Mosquito season prevents many homeowners from being able to relax and enjoy being out on their patios during the evening—it becomes a constant battle against the buzzing, biting insects. In addition to being a constant annoyance, mosquitoes can be dangerous as well—they can transmit serious blood-borne diseases between humans, such as yellow fever. If you'd like to enjoy your patio without constantly fighting annoying mosquitoes, here are a few methods you can use.
Insect Screens
Installing an insect screen on your patio is a fool-proof way of keeping mosquitoes out along with gnats and other annoying insects. You need to make sure that the insect screen you install is designed to keep out mosquitoes, as ones designed to keep out flies have a mesh size that's too large. Mosquitoes can simply slip right through those types of insect screens.
The primary downside of installing an insect screen on your patio to keep out mosquitoes is cost—they can be quite expensive. If you don't have a covered patio, installing an insect screen may not even be an option without extensive renovations. You'll also lose your protection if your insect screen ever gets torn—mosquitoes can find their way through holes as small as 10 millimeters in size.
Fans
Putting powerful fans on your patio is another effective way of keeping mosquitoes away. Mosquitoes can't fly very well, and even a gentle breeze will prevent them from being able to land on you and bite you. For best results, set up two fans on your patio that are pointing towards one another. This creates a turbulent cross-breeze that mosquitoes can't navigate through. As an added bonus, fans help keep you cool during the warmer months.
Of course, some of your guests may not enjoy trying to relax in a wind tunnel, and larger patios may require more than two fans in order to set up the wind barrier you need in order to keep mosquitoes out. Having all of those fans on your patio can also raise your electric bill—you'll need to use fairly powerful fans in order to create the wind speeds that you need.
Bat Houses
Putting a few bat houses on your property can significantly cut down on the local mosquito population. They attract tiny brown bats that fly out at dusk and begin eating massive amounts of insects. Unfortunately, there's no way to guarantee that your bat houses will actually have residents or that any bats you attract will stay.
Professional Mosquito Control Services
Hiring mosquito control services to periodically spray your lawn is an inexpensive and very effective way to control the local mosquito population, drastically reducing the number of them that bother you on your patio. The pesticide spray is safe for humans and pets, but it rapidly kills mosquitoes. The spray coats the foliage on your property and kills mosquitoes when they land on it to rest between flights. You'll need to have your property sprayed about once a month during mosquito season in order to maintain effective control.
Overall, hiring a mosquito control service company to periodically spray your lawn with pesticides is the most hassle-free way to stop mosquitoes from biting you on your patio. You won't have to bother with setting up fans or installing an insect screen, and you won't be subject to the whims of brown bats. If you'd like to set up a spraying schedule, contact a local mosquito control service company and ask about their rates—you'll be able to relax on your patio in peace.
Share27 June 2019
How often do you double check your front door or make sure that your garage door is closed? Although installing a home security system and giving your children instructions about stranger danger might seem like second nature, some people forget that there are real safety threats sitting around their windowsills. My child was bitten by a poisonous spider a few years ago, and ever since then, I have worked to increase awareness about the importance of pest control. A little pesticide can keep dangerous bugs from seeking refuge in your home and threatening your family. My website discusses different ways to keep your kids safe.