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Mosquitoes have always been the source of irritation at various outdoor events. If you are a person who spends a significant amount of time outside and needs tips and tricks on how to improve your patio experience, keep reading!
You are here, which means that you are aware of how frustrating mosquitoes can be, as well as how hard it can be to get rid of them.
They cause itchy bites, buzz annoyingly, but the most important reason why you should try some of the methods below is that they are carriers of dangerous diseases like malaria. If you want to keep them away from a patio so you can finally enjoy your quality outdoor time, you will need to know more about the repellants that you can use.
There may be many tricks to keep mosquitoes away from the house, but not all of them are effective. Another thing that one should keep in mind is that many of them use harsh chemicals that can cause damage or induce allergic reactions in kids and pets. This is why you should take your time to explore different options regarding the repellants that you might want to use.
Here’s a list of the 10 best ways to keep mosquitoes away from yard or patio- 5 natural and 5 repellent product reviews.
5 Repellent Products Listed
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5 Natural Ways To Keep Mosquitoes Away From Patio
- Eliminate standing water
- Place herbs and scented oils around your patio
- Make essential oils spray
- Spray garlic water and vinegar
- Burn coffee grounds
1. Eliminate standing water
If you happen to have any standing water around your patio, either on it or below it, be sure to make your patio free of any standing waters that are nearby or on it. It is a suitable place for mosquitoes to lay their eggs, especially as the water gets warmer during the summer months. If it has been on the patio for a long time, eliminate it and thoroughly wash it with a solution to get rid of microorganisms, dirt, grease, etc.
Maybe you will need to fix the depression in the patio so it doesn’t form again and ruin the floor over time – that could lead to much bigger expenses. This is a really necessary step that may take just a few minutes to make your patio time much more enjoyable at the beginning of the process.
By disposing of standing waters, you will eliminate unpleasant smells and possible nests for bacteriae, mosquitoes, and many other pests that may interfere with your outdoor time. If you have problems regarding the elimination of the standing water, you might want to find a permanent solution because fixing the problem repeatedly will drain your wallet much more than fixing the source of the problem until it starts affecting different aspects of the yard structure.
2. Place herbs and scented oils around your patio
This is a great DIY hack that will make your patio not only mosquito-free but it will make it smell fresh and pleasant, which may result in people using the patio feeling like they are out in nature or taking a vacation. It is proven that both essential oils and green environments reduce stress.
So, what is that beneficial hack? Some plants let out the scent that mosquitoes dislike and will mostly avoid. You should plant those herbs around the patio or you can place them directly on it if you have them or get them in a pot. The herbs that naturally repel mosquitoes and some other pests are citronella, lemongrass, lavender, basil… The Citronella (Pelargonium citronellum), also known as the citronella geranium is the very known repellent plant, but it has proven to be ineffective according to the University of California.
The best solution regarding the mosquitoes is to light these plants when their leaves dry and the fragrance and the smoke will repel the mosquitos the best.
3. Make essential oils spray
If you can’t get the actual plants, the essential oils that you spray will do the work just fine! It’s a cheap and effective way that will help you keep mosquitoes away naturally while giving you the chance to control what you put inside the solution and on your skin, all while making the scent that you want.
The bases that are used when making a DIY essential oil are witch hazel, glycerin, or liquid vitamin E and the plants are lavender, basil, peppermint, lemongrass, pine, etc. You can make it as strong as you want and experiment with mixtures until you find the one that works for you – it can be a fun DIY project for a few afternoons. It’s easy to understand why someone would prefer synthetic sprays as they are very available at pharmacies and beauty shops and additionally some of them are also very effective.
Most of the synthetic bug sprays contain DEET – N, N-Diethyl-3methylbenzamid. In small doses, it’s not harmful, but frequent exposure to this chemical can cause damage to the central nervous system, so it’s much better to stay away from the products that are containing it if you are going to be using it for a while.
Furthermore, commercial products contain parabens which are frequent triggers of skin irritation. By using the essential oils blend you are in control of what you put on your skin and your patio as well, how it is going to smell, and how many times you are going to apply it.
