How to Keep Mosquitoes Away from the House
HOW TO KEEP MOSQUITOES AWAY FROM THE HOUSE
When someone is diagnosed with dengue fever, or indeed, any mosquito-borne disease, it is often found that they have mosquito breeding spots inside their own house. Mosquitoes may breed in man-made containers kept for domestic water storage, such as earthenware jars, metal drums, and concrete cisterns. Other areas where mosquitoes like to breed inside the house include discarded plastic food containers, used car and bike tires, and other items that can accumulate rainwater.
It is important to remove these sources of stagnant water to prevent mosquitoes from breeding within them. Read on for further advice to help keep mosquitoes away from the house.
How to Keep Mosquitoes Away
Your efforts to keep mosquitoes away from your home need to focus on the times they are most likely to attack. The female aedes aegypti mosquito that transmits dengue, chikungunya, and Zika is mostly active during the daytime and most likely to bite in the early morning or in the evening, before dusk.
The number of deaths from mosquito-borne diseases is increasing at an alarming rate, and it is up to each of us to limit mosquito breeding in the human environment. This means an important step to keep mosquitoes away before they disturb you or your family is to adopt effective prevention methods. You will need to prevent mosquitoes from breeding around your locality by examining your surroundings and the way you live at home.
A key thing to do is invest in mosquito nets and install them, so they surround your bed while you sleep (making sure to use them if you decide to take a daytime nap too!). You may also want to use products, such as the Mortein Insta Vaporiser for continuous protection from mosquitoes throughout the day. To use, all you need to do is remove the cap and insert the liquid vaporiser bottle into the electric heating machine. Once plugged in and switched on, this mosquito killing machine can get to work within just five minutes.
While most mosquitoes are likely to bite indoors, it is wise to take precautions when outside too. Make sure you are using outdoor mosquito repellent and wear light-coloured, long-sleeved clothing and long trousers. To prevent mosquitoes from entering your home, install screens on all windows and doors, making sure they are tightly secured all the way around. These preventative measures are particularly important if you live near a rice field or near a waterway such as a river, creek, swamp, lake, or wetland where mosquitoes could be breeding. This will also be the case if you live near construction sites or swimming pools.
How to Keep Mosquitoes Away from the Yard
As you look for ways to keep mosquitoes away from your home, you may also want to check around your home, such as in your yard or garden. Follow these mosquito prevention tips for households to make sure you’ve covered all possible sources of mosquito breeding: -
- Clean your house regularly to avoid dust accumulation.
- Remove barrels, pots, buckets, and other outdoor objects that may collect water.
- Clean your gutters periodically.
- Get rid of water accumulated in the plates kept under potted plants. Clean the plate meticulously to get rid of mosquito eggs. If possible, you may want to refrain from using the plates at all!
- Loosen the soil in your yard, so that stagnant water does not accumulate on the surface of hardened soil.
- Avoid keeping trays or receptacles under or on top of air-conditioners.
- Replace water in flower vases daily. Rinse and scrub the inside of the vases when changing the water. Mosquito eggs tend to stick to the roots of flowers and plants, so pay special attention to these during cleaning.
- Regularly check and get rid of stagnant water on your premises.
Mosquitoes can multiply abnormally during the monsoon season, thanks to the rain and humidity. So, make sure you do these checks after every instance of heavy rain.
If, despite your best efforts, mosquitoes continue to find their way into your home, our article on how to kill mosquitoes has further advice to help deal with the pests. With a concerted approach, hopefully, your home will be mosquito-free for longer.