Mosquitos are unwelcome intruders into your yard. They are annoying, they bite, and they leave you covered in itchy red bumps. Moreover, some can carry dangerous diseases, like West Nile Virus and Zika. It is to your benefit to do everything you can to keep your yard free of the pests this summer. Take a look at some unusual ways you can keep the mosquitos out of your yard this summer.

Grow Your Own Mosquito Repelling Garden

Why settle for little candles when you can have a yard full of citronella?

You are probably familiar with the yellow citronella candles that help keep bugs away from your porch at night. But why settle for a little candle that can only cover so much space, when you could use your garden to grow a whole spread of citronella? The thing that gives those candles their mosquito-repelling scent is actually a grass. Citronella grass is beautiful and fragrant, and will make your garden inhospitable to bugs.

Other plants, like lavender, lemon balm, catnip, and marigolds, to name a few, will also help keep the mosquitos out of your garden. As a bonus, flowering plants will attract birds. What do birds eat? Bugs – including mosquitos. Adding features like a bird feeder or a bat house will also help attract natural exterminators to your yard. Moreover, while standing water ordinarily draws bugs, putting in a small pond and stocking it with fish like guppies and goldfish can also help keep the mosquito population down. The pond will attract dragonflies, and both the dragonflies and fish will feast on mosquito larvae, preventing them from becoming adults that bite.

Get a Bubble Machine

The most entertaining mosquito repellent ever.

There are many electronic mosquito traps on the market, but they can also be pricey. You may save money by getting a simple bubble machine instead. That’s right – the same kind that your kids like to blow in the yard during the summer. It is the soap solution that repels mosquitos, and you can make the effect even stronger by adding a little lemongrass oil to the bubble mixture.

This is an excellent way to help your kids stay free of mosquito bites while they play outside this summer. Not only will the soap bubbles keep the bugs away, but they will also entertain your children for hours. It is an especially good idea to set the bubble machine up when your kids are playing in the sprinklers or an inflatable pool. That way, you will not have to worry that the water will draw a bunch of bugs.

Eliminate Standing Water

Get rid of any sources of standing water that don’t hold mosquito-eating fish. That means turning over any containers that might catch rainwater, like buckets or plant saucers, covering large items like grills or stacks of firewood where rainwater can pool with a tarp that’s tied tightly, and getting rid of unwanted items that might catch water, like old tires.

Also, consider whether your gutters are contributing to the mosquito problem. If they are left open, water that accumulates in the gutters can become a perfect mosquito breeding ground that’s difficult for you to reach. Installing gutter covers can block mosquitoes from accessing the gutters and also improve drainage, which will help eliminate standing water.

Learn more about gutter guards by contacting Harry Helmet today.

Written by Del Thebaud