With the hot and muggy days of a Dallas summer comes a swarm of uninvited guests: mosquitoes. Once considered a harmless backyard nuisance to be waved away, mosquitoes now bring us unwanted host gifts in the form of serious diseases and viruses, including the infamous West Nile.
While most of these pesky critters won’t do much harm, nobody likes being bit and left with itchy red welts. So it’s good to know what works, which products you can skip and the professional services to consider — whether you’re planning an outdoor party or just want to enjoy watching the kids play in the backyard.
Products worth checking out
If you want to take a DIY approach, there are several products on the market that are worth a try.
The new Thermacell EL55 Mosquito Repeller + Glow Light slowly disperses a scent-free repellant, which is said to create a 20-foot mosquito-free zone. And the built-in, dimmable light on this model adds a luminescent glow to your patio, deck or pool. You reach maximum mosquito protection in 15 minutes, and the rechargeable battery lasts more than 5 hours if you run the light at the same time (up to 9 hours if you use only the mosquito function).
Another mosquito-fighting light feature is Tiki Brand’s BiteFighter Mosquito Repellent LED String Lights. Each strand contains 14 LED bulbs paired with replaceable pods pre-filled with BiteFighter repellent fluid. Within 15 minutes, the product provides hundreds of feet of coverage — no mess or odor. You can also use the lights without releasing repellent.
As you probably know, mosquitoes love standing water, where they can lay their eggs and live out their best lives. You can treat ornamental backyard ponds and fountains with Mosquito Dunks larvicide. These 2-inch, donut-shaped “dunks” float on standing water and slowly dissolve, releasing a naturally occurring bacterium toxic to all species of mosquito larvae for at least 30 days. They’re inexpensive, easy to use and come in multipacks. Best of all, they are safe around pets and wildlife.
For another chemical-free approach, consider planting some sweet-smelling herbs such as lavender, lemongrass, basil, peppermint or rosemary (or choose a spray containing these ingredients), then use cedar mulch in your flower beds.
Products to skip
Citronella candles, long the fan-favorite method of mosquito repelling, have fallen out of favor in recent years. The American Mosquito Control Association reports that while those candles do offer a mild repellent effect, they don’t offer significantly more protection than other smoke-producing candles. Simpler approaches, such as large oscillating fans or box fans that circulate air and make it hard for mosquitoes to take flight, are a better option.
Notice there’s no bug zapper listed in the recommended products section, either. One study showed that only 0.13% of insects zapped were female mosquitoes, the only ones that bite humans. Many of the insects targeted by bug zappers may even prey on mosquitoes, so they can be counterproductive.
What a professional “swat” team can do
If you feel like your pesky problem has become a real issue, consider calling in the experts. Companies such as Mosquito Squad and Terminix, as well as mom-and-pop pest control shops and lawn care companies offer both natural and chemical sprays to create a mosquito barrier.
Technicians often use specialized equipment to spray a proprietary chemical blend registered by the Environmental Protection Agency and safe around kids and pets. You can choose a single treatment or ongoing service; regular mosquito control runs around $70 per treatment, which should last up to 21 days. If a natural deterrent is of interest, technicians can apply a water-based treatment containing essential oils.
“No pest control company can get rid of 100% of your mosquitoes,” shares R.D. Kincannon, operations partner and general manager for Mosquito Squad of Dallas-Lake Highlands. “As a general rule, mosquito control companies can reduce the mosquito population in someone’s yard by 75-80%. We educate our customers on things they can do to increase that percentage — things like removing items that collect water, addressing drainage issues or replacing missing caps on metal fence posts.”
Treatments take about 10-15 minutes for a standard, quarter-acre lot. Kincannon says most of Mosquito Squad’s traditional products don’t have any smell, while natural treatments have a faint, pleasant aroma. If you’re torn between traditional chemical blends or the natural treatment, Kincannon recommends trying the natural approach first and switching to the other if you need more control.
“Nothing should be dripping wet after the treatment,” he notes. “At most, you may see surfaces that are slightly damp.” After 10-15 minutes to dry, he says it’s safe for people and pets to go back outside.
For serious, long-term bug control, you can also look into an automatic misting system such as MistAway. The compact machines typically apply 30- to 60-second automated treatments to your yard a few times a day. Expect to spend in the neighborhood of $2,500 to $4,500 to have the system installed by a trustworthy dealer if you’re living on a quarter-acre lot — plus $2 to $3 a day during mosquito season to maintain the system with refills.
Whatever your approach, Kincannon points out, outcomes will vary. “The effectiveness of any treatment, man-made or completely natural, depends. Landscaping, rain, drought, heat, sun exposure, shade, proximity to a creek or drainage ditch, artificial turf or those neighbors who seemingly run a mosquito ranch next door can affect the results of these products.”
A refresher on standing water
This year is one of the wettest on record in North Texas, so give your yard a thorough check for any standing water you can eliminate. Be sure to look beyond flower pots and buckets, in less obvious places standing water can collect:
- Clogged gutters
- Uncovered trash cans
- Tarps
- Toys, gardening tools
- Junk piles
- Tires
- Leaf litter
- Under leaky faucets
Finally, if you have a pool, you should keep it well maintained to lessen the chance it becomes a mosquito breeding ground.
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