Mid-Westerners joke that their state bird is the mosquito. Some Mid-Western states have made this pest their state bug, too. While it is all tongue-in-cheek, the fact remains that mosquitoes carry some of the world's most deadly and dangerous diseases, including the recent outbreak of the Zika virus. If you want to hunt down these pests, you could always hire residential mosquito control, or you could do it yourself. Here is how to prevent, trap, kill, and eliminate these bloodsucking, disease-carrying pests.
No standing areas of water anywhere—that is the number-one rule for mosquito prevention. Why? Because female mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing pools of water so that the larvae have a place where they can move about easily without legs. Remove all standing pools of water and areas of wet and damp, and those mosquitoes are stuck laying their eggs somewhere else.
Mosquitoes are instinctual and not the brightest insects. They will fly into a space where there is water and then get stuck there. You can create traps by using old plastic drink bottles and plastic funnels.
Insert the funnels into the bottles and tape them in place with duct tape. Make sure there are no escapable spaces between the funnel and the neck of the bottle.
Fill the bottle with just a little water in the bottom. This is just enough to lure the mosquitoes inside. You could make some bottles with a little cow's blood too, if you find that the water is not luring enough of the pests.
Place the bottles in areas where the mosquitoes have been swarming and let the bottles work their magic.
When the mosquitoes dive through the neck of the funnel into a bottle, they will become trapped. Make sure the funnel has a very narrow opening at the bottom, and then all the mosquitoes that are trapped this way will die.
Spray your entire yard with a mosquito pesticide. You can also use a fogger that targets mosquitoes. Spray bushes and trees especially, and always clean and cover your pool. Do this once a week during hot and humid seasons, and you will help kill off many a mosquito.
If you prefer a more natural approach, bats are the answer. Install a bat house far away from your garage and home, in a back corner of your property. The bats will find it, roost there, and devour the mosquitoes for you, killing off their population with ease.
If you do all of the above, eventually you will eliminate the mosquitoes that are bothering you. You may have to keep up these routines, especially if you live on or near a large body of water, since the mosquitoes will just fly inland for a bite. However, it will be worth it to eliminate these irritating pests and keep you, your family, and your pets safe.
If you can't or don't want to deal with the mosquitoes yourself, consult a company such as Mosquito Shield.