During muggy weather, there’s no escaping the presence of swarms of mosquitoes outside your home. While it’s unpleasant to have to deal with mosquitoes anywhere, it’s particularly awful to come home to tons of mosquitoes in your home, making it nearly impossible for you to focus on anything else. Not only are mosquitoes gross pests that are hard to get rid of, they’re capable of breeding and spreading diseases like West Nile virus and heartworm for pets. Because of this, it’s best if your pesky mosquito problem stays outdoors. But what do you do if bugs start finding their way into your home during the summer? Simple: If you have the number for the Mosquito Squad of Greater Collierville on hand, you won’t have to work too hard to find a way to eliminate mosquitoes in your home. However, here are some tips to try while you’re waiting for the pros to show up.
Secure Your Home and Get Rid of Gaps
The best way to keep your home free of all kinds of pests is to make sure you’re not dealing with any gaps or leaks they could find their way through. Since mosquitoes are famously resilient, they will try their best to get through cracked windows, unprotected door gaps, and even through holes in screen windows. Short of keeping everything completely sealed tight, the best way you can keep mosquitoes out is to keep an eye out for larger holes or gaps where they might be finding a way in. This won’t just help with your mosquito problem: It will also go a long way toward making your home more temperature-controlled during the summer months. While it’s nice to let in a bit of a breeze when the weather is less sultry, it’s a good idea to seal everything off completely before the first heat wave rolls in. Remembering to close your doors and windows will also prevent other pests like flies and wasps from getting inside.
Use Natural Oils as Deterrents
Essential oils, as well as processed oils, have a ton of wonderful uses. But did you know that the bottle of peppermint oil or camphor oil that’s been sitting in your pantry for months has the power to stave off bugs? It’s true: In the same way that citronella candles use citronella oil to repel mosquitoes in outdoor environments, a liberal sprinkling of household oil like peppermint, tea tree, or camphor oil in areas where mosquitoes tend to get inside. If you want to do a full-on mosquito exorcism, try leaving a bottle of camphor oil in a room and closing the door. Put a few incense sticks in and leave it this was for about 15 minutes to get rid of any mosquito presence in your home. You can also purchase citronella candles that can safely burn inside your home without creating an overpowering smell. Some other oils and spices, such as tea tree oil and tulsi, are effective at healing mosquito bites faster as well as keeping mosquitoes away.
Get Creative with Garlic
Mosquitoes, much like vampires, aren’t big fans of garlic. Not only does the smell of raw garlic keep mosquitoes away, the plant can actually be deadly to mosquito eggs, creating a hostile environment for the pests. To harness the power of garlic, sim ply crush a few raw cloves and spread them around, or try boiling them in water to allow the smell to permeate the house. Of course, since the smell of garlic isn’t always ideal outside of the kitchen, you might want to use other sprays or deterrents that use the acidic properties of garlic to keep the bugs away rather than relying on pure garlic cloves.
Sprinkle Some Coffee on the Problem
If your home is riddled with mosquitoes, it might not take more than your average cup of joe to ward them off. Coffee is a natural repellent for many insects, including ants, spiders, and mosquitoes. If you’re dealing with a mosquito infestation in the kitchen, keep a bag of coffee grounds open or sprinkle some grounds on the countertop. This will effectively kill mosquito larvae and prevent any additional nesting. If you’re not a fan of the smell of garlic, you’ll probably find the smell of coffee much more bearable. If you’re dealing with a lot of mosquitoes hanging out in areas where there’s stagnant water, such as the shower or kitchen sink, think about creating a coffee scrub with coffee, sugar, and peppermint oil or extract.