Mosquito Control: How to Get Rid of Mosquitoes

This page is a general Mosquitoes control guide. Using the products and methods suggested you will get control of Mosquitoes. Follow this guide and use the recommended products and we guarantee 100% control of Mosquitoes.

Mosquitoes are among the most hated pests that we come in contact with and for good reason—they bite and love to suck our blood. Outdoor activities and gatherings can quickly turn sour if there are a lot of hungry Mosquitoes around ready to pierce into our skin. Aside from being a pesky annoyance, Mosquitoes can also be a health hazard with how easily they can spread disease.

Mosquitoes are commonly active in the evenings around the yard, near ornamentals, landscaping, and wherever moisture collects. This includes birdbaths, rain gutters, potted plants, buckets, or even areas in the yard where there is puddling due to a lack of drainage.

Solutions Pest & Lawn wants to help make it possible for you to savor those warm days and cool nights outdoors. Take back your backyard and start enjoying the fresh air without having to worry about these nuisances ruining your fun.

Our expert guide will show you how to get rid of Mosquitoes off your property through our DIY advice and the use of our professional product recommendations.

Identification

Knowing what a Mosquito looks like and being sure that what you are dealing with is actually a Mosquito infestation and not some other type of biting insect is important before proceeding with a treatment program. Misidentification can lead to using the wrong treatment methods and products, costing you time and money. Here are some distinguishing traits of mosquitoes so you can know what they look like for correct identification.

• Most adult Mosquitoes vary in size from a quarter of an inch to one-half of an inch. Mosquitoes have two wings and have hair-like scales that cover the entirety of their bodies.
• Despite being a flying insect, Mosquitoes are terrible fliers compared to other flying insects. Some species of Mosquitoes fly slowly and clumsily making them easily prone to being squashed.
• Mosquitoes also are distinguishable via their long proboscis. The proboscis is designed in such a way to make it easy for Mosquitoes to pierce skin and suck up blood.

Use the description and image above to help you correctly identify Mosquitoes on your property.

Inspection

Before applying treatment products, you need to know where Mosquitoes are breeding and where they are found. A Mosquito inspection is usually not very difficult since Mosquitoes are usually out and about at prime activity times (typically in the late afternoon, early evenings). You will be searching for standing water and where moisture collects in your property.

Where to Inspect

Mosquitoes need water to breed and lay eggs. Female Mosquitoes lay eggs after they’ve had their fill of blood and often do so in areas where there is stagnant water. By locating and either removing the areas of standing water or applying product to these areas you can significantly lessen the Mosquito population on your property.

Outdoors search your lawn, around wet leaf litter, in yard debris, potted plants, rain gutters, bird baths, buckets, containers, and where water collects. Search your lawn for low elevation areas where water does not drain.

Mosquito infestations indoors are rare. But look in kitchens, bathrooms, and rooms where moisture collects.

What To Look For

Look for Mosquitoes and their breeding grounds. If you have water or moisture collecting indoors, you need to address the issue and remove the moisture. Outdoors you're looking for standing water like clogged rain gutters, wet mulch, moist soil, potted plants, and wet areas of your lawn. If you have located their breeding grounds and the Mosquitoes, you're ready for treatment.

Treatment

Once you have located where mosquitos are gathering, it's time to begin treatment. Remember to first read all product labels and follow the application instructions, and stay safe by wearing personal protective equipment (PPE).

A multi-pronged approach is essential to treating Mosquito infestations on your property. You will need to discourage egg-laying by reducing areas with standing water and kill Mosquito larvae with a larvicide such as BTI Mosquito Dunk.

After that, you should perform a broadcast treatment of your yard using a Mosquito adult killing insecticide concentrate called Supreme IT and an Insect Growth Regulator to hinders the development of Mosquito larvae and eggs, Martin's IGR Insecticide. Mix these together for a solid one-two punch that addresses the entire Mosquito life cycle.

Step 1 - Preparation & Water Treatment

To start, you'll first have to prepare the yard for treatment. You will need to eliminate all standing water. Clean out your rain gutters, turn over containers with water, get rid of wet leaf litter, and pick up yard debris that creates moisture. If there are bodies of water you cannot drain, use BTI Mosquito Dunk.

BTI Mosquito Dunk

BTI Mosquito Dunk is an insect growth regulator (IGR) that will prevent the undeveloped stages of Mosquitoes (egg, larval, and pupal) from maturing and get rid of the mosquito larvae from standing water. BTI Mosquito Dunk will release a bacterium known as BTI, that will disrupt the Mosquitoes' life cycle by preventing molting, egg hatching, and egg-laying.

To use BTI Mosquito Dunk, first determine how big the body of water is and use the application rate table found on the label to determine how many dunks are needed. Depending on the square footage of the treatment area, you can be applying anywhere from 1 dunk from BTI Mosquito Dunk from 25 to 100 square feet of surface area of water.

