Fight Off Mosquitoes This Summer

If you’ve been chomping at the bit to get outside and enjoy the longer days of summer, don’t let mosquitoes kill your buzz.

The warming temperatures and rising humidity that come with the season likely mean mosquitoes are hatching in your backyard right now. Heavy rain across some parts of the country also increases that likelihood.

As weather.com senior digital meteorologist Chris Dolce points out: "Much of the South and East have endured a wetter than average May, with abundant rainfall surpluses."

As of May 29, the month ranked as the second-wettest May in Birmingham, Alabama; the 13th-wettest in Atlanta and the fifth-wettest in Boston.

So if you’re trying to largely avoid pesticides and insecticides, here are some of the best ways to eliminate and avoid mosquitoes.

1. Start With Your Skin

Your first layer of protection is insect repellent, so we turned to Consumer Reports for their expertise. They’ve rigorously tested dozens of repellents and have ranked 59 of them based on their effectiveness.

Consumer Reports’ Senior Health Reporter Kevin Loria recommends that you look for repellents that use EPA-registered ingredients. Among the ones they tested, those with DEET performed best.

If you’re looking for a plant-based alternative, he says sprays with OLE – oil of lemon eucalyptus – were also effective. Loria notes that OLE is also less likely to damage fabrics.

While you might have seen recommendations or online recipes for homemade repellents using essential oils like peppermint, Loria says Consumer Reports testing showed those are only effective for a very short time – 30 minutes to an hour. Repellents with DEET can last six to eight hours, so that can eliminate the need to reapply.

Pro tip: If you need to apply both sunscreen and bug repellent, both Loria and the CDC recommend applying sunscreen first and then insect repellent.

2. Eliminate Standing Water

Standing water is a breeding haven for mosquitoes, so scour your outdoor spaces for items that may be working against you – from toys and dog bowls, to plant pot saucers, bird baths and your trash containers. You want to turn over, empty, throw out or clean those containers regularly throughout the summer.

Loria said dumping out sources of standing water every one to two weeks can do a good job of interrupting and stopping the breeding cycle of mosquitoes in your yard.

If you have a swimming pool, make sure to maintain proper chlorine levels and clean the filters and pumps so there’s no buildup of organic matter that can attract mosquitoes.

(MORE: How To Build A Mosquito Kill Bucket)

3. Plant Power

Let’s stay in the backyard and talk about how plants can hinder and help you. First, you want to trim overgrown hedges, bushes and other plants. They can be a good resting and hiding place for mosquitoes.

You'll also want to keep your lawn in check by mowing it regularly, but don’t forget to clean up the clippings, as those can hold moisture and attract the flying pests.

There are plants you can add to your garden that are natural mosquito repellents. As a bonus, they’ll look and smell good in your garden. Some good options include:

• Lemongrass
• Lemon Eucalyptus
• Lavender
• Mint
• Rosemary
• Marigolds
• Citronella
• Basil
• Sage

4. Avoid Peak Mosquito Hours

Taking a walk or exercising outdoors at dusk or dawn may be a way to beat the most intense heat of the day, but those times are like happy hour for some mosquito species. That can vary by where you live, so pay attention and either avoid being outdoors at those times or layer on the repellent.

Here’s something else you should note: Getting sweaty and dirty can also make you more attractive to the insects.

"When we're out and about and we're moving around, we're exhaling carbon dioxide, and that helps attract mosquitoes," said Loria.

5. Use A Fan Outdoors

Ever notice that you see fewer mosquitoes on breezy days? The insects find it difficult to fly in strong winds, so installing an outdoor fan on your patio or just bringing your box or standing fan out to the porch is not only a great way to stay cool, but it can fend off the bugs.