No More Mosquitos! How to Say Goodbye to These Pests in Michigan
Why are there so many mosquitos already? We’ve had early hot temps and lots of rain which made conditions perfect for these pesky pests to procreate! They are particularly active at dusk and dawn. So, how can you still enjoy the great outdoors?
There are some steps you can take to protect your yard, thanks to Lawnlove.com:
"Mosquitoes love dark, humid places. They thrive in areas with plenty of shade and moisture because that’s where they can breed.
Effective mosquito control interrupts the life cycle of the insect. Killing adult mosquitoes is a good start, but preventing mosquito breeding will ensure mosquitoes don’t come back.
Each female can lay more than 700 eggs over the course of her lifespan (which is just a few months). They can mate with a male mosquito once and lay eggs up to five times from just that one encounter. They don’t need a mansion either – a mosquito can lay as many as 100 eggs in a space as small as a bottle cap.
Mosquitoes move through four stages of life: egg, larvae, pupae, and adult. The first three stages depend on water, which is why minimizing standing water in your landscape is so important. They need water to lay eggs in, and mosquito larvae and pupae live on the surface of the water.
Finally, adult mosquitoes are able to leave the water. Male mosquitoes only live for about a week and mostly subsist on plant nectar. Female mosquitoes need blood meals to support their eggs (they’re the ones biting you), and can live up to six months. When the weather starts to cool off, some adult females hibernate. Mosquito eggs often survive winter. "
Best practices for keeping mosquitos out of your yard:
- Clear your yard of debris (leaves, compost pile, fallen branches, etc.) that might otherwise be a good home for mosquitos. They like to hide!
- Empty any water that may have pooled. Mosquitos love water!
- Add plants that naturally repel the pests, like citronella, marigolds and peppermint.
How to keep mosquitos from biting you:
According to Healthline.com, there are some natural solutions. Don’t put these directly on your skin…be sure to use a ‘carrier oil’ to so mething to dilute them. Lemon and eucalyptus oil, lavender, cinnamon oil, thyme oil, tea tree oil, and citronella oil.
Wear long sleeves and long pants when possible.
How to keep mosquitos out of your house:
- Keep doors closed when not in use.
- Repair ripped screens.
- Do a quick 'brush off' before you walk inside.