Ways to Control Mosquitoes in Your Yard
Natural & Organic Controls
What?
Insecticidal soaps and pyrethrin-based sprays are best used in combination for effective mosquito control. Body repellents can prevent mosquito bites for a few hours.
There are also Carbon Dioxide generating mosquito traps which can safely and effectively reduce mosquitoes.
How?
Insecticidal Soap (Potassium Salts of Fatty Acids) & Pyrethrin - combined are the organic equivalent of a 1-2 knock down punch. The soap will penetrate the insect's shell enough to weaken and dehydrate the insect and allow the pyrethrin to absorb in to the insect and do its job.
Pyrethrin is a powerful nerve agent and will paralyze and kill the insect on contact. Keep in mind this soap is not like dish detergent, it's a base from a blend of natural plant sources and pyrethrin oils and comes from the chrysanthemum flower. An effective and organic combination.......
Carbon Dioxide generating mosquito traps release carbon dioxide and either octenol or Lurex3, which attracts the mosquitoes to the trap and their final demise.
When?
Spray insect soap & pyrethrin as a contact killer for your entire lawn area. Use in accordance with directions on the product label.
If you are concerned about your lawn or unsure of how it will react to these solutions, test an inconspicuous area and wait 24 hours before applying full coverage. As a general rule, much like watering, do not use any liquid insecticides in the peak of the day or when temperatures exceed 90°F.
You can use carbon dioxide generating mosquito traps throughout the mosquito season. Place trap away from outdoor living spaces and follow package directions for best results.
Keep in mind that it takes about a week for the carbon dioxide generating mosquito traps to fully start working once they are set up for the season. If you've invested in one of these solutions, but need a quicker remedy for a backyard party, use a spray with pyrethrin for immediate control.
Why Choose a Natural Solution?
Natural solutions break down quickly to their natural elements. They are preferable to chemical pesticides that leave residuals where they are sprayed causing long-term detrimental affects on the environment.
Natural Predators
What?
Fish, dragonflies, birds, bats and diving beetles all prey on adult mosquitoes or mosquito larvae.
How?
Fish, diving beetles, and dragonfly nymphs feed on the larvae of the mosquitoes. Birds, bats, and adult dragonflies feed on adult mosquitoes. You can purchase mosquito-eating fish known as Gambusia for your home pond.
When?
Before releasing any fish, contact your Fish and Game Commission or Wildlife authority to find out the rules regarding the fish.
Environmental Controls
What?
Controlling mosquitoes in your yard and home revolves around two basic methods used together. You will want to eliminate situations favorable to mosquitoes and reduce chances of attracting mosquitoes to yourself and others.
How?
To eliminate situations favorable to mosquitoes, the first step would be to get rid of standing water around your yard and right outside your home. Pour out old water from bird baths, wading pools, and other sources of water and refill with fresh water. Make sure your filter is working properly on your swimming pool & your pond's aeration is working properly to keep the water moving.
Check screens on your windows and doors to make sure they do not have holes in them that would allow a tiny mosquito to enter your house. Also, yellow lights should be used instead of white lights outdoors to help prevent mosquito attraction.
When?
Clear your yard of standing water throughout warmer weather when mosquitoes are more apt to be actively laying eggs.
Wear appropriate clothing whenever you are venturing into places where mosquitoes are known to thrive. Stay inside at night when there are large infestations in the area.
Ways to Control Ticks in Your Yard
Natural & Organic Controls
What?
Insecticidal soaps and pyrethrin-based sprays are best used in combination for effective tick control.
How?
Insecticidal Soap (Potassium Salts of Fatty Acids) & Pyrethrin - combined are the organic equivalent of a 1-2 knock down punch. The soap will penetrate the tick's shell enough to weaken and dehydrate the insect and allow the pyrethrin to absorb in to the tick and do its job.
Pyrethrin is a powerful nerve agent and will paralyze and kill the insect on contact. Keep in mind this soap is not like dish detergent, it's a base from a blend of natural plant sources and pyrethrin oils and comes from the chrysanthemum flower. An effective and organic combination.......
