Summer is officially here and, as I’ve been sharing with you all various summer planning tips so far, here’s another really important one – Get and keep your yard mosquito-free for outdoor fun!
During the summer, my family loves to hang out in the backyard. From pulling out the water toys for the kids, to weekends grilling out with the hubby and friends, we spend a lot of fun times in our yard during the summer. While we are out there eating, drinking and being merry, there’s only one thing that can (and has been known to) ruin all of the fun – mosquitoes. There’s nothing worse than when these pesky little insects decide to crash our party! Next thing we know, we’re all scurrying to find and then drench ourselves in mosquito repellent, but not before the kids have started crying over their miserable bug bites. I know you know those cries…
Then I learned that with all of the crazy weather we’ve had so far this year, meteorologists have been predicting a sweltering summer, which will only bring about more of these nasty nuisances. Besides being annoying, we can’t forget that mosquitoes can also transmit diseases such as Zika virus, Chikungunya virus and West Nile virus. This is why getting our yard treated for mosquitoes was so important to include in our summer planning for sure!
This summer, I’ve partnered with Orkin to talk about and share ways to keep your yard mosquito-free for the summer. As part of this partnership, we were able to get our yard treated for mosquitoes for the very first time. Our old trusted Orkin Man (I call him Mike because we’re cool like that) paid us a visit just a few weeks ago and it has truly made all of the difference in our summer outdoor fun! Our yard was treated in just a few minutes as he sprayed only the outside of our home – front and back – including trees and bushes. Within a day or two, we could no longer see any mosquitoes roaming around our yard and best of all – no more mosquito bites! I have to say, it has been the most liberating experience knowing that we can simply enjoy our time outdoors and not have to worry about mosquitoes ruining our fun. Yes, that’s the word – Liberating!!!
Here are a few more ways to protect your family from mosquitoes this summer shared by Orkin:
A. When outdoors, always protect yourself from mosquito bites.
- Use EPA-registered mosquito repellents containing one of the following active ingredients: DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, para-menthane-diol or IR3535.
- Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants.
B. In your yard, eliminate standing water where mosquitoes can breed.
- Remove standing water from gutters, buckets, toys and other containers
- Change water weekly in bird baths, fountains, potted plants and any containers that hold standing water.
- Keep pool water treated and circulating.
C. Around your home, eliminate mosquito entry points.
- Use air-conditioning when possible.
- Close gaps around windows and in walls.
- Repair and use window and door screens to help prevent entry.
If you also find that mosquitoes are known to ruin your summer fun, click here to request a FREE inspection from one of the many licensed pest professionals at Orkin! In the meantime, check out this informative infographic on mosquito control and prevention below:
Also, be sure to like/follow Orkin on social media for more helpful pest control tips:
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We have HUGE issues with mosquitoes. We live next to a forest preserve ad have two retention ponds right across the street – mosquito haven!
That would drive me crazy! We don’t have that and still usually get a lot of mosquitoes in the summers, especially in the evenings. They seem to love our family because we all come in with a ton of mosquito bites.
This is great advice. Mosquitoes can really ruin our hangouts on the patio. They’re so annoying!
Great tips. I can remember many summers being ruined by bug bites, which is just no fun.
Oh! this is a great idea. We’ve been on the same issue of mosquito, It really annoys me everytime were on the backyard. Thanks for sharing your tips!
Mosquitoes can be a real threat especially this summer! It’s good to be able to prepare for them and take the necessary steps to be safe. Thanks for all the ideas!
This is a very informative post. In the Philippines, mosquitoes thrive the whole year!
Mosquitoes are such a pain. This time of year they’re so horrible too. Mosquito spray is a great way to keep them away while you’re outside. I protect my girls from them as much as possible.
What a nice advice! I am being annoyed by mosquitoes! Their bites are really stingy and very harmful!
Mosquitos make me not even want to come outside! They’re such a buzz kill for outdoor parties.
This is nice. I also hate mosquitoes, my kids are allergic to their bites! They’ve become my headache.
We have been trying to eliminate mosquitoes in our yard. I’ll definitely check into using Orkin.
Mosquitoes can also be travelling with disease so it’s really important to keep your family, especially the kids, safe during the summer because that’s when they normally spread! I really appreciate these tips.
Such an awesome way to make sure that your yard is free of those pesky little suckers! I love summer and all but the mosquitoes coming out to play has to be my biggest peeve!
I hate mosquitoes and other bugs. I need our backyard to be clean and keep out of this pests!
I do everything possible to keep my little outdoor patio mosquito free. I don’t have a yard but that doesn’t stop the biting pests.