Key Methods Of Controlling Mosquitoes You Can Use
Mosquitoes are the small flying insect that buzz and suck blood from human beings. They cause bad and ugly scars and at times cause dangerous diseases like the killer Malaria. They can be a real nuisance and hard to control. Many methods can be employed to control them and include natural mosquito repellent plants. You may need to consider using one or several methods depending on the success of the methods. The focus of this article is on the key methods of controlling mosquito you can use.
Methods of controlling mosquitos
Biological controls
These are biological methods that either kill the mosquitoes or repel them. They include animals or birds that eat the mosquito or plants that repel the mosquito by their fragrance or scent. Some of the plants that are known for repelling mosquito include rosemary and basil that are also used to add flavor to food. Some mammals like bats feed on mosquito hence eliminate them. Biological controls are a good method to use as they have minimal or no side effect on human beings, except for bats that may carry disease-causing fleas.
Use of topical repellents
Some perfumed creams or lotions can be applied to the skin of the persons living in areas infested with mosquitoes to repel them. The repellents keep the mosquito away but need to be reapplied now and then. Some repellents have side effects if ingested or taken in through breathing thus may not be quite a good way to control the mosquito. Topical repellents are most suitable when working outdoors or hiking.
Employing mosquito traps
Mosquito traps come in handy in controlling the buzzing insects. The traps use different attractants such as light, warmth, some vapor or gases and draw the insects to them, and kill them mainly by electrocuting them. Some of the traps may not control some mosquito types which are not be attracted by the particular attractant, for instance, light, thus need to employ the one that works for your case.
Use of repellent sprays
There are sprays that when sprayed in a room keep the mosquito away but cause no harm to human beings. The sprays can be used indoors especially at night to keep off any mosquito. The challenge is the need to keep spraying in the room to keep the air filled with the scent of the spray to have mosquito kept at bay.
Clearing of mosquito breeding areas
Mosquitoes are known to breed in stagnant water. All pools of water around the dwelling area should be done away with to destroy any possible mosquito breeding area. The mosquitoes also inhabit bushes and long grasses. Thus, all of them should be cleared to avoid them making their homes. In instances where pools of water cannot be eliminated, some chemical that kills the mosquito can be sprayed on the water.
In a nutshell, mosquitoes can be controlled by employing biological control methods such as natural mosquito repellent plants, using traps to kill them, and applying topical repellents on the skin. They can also be controlled by spraying repellents in indoor setups and by clearing mosquito breeding and living areas.