One minute you’re enjoying the great outdoors, the next minute you’ve got that irritating buzz in your year and a growing itchy welt. Mosquitoes are annoying pests that affect just about everyone, no matter where you live. Here’s how to keep them away and make a DIY mosquito trap when you’ve just had enough.
Nobody likes a party crasher. Especially one that wants to suck your blood.
A nice evening outside can veryyy quickly get ruined by an onslot of mosquitoes. One moment, you’re enjoying some well-deserved downtime on a lovely summer eve, and the next, you’re running for cover inside.
While mosquitoes may be tiny, they sure know how to ruin the evening. Or time spent in the garden. Or a camping trip. You get the point!
As someone who mosquitoes absolutely love (lucky me), I’ve gotten the system down pat for how to prevent them, keep them away from my skin, and even have a DIY mosquito trap that I utilize when all else fails.
Here’s how to keep those mosquitoes away from your party!
- 7 Ways to Naturally Get Rid of Mosquitoes
- Remove Standing Water
- Mosquito Repellent Landscaping
- Keep Your Area Clean
- Light Up Citronella Candles
- Start a Breeze
- Naturally Protect Your Skin
- Welcome the Spiders
- How to Make a DIY Mosquito Trap
- Materials
- Make It!
- FAQ About Mosquito Traps
- More Pest Management Hacks
7 Ways to Naturally Get Rid of Mosquitoes
Before I get to the DIY mosquito trap, there are many other simple hacks you can use to not only get them to leave you alone but also prevent them from popping up in the first place.
Remove Standing Water
Let’s prevent mosquitoes from bothering you in the first place! Mosquitoes will breed in standing water, and they don’t like to travel far for food. Water that is stagnant for just four days can become a breeding ground.
They can lay eggs in the stagnant water or even a container waiting to be filled up. Once the larvae pupate, you’ll have a hungry mosquito population on your hands.
Birdbaths, ponds, and even a little pocket of rainwater can be the culprit. Remove any standing water, and turn anything that might collect water upside down.
If you have a pond, I suggest adding fish to help eat the larvae or adding a bubbler to prevent mosquito breeding.
Mosquito Repellent Landscaping
Did you know that what you plant can make a difference when it comes to mosquitoes? Many plants will give off an unpleasant aroma to mosquitoes.
That being said, these plants will typically only release the scents when the leaves are touched and rubbed. Just planting them in your garden won’t help, but every little bit counts right?
Plant these in an entertaining area, making them part of your landscape. Whenever you pass by, touch and rub the leaves to release their oils.
Here are some plants mosquitoes dislike the smell of:
- Basil
- Catnip
- Citronella
- Lavender
- Lemon balm
- Marigold
- Peppermint
- Rosemary
Keep Your Area Clean
As I mentioned, mosquitoes will lay eggs in containers and any standing water they can find. Make sure to keep your area tidy to prevent mosquitoes from finding a neat little hideaway to lay eggs in.
Neglected pots, shrubs, and debris can all be a perfect habitat.
Light Up Citronella Candles
You’ll find citronella candles all over my deck. I even take them camping! They’re super simple to make out of old candle wax, citronella oil, and recycled containers like soup cans.
Citronella is a bit of an acquired scent, even for humans, so making them yourself allows you to add in some additional scents to make it more appealing for our noses while keeping mosquitoes away naturally.
Check out this post to see how I made my own recycled citronella candles.
Start a Breeze
If I’m outside lounging and the mosquitoes are feasting on me, I like to bring a fan outside. This is especially helpful if you’re entertaining outside. Creating a warm breeze will not only keep everyone cool, but it will blow away united guests like mosquitoes out of the area.
Naturally Protect Your Skin
The last thing you will see me do is cover my skin in commercial bug spray with DEET. I mentioned above that there are many plants and scents that mosquitoes don’t like. Well, you can make your own bug spray using essential oils, which are concentrated versions of these plants.
The plus side? It smells really lovely to us! See how I make my own bug spray here.
Welcome the Spiders
It’s time to get over your arachnophobia. While you may not like them, I guarantee that mosquitoes dislike garden spiders more than you. Try your best to leave the spider webs up in the garden and non-intrusive areas, as they will catch the mosquitoes for you.
How to Make a DIY Mosquito Trap
After you’ve done all these preventative measures to get rid of mosquitoes and keep them away, here’s a simple homemade mosquito trap you can make to keep them away.
Mosquitoes are attracted to carbon dioxide (it’s how they find us to bite!). This DIY mosquito trap creates carbon dioxide thanks to the fermentation of the sugar and yeast. As the mosquitoes fly in, they get trapped and die when they fall into the syrup.
Materials
- 1 cup hot water
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 gram yeast
- 2 litre soda bottle
- Box cutter
- Duct tape
Make It!
Cut the soda bottle in half. Dissolve the brown sugar (yes, it must be brown sugar or some kind of raw, unrefined sugar) in the hot water and then allow it to cool.
Pour the sugar water into the bottom half of the bottle and then add in the yeast (no need to stir). Invert the top of the bottle so that the mouth sits inside the bottom of the bottle (above the syrup).
Tape the two bottle halves together and set it in an area where the mosquitoes breed and feed. Change the syrup every two weeks or whenever it stops bubbling.
FAQ About Mosquito Traps
Use any dry yeast. I use the traditional instant packets.
The reaction between baking soda and vinegar releases CO2, which is the same effect as the sugar and yeast combination. In my experience, the sugar and yeast combination works better, but you can also try this method.
Yes! Mosquito dunks (also known as larvicide) utilize naturally occurring bacteria that release a toxin that kills mosquito and fungus gnat larvae. It’s used for standing water that you can’t get rid of, such as rain barrels or pool covers. It works for about 30 days and is supposed to not be toxic to people, pets, and other insects, such as bees.
More Pest Management Hacks
- Insect Bite Roll-On: Using Essential Oils for Bug Bites
- Plants That Keep Mosquitoes Away: Mosquito Repellent Plants in a Container Garden
- Burn Herbs in Your Campfire to Repel Mosquitoes Naturally
- Garden Pests Cheat Sheet: Tips for Identifying and Treating
- Goodbye Fungus Gnats! How to Get Rid of Gnats in Plants
