Fighting Mosquitoes

Nothing beats a warm summer evening outdoors, grilling burgers, swimming, or just enjoying the company of friends and family. But there is one thing that can ruin even the best of times: mosquitoes.

Not only are they irritating when they swarm, but their bites can leave you itching for hours. For people with allergies or weakened immune systems, a mosquito bite can cause even more complications.

Even worse, a mosquito bite can cause serious and deadly diseases, like malaria, Zika virus, yellow fever, and West Nile virus. If you have pets outdoors, mosquito bites can lead to heartworms.

Luckily, there’s a product on the market that you can use to keep mosquitoes away from yard, pool, garden, patio, deck, or barbecue: citronella candles. Best of all, they don’t contain any harmful pesticides.

Burning citronella candles in your outdoor space can help make mosquitoes a thing of the past. Let’s take a look at how they work, what you should know about them, and some of the best ones on the market.

Read moreBest Citronella Candles for Mosquitoes

Let’s face it, mosquitos can limit your backyard fun. They can be more than a pest with their ability to transmit diseases such as West Nile and the Zika viruses. Preventative measures can help, but what products are the best mosquito misting and control systems?

Included below are some things to consider before you shop as well as reviews of five products that can provide your yard protection.

Read moreBest Mosquito Misting And Control Systems

Mosquito bites can become irritating, especially after you begin to scratch them. Their bites can also pose a health risk if the mosquito is carrying a disease. That makes mosquito repellents an important part of your pest control indoors as well as outside.

Traditional repellents require the use of harsh chemicals that make contact with your skin, however, new technology is providing electronic and ultrasonic alternatives. But, which products are considered the best electronic and ultrasonic mosquito repellent? Let’s take a closer look and find one that fit your needs.

Read moreBest Ultrasonic Mosquito Repellent

If you live in an area that is prone to mosquitoes, you know that getting rid of them is virtually impossible.

Sure, you can use quick fix products, like citronella candles and personal bug sprays, but the candle requires you to stay next to it, and it’s not always feasible to spray yourself down every time you walk outside.

Calling an exterminator is expensive, and eventually, those annoying pests will come back.

If you really want to put an end to mosquitoes in your yard once and for all, consider purchasing a backpack mosquito fogger.

They may cost a little more initially, but once you make your purchase, you’ve always got a solution to your mosquito problem right at your fingertips.

Read moreBest Backpack Mosquito Foggers for a Mosquito-Free Yard

When you’re trying to protect your skin during the summer, there are two key elements to keep in mind: sunshine and insects. Sunburns are painful and potentially dangerous, since the UV exposure increases your risk of skin cancer. Similarly, insect bites are itchy and can transmit potentially life-threatening illnesses.

But the solution may not be as simple as applying both bug spray and sunscreen. In fact, some researchers caution against doing this when the bug spray includes DEET. Studies have shown that combining sunscreen and DEET can increase the skin’s absorption of DEET.

Read moreBest Sunscreen Mosquito Repellent

Tiki torches are a special brand of light source that are often used in outdoor areas to decorate a place. While Tiki torches are among the most popular outdoor torches in today’s market, there are also a number of different lamps that can serve the same purpose. Some fuel-burning lamps are designed to create little enough smoke and odor that you can use them both indoors and outdoors.

During the spring and summer months, mosquitoes tend to populate. Humid and swampy areas can get especially infested. Not only are mosquitoes annoying, but they can transmit dangerous viruses. When you’re trying to repel mosquitoes, the first step is always to wear protective clothing and repellent products. But you can also use certain torch fuels to repel mosquitoes from certain areas.

If you want to rid your front yard, backyard, porch, driveway, or any other area of mosquitoes, you might want to consider putting out a torch that burns repellent fuel. Mosquito repelling fuels often use ingredients like citronella, which create a smoky barrier that confuses the senses of mosquitoes and wards them away.

Read moreBest Mosquito Repellent Tiki Torches

During the humid summer months, it’s vital that you protect yourself. Mosquitoes and ticks can both transmit potentially deadly diseases. And even if you don’t get sick, the bites from these insects are annoying. But bug sprays and other insect repelling products can be just as annoying, especially if you have a sensitive nose.

Most people are familiar with the “bug spray smell.” It’s an incredibly bitter scent that seems to coat the inside of your nose and taste buds when you accidentally breathe it in. For those with sensitive noses, the irritation of this can be enough to swear off bug sprays and risk the bites instead.

One alternative is to use essential oils as insect repellents. These natural ingredients tend to be more pleasant to the human nose than synthetic chemicals. But essential oils can also come with overpowering aromas when you have sensory issues. Some people report that they experience dizziness and headaches when the scents are too concentrated.

Read moreBest Odorless Mosquito Repellent

When you’re protecting yourself against mosquitoes and other biting insects, the best thing you can do is use insect repellent to shield yourself. But what about protecting your property? You don’t want your yard and porch to be infested by bloodsucking bugs, especially if you plan to have any outdoor gatherings over the summer.

There are insect traps for the outdoors. They vary in their mechanisms of action and their efficacy. Unlike mosquito repellents, mosquito traps aim to kill the mosquitoes on your property so they can’t breed. When no new mosquitoes are hatching, you don’t have to worry about infestation.

Some traps can be used both indoors and outdoors. Some are made for outdoor use exclusively. Different traps use different kinds of attractants. The most common kind, especially for indoor and outdoor traps, is UV light. This is a non-toxic and low-risk attractant that can be incorporated without blowing up your power bill.

Before you select a fan, you’ll need to know where you intend to use it, how much space you need covered, and how often you intend to use it. Most fans are designed to use suction to pull mosquitoes inside.

Read moreBest Outdoor Fan To Keep Mosquitoes Away

When you’re choosing an insect repellent for your skin, you want to make sure you get a product that’s both safe and effective. The CDC has approved several active ingredients as insect repellents that are non-toxic when applied to the skin. These repellents create barriers that keep mosquitoes and other insects from smelling your skin.

The two most common CDC-approved active ingredients are DEET and Picaridin. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. Though DEET has been used for more than 50 years, there are several reasons you might prefer a Picaridin formula. DEET and Picaridin are both safe and extremely effective at repelling mosquitoes. It’s important to understand the differences between the two.

Read moreBest Picaridin Mosquito Repellent

Mosquitoes and other insects are a nuisance during the spring and summer. Their high-pitched buzzing is a huge distraction, and the bites they leave can be itchy and infected. On top of that, mosquito bites can be dangerous. These insects can transmit a number of potentially life-threatening illnesses.

When you’re pregnant, you have to protect both yourself and your growing baby. But you don’t want to use insect repellents with ingredients strong enough to harm your developing child. So how do you protect yourself during pregnancy?

We’ve put together a guide on how to choose the right insect repellents, how to protect yourself, and a few recommendations for repellents you might choose. Everything Pregnant Women Should Know About Mosquitoes.

Read moreBest Mosquito Repellent When Pregnant