Getting rid of mosquitoes doesn’t have to involve deadly chemicals or the latest expensive gimmick. Effective control is a combination of vigilance, personal repellent and using the right products to target specific areas.
Garlic barrier, commonly sold as Mosquito Barrier, has been used for years in agriculture to repel insects from crops and even keep birds from eating tree fruits. It works by overwhelming the mosquito’s sensory system which is 10,000 times more finely tuned than ours. Once the product is dry, you can’t smell it, but they sure can – and they can’t stand it! As it is not a contact pesticide like other backyard sprays, it is safe for beneficial insects like bees and butterflies.
Easy to apply
Sold as a liquid concentrate, garlic barrier is 95-99% garlic with a natural sulfur compound that repels mosquitoes and other pests. There are three easy steps to mix and apply:
Dilute the concentrate with water according to the label in a clean pump sprayer that has not held herbicides or “weed and feed.”
Pressurize the container by pumping, and apply to shrubs, trees, fences and other structures around the perimeter of your yard. Spray as high as you can reach and avoid coating flowers.
Reapply after it rains or after 30 days, whichever comes first.
This can be a great tool to use ahead of a pool party, family barbeque, or to simply enjoy your yard free from pesky bloodsuckers.
As this creates a barrier at the edge of your yard, make sure you don’t have any sneaky water sources within the perimeter that are breeding mosquitoes. Keep in mind, many common culprits are out of of sight. Do you have any of the following?
French drains
Gutters with leaf debris
A water meter box that gets flooded by rain or irrigation
Plant saucers
Toys, tarps or bags of potting soil that collect water
Address these first so you aren’t trapping mosquitoes within your property.
For other easy ways to mosquito-proof your patio – check out this two-part series.
For more information on keeping mosquitoes out of your backyard, check out thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov/mosquitoinfo. To report a mosquito problem, contact the Environmental Services Department at enviro@thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov or 281-210-3800.
As weather warms, mosquitoes seemingly come out of the woodwork. How is it that they are always able to find you?
Keen senses
Mosquitoes use a highly tuned sensory system to zero in on their next blood meal. About 200 feet away, mosquitoes get the first whiffs of carbon dioxide we exhale as we enjoy a bit of gardening or a jog down the pathway. Following the plume – whether it is emitted by us, our furry companions, or a mockingbird up in the trees – brings them closer to the potential host.
Once the carbon dioxide has drawn her within sight, she is further attracted by dark colors and high-contrast patterns. Remember this the next time you reach for something to wear to the neighborhood picnic. Long, loose, light-colored clothing with a tight weave is a good first defense against the piercing mouthparts of the female mosquito. She seeks a blood meal, not to feed herself, but in pursuit of protein to make eggs. You might be surprised to know that mosquitoes drink plant nectar to fuel their bodies, and pollinate plants in the process.
Getting warmer
When within three feet the mosquito can sense the heat signature of your body, differentiating you from say, a park bench. Investigating further, she hones in on a specific area to land using “smells” she picks up through her antennae. Lactic acid, uric acid, and ammonia in sweat, as well as the scent of fabric softeners, perfumes and colognes can all attract mosquitoes.
Cloaking spray
Mosquito repellants can employ a couple different mechanisms in your defense. One is to jam chemical signals from reaching a mosquito’s antennae. The other is to be offensive to the mosquito once she lands and can “taste” it with her feet. Repellents may use one or both mechanisms – termed primary and secondary repellency.
As we each have a unique chemical signature, try a few repellents to find the one that’s most effective for you. Look past the brand name on the front of the bottle to the bottom. There you’ll find one of the active ingredients the CDC recommends: Picaridin, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus, DEET, or IR3535. What works best for you might be different from your partner or kids.
Sensory Trickery
The Mosquito Surveillance & Education Program of The Woodlands Township uses the mosquito’s keen sensory perception to our advantage. We use a variety of lures and baits to attract mosquitoes into traps for weekly monitoring throughout the Township. For example, the Biogents Sentinel trap uses a lure that smells a lot like stinky gym socks. It also has a high-contrast color pattern and can be made more appealing by the addition of dry ice to emit carbon dioxide. These three features mimic a human host, drawing the mosquitoes close enough to be sucked into a net by a battery-powered fan. The captured mosquitoes are collected the next morning and sent to a laboratory for identification and disease testing. Tracking changes in the number of mosquitoes caught, species present, and disease trends over time provides the foundation for mosquito control activities in The Woodlands.