Spray insect soap & pyrethrin as a contact killer for your entire lawn area. Use in accordance with directions on the product label.
When?
Ticks can be present at any time of year. Their activity decreases in colder weather and increases in warmer weather. Also, many species of ticks will go into a state of diapause when food sources are scarce. Diapause is similar to hibernation except the animal does not grow during this time or molt to the next stage of life.
Lawn treatments for ticks may be necessary year round in warmer climates but in more seasonal climates, tick treatments are probably only necessary in the spring & summer.
Why Choose a Natural Solution?
Natural solutions break down quickly into their natural elements. They are preferable to chemical pesticides that leave residuals where they are sprayed causing long-term detrimental affects on the environment.
Natural Predators
What?
Parasitic wasps and certain birds, particularly the Guinea fowl, eat ticks.
How?
The parasitic wasp lays its eggs inside of a tick and when the eggs hatch, the emerging wasps kill the tick and feed on it. Attract these wasps by planting nectar or pollen producing flowers. They can also be bought commercially.
Several birds feed on ticks, and the Guinea fowl is perhaps one of nature's most efficient predators when it comes to devouring huge amounts of ticks. Guinea fowl can be raised, although it may take some work on your part.
When?
Plant attracting flora early in the season so parasitic wasps may be present when tick larvae emerge. Most local greenhouses and garden centers can help you determine the right planting time for nectar and pollen producing plants to ensure that the pollen and nectar will be available when the wasps arrive.
Most wild birds can be attracted with bird feeders, although you do want them to eat the ticks more than the bird seed! Guinea fowl can be outdoors at anytime of the year, just be sure they are protected from predators. Wild birds and Guinea fowl will eat ticks largely during the summer months or warm weather when the ticks are most active.
Environmental Controls
What?
Keep lawns trimmed, remove weeds and vegetative debris, and clear away anything else that might draw a rodent carrying ticks on its fur.
To help protect your family, wear protective, light-colored clothing in tick infested areas, and use a tick repellent. Also, create safe play areas for your children that minimize the chances of encountering ticks.
Protect pets from ticks, doing extra tick checks on them and vacuuming your carpets, flooring and upholstery more often if your pet has been outside. Use tick repellents formulated for your dog or cat, or use tick collars. Make sure you only use dog products on dogs and cat products on cats.
How?
Mow your lawn to keep the grass from getting long, enabling ticks to hide in it. Remove and discard weeds and vegetative debris from your yard and garden, uneaten bird seed that has fallen to the ground, as well as trash laying around your yard. Keep playground equipment or play areas away from bushes, shrubs, and anything else that may harbor ticks.
Make sure family members wear long sleeves and long pants when outdoors. Clothing that is light in coloring will help you to spot ticks on it. Keep ticks from crawling inside the legs of your pants by tucking them into your socks. Carefully read and follow the directions on repellents before using them.
Protect pets by keeping them in your yard or keeping cats in your home. Free-roaming dogs and cats are susceptible not only to ticks but to rabies and other diseases (as well as death from accidents with cars.)
Vacuum floors, carpets, and upholstery to remove any ticks that have entered your home on your pet. You can purchase tick repellents for pets or tick collars from your veterinarian or your local pet stores, or through mail-order and on-line catalogs. Make sure you only use dog products on dogs and only cat products on cats.
When?
Mow your lawn as often as needed to keep the grass from getting long, enabling ticks to hide in it. Remove weeds as soon as they appear and get rid of vegetative debris after harvesting your vegetable plants.
Remove fallen leaves as often as possible, particularly when they are starting to collect in places. Remove uneaten bird seed that has fallen to the ground. Old tires, wood pile debris, and other trash in the yard should be removed and discarded as soon as possible.
When putting up playground equipment or creating play areas in your yard, keep them away from bushes, shrubs, and anything else that may harbor ticks.
