I love spending time outdoors. Unfortunately, so do the bugs. Mosquitoes, flies, ticks, you name it, and they seem to find me irresistible.
After a lifetime of dealing with this, I’ve learned a few effective strategies to lessen their impact on my outdoor time. The first thing I do after every rain is check for standing water. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in still water, and eliminating those breeding grounds can make a huge difference. Empty flowerpot saucers, dump out wheelbarrows, and confirm that your gutters are draining properly. It takes only a tablespoon of water for mosquitoes to reproduce, so even small puddles can cause big problems.
What about water you want to keep like birdbaths, ponds, or kiddie pools? That’s where mosquito dunks come in. These donut-shaped discs contain Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (BTI), a naturally occurring bacterium found in soil. When mosquito larvae consume BTI, it destroys their digestive system and kills them before they mature. BTI is harmless to pets, birds, fish, bees, and kids, making dunks a safe and eco-friendly option. Each dunk treats up to 100 square feet of water for 30 days and can be broken into pieces to fit smaller spaces like birdbaths, rain barrels, or soggy corners of your yard.
Still getting bitten? Then it’s time to target the adult insects. We all know about topical repellents, but not everyone wants to apply them to their skin. One product that consistently gets rave reviews is Thermacell. Originally popular with hunters and campers in the early 2000s, it’s now widely used for patios and backyards. Thermacell devices work by vaporizing mosquito repellent, creating a 15- to 20-foot bug-free zone. They’re silent, odorless, and may also repel black flies and no-see-ums.
Ticks are a whole other nuisance. In addition to wearing long sleeves and pants, apply a high-quality repellent when walking through grassy or wooded areas. You can also make your yard less inviting to ticks by removing leaf litter, mowing regularly, and clearing tall grasses and brush. A 3-foot-wide barrier of wood chips or gravel between lawns and wooded areas can help keep ticks from wandering into your yard.
Finally, keep diatomaceous earth on hand. This powder, made from fossilized algae, kills insects like ticks, ants, cockroaches, and aphids by drying out their exoskeletons. Sprinkle it around patios, walkways, garden beds, and in cracks or crevices. Just remember that it loses effectiveness when wet, so reapply after rain or dew.
If you have questions about making the outdoors less hospitable for biting insects and more hospitable for you, come see us. At Randy’s Hardware, we don’t mind your questions. We don’t mind them at all!