There are two ways to guarantee that mosquitoes won’t bite you.
Get a shield
Go incognito
Let’s start with number 2 first. What if I told you that there is a magical coating that cloaks you from marauding hordes of blood-sucking mosquitoes, no matter where you go? An invisibility cape that takes about 20 seconds to put on. Would you wear it? Like standing upwind of a deer hides your location, wearing repellent has a similar effect when mosquitoes try to track down their next target, as explained here in How mosquitoes find you.
The biggest problem with the efficacy of repellent is that people don’t wear it. If you are complaining about mosquitoes and not wearing repellent, you may as well criticize the government but not exercise your right to vote.
Here are the top 3 reasons people give for not wearing mosquito repellent:
It stinks
Certainly some repellents are more heavily scented than others (we’re looking at you DEET), but two have almost no smell at all. Look at the front of the bottle and go for one that contains picaridin or IR3535 (also sometimes listed by its chemical name, ethyl N-acetyl-N-butyl-ß-alaninate). If odor is your issue, these are the two you want.
It doesn’t work
There are people at universities that make a living studying the effectiveness of mosquito repellents. One thing they can agree on is that there are 4 effective active ingredients.
Have you tried each of these? Not everyone will find the same one the most effective. Keep trying until one works for you; it might not be the same one that works for your friends. Also, note the percentage of active ingredient. It tells you how much of every spray is actual cloaking juice. The more active ingredient, the longer it will repel before you need to reapply. If you’re out where ticks are also abundant, choose one that is effective for both and more highly concentrated.
Active Ingredient
Picaridin
IR3535
Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus
DEET
% Ingredient
15 to 20%
15 to 20 %
30 to 40%
10 to 30%
Fights Against
Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes and Ticks
Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes and Ticks
Age Restrictions
> 2 months
> 2 months
> 3 years
> 2 months
Derived From
Synthetic version of piperine, found in group of plants that produce black peppercorns
Structurally similar to the natural substance β-alanine – a component of pantothenic acid (vitamin B5)
Derived from lemon eucalyptus tree branches and leaves or a synthetic version of the same (PMD)
Synthetic repellent invented by the US Army for use by military personnel in insect-infested areas
Does anyone want to expose themselves to harmful substances? Of course not. Rest assured that repellents are approved through the EPA and safe for use – read the label. If you use fabric softener, you are exposing yourself to more unknown chemicals formulations than you would be with repellent. Some people are sensitive to DEET and can develop a rash. If the concern is to find a more “natural” mosquito repellent, then check out oil of lemon eucalyptus. It’s derived from an actual lemon eucalyptus tree, but standardized so that the same amount of active ingredient is in each batch. See this previous postfor guidelines on using repellents safely.
Back to Number 1
When weighing all the options to reduce the likelihood of mosquito bites, and thus the risk of mosquito-borne disease, nothing beats an impenetrable shield. Anything that physically separates those piercing, sucking mouthparts from your skin provides the ultimate protection. This usually begins in the form of clothing with a tight weave that hangs loosely, away from the body.
Bug nets around strollers are the best protection for babies before they’re old enough (see chart above) to wear repellent. Bug jackets are available for adults too – and depending on your situation you might consider it! When treating post-Harvey floodwaters for mosquito larvae, Township staff used these to protect against the swarms of floodwater mosquitoes.
Fighting off mosquitoes starts by protecting yourself but remember that you can also fight back by treating and removing common breeding places around the home. By protecting yourself with these two simple steps above, you can once again comfortably enjoy your time outside. Just remember that you are only invisible to the mosquitoes, the rest of the world can still see you!
Questions, comments or to report a mosquito concern, email enviro@thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov or call 281-210-3800
Data from The Woodlands Township Mosquito Surveillance Program indicates a strong start to disease activity this summer with 30% of monitored zones returning a mosquito sample positive for West Nile virus (WNV). Typically, mid-July to mid-August is the peak of WNV activity but the unusually high temperatures have contributed to an earlier start to peak season.
