coming back to purchase it because it works well.
Mosquito Barrier is a liquid, made from the juice of a very potent garlic. Garlic has a natural sulphur which repels mosquitoes. A mosquito's sense of smell is 10,000 stronger than a human's and as long as the mosquito can detect it, it will avoid the area. Mosquito Barrier is an easy-to-use product that is mixed with water (following the manufacturer's instructions) and then sprayed along the outer perimeter of the yard. Spray it on the surfaces of grass, plants and foliage by using a sprayer. The garlic smell will not be noticeable to humans after a few minutes but it can be noticed by mosquitoes for up to a month depending on conditions. For the best results do not apply it 24 to 48 hours before a rainfall or just after a rainfall.
Mosquito Barrier is toxic to mosquitoes but not harmful to pets, plants or humans. It can also be mixed with vegetable oil and then sprayed on the surface of ponds to form a thin film which will suffocate the larvae by preventing oxygen from reaching the larvae.
There are other ways of preventing mosquitoes from bothering people. Mosquitoes tend to be most active between dusk and dawn or on cloudy days. They are not as active in the sunshine, so if you are outdoors during a sunny day you will not be bothered as much. It's the carbon dioxide that we exhale that excites mosquitoes so if we can mask the odours we can stop them from finding us. Plants that repel mosquitoes include marigolds, rosemary, lemon balm, basil and citronella.
