Mosquito-Proofing Your Catlett Home
If there’s one thing we can live without, it’s mosquitos. These foul, blood-sucking creatures are a recurring problem for Catlett homeowners during the warmer, humid months. And if you’ve awakened in the middle of the night with several mosquito bites, you’re probably ready to begin mosquito-proofing your home.
Fortunately, you have the electrical experts at Hickerson Brothers to offer some solutions. We have compiled a guide below detailing how to mosquito-proof your home.
Utilize an Oscillating Fan
Fortunately, mosquitos aren’t very strong. And their flight speed is only about 1-1.5 mph. Therefore, one way to repel mosquitos is by simply blowing them away.
To help achieve this, you’ll want to use an oscillating fan. These inexpensive, commonly used fans are able to blow enough air that repels mosquitos away, and generally cost little energy to operate. You can find them at any department store in a variety of different sizes.
Remove Standing Water Around Your Home
Female mosquitos lay their eggs in standing water, which is why you need to get rid of them as soon as possible. Any dirt holes, buckets, or gutters filled with standing water can easily become a new home for mosquitos. We recommend these tips for removing standing water:
- Dump out any filled buckets after use. Try to use the downspout drain or even your sink to avoid making a puddle in the dirt.
- Clean your gutters and downspouts regularly to prevent clogs creating standing water.
- If a puddle has formed, consider installing a French Drain to help remove it.
Fortunately, if you have a swimming pool or hot tub, the chlorine should be enough to kill any mosquitos attempting to lay their eggs in them.
Keep Your Grass/Vegetation Regularly Cut
Mosquitos aren’t just attracted to blood – vegetation can be their other major source of food. And they will happily feed on any tall grass, untrimmed hedges, or long vines they see. So, as long as you regularly cut your grass and vegetation, mosquitos will have a harder time finding food sources at your home.
Equip Your Home with Mosquito Repellent Lighting
Mosquitos are most attracted to bright lights and warmth, two qualities usually possessed by your lighting. Therefore, a major step you’ll want to take when mosquito-proofing your home is utilizing mosquito repellant lights.
Contrary to the name, mosquito repellent lighting doesn’t actually repel mosquitos. It simply provides a certain shade of illumination that mosquitos aren’t attracted to. Most insects can’t see light within the yellow color range and updating your lighting to this shade helps reduce their attraction to your home.
Additionally, using LED bulbs instead of incandescent also attracts less mosquitos, as LEDs don’t produce warmth.
If you’re ready to replace your lighting with a mosquito-reducing shade with LEDs, contact Hickerson Brothers for our lighting services.
Use Repellent With 30% DEET Concentration
After mosquito-proofing your home, you’ll want to also mosquito-proof yourself. We recommend using mosquito spray that has a 30% DEET concentration.
DEET is the active ingredient that repels mosquitos and is usually concentrated at a range from 4-100%. The reason we recommend 30% is the fact that the spray isn’t overly expensive like higher concentrated variants but still has enough power to protect you against mosquitos for a considerable amount of time.
Start mosquito-proofing your Catlett home by following our guide today! And when you’re ready to upgrade your lighting to variants that help reduce mosquitos, contact Hickerson Brothers for our lighting services. Call us at 703-594-3913 to schedule an appointment and get started.
