Reduce nearby resting habitat, eliminate any standing water within range, use fans to create airflow, and consider professional barrier treatment to lower the overall mosquito population around your outdoor living space.
If your patio or balcony is unusable by early evening because of mosquitoes, you're not the only one dealing with this. Mosquitoes are at their most annoying around dusk, which also happens to be the best time to spend time outdoors during the summer. Patios and balconies in particular are the perfect places to relax, and you’re definitely not going to want to give yours up to the mosquitoes.
Start with what's immediately around the sitting area. Mosquitoes rest in the nearest shaded, sheltered vegetation during the day and emerge at dusk to feed on whatever warm body is closest. Trimming back vegetation to open up airflow and reduce shade directly around the seating area makes a noticeable difference.
Likewise, you will want to remove any sources of standing water near the patio. Even small sources of standing water can be breeding grounds for mosquitoes, such as plant saucers under containers or birdbaths. Even grill covers and the folds of patio umbrellas can store enough water to make little mosquito hatcheries.
Fans are one of the most underrated tools for patio mosquito control. Mosquitoes are weak fliers, and they struggle in wind above about 10 mph. A $20 box fan on a covered patio creates enough airflow to make it physically difficult for mosquitoes to navigate and land. Position fans to blow across the seating area at a low angle, and the improvement can be dramatic.
These steps reduce the problem around your seating area, but they don't address the mosquito population across the rest of your property. If you are tired of dealing with mosquitoes on your property, Mosquito Squad of Chelmsford & Cambridge can help. This can be done through barrier treatments applied to the resting and breeding habitat across your entire yard, lowering the number of mosquitoes that reach your patio in the first place. Combining property-wide treatment with the steps above gives you the most comfortable outdoor space possible.
