Forced to spend more time at home through Covid-19 restrictions and remote work orders, many people have found interest in investing in their backyard. Creating a nice outdoor space is not only a fun project, but also an opportunity to build an “outdoor oasis” – a welcome respite from the stressors of pandemic life. Whether you’ve found a leak in a DIY pizza oven, a new patio, an inflatable pool, or a garden, you’ve probably had to deal with one big drawback: mosquitoes.

In the humid heat of summer, mosquito populations flourish. States are reporting record levels of mosquitoes after a period of heavy rain. In fact, mosquito populations grow exponentially after rain, as it only takes several days in standing water for eggs to hatch into larvae, pupae, and then fully formed adults. Even if you’ve taken a few precautions, your new and improved backyard can quickly become a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

mosquito prevention

Trying to get rid of mosquitoes can be very infuriating, especially given the plethora of pseudoscience circulating about “natural” mosquito deterrents, from hammering nails into nail files to moisturizing lotion. Let’s face it: your collection of essential oils probably isn’t enough. The best way to truly prevent mosquitoes is to act early and mosquito-proof your space. This may involve:

• Regularly remove stagnant water. Many people think of obvious sources of standing water, like ponds or birdbaths, but it can actually be anywhere. Flower pots, empty buckets, ashtrays, fire pits, grills, candles, children’s toys, old tires, soda cans, logs, gutters, dog bowls – anything that can hold water can harbor mosquitoes.
• Debris cleanup and lawn mowing. Piles of brush, last fall’s dead leaves that you never cleaned up, a fallen tree, tall grass—all trap moisture and heat, becoming potential mosquito haunts. Like the little vampires that they are, mosquitoes want to spend time in these dark, damp spaces.

Detect a mosquito infestation

While the prevention methods listed above can help prior to you have a real infestation, they do very little if you are already fighting a lot of mosquitoes. In this case, contact Black Diamond at 877-DEAD-BUG for a complete inspection and treatment plan. When should you take this step? Any moment! But here are some particular red flags:

• You see swarms/clouds of mosquitoes.
• There are a lot of mosquitoes in your garden, even when you remove standing water.
• There are mosquitoes inside your house.
• It lives near a swamp, reservoir, lake, or marshy land that is not easily “drainable.”
• You hear a constant buzzing.
• You notice that you have a lot of bites, even if you don’t see mosquitoes.
• You see mosquitoes during the day. Mosquitoes are most active at dawn/dusk, so seeing them in the middle of the day may suggest a large population.