Mosquitos are awful!
They can ruin your day and keep you from enjoying time outside. All you want to do is enjoy your yard or deck without being attacked by these pesky insects.
We have compiled a list of 13 ways that will keep mosquitos away from your deck, yard, or patio and ensure they are not bothering you any longer. You’ll find that the solutions we suggest come in all shapes and sizes.
How to Keep Mosquitos Away
The list below contains a variety of ways to keep mosquitos away from you and your property.
In my experience, there isn’t a single solution that completely eliminates the mosquito problem. However, it is possible to keep mosquitos away from your deck or patio by using a combination of the solutions below.
These solutions aren’t in a specific order of effectiveness. Just try to implement as many as possible to make your backyard mosquito-free.
Important Note
You need to kill mosquitos where they hide in all 3 stages of their life cycle.
Remove Standing Water
Mosquito breed in standing water and can lay eggs in just a day’s time. The solution is simple: remove all standing water!
It pays to keep an eye on your property for any puddles or other sources of standing water that collect after rainfall. Weekly checks are recommended because they will allow you the opportunity to drain it before mosquitos have a chance to reproduce.
Common areas of standing water in your yard include pet bowls, gutters, small pools, birdbaths, and outdoor fountains.
Do your flowerbeds hold water for any length of time after you water the plants? If so, then you may want to invest in a drip irrigation system so that water is distributed more evenly throughout the day.
Ultimately, you should eliminate or treat all areas that could potentially hold water in your yard.
Treat Areas of Standing Water – Mosquito Bits
If you can’t eliminate the water then treat it.
Some areas around your home are always going to retain water after a rainfall. For these areas, you can use mosquito bits or biscuits to keep mosquitos at bay.
These items are a specially formulated chemical that is designed to kill mosquitoes and the larvae they carry in standing water. They work by releasing an insect growth regulator into the water, which prevents mosquito egg development.
These products are friendly to wildlife, humans, and pets so it is perfect for birdbaths and other areas in your backyard.
Install a Bat House to Help Control Mosquitos
Bats love to eat mosquitos.
Adding a bat house to your backyard can help keep mosquito numbers down because bats are capable of eating up to 600 mosquitoes per hour!
Bat houses can be purchased fully assembled and are easy to install on your home or on a tree in your yard. Just place a bat house near your porch, deck, or patio and you’ll attract bats to keep mosquitos away.
Quick Tip
Most bat houses should be mounted at a height of 15-30 feet off the ground to avoid predators like cats that will try to eat them.
The best time of year to install a new Bat House is in Spring when bats are actively looking for roosts and can be found flying around during dusk hours.
Keep the Yard Clean and Trimmed
A simple solution to minimizing the number of mosquitos in your yard is to keep it clean. Keeping the grass trimmed and mowed will limit their breeding grounds, as well as make it easier for you to spot areas of standing water where they breed.
Just make sure you mow the lawn regularly, trim bushes, and keep gutters clear of leaves or debris that collect rainwater.
These easy steps will set you up for a yard free from mosquitos when combined with other techniques in this list.
Use a Fan
Fans are one of the best solutions for keeping mosquitos away from a small porch or deck.
If you have access to an outlet, then plug in a small portable fan. The fan will create a breeze that will prevent mosquitos from hovering over you and biting. You can even use battery-powered fans if you don’t have access to electricity.
The fan doesn’t need to be too powerful. Just something that can keep the air moving is enough to deter them. Don’t forget to have a fan pointed at your legs because mosquitos like to maneuver close to the ground when they fly.
If you’re looking for something effective and easy then fans are one of the cheapest repellents out there!
Use Scent Deterrents
One of the most common methods for keeping mosquitoes away is scent deterrents. Two of the most commonly used scent deterrents are Thermocell and Mosquito Coils.
Thermocell
Thermocell uses a chemical called allethrin which is released into the air when applied to heat. The scent from the burner will keep mosquitos away by masking their sense of smell which they rely on to locate humans for blood meals.
Thermocell makes individual-sized products that are portable or products that can protect an entire small deck or patio. The small-size devices are perfect for attaching to the back of a lawn chair.
Based on my experience, Thermocell products are one of the most effective ways to keep mosquitos away. I strongly believe they should be part of a complete approach to mosquito control.
Mosquito Coils
Mosquito coils are small pieces of incense that are formed into a coil. You light the coil with a match on one end and it will slowly burn for about six hours releasing mosquito repellent into the air.
Mosquito coils are typically made with pyrethrins. Pyrethrins are made from the dried flower heads of Chrysanthemum Cinerariaefolium, a flowering plant. Pyrethrins are proven to be very effective if deterring mosquitos.
Use Citronella Candles
I mention Citronella candles because they are so common. However, Citronella is not the most effective all-around mosquito repellent.
