Top Five Ways to Keep Mosquitoes Off Your Deck or Porch

Your deck or porch should be a safe refuge while you relax, dine, or chat with family and friends. But uninvited guests like mosquitoes can ruin your experience quickly. However you like to spend time in your outdoor living space, keeping mosquitoes away from a patio or deck will help you enjoy the area without worrying about bug bites. Mosquito control will also reduce the risk of contracting one of the many illnesses the pests can carry, like the West Nile and Zika viruses.

In this post, we’ll teach you how to keep mosquitoes away while sitting outside so you can enjoy your porch or deck in peace. 

Top five ways to keep mosquitoes off your deck or porch 

Mosquitoes prefer damp, humid areas because they lay their eggs in or near water. Creating a less friendly environment for the pests can help keep mosquitoes off your porch or deck. 

Let’s look at some of the best ways to keep mosquitoes away from patios and other outdoor spaces.

Remove standing water 

Female mosquitoes search for water when laying their eggs. Any standing water on your property can attract them, even a very small amount. Some sources of standing water may include:

• Empty flower pots and planters
• Uncovered rain barrels
• Wet spots caused by poor drainage or a septic system
• Overwatering your lawn
• Candle holders and other decorative accents
• Uncovered fire pit tables and charcoal grills
• Tree stumps
• Leaky hoses and outdoor plumbing

To help get rid of mosquitoes on your porch or deck, be sure to get rid of any standing water.

Ponds are another source of standing water that can attract mosquitoes. You can install an aeration pump or fountain in your backyard pond to keep the water moving, which may help.

Use a mosquito net 

Mosquitoes can detect body heat, perspiration odors, and the carbon dioxide humans and animals give off when they breathe. Hanging mosquito netting around your seating or dining area creates a physical barrier. Mosquitoes won’t be able to fly through properly hung netting, but the air and sunshine can still reach you while you enjoy your time outdoors. Just make sure you don’t place the netting too close to where you’ll be sitting, as mosquitoes can still bite through the material.

Clean up debris

Debris left around your yard can take on water and attract mosquitoes. When mosquitoes are least active in the afternoon, walk through your yard and pick up downed logs, sticks, strewn trash, yard toys, and other items. Keep your lawn mowed and your hedges and trees trimmed to reduce the amount of debris that collects in the future.

Use a fan

Putting an oscillating or box fan on your porch or deck can do more than just help you stay cool on hot days. Research indicates that moving air can also deter mosquitoes. Although the pests can fly, their wings generally aren’t strong enough to combat the increased airspeed created by a fan. Increasing air circulation may also dilute the body odors and carbon dioxide that attracts mosquitoes.

Call the professionals 

Taking action to keep mosquitoes away from your yard and outdoor living space can help, but you can only do so much on your own. 

Sometimes, they persist despite your best porch or deck mosquito control efforts. For example, you may end up with mosquitoes under your deck, or your next-door neighbor may have a mosquito-friendly yard that impacts your backyard. The best way to keep mosquitoes away from decks and porches is to enlist the help of a professional pest control company.

Experienced pest control professionals can develop a treatment plan tailored to your specific yard and let you know how often treatments may be necessary to keep mosquito populations in check.

Pest control services 

If you have mosquitoes under your deck or around your porch, Hawx Pest Control can help. Our team of licensed pest control technicians has state-of-the-art technologies for combating mosquitoes and the knowledge needed to treat them.