It is currently the rainy season and, while many Jamaicans are happy to be receiving these showers that comes with the season, one can’t say the same about the increase in mosquitoes. With the constant showers being experienced come constant pain from those terrible mosquito bites.

Mosquitoes tend to come out during the best time of day as the evening is when you tend to feel those dreadful bites, especially if you are outdoors. This is why fogging takes place in the evening, but fogging cannot get rid of all the mosquitoes.

Evenings outside should be fun and relaxing, but any pleasure you may receive from time spent outdoors vanishes when you have pesky mosquitoes flying about and trying to bite you.

Why do I have swarms of mosquitoes in my back garden? 

​Chances are you have swarms of mosquitoes in your garden because you have an environment that is conducive to their development. Your yard probably provides the three basic elements mosquitoes need to thrive. These are food, water and shelter.
​

Water

Mosquitoes require standing water to complete their lifecycles and reproduce. However, this does not necessarily mean you to have a pond in your yard for them to breed. These insects have the ability to lay eggs, hatch larvae and develop into adults, even in transitory puddles.

This rapid development has allowed them to spread quickly. If you have swarms of mosquitoes in your garden you probably have standing water nearby. 

Food

Mosquitoes feed on the blood of people and larger animals. They are attracted to the airborne traces of carbon dioxide we breathe. Hence it may be the case that you have abundant wild mammals, livestock or people nearby.

Shelter

Mosquitoes love sheltered environments with little wind, dense cover and shade. During the day they choose to rest out of direct sunlight in calm and hidden places. The more dense vegetation and shelter you have, the more at home mosquitoes will feel. 

If you regularly experience mosquitoes in your garden, it can be an ongoing inconvenience. Thankfully there are a variety of steps you can take to get rid of mosquitoes outside naturally.

So, how do you enjoy spending time outdoors without being bitten by a mosquito?

Remove any standing water

As you begin looking for chemical-free ways to keep mosquitoes out of your yard, first look at cutting them off from the source. Mosquitoes breed in stagnant water and many of us are guilty of keeping standing water in our yards.

Things like bird baths, watering cans, flower pots and gutters are often big culprits that may not seem as obvious; pet bowls should also be considered.

So, the first step is to remove anything that water could collect and serve as a mosquito breeding ground. If you want to keep bird baths or other containers, remember to change the water weekly to eliminate any mosquito larvae that may be hiding inside.  

If you store water in drums, ensure that you check on them regularly to monitor the state of the water and that mosquitoes aren’t using these vessels as breeding grounds.

Move potted plants indoors                                                                      

If you’re a gardener and you are having trouble keeping mosquitoes out of your yard, it’s time to take a look at any potted plants you may have. Most gardeners already know this, but potted plants have a tendency to fill up with excess water.

This excess water cannot only harm your plants, but can also attract mosquitoes as it provides an adequate breeding ground for them. Consider moving your potted plants indoors during rainy months to eliminate a possible breeding ground for mosquitoes.

You can always move them back outside once the weather changes and the prevalence of the mosquitoes becomes less.

Keep your yard trimmed

During the rainy months it may be difficult to keep your yard trimmed but, if you go long periods of time without cutting your yard and allow weeds to pop up in thick patches, you are creating the perfect hiding places for mosquitoes to settle when they are seeking out somewhere safe to become their habitat.

You can fix this by trying to maintain a trimmed yard. Keeping your yard neatly trimmed will also allow the sun to dry up any wet spots or puddles that may arise.

Clear out as much dense vegetation as possible

​Mosquitoes love environments full of secluded bushes and dense vegetation. One of the best ways to start your campaign against them is to clear up these areas. Thin out large shrubs and cut down overhanging branches. Do not allow leaves to pile up around your yard.

Remove mess and clutter from yard

Mess and clutter around your property can not only provide hiding places for mosquitoes but also collect rain water. So those old paint pans, cans, boxes and plastic bottles must go!

These containers create puddles when they retain rain water which provides the perfect opportunity for mosquitoes to breed quickly, unhindered by marine predators. Therefore, it is important to remove all unnecessary mess and clutter from your yard. 

It’s recommended that from time to time you walk around frequently and look for mosquito breeding sites and destroy them immediately.

​It is safe to say that, in order for you to reduce the presence of mosquitoes from your yard, you need to maintain your environment. When yards are not regularly maintained, they have a greater chance of harbouring pests.

This could not be more relevant when dealing with mosquitoes. If you want to get rid of mosquitoes in your environment, make sure it is maintained frequently.