We live in an area in Northern Virginia with a lot of mosquitoes and ticks. We also have a kid who has allergic reactions to mosquito bites and ends up in urgent care for swelling. For 3 years we’ve used a pest management company for yard spray services, but this year, I’m hoping to keep up with the issue so that we don’t have to spray the entire area every few weeks (and sometimes more frequently).
We’ve been home more (… well, haven’t we all), and after taking on the 1000 Hours Outside challenge, we are infinitely more aware of all the wildlife around our home. I’d like to try to find ways to get rid of the pests that are a danger to our health without also endangering pollinators and birds (and well, obviously the pesticides are a potential danger to our health).
I’ve asked my favorite outdoorspeople for any tips, and I’ve collected information after obsessively researching late at night when everyone is asleep. Sharing my findings here! I also want to point out that the precautions you take may be location-based, but I hope that the information you find here may be helpful, regardless of the coordinates of the place you call home.
**Note. I’m not an expert. I’m navigating this issue as a mom and a wife and an entrepreneur and a homeschooler. My priority is our kids’ and our health. There are measures I’m going to choose to take that aren’t organic/without the use of chemicals. And should these measures not protect us to a good comfort level, we may choose to spray for the remainder of the mosquito season.
I’ve been so conflicted, but feel confident that we can stay on top of this. I will keep y’all posted!**
Standing water
We probably all know this one. Try to eliminate standing water or “fix” areas that often have standing water. If that isn’t possible, sprinkle mosquito granules in those areas. I’m including the link to the granules I’m using below:
You will need to look into their safety if you think your children or pets may get in the water; it’s my understanding that contact with it is OK, but I know I wouldn’t be comfortable with it if I felt they may consume it. That said, it is supposedly safe for bird baths (which birds obviously drink from too…) and fish ponds…
Areas you might want to ponder:
- Leaf piles (we spent 6 hours outside today, and were able to clear spots where leaves had built up over the last several months)
- Gutters (you can tie mosquito dunks into them after clearing… here is the link — thanks to one of my neighbors for this tip)
- Toys (even if they retain the tiniest bit of water): For example, we have a little wheelbarrow we need to bring in before rain because the lip around it can retain some water
- Ivy
- Low areas in your lawn that naturally retain water
Mosquito repellant in/on your yard/porch/balcony
I’ve tried this on a tiny scale in the past, but probably didn’t plant enough or place them well. Some plants to consider adding to naturally repel mosquitoes:
- Citronella geraniums
- Lemongrass
- Lavender: We have so much lavender and are planting more this year.
- Marigolds: I have several seed packets I’m starting inside this week.
- Lemon balm (also repels gnats, supposedly): Lemon balm has grown so well in our yard with little effort on my part, but only in one little portion of the yard. I’m going to try to plant some in pots that I can move around as needed.
- Rosemary
- Catnip
- Flossflowers
- Bee balm
Mosquito traps
Not sure how much help this will be, but I purchased a mosquito trap that I’m going to hang outside, which I posted below. There is a “lure” inside the trap, which I hope helps attract (and then zap) any mosquitoes during daylight hours. I may invest in an additional, battery-powered trap to place near wherever we’re sitting. If you are an apartment dweller with a mosquito-infested balcony, this would be an awesome mosquito management option to try. I also imagine if you’re dealing with a smaller area with a mild mosquito problem, a trap really might be all you need.
Tick management
We have a medium-sized dog who, even with topical tick preventative, used to bring ticks into the house. Here’s the thing… the preventative makes it so that ticks don’t really want to attach to her, so they fall off… in the house. Ideally, I’d brush her down before bringing her back into the house each time, but realistically, with my plate, I am not always going to do that. The last two years, spraying has really helped the issue, so I’m hoping that the tick tubes I purchased along with our clearer yard (those leaf piles were a huge risk factor, as were the times when our kids were still super young and we’d let the grass grow super long before mowing) keep our clear yard going.
How do tick tubes work? Most ticks populate an area by hitching a ride on mice. The tick tubes are cardboard cylinders that are open on both ends, and stuffed with cotton soaked in a pesticide. Mice gather the cotton and bring it back to their nests, where ticks are feeding on them (and then are uh, taken care of).
The caveat here? We have deer who love to hang out in our yard; sometimes even our back yard (which is fenced). So. I’m keeping fingers crossed, because I know that ticks also catch rides on deer…
And in the end: mosquito/tick repellant for you
While I avoided “the strong stuff” for a long time, because I didn’t want to put it on my kids, weighing the risks has me spraying us with it before outings and sitting out in the yard. Spraying our feet/legs/arms/legs/all the things. And for the kiddo who ends up in urgent care for mosquito bites, a spray in my hand and then brushing across his forehead, under his chin, pat his cheeks. <3 I spray hats, and then I put the hats on. (Oh the things parents/caregivers have to remember, huh?)
What stuff do we use? We used picaridin sprays for awhile, but I have found that I trust DEET sprays (specifically OFF! Deep Woods and also OFF! Family Care) more.
Natural repellent options:
- Repellent bracelets: A friend messaged about repellent bracelets that use only natural ingredients. I don’t think we’ve ever given them a consistent try — have you? The downfall I can think of is that I don’t think they would repel ticks, and I’d still want to spray feet and legs before a hike, with a DEET spray (does that even need to be in all caps all the time? it just feels so aggressive). Anyway, here’s the link to some bracelets I found on Amazon that got some rave reviews.
- Portable repellent machines: I did not even know this was a thing! Let me know if you’ve given it a try! If you also didn’t know that this was a thing, this is an example of one (with good reviews).
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