Living in Florida, particularly South Florida is usually sunny no matter the season. My kids like to spend their early evenings and mornings on the porch. They go there to play, read, or eat. They also like to analyze various creatures that make their way past our screen enclosure like the lovely lizards that hide in our plants or a trail of ants finding food. I enjoy them being semi-outdoors to get some fresh air. The problem I was running into was they were getting bit by mosquitoes. Especially during the hotter months. I know there are many articles that talk about plants and sprays that repel mosquitos, but my issue was that most of these plants require full sun. My covered porch is shaded and I didn’t want the plants to die. Also who wants to spray their kids or themselves when it’s hot and humid outside, I don’t. So I looked into other alternatives. I’ve tested out a couple of things here and there but I have found that using or doing these four things have helped us a whole lot with the mosquito problems we were facing. Now my kids can be outdoors without having to worry about bug bites.
Outdoor Fan
I don’t have the ability to hard wire a fan in our porch, I use an electric fan instead. Not only will it blow mosquitos away, it will also provide an artificial breeze. Mosquitos are weak fliers, that’s why they are so easy to swat. My little fan is small but mighty. This is my number one method of keeping us cool and unbitten. I purchased this fan from Walmart, though I probably should have gotten a fan that is specifically made for the outdoors. So far I have not had any issues.
Citronella Candle
I like to create layers of protection if possible. Before I purchased my fan, I had the candle. I believe it helped with repelling the mosquitoes. And it makes the area smell nice. Keep in mind that you don’t necessarily need the candle if you have other forms of repellant.
Coffee ground
I don’t drink coffee, but I usually make my rounds of getting free coffee grounds from Starbucks for my compost bin and worms. But coffee can also be used to repel mosquitos and other pests. In some countries, people will burn coffee grounds near their homes to deter pests like mosquitos. I place them on top of all my patio plants for extra nourishment and to ward off the mosquitos. Also, it’s nice to get a whiff of coffee when I walk by the plants.
Remove any free-standing water
I used to have empty garden pots all around the outside of the porch. I didn’t even pay attention to them. It was on my to-do list to do something with them, but I never got around to it. Then we would get days worth of rain. A couple of days later, I would see mosquito larvae in the pots. I immediately added bleach to the water and discarded it. All these insects need is a bottle cap of water to lay their eggs. Not only do I remove things that can hold water, we check gutters as well.
Screen or net
When we bought our house, the patio was screened in. We are thankful for it. But mosquitos can still get in because our porch door opens frequently when we need access to our garden. None the less it helps a whole lot to have this barrier. If you have an open area, consider mosquito nets or a gazebo with insect netting.
Other
I’ve heard great feedback on bug zappers though I have not used them personally. They are non-toxic and relatively safe to use. If I plan to use one in the future, I would place it in front of the patio door.
How will you repel mosquitos this summer?