Ah, spring and summer. Ready for some fun in the sun?
This is when you get a chance to enjoy your yard to the fullest. Activities abound outside. Play fun lawn games with friends. Hang out on the patio to eat al fresco meals. Sip coffee on the deck while listening to the birds sing and enjoying scents like freshly cut lawns and beautiful floral blooms. Dine on burgers from the grill with those perfect grill marks that make them taste so much better. Laugh as you reminisce about good times together.
Outdoor parties define these warmer days in your landscape. From garden parties to birthday bashes in the sun to intimate gatherings and larger family reunions, the outside is the perfect backdrop that draws people together.
But what can ruin your outdoor bash faster than your guests forgetting to RSVP? You guessed it: mosquitoes.
You planned the perfect party, accounting for everything you need – from the food to the entertainment to the tent or covered areas in case of rain. You sent out the invitations and decorated your party theme to match. Nothing could go wrong … except for mosquitoes. Nothing chases away your party guests faster than these buzzing pests swarming around you and your guests like they were invited to your party. And they didn’t even bring a dish to share. In fact, the only thing they did bring was the potential to spread some pretty serious diseases like West Nile Virus. Definitely not the memorable times you were hoping to create at your outdoor bash.
We know you don’t want your sunny shindig to be cut short when these pests arrive. Let’s look at some surefire ways you can keep mosquitoes away from your backyard party so you can ensure a good time for all.
Why You Don’t Want Mosquitoes Ruining Your Outdoor Parties in Northern Virginia
Just like humans, mosquitoes love to come out when the weather warms up. When temperatures reach 50 degrees Fahrenheit or more, that’s when you can count on them to join your patio parties.
In Northern Virginia, it’s the Asian tiger mosquitoes that you have to worry about most. Unfortunately, they are the majority of mosquitoes you can find here, as well as the largest carriers of West Nile Virus.
In Virginia, West Nile Virus is the most common mosquito-borne infection that happens most during mid-summer when mosquitoes are most active. A person’s odds of getting the most severe forms of West Nile Virus is about one in 150. The more serious versions include symptoms like high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness, and paralysis.
This is why looking for the best ways to get rid of mosquitoes for your backyard party is an important part of party planning.
Top 6 Ways to Keep Mosquitoes Away From Your Backyard Party
Spring and summer bring warmer temperatures, but, as we just learned, that heat and humidity also brings mosquitoes. Unfortunately, these two things seem to go together like bread and butter, salt and pepper, or peanut butter and jelly.
When you get desperate to eliminate mosquitoes, you might want to try anything. But there are some solutions that are more reliable than others when seeking ways to get rid of mosquitoes for your backyard party.
Your tasks will include some practical solutions that take into account popular mosquito hangouts and eliminating common mosquito attractors from your yard, as well as control options to aid in reducing mosquito populations and keep them away from your favorite backyard hangouts like your patio, outdoor kitchen, backyard fireplace, deck, or other areas.
1. Eliminate Tall Grasses
To get rid of mosquitoes for your backyard party, start by mowing your grass regularly. This usually amounts to weekly during the growing season.
You want to keep it to a 3- to 4-inch height. Any taller than this, and you encourage mosquitoes, and other pests like ticks, to hang out in your yard.
2. Keep Wood Piles at a Distance
Wood piles create damp, dark nooks and crannies that are ideal for mosquitoes. On top of that, these piles tend to draw rodents, as well as ticks to your landscape.
It’s always best to stack your wood piles at least 20 feet from your home or recreation areas to keep mosquitoes away from your backyard party.
3. Watch the Water
To breed and make more mosquitoes, adult mosquitoes need water.
So, another way to keep mosquitoes away from your backyard party is to limit standing water. And this can be tough because mosquitoes only need a small amount of water to breed; even something as small as a bottlecap of water is enough to breed mosquitoes. As you’re preparing for your party, consider all of the places in your yard where standing water collects so you can target those areas first.
Here are some other common places to manage water that you may not have considered but should be kept high on your list:
- Clean your gutters; make sure they drain properly.
- Refresh the water in your outdoor pet bowls and bird baths every few days to prevent mosquito breeding.
- Avoid standing water in areas like flower pots, trash can lids, etc.
- Add fountains or bubblers to your pond or water feature to move water around.
4. Increase Airflow
When humidity is thick in the air, and you have some nice, dense trees and shrubs, you actually invite mosquitoes to join your shindig.
Mosquitoes thrive in areas without a lot of air movement.
By increasing air movement on your property and reducing the number of places mosquitoes can hide, you can keep mosquitoes away from your backyard party.
This amounts to trimming trees and shrubs so they don’t hang up against your home and have solid airflow moving through them, knocking mosquitoes out of their hiding spots.
5. Avoid DIY Mosquito Control
As your outdoor gathering approaches, you might want to handle mosquito control yourself by picking up a frew DIY solutions at your local hardware store.
Unfortunately, a lot of the DIY options out there haven’t proven to be that effective at getting rid of mosquitoes for your backyard party.
Initially, DIY products cost more than you think to buy the product and equipment, as well as spending your quality time doing the job. Not only are you spending time doing the work, but you have to spend time in advance learning how to use the product, where to spray the product, how to apply the product properly, how to store leftover product, and how to maintain equipment and clean it after using it. Another thing you’ll want to learn about is proper timing. There are ideal windows for mosquito control applications that make the most sense for the best management of these pests. And you can’t miss your window or you risk another wave of mosquitoes in your yard. Staying on a regular schedule is important.
It can be incredibly frustrating to spend your money and time trying to eliminate mosquitoes only to find them still buzzing about your yard. Store-bought products typically aren’t as impactful as commercial-grade products. Even if you find ones with an ingredient that others have, you might notice there is still a difference compared to professional treatments performed by experts.
6. Professional Mosquito Control Services
You may have lined your party with citronella candles and still can’t get a handle on mosquito bites wreaking havoc on your party guests.
Companies like Turf’s Up can help. We use an effective and safe cedar oil to control mosquitoes that is completely safe, as well as highly effective, at controlling pests like mosquitoes in your home landscape. Cedar oil blocks the scent receptors of mosquitoes, disrupting their system. We apply it every 30 days from April through November to help keep bug populations – and their offspring – down. Using a backpack mister, we spray a fine mist and target areas where we know they hang out. This can be the extra step you need to truly keep mosquitoes away from your backyard party.
Stop Letting Mosquitoes Ruin Your Backyard Parties
Your party invitations are sent. You’ve lined your backyard with cool tiki torches. You seasoned your gourmet burgers and prepared some amazing side dishes. You’re even planning on toasting the buns and letting your guests choose their cheese preference. Party time is almost here.
Don’t let mosquitoes destroy all of this party prep. Get offensive in your mosquito fight! Use the tips we provided above to ensure you get rid of mosquitoes for your backyard party.
If you did a lot of the party prep and you’re still having trouble with mosquitoes biting and itching, you might want to give Turf’s Up a call. Our proven mosquito control solutions can give you a break from these sneaky bugs and let you enjoy your backyard again – whether it’s during a weekend bash or a quiet evening outdoors with your family.
Ready to learn why Turf’s Up could be your totally awesome choice for mosquito control services in Northern Virginia? We’re stoked to learn more about you and help you eliminate your mosquito problem once and for all. Get started today with a free quote. Together, we can prepare a customized plan that is perfect for you and your yard.
Image Source: Puddle of Water, Mosquito