I rate Citronella candles a low-level effectiveness and only recommend using them when the mosquitos aren’t too bad. I would not rely on Citronella if you are outside in an area with very active mosquitos. If you do, then you will come in with multiple bites.
That said, I find that Citronella torches can work well around a firepit. The smoke of the firepit keeps mosquitos away and the addition of Citronella torches with the firepit smoke gives it a little extra oomph.
Use Plants that Deter Mosquitos
If you are looking for a natural way to keep mosquitos off your deck or patio, then try some mosquito deterring plants. There are a lot of plants that mosquitoes dislike.
Plants such as citronella grass, catnip, and spearmint can keep mosquitos away from your yard or deck without any harmful chemicals. I recommend planting these around the perimeter of your yard, deck, or patio where you want to be mosquito-free so they deter them before they get to you.
Just remember that these plants will help deter mosquitos, but won’t keep them completely away. You should combine these plants with other mosquito repellents to create a mosquito-free deck or patio.
Turn Off the Lights
Bright lights on your deck or patio can attract mosquitos so it’s important to keep the lights off.
If you need a light on then you could try specialty light bulbs that don’t attract mosquitos. These lights can be found at your local hardware store.
The specialty bulbs use a yellowish hue that doesn’t attract mosquitos and other bugs as much. The wavelength of the light actually what the mosquitos “see”. The yellowish hue has a wavelength that mosquitos can’t see.
This type of light bulb is perfect for areas where you need to minimize the factors that attract mosquitos.
Use a Mosquito Fogger
If your yard is overrun with mosquitos then you might want to invest in a mosquito fogger.
Mosquito foggers come in many sizes from full-size backpack units to small canisters. The backpacks and handheld units are refillable and allow you to cover a large area in just a few minutes. The aerosol canister is handy for a small area where you need a one-time treatment quickly.
Foggers will immediately kill all the mosquitoes around your yard, deck or patio and are great to use before a backyard gathering or cookout.
Just apply mosquito control products with a fogger around the perimeter of your home on trees, shrubs, and plants and you are ready for your event.
Foggers will keep mosquitos away for up to 6 hours. They also lower the overall population of mosquitos around your yard making the other control methods more effective.
Pay for a Mosquito Fogger Service
If you aren’t a DIYer then you can pay for a Mosquito Fogger service. These companies send out a team to fog your yard with mosquito repellent every 2-3 weeks.
These services aren’t cheap but they are very convenient. I saw a noticeable reduction in mosquitoes around my backyard and deck when I used one of these services.
While this didn’t completely eliminate the issue, it definitely reduced mosquito activity. It is possible to achieve a mosquito-free yard when you combine a fogger service with other repellents to keep mosquitos away.
Overall, I like that I don’t have to handle chemicals when using a Mosquito Fogger service. However, I enjoy the flexibility offered by owning my own fogger. You can easily spray the yard and be good for several hours when planning outdoor activities.
Use DEET
When all else fails – use DEET.
DEET is the gold standard for mosquito repellent products. When mosquitos are at their worst, outdoor activities often become difficult or impossible to enjoy. These are the times when it can be helpful to break out the DEET.
I prefer to use DEET on outdoor chairs and furniture instead of directly on my skin. If I have to spray myself or my family then I try to keep the spray on clothing or hats. Unfortunately, mosquitos can bite through most clothing so you still have to deter them from landing on you.
DEET has a mixed reputation in the market because the chemicals can be irritating to some people. I have never had a problem with it myself and find that the irritation is usually temporary or mild when using products with low concentrations of DEET.
DEET shouldn’t be used all the time, but when mosquitoes are at their worst it can be a lifesaver.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Deet Safe?
DEET is a chemical that can be found in products designed to keep mosquitos away. It’s effective for preventing mosquito bites and has been approved by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). However, some people are concerned about using it because of its potential side effects like rashes, hives, or swelling.
How do I keep mosquitoes off my balcony?
Fans are a great way to keep mosquitos off your balcony. The circulating air will keep mosquitos away from you and your guests and can be strategically positioned to blow a breeze over the balcony.
Do mosquitoes breed under decks?
Mosquitos can breed under decks if you don’t have proper water drainage. Mosquitos breed and multiply in standing water so it’s important to keep the area under your deck dry. If that isn’t possible, then use mosquito dunks or bits to kill the mosquito larva in the water before they hatch.
Conclusion
We’ve outlined a number of ways for how to keep mosquitos away from your yard and off of your deck or patio.
If you listen to the experts, they will tell you that one method is not enough. You need to use a combination of these recommendations together in order for them to be effective.
Don’t give up! With the right approach, you can have a backyard oasis that is enjoyable and free of mosquitos.
So what are some tips and tricks that have worked best for keeping those pesky mosquitoes away from your outdoor living space?
I’m not so keen on the fogging ideas since they are basically distributing chemicals all over your yard (and neighbors yards) and are not likely to be specific to just mosquitoes, but many other types of more beneficial insects and pollinators.