4. Spray garlic water and vinegar
How to use garlic to repel mosquitoes? Isn’t the garlic just the spice? Up until a few years ago, it was also believed that if you eat garlic, you won’t get bitten. That has been proven wrong, but the French study from 2010 showed that if you drink beer often you have a bigger risk of malaria-infected mosquitoes biting you.
For some reason, they are attracted to beer drinkers, and that same study said that drinking beer should be considered a risk factor.
If you chop or squish garlic bulbs they will convert an amino acid into the chemical which name is allicin – the specifically odored chemical that repels mosquitoes. If you are okay with the smell lasting only the first few minutes, then this tip is a no-brainer.
Easy preparation and harmless product. Boil garlic cloves and use the water that you got from boiling them and spray it around your patio, creating a garlic barrier. Likewise, you can use apple cider vinegar too, as the smell of both liquids naturally deters the mosquitoes. Another alternative is to put two small spoons of garlic powder in two cups of warm water and then pour the mix in a water spray bottle and shake it until it becomes homogenous. You can spray that mixture directly on your skin or you can use it around the patio, just be sure to have it at hands’ length because homemade solutions may need to be applied more often than the store-bought ones.
Vinegar can be used to kill the mosquito larvae if you find their nest, but you will need to make a stronger solution for that situation. It’s proven that cinnamon does a faster job when it comes to that task, so if you have cinnamon at home, don’t be hesitant to apply it.
5. Burn coffee grounds
This simple idea will help you stay mosquito and, at the same time, waste-free. It’s a quite common method and it’s used by many people who work in agriculture-related industries – many of them put coffee grounds in the compost pile to keep insects away.
To repel you want to use dry coffee grounds. After you have taken the grounds out from the coffee maker, put them in an aluminum foil and leave them in a slightly warm place to dry.
When you are sure that it is totally dry, take it outside, place the foil on a level surface somewhere on your patio and add a few drops of a barbeque oil – but don’t add more because it will cause the grounds to burn up too quickly. Light the fluid, wait for the fire to catch, and after that smother the fire with some damp cloth. The coffee grounds should keep on smoking and that is the smoke that will deter mosquitoes away from the patio!
5 Best Mosquito Killer Kits
- Ultrasonic Pest Repeller by Pestox
- Flowtron BK-15D Electronic Insect Killer
- BUG SOOTHER Spray
- Citronella Candle
- Wondercide Tick and Mosquito Spray
6. Neatmaster Ultrasonic Pest Repeller
This cute-looking pest repeller uses the full range of the available ultrasonic frequencies. Thus, it offers the maximum capacity to keep the pest and bugs away from your space. With such an enhanced efficiency, it covers 80 to 100 square feet of space. Thus, it is sufficient for a large room even.
Depending on the pest invasion, you can opt for its three-level repelling capacity. These three function modes are red, green, and blue. The easy control enables you to switch between the three modes quickly. The red mode works in an inaudible state, while the green and blue modes are audible.
If your room is lightly infected with pests, use the green function mode. The blue mode is for normal pest invasion, and the red mode will work fine for the most terrible pest attack. Thus, you are never short of options to control the bugs and pests.
Its capacity to work in the lowest ultrasonic frequency means it can repel bugs and pests more successfully than a standard ultrasonic repeller. Also, the ultrasonic repeller uses the least power, which is a good saving option. It just needs to plugged in with a power outlet, and off it goes. Once you fix the working mode, you will love its magic.
7. Flowtron BK-15D Electronic Insect Killer
This product emits UV light, attracts mosquitoes with octenol, which is proven mosquito attractant and the cartridge of octanol lasts for up to 30 days.
Flowtron also needs electricity but it covers a ½ acre radius. Another good thing about this product is that it’s made of polycarbonate so the weather conditions won’t affect the sturdy structure, and even if something happens, it comes with (warranty). If you find yourself constantly questioning how to keep mosquitoes away from the door, this might be the ideal product for you. You should keep in mind that this product attracts insects and when they fly in, it zaps and kills them, so you should aim not to put it near the place at the patio where you and your loved ones will be spending your time.
