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Broadcast yard sprays kill whatever they touch, including bees, butterflies and the insects that eat mosquitoes. A more targeted plan attacks mosquitoes where they breed: standing water. Most backyard mosquitoes never travel far from where they hatched, so cleaning up your own yard makes a real difference.
Step 1: The weekly water walk
Mosquitoes can go from egg to adult in about a week in warm weather, so a weekly check breaks the cycle. Walk your property and tip out:
- Flowerpot saucers, buckets, wheelbarrows and toys
- Tarps and pool covers that hold puddles
- Old tires and gutters that don’t drain
- Pet water bowls outdoors (refill fresh daily)
- Bird baths (scrub and refill weekly)
Step 2: Treat water you can’t dump with Bti
For rain barrels, ponds, water gardens, drainage areas and troughs, use Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies israelensis). It’s a naturally occurring bacterium that is toxic to the larvae of mosquitoes and a few related flies when they eat it.
Summit Mosquito Dunks
The best-known Bti product. According to the manufacturer, each donut-shaped dunk treats up to 100 square feet of water surface for about 30 days, and the product is labeled for use in fish habitats and animal watering troughs. Break a dunk into pieces for smaller containers and replace it monthly during mosquito season.
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Mosquito Bits
The granular version of Bti from the same maker is handy for scattering into gutters, plant saucers and wet low spots.
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Step 3: Make your patio less appealing
- Run a fan. Mosquitoes are weak fliers, so even a moderate breeze on a deck keeps many away.
- Trim dense shrubs near seating areas, where adults rest during the day.
- Swap porch bulbs for yellow “bug lights.” They don’t repel mosquitoes, but they draw fewer other insects.
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Step 4: Protect people
For your skin, use a repellent registered with the EPA. The EPA has an online search tool to compare options and protection times. Ingredients include picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus (not for children under 3) and DEET. Follow the label, especially for children.
What about plant-oil yard sprays?
Cedar and other essential-oil yard sprays are sold as lower-impact alternatives. They tend to be short-lived and need frequent reapplication, and they can still affect beneficial insects on contact. If you use one, spot-treat shady resting areas rather than flowers, apply in the evening when bees are less active, and keep cats away from treated areas until dry.
Always read and follow pesticide label directions. Check local health department guidance in areas with mosquito-borne disease activity.