Natural Mosquito Control
Posted on 02 August 2008
Mosquitoes are not just annoying. They carry a host of diseases ranging from West Nile Virus to Malaria. For many years, the answer to mosquito control was to spray and spray some more. However, there are ways of combating those pesky mosquitoes without having to poison yourself or your environment.
Create a pleasing environment for the predators of mosquitoes like predators include birds, bats, dragonflies, fish (particularly the mosquitofish and guppy). Mosquitoes, just as most wildlife does, have natural predators. When you eliminate those predators through the spread of unnatural surroundings you allow the imbalance of the mosquito population. If you are interested in eliminating mosquitoes, you need to recreate nature’s balance between predator and prey.
Welcome birds into your garden. Plant a few trees and bushes and flowers which will attract them. Birds will nest and feed in covered dense areas for safety so create those types of areas. Even before planting, make sure to make your soil rich with compost and add a few earthworms. This will attract insect eating birds, even as your plants begin, as a soil rich with nutrition is a soil rich with critters which are a delicacy to birds that like eating insects such as mosquitoes.
Bats are a huge predator of mosquitoes. In fact, an average bat can eat over 500 mosquitoes in a single hour. Welcome bats into your garden by adding a bat house. You can either build one yourself or you can buy one. There are bat houses that hold hundreds of bats at a time. Imagine the mosquito control you can get with one of those!
It is always best not to have standing water environments, as they will attract a heavier mosquito population. If you have a standing water environment such as a pond or pool, add a water feature which circulates the water.
If you can’t, then add a few rushes or sedges to create an attractive environment for natural predators such as dragonflies and fish. These predators are quite good at combating the mosquito problem, too, because they live in similar environments and conditions. Although there is really no real way to ensure the attraction dragonflies, a pond with sedges and rushes added should do the trick.
As well, if you have a pond or anywhere with standing water, add a few fish. Mosquitofish adapt well to almost any water condition so they are the best to add to almost any still or standing water. They are also the best in combating the mosquito problem, with the ability to eat over 150 mosquito larvae an hour.
However, other fish like guppy and minnows also will do the job. It is always best not to have standing water. However, in cases where there is no way around it, use fish and dragonflies to balance out the mosquito problem.Other natural ways of warding off mosquitos are:
1) Avoid strong sweet fruity scents in perfumes and lotions and even in dryer sheets. Avoid eating fruit when you know you will be exposed to mosquitoes because then you will give off the sweet attracting scent naturally.
2) Avoid salty and potassium rich foods during times you know you will be exposed to mosquitoes. These foods produce lactic acid which is an attraction to mosquitoes.
3) Mosquitoes are also attracted to sweat and heat so take a cool shower before possible exposure to mosquitoes. But make sure to dry off completely as mosquitos are also attracted to moisture and they can sense even the smallest drop.
2) Use natural oils of citronella, Lemon Eucalyptus, cinnamon, rosemary, cedar, fennel and clove (or natural repellents such as “bite blocker” with those ingredients) as a way to ward off pesky mosquitoes.
3) Use smoke to ward them off. Incense is best. When there is no incense, you can even use a cattail by lighting the end and then extinguishing it and allowing it to “smoke”. Mosquitoes are attracted to carbon dioxide so if put the put the incense/cattail a few feet AWAY from you so they are attracted to it rather than you.
5) Wear light natural fiber clothes which cover body.
6) Use yellow or other colored lights for outside, as bright white lights will attract them in droves.