The Township partners with county agencies to respond to disease activity. Access the Mosquito Treatment Activity Map for South Montgomery County here and for Harris County here to find out if and when your area has been scheduled for spraying. Montgomery County Precinct 4 conducts additional operations which includes Harper’s Landing, their map is accessed here. Residents of Alden Bridge and College Park west of I-45 can learn of additional operations in Precinct 2 by calling that office at 281-259-6492.
Environmental Services staff search out and treat sites where mosquitoes are breeding. A major culprit – your nearby storm drain. When lawns are over-watered or sprinklers misaligned, the resulting runoff funnels into the storm drains, creating, you guessed it, a perfect mosquito breeding habitat. Irrigate correctly (no more than an inch a week for optimum turf grass health) and you can stop mosquitoes at the source. Then take just a few more steps to make life outdoors safer and lot more bearable:
Tip out toys and garden equipment after rain
Clean out gutters
Rinse out birdbaths once a week
Treat meter boxes that hold water with Bti Mosquito Dunks®
Non-toxic Bti Mosquito Dunks® are the best way to treat areas where water stands for more than five days. Cheap, easy, and safe for pets and wildlife, you can find them at your local hardware store.
Personal Protective Measures
Everyone is advised to wear repellent when outdoors and when West Nile virus is known to be circulating. This is especially important when someone:
Is over age 50
Is outside in the early morning or evening hours when mosquitoes are most active
The mosquitoes that carry WNV are more active during early dawn and dusk hours. Consider changing your routine if you’re normally outdoors during these times or create a barrier with long, loose sleeves and pants.
More Tools to Mosquito-Proof Your Patio
Check out why an oscillating fan works well and why we recommend garlic barrier, just two of the suggestions in the Mosquito-Proof Your Patio series. Use this handy guideto check your yard for other places mosquitoes might be lurking.
To report a problem area or to request more information, contact the Environmental Services Department at enviro@thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov or call 281-210-2058.
They seem to come out of nowhere. They find you when you’re gardening, walking the dog, checking the mail – with no respect for personal space. It’s pretty annoying how good they are at sneaking up on us. But why are they so good at finding us?
Keen senses
Mosquitoes use a highly tuned sensory system to zero in on their next blood meal. From as far as 200 feet, mosquitoes can sense the carbon dioxide we exhale and are pulled closer to the source in hopes of a quick bite.
Once the carbon dioxide has drawn her (only females bite) within sight, she is further attracted by dark colors and high-contrast patterns. So remember to choose long, loose, light-colored clothing with a tight weave as a good first defense against female mosquitos. She seeks a blood meal, not to feed herself, but in pursuit of protein to make eggs.
Did you know?
Mosquitos drink plant nectar to fuel their bodies and pollinate plants in the process.
Getting warmer
When within three feet the mosquito can sense your heat signature, differentiating you from say, a park bench. Investigating further, she hones in on a specific area to land using “smells” she picks up through her antennae. Lactic acid, uric acid, and ammonia in sweat, as well as the scent of fabric softeners, perfumes and colognes can all attract mosquitoes.
Cloaking spray
Mosquito repellants fight the bite two ways. One is to jam chemical signals from reaching a mosquito’s antennae. The other is to be offensive to the mosquito once she lands and can “taste” it with her feet. Repellents may use one or both approaches – termed primary and secondary repellency.
As we each have a unique chemical signature, try a few repellents to find the one that’s most effective for you. Look on the front of the bottle to find one of the active ingredients the CDC recommends: Picaridin, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus, DEET, or IR3535. What works best for you might be different from your partner or kids
Sensory trickery
The Mosquito Surveillance & Education Program of The Woodlands Township uses the mosquito’s keen sensory perception to our advantage. We use a variety of lures and baits to attract mosquitoes into traps for weekly monitoring throughout the Township. For example, the Biogents Sentinel trap uses a lure that smells a lot like stinky gym socks. It also has a high-contrast color pattern and can be made more appealing by the addition of dry ice to emit carbon dioxide. These three features mimic a human host, drawing the mosquitoes close enough to be sucked into a net by a battery-powered fan. The captured mosquitoes are collected the next morning and sent to a laboratory for identification and disease testing. Tracking changes in the number of mosquitoes caught, species present, and disease trends over time provides the foundation for mosquito control activities in The Woodlands.
