What Attracts Mosquitoes to Your Homes Yard

This page is a general DIY guide that will inform homeowners of the reasons mosquitoes infest yards. By using the recommended products and methods you can completely control mosquitos and prevent them from returning to your home.

There is a lot to look forward to when spring comes around from the weather becoming warmer, flowers in bloom, and the ability to spend more time outside. One of the things that homeowners are not looking forward to the beginning of the spring season is the start of mosquito activities.

Not only are mosquitoes annoying with their buzzing and biting activities, but they are also host to dangerous diseases like the West Nile virus or malaria. For that reason, you may be looking for what exactly draws them to your homes yard. Mosquitoes thrive in warm, moist environments making your yard a natural environment for them.

Suffice it is to say that you will want to keep mosquitoes away from you, and your home as best as you can. Read on to discover what attracts mosquitoes to yards and how to set yourself up the rest of the year with zero mosquitoes by addressing these conditions and using suggested products in this article.

Stagnant Water Sources

Standing water is the biggest attractant for mosquitoes as they must lay their eggs in still water. 

Any small amount of water, such as collected water around a flower pot to areas in your lawn where water collects are enough for mosquitoes to lay eggs in. Some other water-collecting objects that get overlooked are discarded tires, trashcan lids, outdoor pet bowls, birdbaths, plant saucers, undrained children pools, toys left outside, and more.

Address these water sources to eliminate potential breeding sites by overturning objects collecting water. For those that cannot easily be drained, then simply place a mosquito dunk. BTI Mosquito Dunks is a easy to use floating larvicide that comes in a briquette form to be used on water and dry land before rain or flooding occurs. This product is non-toxic, works only on mosquitoes, and can even be set in fish habitats.

As the briquette floats, the naturally derived active ingredient Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis is slowly released when wet to kill any mosquito larvae for up to 30 days after application. Place 1 BTI Mosquito Dunk per 100 sq. ft. of surface area. For smaller treatment areas, break the product apart: use 1/4 of a dunk to treat 1 to 5 sq. ft., 1/2 a dunk for 5 to 25 sq. ft.

Overgrown Foliage

Mosquitoes favor shady spots close to the ground such as the underside of plant leaves, grass clippings, compost piles, or even tall grass blades. These overgrown sites are favorable areas for mosquito swarms due to the protection from wind, potential access to moisture, and a safe escape from the suns heat, especially during the middle of the day.

To avoid this, keep up with regular yard maintenance such as mowing lawns when turf has reached 3 inches in height, trimming overgrown foliage, raking fallen leaves, and cleaning up any yard waste like leaf litter or other discarded objects.

Certain Scents

Like people, mosquitoes favor certain scents. However, they use these odors to pick out their intended target. Certain perfumes or lotions laced with a flower-like scent have been known to attract mosquitoes. Combine this with your natural body odor makes you an ideal meal for female mosquitoes. Speaking of floral scents, ornamentals planted in your yard also serves as a food source for male mosquitoes.

It's hard to believe that mosquitoes feed on anything but blood due to their consistent bites. However, both male and female mosquitoes use their proboscis to feed on flower nectar. For female mosquitoes, they have the option to switch to a different food source when one option is not available whereas males are limited to flowers only.

The female mosquito uses her antennae receptors to detect carbon dioxide, lactic acid, body heat, and bacteria in sweat from people or animals. Any of these factors help to determine which person or animal is bitten.

If you consistently work in your yard, have an ornamental garden, or animals kept consistently outdoors then you may want to consider a residual insecticide application mixed with an insect growth regulator to keep mosquitoes away. To keep mosquitos from bitting your skin then you may want to use an EPA approved repellent made with Deet.

Supreme IT is an effective residual insecticide concentrate that treats a wide variety of pests, including mosquitoes immediately upon application and up to 90 days after application. Tekko Pro is an insect growth regulator that stunts the mosquitos lifecycle helping to reduce egg laying activities and preventing larvae from becoming biting adults.

Determine how much product to use by measuring the square footage of the treatment area. To do this, measure the treatment areas length and width in feet then multiply them together. For acreage, take the square footage and divide it by one acre (square footage / 43,560 sq. ft. = acres). Apply 1/3 fl. oz. of Supreme IT with 2/3 fl. oz. of Tekko Pro per gallon of water to treat 1,000 sq. ft. of treatment area.

To make mixing easy, we recommend using a handheld pump sprayer. To mix Supreme IT and Tekko Pro, you will need to pour half the amount of water, then add the measured amount of products. Add the remaining half of water to the spray tank and shake until solution is evenly mixed.

Once mixed, broadcast the products across your lawn and on shrubs and ornamentals until the top and bottom of leaves are wet, but not to the point of runoff. You will also need to spray around the entire exterior perimeter of your home. To do this, simply spray 3 feet up and 3 feet out around the structure.

Clogged Gutters and Drains

Rain gutters, downspouts, and any other drains around your house can get clogged due to fallen leaves or sticks resulting in accumulated water. The plant debris begins to decay after some time, providing mosquitoes with a reliable breeding ground for larvae.

Therefore, it is essential to keep up with regular clean-up of gutters to keep mosquitoes away. You may also need to redirect downspouts if there is a collection of water in the area that it drains into.

To clean the rain gutters around your home, you may need to use a ladder and pair of gloves. The 5.1mil Heavy Duty Black Nitrile Gloves will help protect you from jagged edges in corners and any potential bacteria that has built-up in the plant debris.

Open Trashcans

Decomposing trash in open outdoor garbage cans can create a hotspot for mosquito gatherings. Bags, cups, cardboard boxes, and other items that can hold liquid can collect water providing a suitable breeding habitat for this pest. Additionally, empty trashcans can become filled with water if the lid is left open.

The decaying organic material in the open trashcan releases carbon dioxide and creates a damp, shaded area for adult mosquitoes. Prevent water build-up by simply placing a lid on outdoor trash receptacles. Moving trashcans away from your home helps in controlling future mosquito infestations.

Key Takeaways

What Attracts Mosquitoes to People

• People are often bitten by mosquitoes due to the smell of sweat, carbon dioxide being released, body odors, and heat build-up such as when we are wearing dark-colored clothes.

How to Get Rid of Mosquitoes in Your Yard

• Clean up standing water sources, pick-up yard debris, and apply a residual insecticide with an insect growth regulator such as Supreme IT and Tekko Pro. Address future infestations by placing a BTI Mosquito Dunk in larger bodies of water on your property that cannot be addressed.

Can Mosquitoes Breed Without Water

• In short, no. Mosquitoes need standing water sources in small or large areas to complete their lifecycles.