Wear protective clothing and use repellents whenever you are venturing into areas known to have a tick presence.
Check your pets often if they have been outside. Vacuum your home more often in warmer weather. At the start of tick season, use tick repellents formulated for your dog or cat, or use tick collars. Again, make sure you only use dog products on dogs and cat products on cats.
Tips for Using Safer® Brand Mosquito & Tick Killer
General Information:
Kills mosquitoes and ticks as well as chinch bugs, lawn moth, sod webworm,
armyworms, European crane flies and other listed pests.
Use on lawns and turfs.
Directions for use:
It is a violation of Federal Law to use this product in a manner
inconsistent with its labeling.
PRECAUTIONS AND RESTRICTIONS:
- Do not allow adults, children or pets to enter the treated area until sprays have dried.
- Do not apply this product in a way that will contact adults, children or pets either directly or through drift.
- Remove pets, birds and cover fish aquariums before spraying. Do not wet plants to the point of runoff or drip.
- Do not apply directly to or near water, storm drains or drainage ditches.
- Do not apply when windy.
- Not for use in outdoor residential misting systems.
- To prevent product run-off, do not over water the treated area(s) or apply prior to heavy rainfall.
APPLICATION DIRECTIONS:
- Shake container of Safer® Brand Mosquito & Tick Killer thoroughly prior to applying.
- Apply when insects or signs of their damage appear.
- Spray evenly, completely coating surfaces when insects are feeding or resting. This product kills pests through contact. Pests must be directly contacted at time of application in order to be effective. Contact as many pests as possible.
- Use with caution on new tender foliage, and avoid spraying plants in full sun.
LAWNS:
Spray bottle contents (32 ox.) evenly to cover 2500 sq. ft. Use as directed on lawns and turf grass to kill CHINCH BUGS, LANW MOTH, SOD WEBWORM, ARMYWORMS, MOSQUITOES, TICKS, EUROPEAN CRANE FLY and other listed pests.
Use Restrictions: Do not apply more than 1 time per day.
Note: Seller warrants that this product complies with the specifications expressed in this label. To the extent consistent with applicable law, Seller makes no other warranties, and disclaim all other warranties, expres or implied, including but not limited to warranties of merchantability and fitness for the intended purpose. To the extent consistent with applicable law, Seller’s liability or default, breach or failure under this label shall be limited to the amount of the purchase price. To the extent consistent with applicable law, Seller shall have no liability for consequential damages.
HOSE-END SPRAYER INSTRUCTIONS:
Connect:
1. Shake well before using.
2. Ensure sprayer knob is turned to OFF position, then connect sprayer to hose.
3. Turn on water
Spray:
1. Extend the hose to the farthest point in the lawn away from the faucet.
This will minimize walking on the treated area.
2. To begin spraying, point nozzle in the direction you want to spray.
3. Bend small plastic tab on sprayer back and turn knob clockwise to ON position.
Finish:
1. To stop spraying, bend small white plastic tab on sprayer back and turn knob counterclockwise
to OFF position.
2. Turn off water.
3. Relieve water pressure by bending the plastic tab on sprayer back and turning knob to
ON position until water slows to a drip. Then, turn knob back to OFF position.
4. Disconnect sprayer from hose.
STORAGE AND DISPOSAL:
Storage: Store at room temperature or colder, in original container only, out of reach of children and animals. Do not store full or partial container in direct sunlight. Keep container tightly sealed. (Protect from freezing. If frozen, thaw and shake well.)
Disposal:
If empty: Nonrefillable container. Do not reuse or refill this container. Place in trash or offer for recycling if available.
If partly filled: Call your local solid waste agency for disposal instructions. Never place unused product down any indoor or outdoor drain.
The Safer® Brand Mosquito & Tick Killer kills mosquitoes and ticks on contact! It contains potassium salts of fatty acids (20%) and pyrethrins (.24%) as its active ingredients. This contact killing spray helps eliminate these disease-carriers to help you protect your family without harming the environment. Designed for use on lawns and turf.
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