The downsides of the product, design-wise, are that you may need the extension cord and that the bottom of the product is not flat, but slightly curved, thus it’s not suitable for standing on anything and must be hung up.
If you are only after regular mosquitoes, the octenol cartridge will be enough, but if you are after, for example, tiger mosquitoes, you might need to order a different bait and experiment with cartridges to see which one works best for your particular situation.
Overall, the product is simple to use, durable and inexpensive and will make a great industrial ornament to your patio.
8. BUG SOOTHER Spray – Natural Mosquito, Gnat and Insect Deterrent & Repellent with Essential Oils
If anything else fails, you can always turn to good old spray with essential oils. It also repels fleas, fruit flies, and more.
The product is contained in the spray bottle filled with the liquid mixture, with the upside to it being the fact that it’s made from natural ingredients. Lemongrass essential oils and vanilla.
How to Keep Bugs Away from Patio – 16 Tips
It’s also safe for kids, pets and another upside is that Bug Soother Spray is DEET free. This is also an effective outdoor party mosquito control methods, as you can’t control who stays within the reach of mosquito-repelling devices. Next time you are on your patio, remember to bring one for you and your friends.
9. Repel Insect Repellent Citronella Candle
This candle will help you keep mosquitoes away from the yard every time you are outside, and you don’t have to commit to wasting the full product, you can use it only while you are out! It provides 20 hours of protection and if you want to sit somewhere else on your patio, you will have your portable repellent.
It’s easy to use and provides a light and romantic feel while keeping you bite-free. If you set up a few candles around the patio, you can make the barrier and make your time outside even more enjoyable.
The upside to the citronella candle is that it has got a citrus smell – the smell that bugs dislike but it’s pleasant for humans and pets.
Citronella is an essential oil that is made out of the lemongrass plant. Citronella oil also has great antifungal properties! Make sure that you light candles at least an hour before the sunset if you want to witness it, because it may take a little while for the candle scent and smoke to scatter the bugs.
The earlier – the better, but once you get the feel for how strong the candle is you will know when to light it and how much time has to pass so that you come out to the mosquito-less patio.
10. Wondercide : Mosquito Yard Spray
The yard spray is a logical solution if you have a significant surface of the patio to cover or simply if there are too many bugs and other options that don’t work.
It affects mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, and many more bugs while it’s safe for butterflies and bees! One spray can cover 4000 sqr feet, it’s safe for kids and pets to play at the spot where it’s applied as soon as it’s sprayed.
If you want maximum results, you should spray your patio twice during the seven to the ten-day interval. Once the bug problem has been solved, you should apply wondered every thirty to forty-five days for prevention.
The Wondercide contains cedar oil which affects the octopamine – chemical that is responsible for the regulation of the heart rate of pheromone-driven insects, such as ticks, spiders, etc.
How to keep spiders away from patio – 6 Tips
End
There are other measures and products that you can incorporate into your outdoor routine to have a better experience, for example: Repelling incense sticks, hand bands, patches, hats with nets, and similar products. They are all available if you are curious to explore your other options.
Incense sticks can be put all around the patio with easiness and they also smell very nice. Most of them are compact, organic, and deet free! They can contain an impressive essential oils blend, some of the oils being already well-known citronella, lemongrass, rosemary, peppermint, etc.
They are plant-based and one stick lasts over two hours. For the best result, the light at least two on your patio. Place it in the pot near the table or on the table so that the smoke is near.
Now that you have got inspiration, we hope that you will solve your mosquito problems without any hardships. If you happen to have some other patio-related problems, don’t hesitate to take a look at okpatio’s blog.
Henry Jurk is an experienced architect with over 20 years of expertise in paving. He shares his knowledge and provides solutions through his blog posts at OkPatio.com. If you have any questions about patios, gardens, and outdoor spaces, you can find the correct answers from Henry. You can contact him via email at ar.henryjurk@gmail.com or through the website’s contact page.