You can calculate the surface area of the water by measuring the length and width of the treatment area and multiplying the two values to get the square footage (length x width = square footage).

Dunks can be broken apart to treat smaller areas, down to 1 quarter of a dunk to treat 1 to 5 square feet of standing water. To treat areas larger than 100 square feet, more than 1 dunk will be required. Mosquito Dunks will float on top of water and will continue to work for around 30 days under normal environmental conditions.

Step 2 - Broadcast Supreme IT and Martin's IGR on your Lawn & Ornamentals

Once you've treated the standing water that could not be eliminated, it is time to spray your turf and ornamental plants. Do this by using a combination of Supreme IT and Martin's IGR Insecticide.

Supreme IT is a powerful insecticide that will kill and repel adult Mosquitoes for up to 90 days. Martin's IGR Insecticide is a liquid insect growth regulator that works similarly to the Altosid; it will prevent Mosquitoes in the egg, and larval stage from maturing.

Determine how much product to use by measuring the square footage of the treatment area. To do this, measure the length and width of the treatment area in feet then multiply them together (length X width = square footage). Use Supreme I/T and Martin's IGR Insecticide together in a hose-end sprayer. Apply 1 fl. oz. of Supreme IT and 0.67 fl. oz. of Martin's IGR Insecticide per gallon of water per 1,000 sq. ft. on ornamentals and exterior perimeter surfaces of your home.

Start by spraying at the back of the yard and work your way to the front. Spray mulch beds, flower beds, ground covers, ornamentals, etc. When treating ornamentals spray over and under the leaves. Spraying under the leaves is important because Mosquitoes will typically rest on the shaded undersides of leaves.

In subtropical climates to obtain complete control, this treatment can be applied on a monthly basis. Mosquitoes rest in your lawn in the afternoon in order to stay out of the heat of the sun, so apply these products between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. during the hottest parts of the day.

Do not let people or pets enter areas sprayed until 2 to 4 hours have passed.

Step 3 - Automatic Mosquito Misting System (Optional)

For heavy infestations, you can optionally use an automatic Mosquito Misting System. An Automatic Misting System will spray your yard automatically and kill Mosquitoes on a daily basis. This product is great to obtain control in large areas prone to heavy infestations. Use Flex 10-10 Insecticide in your misting system for effective control of flying pests.

Keep in mind that this product is oil-based, and could potentially stain surfaces and burn vegetation in temperatures of 95 degrees or higher.

Automatic Mosquito Misting System

Buying an automatic misting system is a great investment that will keep your home, yard, or business, free of Mosquitoes all year long. You can use a variety of insecticides with your misting system, but we recommend Flex 10-10.

Prevention

After the mosquito infestation has been eliminated, you want to make sure they do not return. The best way to keep mosquitoes away is to follow several preventative practices as mentioned below:

• Maintain a regular sanitation routine. This will make your yard less conducive to Mosquitoes who are looking for a place to gather, breed and feed. You can do this by making sure to cut your grass short on a routine basis, trim the trees and bushes to eliminate areas of shade.
• Whenever it rains, make sure to empty any outdoor containers which fill up with rainwater and stay consistent with removing any yard debris and leaf litter whenever it gets built up. As mentioned in the control section, if any areas gather water that you cannot safely and easily remove, place larvicides in the bodies of water.
• When mosquito season arrives around at the beginning of Spring, spray a preventative Mosquito killer treatment of Supreme IT and Martin's IGR Insecticide before your outdoor areas get overwhelmed with swarms of mosquitoes. Apply this combination quarterly for year-round control.
• Make sure to keep all screen doors in good repair. Check all windows and door frames for gaps and openings then seal them if possible. If you are spending time outside for an extended amount of time, make sure to put on a Mosquito repellent such as those containing DEET or permethrin.

Key Takeaways

What Are Mosquitoes?

• Mosquitoes are a bothersome pest known for their itchy annoying bites and evening infestations. They are also a health hazard because they can easily spread harmful diseases.
• Mosquitoes multiply rapidly by laying eggs in standing water, which gives birth to mosquito larvae that thrive inside the water.

How To Get Rid of Mosquitoes Indoors & In Your Yard

• To address Mosquito infestations, you need to eliminate standing water and moisture around your property then apply a broadcast treatment of Supreme IT and Martin's IGR Insecticide to kill mosquito adults and stop their larvae and eggs from developing.
• To get rid of mosquito larvae from standing water, apply a larvicide like BTI Mosquito Dunk which targets developing mosquitoes.
• You can optionally address the outdoor mosquito population by investing in an Automatic Mosquito Misting System.

Preventing Mosquito Reinfestation

• Prevent Mosquito infestations by reducing stagnant water areas, keeping your lawn neat and clean and preventative treatments of Supreme IT and Martin's IGR Insecticide.