It’s sweet, sweet summertime. It’s time to head outside for a great weekend with the fam – smell the freshly cut grass, fire up the BBQ pit, and take that first dip in the pool after a long winter.

PSYCH. Instead, you’re met with constant buzzing, swatting away at pesky mosquitoes, and big red itchy lumps after just a few minutes outside. In Texas and coastal regions, the mosquitoes are large and in-charge and they’re really good at taking over your yard.

Prevent mosquito-borne illnesses

But they aren’t just annoying. They’re downright deadly. In fact, mosquitoes are the world’s deadliest animal. Mosquitoes are vectors, meaning they can carry and transmit infectious pathogens into another living organism. The most common diseases spread my mosquitoes are Malaria, Zika and Dengue. It is believed that mosquitoes are responsible for around 1 million deaths per year!

These diseases are also harmful to livestock and household pets, so population control is the key to preventing the spread of infectious disease.

How to repel mosquitoes

Because mosquitoes are so dangerous (and so annoying!) to humans, there are many products on the market that aim to repel them. From citronella candles and tiki torches to fire pits to DEET stickers and bracelets, they all have one thing in common – they’re only moderately effective. These methods do work temporarily to repel the insects from biting you, but don’t actually do anything to impact the population. Also, they do not cover a very large area, so you have to incorporate multiple methods for mediocre relief.

Over time, these options can get pretty expensive because they don’t last long and need to be repurchased. We love the ambiance created by a line of tiki torches around a sparkling pool at sunset, but that’s about all they do unfortunately.

Mosquito control home remedies

To protect yourself against mosquito-borne diseases at home:

• Wear protective clothing
• Apply insect repellent
• Avoid times where mosquitoes are active, especially dawn and dusk
• Keep vegetation trimmed back and eliminate clutter
• Treat water that cannot be emptied monthly with a larvicide
• Turn over containers weekly and treat with a larvicide
• Spray a residual pesticide on the ceiling and walls close to your home entrance doors
• Keep screens on your windows and doors if you leave them open