Five Tips to Help You Keep Mosquitoes Out of Your Yard

It doesn't take much water for those little suckers to reproduce. In fact, a 6-inch-diameter plant saucer with only a half-inch of water can be enough for a breeding ground. All they need is a little over a week to have baby mosquitoes. So if you have any containers that have water like bird baths, buckets, or other things that can hold water, it's a good idea to make sure you empty them on a regular basis.

If you have some old stuff just laying around your yard that can collect water, then throw it away. For instance, old tires are great at collecting water. In fact, you are pretty much creating a mosquito hotel if you have some just laying around the yard. If you are using a tire as a swing, then you can drill a hole in the bottom of the tire to allow water to escape. Also, don't forget to check your gutters because if they are clogged up, they can retain water, which means the mosquitoes will make it their little love shack.

If you are using a tarp to cover your boat, grill, firewood or any number of things, make sure they are tied up tight. If they are not, rain can collect on the folds or bottom of the tarp and guess who likes it when that happens? Yep, the mosquitoes.

Again, anything you have out in your yard that can collect water, can collect mosquitoes. This includes your kids toys, buckets, and little kiddie pools. If it is something that you really don't want to drain, you can get these things called 'mosquito dunks' at most places like Home Depot, Lowe's or other home center stores. Basically, they are about the size of a quarter and release toxins that won't hurt animals, but kill mosquito larvae. I provided a link below of what 'mosquito dunks' are. If you have a big pool in your yard, make sure you keep up the maintenance on it, or cover it, because if you don't, it will become infested with pool partying 'skeeters'.

At most home centers like Lowe's or Home Depot, you can buy mosquito repellent for between $30-$100. Not only can spraying your yard with repellent help, but you can also set traps, set up mosquito lanterns or citronella candles if you hang out in your yard a lot. You can also get a professional to come in and spray your yard. Check out the links below for more info on spraying your yard yourself or if you need help from a professional.